Category: Politics

The pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, in a statement released on Wednesday to newsmen on the Outlook of Nigeria at 60 by its Secretary General, Sehinde Arogbofa and its spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, dismissed the ongoing constitution review by the National Assembly.

Arogbofa said rather than embarking on another constitution review, which he described as a waste of time and resources, the regime of Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) should look at the report of the 2014 national conference, which it abandoned.

He opposed a bloody revolution in the country, but warned that a part of the country could not continue to treat other parts as third class citizens.He said, “We are not asking for war, but those who are treating other parts of the country as third class citizens are the people pushing us towards a precipice.

“We will continue to use our intelligence to fight the fight as nobody will carry any weapon for war.” Also, Odumakin faulted Nigeria’s federal structure. “What we are running is the unitary rule that we fraudulently call federalism.

Afenifere insists on the restructuring of Nigeria into true federalism to avoid the agitation for separation. Odumakin, in a statement titled, ‘Nigeria at 60: Nigeria not at ease,’ said, “As Nigeria celebrates its 60th anniversary in the midst of divisions, tensions and underdevelopment, said Afenifere is worried that the country has yet to find its bearing at 60.“Only few weeks back, former President Olusegun Obasanjo observed that the country was drifting towards state failure which was fully backed by Prof. Wole Soyinka.“Even the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, on the eve of the anniversary, declared that the cracks on the wall of Nigeria could lead to its break-up. Unfortunately, the country lacks a leadership that could mend the cracks.

“On a daily basis, all the steps being taken by our governments are mostly the ones that could deepen the cracks.“It is not surprising that the country is filled with separatist feelings at 60. Afenifere is convinced that Nigeria can still be salvaged if the right thing is done. The country must restructure immediately into true federalism lest it gives all the necessary enablement to separatist forces.”

The popular Ibadan socialite, Chief Sunday Igboho has warned Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association to desist from their usual position of frustrating the security outfit codenamed Amotekun Corps established by the Southwest region.

It would be recalled that the leader of Miyetti Kautal Allah Hore, in Bauchi State, Alhaji Sadiq Ahmed, has requested the Nigerian government to ban Operation Amotekun on the premise that lives of Fulani are no longer secured in the South-West region of the country.

Ahmed claimed that Amotekun pose a heavy threat to the unity of Nigerians while performing the jobs of protecting the lives and properties of the south-west region.

He further argued that Operation Amotekun was created to destroy the businesses of northerners and also restricting them from doing their business in the south-west region.

Adeyemo, however, in a statement reacting to Miyetti Allah described the statement as not only selfish in nature but also highly irresponsible.

He noted that:

“We in the south-west are renown for being accommodating and tolerant of the excesses of the northerners even in the face of provocation. So, it is so absurd to hear someone from that region describe Operation Amotekun as a threat to human lives, I still do not understand.

“The security outfit was established to protect the lives and properties of people in the south-west region irrespective of their ethnic and religious background. For somebody to say, putting together of a special security outfit to complement government’s efforts is tantamount to ruining the businesses of some set of people to me is the height of ignorance and majorly a premeditated arrangement to discourage the good intention of the brains behind Operation Amotekun.” he concluded.”

The Secretary of Yoruba Council of Elders, Dr. Kunle Olajide has condemned the agitation by some groups in Yoruba land seeking for secession and independence of Oduduwa Republic.

The Council berated the agitation and called it a child-play as there has not been a consensus on the parts of Yoruba land that will form the said Oduduwa Republic.

According to him, Lagos has said it is not part of Oduduwa nation, and the head monarch of Ijebu land in Ogun State said his people migrated from North Africa.

“I visited the war front almost immediately after the truce and what I saw there, I would not wish it for my enemies. As far as the Yoruba nation is concerned, I will not lead my people to commit mass suicide,” Olajide said.

“The idea that they can have a peaceful exit is more theoretical than real. There is nothing like the 107 groups,” he said, referring to claims by Akintoye that the call for self-determination for the Yoruba nation had been signed.

“There is nowhere we have sat down and had a consensus to say we want the Yoruba nation. For us, we believe that if we can have a true Federal Republic of Nigeria, in 50 years, Nigeria will be leading Africa in all parameters of human existence. In 75 years, we will be in the league of first-world countries.”

He said although the Yoruba were not happy with the imposition of the Fulani political elite, who are in the minority, breaking up the country is not the preferred outcome.

“Yoruba people are justifiably angry about the system we are running that has completely diminished the upward development of the Yoruba people and has rendered most of the youths who constitute the majority of our population jobless. Nigeria appears to have reached the beginning of the end to this unitary, centralised pseudo-federalism we are operating,” he said.

Olajide expressed optimism that other regions of the country will soon join the call for true federalism.

He said, “There is no part of Nigeria today that is happy with the Nigeria we have. Since the North Central pulled out of the Arewa Forum, you don’t have any North like we used to have before and if anyone believes there is still a Northern region, that is the most unsafe part of the country today.

“They have all the negative indices of human development in Nigeria. A time is coming, and it is coming too soon that they will be championing for restructuring.”

