New Telegraph

Echoes of security, economy at pan Yoruba congress

Leading Yoruba sociocultural groups and prominent individuals from the South-West converged on Ibadan, the Oyo State capital last Thursday to appraise and proffer solutions to the security and economic situations in the zone. WALE ELEGBEDE reports

 

Lately, the South-West geopolitical has been in the spotlight over rising cases of insecurity which also dovetailed to economic and food crunch at a time.

 

From Ondo to Osun, Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti and Lagos states, the lamentation is same-hence and it has the agitation for drastic actions against rampant cases of killings, kidnappings, banditry and rape, among other heinous crimes that have suddenly enveloped the zone from some alleged bad eggs among Fulani herdsmen.

 

Notable on the list of series of abductions and killings include the murder of Funke Olakunrin, daughter of Yoruba leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti; Olufon of Ifon, Oba Israel Adeusi and Amos Arijesuyo, deputy registrar at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), among others.

 

There are also records of rapes and kidnappings by alleged Fulani herdsmen even on major highways. Similarly, there are cases of bloody clashes and arrests between the zone’s security outfit – Amotekun Corps and some Fulani herdsmen. Also, clashes between herdsmen and farmers have become pronounced.

 

Expectedly, the development has brewed concern and interest from stakeholders, thereby necessitating corporate response to address the spate of insecurity in the zone.

 

A major leap in the direction of stimulating a blueprint for the stability and prosperity of the South-West was last week’s convocation of the first Pan-Yoruba Congress at the historical Mapo Hall in Ibadan, Oyo State.

 

The congress, which reiterated its belief in the corporate existence of Nigeria, had participants drawn from children of Oduduwa descent across the eight Yoruba states (Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Lagos, Ekiti, and parts of Kwara and Kogi). It also had attendees from Afenifere, Afenifere Renewal Group, Yoruba Koya, Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) and Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), among others.

 

The summit, which was organised by many socio-cultural groups, with the theme: “Our destiny in our hands,” had Mr. Sola Lawal as the chairman of its planning committee. Speaking at the event, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, admonished Yoruba people to work together and speak with one voice, noting that “if the socio-cultural organizations and security groups are not united,  it will be very difficult for Yoruba land to be united.”

 

He added: “I can assure you that this is a starting point for unity. We have agreed with some of the Yoruba leaders and socio-cultural groups that we will get the contact of every organization in this gathering and we’ll make sure we work together, so that we can speak with one voice.”

 

He, therefore, appealed to South-West governors to lay more emphasis on the issue of infrastructure, security and creation of job opportunities for youths in their states. “If the socio-cultural organizations and security groups are not united, it will be very difficult for Yoruba land to be united.

 

At the same time, we are appealing to the South-West governors to lay more emphasis on the issue of infrastructure. “Full security is highly paramount in our society. With full security, the issue of threat will be reduced and our youths will be gainfully employed.

 

So, we thank everyone here in this gathering,” he said. Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, on his part, declared that he will always take decisions in the best interest of the people of Oyo State and Yorubaland in the fight against insecurity.

 

The governor maintained that his administration is working round the clock to make the people of the state sleep with their two eyes closed and for them to go about their lawful businesses without any hindrance. He added that the state will incorporate non-state actors into the new security architecture of the state. He said: “By virtue of my office,

 

I can see some certain things that you cannot easily see and I stand on my honour to say that I will take decisions in the best interest of my people. What do they  want to do to Seyi Makinde?

 

As I stand before you, if I am being asked to leave the seat as the governor, I do not have a pin to go and pick in my office at the secretariat. I go there with my bag and go back to my house with my bag.

 

“I made a commitment to the people of Oyo State to serve them. So, I am not bothered about the position but bothered about the welfare, development and growth of Oyo State and Yorubaland in general. At the last security meeting we had, I created a War Room because the issue of security is beyond rhetoric.

 

I also set up a Task Force on security, which I am chairing, and one of the decisions we took there is that in the security architecture of Oyo State, we must now incorporate non-state actors. What we want to achieve is an Oyo State, and, by extension, a Yorubaland in which people can sleep with their two eyes closed; where people can go about their lawful businesses without any hindrance.”

 

He further emphasised that the government alone cannot tackle the menace of insecurity in the state, saying that all hands must be on deck to find a lasting solution to the issue.

 

“In the days to come, those who are not in Amotekun, who could be OPC or Soludero or Vigilante, we will be coming to them to participate in what we call voluntary policing. What it means is that all hands must be put on deck to address the issue of security and development of our state. Government alone cannot do it. Our security agencies cannot do it all alone.

 

Our traditional rulers and the non-state actors must come together to support their government.” Reading the communiqué of the meeting, Secretary-General of the Yoruba Council of Elders, Dr Kunle Olajide, said the congress distanced Yoruba from the oft-repeated untruth that “Nigeria’s unity is non-negotiable.”

 

According to him, “this is nothing but a falsehood. Be it known, now and ever, the unity of Nigeria is highly negotiable! If we cannot be happy together, then let us find peace and joy, apart. Nigeria can only remain Nigeria if all parties agree to deal equitably with each other.”

 

Through the communiqué, participants unanimously agreed that the frequent herdsmen attack against the people of the South-West is terrorism and not farmersherders’ clash as being claimed in some quarters.

 

The communiqué read in part: “That the Yoruba nation is deeply worried by the unfolding anarchy, particularly as it affects the South-West region, almost rendered comatose by daily occurrence of kidnapping, arson, maiming, destruction of economic facilities and killings.

 

“The acts of criminality being tagged farmers-herders’ clash is a case of terrorism and a case of crime against humanity. Those who unleash attack on farmers, who kidnap fellow Nigerians, who kill and rape women are no bandits but terrorists. When injustice becomes the law, resistance will be a duty!

 

“That it is in the light of the foregoing that this gathering of Yoruba, having noted the challenges faced by security agencies and lately Amotekun, the new South-West security outfit, in making our land safe once again unveils the South-West Security Stakeholders’

 

Group under the leadership of Iba Gani Adams, the Are Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, as an outfit to complement official government law enforcement units. “That this special internal South-West security group made up of all stakeholders in the security realm, including the OPC,

Agbekoya, vigilante groups, hunters etc. has been charged by leaders of our nation here gathered to help ensure that our portion of Nigeria is safe again. “That our forests are sacred, untouchable and irreversibly a no-go area to terrorists; that the Yoruba people will not cede one inch of their forest to anyone under any guise.

 

Similarly, the congress also agreed that Amotekun personnel should be allowed to bear reasonable arms.” A consensus was also reached that states in the region should pay special attention to agriculture to boost food security and wean the people from depending on food from outside the region.

 

The participants also agreed that Yoruba people should, as a matter of utmost urgency, retrace their steps to true and functional federalism as a panacea for tension and mistrust in the country if Nigeria was serious about remaining an indivisible whole.

 

The congress also agreed that the Odua anthem, which had been adopted by Osun and Ondo states, should be similarly adopted by the remaining states in the South- West.

 

Clearly, the deliberation was timely and purposive, but how the congress would conscript other interests and stakeholders in the zone into their mission are left to be seen.

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