THE National Conference, at inception about two months ago, was welcomed by Nigerians with enthusiasm and boundless hope.
Nigerians expectedly and rightly invested a lot of trust and hope in it to solve the myriads of problems facing the country including the age-long mistrust among the numerous ethnic nationalities in the country, which on several occasions has resulted in inter-ethnic bloodletting and stagnated the country’s growth.
However ominous signs have begun to appear from the conference that the parley at the end of the day appears incapable to resolve these problems, especially the issue of power devolution which most of the ethnic nationalities hold very dear and are un-willing to trade off.
The Yoruba in South-Western Nigeria who over the years have become the rallying point proponents and apostle of regionalism have in the light of the discordant tune from the conference again declared that there is no surrender and no retreat on their demand for autonomous regional form of governance.
They have declared that they are going to take their destiny in their hand and re-affirmed that the minimum and irreducible condition to continue to be part of the Nigerian enterprise is for the country to be run on the basis of regionalism.
To demonstrate their commitment to this position, leaders in the regions have in recently time organized several public fora where they unfolded the content of this position.
This was climaxed recently with the presentation of the Yoruba Agenda titled: ‘‘Regional Autonomy or Nothing” to delegates at the National Conference. Mr. Ayo Afolabi, Secretary-General of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) one of the groups in the coalition that is projecting the Yoruba position re-affirmed the commitment of the Yoruba to this position in an interview with The Guardian.
“The idea of regional autonomy or nothing did just come overnight. Over the years, well before the advent of the Europeans, before amalgamation, the Yoruba had always have their own separate ways of governing themselves at all the levels of settlements, be it as kingdoms or empires.
Based on this the Yoruba believe that every ethnic nationality needed to fashion out a system of governance that would suit its own purpose.
The Yoruba have never at any time want to dominate others and they would not want anybody to dominate them. That is the basis of our position, ‘‘regional autonomy or nothing.” This we believe in and would stoutly defend. Within each region, there is a conclave of a group of people who are used to each other in terms of language, in terms of culture, in terms of history, in terms of development and in terms of governance. The Yoruba leadership has been very committed and very consistent on this issue. Our demand or struggle has history. It is dated back to the period of our legendary leader, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo who in his book ‘‘Thought for Nigerian Constitution” he strongly espoused the need for Nigeria to be governed on the basis of regionalism. The Yoruba are not saying or insisting that every other parts of Nigeria must buy into our position. We concede to other each nationalities the right to decide what best suits them, after-all they have their own different culture, history and mode of governance. But for us as Yoruba, regionalism is what best suits us and there is no going back on this even if other ethnic nationalities are not buying into it.”
Afolabi believes that there is nothing strange in such an arrangement where for instance the Yoruba adopt regionalism as a form of government while other ethnic nationalities run other forms of government. According to him, this is already in practice in some parts of Nigeria, citing states that have adopted sharia form of jurisprudence.
‘‘We have had instances in the recent past when Chief Olusegun was President of Nigeria, some states in Northern Nigeria agitated for Sharia and they had it. Sharia is not in the Nigerian Constitution. They installed Sharia in their states and nobody has taken them up on that. Of course, nobody could because they have as a people chosen what suited them based on their past political history.
Therefore as a people, the Yoruba are saying within our own confine, we are going to operate regionalism and we could set up our own government at our own centre to direct governance in the region even with the state structure intact.”
On what suddenly accentuated the clamour to the present level where there is no option, Afolabi said ‘‘The Yoruba have had enough (of domination), we no longer want a situation where we would be dominated again. What brought about this renewed agitation was as a result of the publication by the Northern leadership group claiming that it is the North that has been sustaining Nigeria from inception and till this moment. Nothing could be far from the truth than this. The truth is that it is the South, especially the South-West that has been sustaining Nigeria. During the time of Chief Awolowo, the then Alhaji Tafawa Balewa government owed the West (The defunct Western Nigerian regional government) debt arising from loans the government then granted the Balewa’s central government to run the government. So if we have a set of ungrateful set of Nigerians, then let each ethnic nationality drift away from the country for a while. If we have to stay together, we would submit some powers to the centre. These are in the areas of defence, monetary and foreign affairs. Beyond that the federal government should only be concerned with policies that have to do with the relationship with other co-ethnic nationalities.
This is what the Yoruba want. But at the rate each of the federating unit is talking, if they are not ready to negotiate Nigeria, we (the Yoruba) should be allowed to go our own separate ways.” The Afenifere Chieftain is however reluctant to divulge the strategies and modus operandi to actualize ‘‘regional autonomy or nothing,” but said when they get to the riverbank, they would decide how to cross it.
