Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan
The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland and National Coordinator of Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, Iba Gani Adams has lamented the state of insecurity in Nigeria, pointing out that no place is safe from terrorists, kidnappers and other barbaric acts.
Specifically, the Aare Onakakanfo berated the Northerners and Federal Government led by General Muhammadu Buhari for ever thought of Rural Grazing Area, RUGA, settlements to be foisted on the Southern part of Nigeria, pointing out that Ruga is a ploy for the Northerners to take over the Yorubaland as well as other lands belonging to the entire Southern Nigeria.
Iba Gani, who stated this on a BCOS Programme yesterday berated the colonialist (Britain) for installing emirs in Kwara State and Lokoja in Kogi State, saying, “Historically, Kwara State is a belong Yorubaland. Afonja was the last Yoruba king in Kwara. The original name of Lokoja is Ilukoja. Because the colonialists could not pronounce, they changed it to Lokoja and they displaced the original owners, which is Yoruba and installed Emir there. Now the incumbent government has come again attempting to take over our land the same way they took over Kwara and Lokoja. They said that they will create Ruga, provide necessary facilities there thereby creating cities within cities. No true Yoruba person will accept Ruga”.
The Yoruba leader noted that the military government created the nation’s problems in 1966 when it substituted regionalism with unitary system of government thereby making centre to be too powerful.
He noted that the government that could not manage four or six regions then cannot manage 36 states plus federal capital, noting that except the nation goes back to regionalism, Nigeria will not know peace.
“When our father went to Britain to finalise arrangement about our independence, they agreed that the country should operates regional system of government and so regional government was enshrined in the 1960 constitution handed over to us by the colonialist. In 1963, when we gathered together again, we still agreed and settled for regionalism. But the military intervention in 1966 put us into trouble that we are as they changed our system of government from regionalism to unitary system. Up till date, we are practicing unitary system of government and the nation cannot survive under unitary. We must go back to regionalism”, he explained.
He also called for unity among the Yoruba people, urging that it is high time the Yoruba got themselves a central figure that would be respected by all to be a united front.