It's regionalism, right to self-determination or nothing, Yoruba leaders insist

Leaders of Yoruba have made a strong case for regional autonomy, which it said, was the minimum condition for remaining in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

They said the Yoruba will 'to exercise its right of self-determination on and up to the right to secede if its demand for regional autonomy is not granted.'

The demands were made at a joint news conference the leadership of the Yoruba Assembly, Afenifere Renewal Group, O'dua Foundation, O'dua Nationalist Coalition, Afenifere Youth Forum, Atayese, Agbekoya Reformed Society and Coalition for O'dua Self-determination Group among others addressed at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota.

The news conference with the theme: 'Regional Autonomy or Nothing', was addressed by the National Secretary, Chief Ayo Afolabi and Chairman of Atayese Yoruba Group, Chief Tokunbo Ajasin on behalf of the ethnic group.

The position of the Yoruba leaders was sent in a document to delegates at the National Conference.

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Ajasin, who spoke on behalf of the coalition, berated the Northern leaders who were said to have claimed that 80 per cent of the country's land mass belongs to the North and that it was the money from the North that was used to develop the oil sector.

His words: 'We are therefore baffled at the take-it-or-Ieave-it attitude of delegates from other ethnic nationalities, particularly the Northern delegates who circulated a document full of fallacies a few weeks ago. Those fallacies have now been exposed by the facts and figures contained in the publication we are unveiling today.'

According to Ajasin, the Yoruba will have no choice than to walk out of the federation if the conference failed to accede to what he said is the minimum demand of the Yoruba people.

The Yoruba leaders took on the North for consistent opposition against regional autonomy.

Ajasin said, 'It is inconceivable that northern leaders are the ones leading the campaign against devolution of power and restructuring of government. If any region needs a stronger federating unit with greater capacity to provide education, health, security, wealth creation and other social amenities, it is the North where strong links exist between the level of poverty and conscription of innocent youths into extremist tendencies. It appears Northern leaders are not concerned, and indeed have no plan for the teeming youth from the region, as long as they are able to continue clinging to their hold on power.'

He added that the demand represented the wishes and aspirations of the overwhelming majority of the Yoruba people gathered from different fora over the years.

The document reads: 'The Yoruba people of Nigeria hereby make the following demands: Regionalism: States in Yoruba land want a regional government with its own constitution and unfettered political and fiscal autonomy, except on issues it agrees to cede to the Federal Government. The South West Region must include all Yoruba people outside the imposed artificial boundaries in Edo, Delta, Kogi and Kwara states;

A negotiated legislative exclusive, concurrent and residual list;

A unicameral legislature at the centre; details of the regional legislature shall be clearly set out in the constitution;

A parliamentary form of government at the centre;
The right to self determination on and up to the right to secede;

A just and equitable taxation system that will treat the federating units with equality and better coordination at the federal level in order to eliminate the current rentier syndrome;

Fiscal federalism and resource control: a system whereby a substantial part of the proceeds accruable from every federating unit will be retained and an agreed percentage contributed to the center by the federating units for the responsibility of the Federal Government;

Establishment of Regional Police;
A new people's constitution: the resolutions and conclusions of the 2014 National Conference shall lead to an autochthonous constitution, that is a home-grown and all inclusive draft that shall be submitted to the Nigerian electorate voting in a referendum; and

Status of Lagos: Lagos will continue to be the economic nerve centre of Nigeria and the West African sub-Region, hence, there shall be an appropriate budgetary provision that is part of the First Line Charge in the Federation Account.'

The Yoruba leaders pointed out that they are not enforcing their demands on others. 'Others are free to explore whatever suits them while we should be free to organise our governance the way it suits us.'

According to Ajasin, all Yoruba delegates at the conference are united on the region's position and are poised to defend it.