‘‘At the appropriate time when we get to the bank of the river, we would decide how to cross it. We are not supposed or expected to put that on the table now, but at the appropriate time, the Yoruba leadership would take the appropriate step on what to do.”
Asked to elaborate on the word ‘‘Nothing” Afolabi said.
‘‘The word means that is what we want or we should be allowed to go our separate ways.” When told that separate ways means secession Afolabi replied ‘‘Well, if it will suit us better, for each of the component part that make up Nigeria, if it would be better for us to live in peace and have growth and development, then so be it. That would only come if we cannot sit down together to negotiate Nigeria.
Negotiation means, what are things to concede to enable us stay together, and what would be our mode of relationship. If we are not ready to do that, if what people are interested in is the master-servant relationship, which we have rejected, than there is nothing we can do about that, than to just go our own way.”
The Afenifere scribe lamented that the Yoruba have been held down for too long for others to pick up.
He noted that if the Yorubas had not been held down for too long and had been allowed to continue with the speed Chief Awolowo started, the Yorubas would have gone beyond even the present development state of for instance Malaysia.
He said the Yoruba did all that as a sacrifice to her neighbours, but added that the Yoruba might not be able to wait again or be dragged down in the process as it is the case now ‘‘We are not un-mindful of the fact that we have to a large extent be our brother’s keeper and that is why we have not been grumbling.
But we have got to a stage where the handshake across the Niger is going beyond the elbow. When it is going beyond the elbow, that means it could result to a slap or a clash, this we don’t want. Before it gets out of hand, we should be able to tell our friends living on the other side of the Niger, this is the way we want to be governed and these are the things we are ready to forfeit. Where we can’t agree, then we can go our own separate ways. Before the advent of the Europeans, we were different nationalities. Each of these different nationalities was effectively governing its area. We used to have the then flourishing old Oyo Empire.
The Yoruba are a civilized people who want to be governed along our socio-political and cultural past and aspiration. We want to be able to develop within our own means, within our own pattern, we want to be able to create and nurse a better future for our children, enough of this misery, and we should allow others (Ethnic-nationalities) to do the same. We don’t want anybody to enslave us and we would not enslave anybody.”
Nigerians expectedly and rightly invested a lot of trust and hope in it to solve the myriads of problems facing the country including the age-long mistrust among the numerous ethnic nationalities in the country, which on several occasions has resulted in inter-ethnic bloodletting and stagnated the country’s growth.
However ominous signs have begun to appear from the conference that the parley at the end of the day appears incapable to resolve these problems, especially the issue of power devolution which most of the ethnic nationalities hold very dear and are un-willing to trade off.
The Yoruba in South-Western Nigeria who over the years have become the rallying point proponents and apostle of regionalism have in the light of the discordant tune from the conference again declared that there is no surrender and no retreat on their demand for autonomous regional form of governance.
They have declared that they are going to take their destiny in their hand and re-affirmed that the minimum and irreducible condition to continue to be part of the Nigerian enterprise is for the country to be run on the basis of regionalism.
To demonstrate their commitment to this position, leaders in the regions have in recently time organized several public fora where they unfolded the content of this position.
This was climaxed recently with the presentation of the Yoruba Agenda titled: ‘‘Regional Autonomy or Nothing” to delegates at the National Conference. Mr. Ayo Afolabi, Secretary-General of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) one of the groups in the coalition that is projecting the Yoruba position re-affirmed the commitment of the Yoruba to this position in an interview with The Guardian.
“The idea of regional autonomy or nothing did just come overnight. Over the years, well before the advent of the Europeans, before amalgamation, the Yoruba had always have their own separate ways of governing themselves at all the levels of settlements, be it as kingdoms or empires.
Based on this the Yoruba believe that every ethnic nationality needed to fashion out a system of governance that would suit its own purpose.
The Yoruba have never at any time want to dominate others and they would not want anybody to dominate them. That is the basis of our position, ‘‘regional autonomy or nothing.” This we believe in and would stoutly defend. Within each region, there is a conclave of a group of people who are used to each other in terms of language, in terms of culture, in terms of history, in terms of development and in terms of governance. The Yoruba leadership has been very committed and very consistent on this issue. Our demand or struggle has history. It is dated back to the period of our legendary leader, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo who in his book ‘‘Thought for Nigerian Constitution” he strongly espoused the need for Nigeria to be governed on the basis of regionalism. The Yoruba are not saying or insisting that every other parts of Nigeria must buy into our position. We concede to other each nationalities the right to decide what best suits them, after-all they have their own different culture, history and mode of governance. But for us as Yoruba, regionalism is what best suits us and there is no going back on this even if other ethnic nationalities are not buying into it.”
