• ‘Tinubu’s men’ present at meeting
• Abuja indigenes task minister on delegates
A DESIRE to present a common agenda has overridden the initial mutual disagreement by Yoruba leaders in the South-West over the planned national conference.
Indeed, several pan-Yoruba organisations and leaders, including those in the All Progressives Congress (APC) who had misgivings about the planned conference, gathered in Isara-Remo, home of Chief Olaniwun Ajayi in Ogun State yesterday under the leadership of the Chairman of Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, to take a common position on the Yoruba agenda at the conference.
The issue of the 15 delegates that would represent the region was resolved, among others. It was decided that each of the six states is to produce two delegates while the remaining three delegates were conceded to the Yoruba leaders to decide.
The Isara meeting yesterday, which is a follow-up to an earlier meeting held at the same venue last week, attracted, among others, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, members of the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) which organised the Ibadan, Oyo State capital meeting, some prominent members of the APC, including its Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande. Former Ogun State governor, Chief Segun Osoba, sent in a letter of excuse for not attending.
Also in attendance were the Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi; former Ekiti State governor and Interim Deputy National Chairman - South-west of the APC, Chief Niyi Adebayo, Mr. Ayo Afolabi, ARG Chairman, Wale Osun and some other close associates of the former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu who had opposed the conference.
Others that were present included former Managing Director of Punch Newspapers, Chief Ajibola Ogunsola, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, Dr. Kunle Olajide, former Minister for Power and Steel, Sarafa Ishola, Chief Dapo Durosinmi, Mr. Tokunbo Ajasin, Oladipo Olaitan, Prof. Kunle Ade Wahab, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, Mr. Fola Adeola, Erelu Abiola Fernandez, Supo Sonibare and Gen. Alani Akinrinade.
Chief Gani Adams, former Lagos State Governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Chief Rafiu Jafojo who have supported the conference were present, but Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko and former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, were represented at the event that held at the residence of Olanihun.
Some of the decisions taken, which would be subject to ratification by the Yoruba National Assembly during a meeting scheduled for Thursday in Ibadan, Oyo State, include the right to secession proposed by the ARG, which was adopted.
It was also agreed that Yoruba federation maintains its six-region state with some boundary adjustment to accommodate Ekiti in Kwara to join Ekiti State, Igbomina and Ibolo in Kwara to join Osun State.
The meeting also recommended the Westminster model of parliamentary system of government, power devolution from the central to federating units, resource control and revenue allocation to be reviewed in accordance with the devolution of power, and that derivation should rather be based on the total revenue accruable to the Federation Account and not based on a single product as it is currently practised.
The Yoruba leaders also recommended that immunity for elected officials should be limited to civil cases only: “Where a prima facie criminal case is established against an elected officer by a court of competent jurisdiction, such officer shall vacate office during the trial.”
The gathering further advocated regional police with clearly defined roles and relationship with the federal police, while defence is to remain the exclusive responsibility of the central government. But military commands, which are to consist mainly of indigenes of the region, are also to be headed by the indigenes of the region.
The meeting will reconvene in Ibadan on Thursday where a pan-Yoruba position, based on harmonised positions of every segment of the region, is expected to be taken ahead of the conference.
At the event, Ajimobi, said it was only a senseless Yoruba man that would see all the struggles the fathers of the region were doing to salvage it and ignore them.
He noted there were some elders in Yorubaland whose ways were not straight: “I wonder the problem with Yoruba; maybe because we are over-learned or exposed, we always oppose one another whenever a serious decision is to be taken.”
Stressing the need to address what he described as the lopsided revenue allocation system, Ajimobi said: “The present system is not profitable because Oyo gets a federal allocation of N4 billion monthly for over eight million people while Bayelsa gets N22 billion for just 700,000 people. This is something we should address critically at the conference.”
He enjoined Yoruba leaders to make the re-introduction of regional government one of their major demands. While commending the efforts of Yoruba leaders in the promotion of the interest of the race in national discourse, Ajimobi urged them to be more committed, loyal and honest, and also demonstrate a high level of integrity in advancing the cause of the Yoruba at the conference.
He also stressed the need for the constitution of a technical committee that would be saddled with the responsibility of co-ordinating and aggregating the official position of the Yoruba race at the conference.
While saying that the committee should consist of experienced technocrats who had held sensitive positions both within and outside the government, the governor said that all the states in the South-West geo-political zone should be equally represented.
A chieftain of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Otunba Olabiyi Durojaiye on his part, urged more Yoruba people to support the conference. “It is now a common cause we must all fight and address together.”
Durojaiye said the Yoruba people must not be afraid to assert their position at the conference. “Those who planned this conference now have their reason. It is not possible to finish the conference within three months. In this wise, if the situation arises, we should press for adoption of the 1960 Constitution.
“We must look out for quality, educated and tested representatives, it must not be based on religion and we must emphasise that the delegates must swear to an oath they would not betray our collective interest.”
While giving a report of some of the Yoruba leaders with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Secretary-General, the Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF), Dr. Kunle Olajide, said there was success.
Ajayi moved a motion, which was unanimously supported, that no other Yoruba group should organise any meeting with regard to the planned national conference apart from the one held at Isara-Remo. According to him, “Any group that does so would be fined.”
Falae said it was imperative for the Yoruba to take a concrete position over what they want to achieve at the conference, otherwise, some minority groups “who are still eyeing the Presidency are determined to ensure that the present presidential structure continues.”
National Co-ordinator, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Gani Adams, said it did not matter whatever any other region wants, “what is critical to the Yoruba is self-autonomy and others.”
To Yinka Odumakin, spokesman of ARG, “if the minorities want the presidential system to continue, two things have happened to us. We have been lumped up together for too long, which has been impeding our development. From the report I am hearing, it is most likely the Yoruba alone will be strong on regionalism and parliamentary system. We must therefore be determined and this is where the issue of who and who represent us matters.”
Adebanjo wants people who know about conference, who could interface with others from other regions. “We cannot afford federal character as a modality to choose the delegates to represent us at the conference. It is not possible, the minorities we saved during the days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo cannot come and enslave us now. Should we go for another election on the basis of 20 local councils in Lagos and 40 local councils in Kano State? The Yoruba have more advantages on regionalism.” He said that “from Falae’s report, the minority wants to enslave us.”
Adebanjo specifically warned that any delegate that betrays or sells out the interest of the Yoruba at the conference “would be betrayed.”
The people discussed issues pertaining to the conference as it affects the Yoruba race extensively and also reconciled and adopted some of the positions taken by the meetings held in Ibadan, Abuja and Asaba in Delta State. Other far-reaching decisions were also taken.
Meanwhile, indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the aegis of the Original Inhabitants Development Association (OIDA) have asked the Minister, Bala Mohammed, to quicken the nomination of delegates to the national conference.
In a statement signed by its President, Pastor Danladi Jeji, OIDA applauded the Federal Government’s convocation of the conference, saying it was an auspicious platform for all Nigerians - tribes, religions and regions to ventilate their grievances, real or imagined, about the continuous corporate existence of the nation.
OIDA said: “The national conference will give the Abuja indigenous people the opportunity to bring the issues of their statelessness, marginalisation and forceful usurpation of their lands without compensation by the Nigerian state to the limelight.” The group said it was well-prepared to be a part of the dialogue.
Source: Guardian
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