Afolabi believes that there is nothing strange in such an arrangement where for instance the Yoruba adopt regionalism as a form of government while other ethnic nationalities run other forms of government. According to him, this is already in practice in some parts of Nigeria, citing states that have adopted sharia form of jurisprudence.
‘‘We have had instances in the recent past when Chief Olusegun was President of Nigeria, some states in Northern Nigeria agitated for Sharia and they had it. Sharia is not in the Nigerian Constitution. They installed Sharia in their states and nobody has taken them up on that. Of course, nobody could because they have as a people chosen what suited them based on their past political history.
Therefore as a people, the Yoruba are saying within our own confine, we are going to operate regionalism and we could set up our own government at our own centre to direct governance in the region even with the state structure intact.”
On what suddenly accentuated the clamour to the present level where there is no option, Afolabi said ‘‘The Yoruba have had enough (of domination), we no longer want a situation where we would be dominated again. What brought about this renewed agitation was as a result of the publication by the Northern leadership group claiming that it is the North that has been sustaining Nigeria from inception and till this moment. Nothing could be far from the truth than this. The truth is that it is the South, especially the South-West that has been sustaining Nigeria. During the time of Chief Awolowo, the then Alhaji Tafawa Balewa government owed the West (The defunct Western Nigerian regional government) debt arising from loans the government then granted the Balewa’s central government to run the government. So if we have a set of ungrateful set of Nigerians, then let each ethnic nationality drift away from the country for a while. If we have to stay together, we would submit some powers to the centre. These are in the areas of defence, monetary and foreign affairs. Beyond that the federal government should only be concerned with policies that have to do with the relationship with other co-ethnic nationalities.
This is what the Yoruba want. But at the rate each of the federating unit is talking, if they are not ready to negotiate Nigeria, we (the Yoruba) should be allowed to go our own separate ways.” The Afenifere Chieftain is however reluctant to divulge the strategies and modus operandi to actualize ‘‘regional autonomy or nothing,” but said when they get to the riverbank, they would decide how to cross it.
‘‘At the appropriate time when we get to the bank of the river, we would decide how to cross it. We are not supposed or expected to put that on the table now, but at the appropriate time, the Yoruba leadership would take the appropriate step on what to do.”
Asked to elaborate on the word ‘‘Nothing” Afolabi said.
‘‘The word means that is what we want or we should be allowed to go our separate ways.” When told that separate ways means secession Afolabi replied ‘‘Well, if it will suit us better, for each of the component part that make up Nigeria, if it would be better for us to live in peace and have growth and development, then so be it. That would only come if we cannot sit down together to negotiate Nigeria.
Negotiation means, what are things to concede to enable us stay together, and what would be our mode of relationship. If we are not ready to do that, if what people are interested in is the master-servant relationship, which we have rejected, than there is nothing we can do about that, than to just go our own way.”
The Afenifere scribe lamented that the Yoruba have been held down for too long for others to pick up.
He noted that if the Yorubas had not been held down for too long and had been allowed to continue with the speed Chief Awolowo started, the Yorubas would have gone beyond even the present development state of for instance Malaysia.
He said the Yoruba did all that as a sacrifice to her neighbours, but added that the Yoruba might not be able to wait again or be dragged down in the process as it is the case now ‘‘We are not un-mindful of the fact that we have to a large extent be our brother’s keeper and that is why we have not been grumbling.
But we have got to a stage where the handshake across the Niger is going beyond the elbow. When it is going beyond the elbow, that means it could result to a slap or a clash, this we don’t want. Before it gets out of hand, we should be able to tell our friends living on the other side of the Niger, this is the way we want to be governed and these are the things we are ready to forfeit. Where we can’t agree, then we can go our own separate ways. Before the advent of the Europeans, we were different nationalities. Each of these different nationalities was effectively governing its area. We used to have the then flourishing old Oyo Empire.
The Yoruba are a civilized people who want to be governed along our socio-political and cultural past and aspiration. We want to be able to develop within our own means, within our own pattern, we want to be able to create and nurse a better future for our children, enough of this misery, and we should allow others (Ethnic-nationalities) to do the same. We don’t want anybody to enslave us and we would not enslave anybody.”
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