He said they had been mobilising to break what he described as a ‘tiny political Fulani elite’.

“We have started mobilising. We already have a relationship with the cultural groups in the South and the Middle Belt. We are going to reach out to the North-Central forum so that we can reduce this tiny Fulani elite who have gained power from the constitution and the false sense of population advantage the British gave them,” he noted.

The erstwhile governorship candidate of Alliance for Democracy AD in Oyo State, Engr. Hakeem Alao has raised alarm over the alleged sales of water illegal pipes in Oyo State.

It was learnt that some staff of the water corporation in connivance with the Chairman, Mr. Adebayo Anthony have been selling the water pipes acquired by the administration of the former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja.

OduduwaNews also gathered that some trucks while ferrying illegal water pipes were intercepted recently by OYRTMA.

But, Alao while reacting said that findings have shown that some directors of the corporation and the Chairman have been selling the pipes which were acquired before Governor Seyi Makinde came to power, since June 2020.

Alao in a statement through his media aide, Omotayo Iyanda, said, “We found out that some of these metal water pipes were procured by the past administrations of Alhaji Lam Adesina, Senator Rashidi Ladoja and late Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi through the African Development Bank’s grants.

“Since the 1999-2003 regime of Alhaji Lam Adesina to the tenure of Senator Ajimobi, according to investigation, more than 10,000 pipes in different sizes with some of them measuring while as each was valued at about N450,000 by the current price.

“Our sources informed that the idea of selling off the pipes illegally was borne out of the fact that they had been lying fallow at Asejire Water Works for so many years due to non-utilization”.

Alao while speaking further noted that the real illegal sale of the pipes, ongoing weekly, resumed under the current chairman of the board of the corporation, Mr Adebayo Anthony Adepoju, working with some directors, staff of the corporation and private individuals to sell the pipes illegally.

He called on Makinde to investigate and halt what he described as shady deal under his administration.

“The real illegal sale of the pipes, ongoing weekly, was allegedly resumed under the current chairman of the board of the corporation, Mr Adebayo Anthony Adepoju, working with some directors, staff of the corporation and private individuals, adding that a particular company (name withheld) was the intermediary who facilitated the sales.

“Although a memo was said to have been prepared and passed to the governor’s office to authorize the sale of the pipes, the circular had, however, been delayed or truncated so as to quickly make some sales without record. In fact, we found out that the police had actually arrested a truck loading off the pipes to Osogbo, the sales point, and the vehicle and the driver were later released by the police through the intervention of the corporation.

“Our investigations reveal that this nefarious activity is reportedly going on in other sub-stations of the corporation such as Agodi-Gate Water Schemes, Pade Water Schemes with the exception of Saki and Ogbomoso Water Schemes. We hereby call on Governor Seyi Makinde to investigate and halt this shady deal under his administration”.

Adepoju while reacting noted that the corporation is still investigating the allegations.

Adepoju who noted that the corporation has installed some cameras and street light at the water schemes to forestall any removal of pipes, added that the allegation is an ongoing issue the corporation is looking into.

He said, “It is something that we have put under investigation. Right now, we have security cameras there, we have street light there to find out if that story is true or not, but we have not found any, but, it is an ongoing issue we are looking into”.

OduduwaNews had gathered that Alaafin of Oyo, Ikubaba yeye, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III visited the leader of Afenifere Socio-Cultural group, Pa Fasoranti on Sunday.

According to the Nigerian Tribune, Alaafin said he was in Akure to felicitate with the leader of Afenifere who clocked 94 last week.

He noted that the Fasoranti had been providing dynamic leadership despite his age, saying the old man has remained ageless both in physical and mental strength.

In a letter to Fasoranti titled, “Congratulation to Pa Reuben Fasoranti on his 94th birthday anniversary” personally delivered by the monarch, the letter read: “It is with a very warm heart that I rejoice and indeed to congratulate Pa Reuben Fasoranti on the occasion of his 94th birthday, out of which most of the years have been dedicated for service to humanity.

“It is not only rare but legendary for a 94-year-old man to still be beaming his searchlight for the progress and development of his people.

“At that age, papa, as the leader of the Afenifere had remained purposeful in providing dynamic leadership Yoruba for race in the pursuit of right direction to the Yoruba race .

“Papa has remained ageless in both physical and mental strength. It is my prayer papa will remain young in energy for many years to come in good health.

“That Pa Reuben Fasoranti is alive and healthy today especially at this critical stage of Nigeria development to give the necessary leadership direction for our people is a special gift for Yoruba nation.”

The Minister of State for Niger/Delta Affairs, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, on Monday, added a new twist to the electioneering campaign as the governorship election in Ondo State gathers momentum.

The Minister, a native of Iju/Itaogbolu in Akure North Local Government Area(LGAs) of the state, declared, amidst applause from his kinsmen, that the candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, is merely wasting his time, boasting that the incumbent Governor and the Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, is the candidate to beat in Akure North and South LGAs.

Jegede, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN), hails from Akure South.

Addressing a crowd of party supporters in Ogbese and Oba Ile in Akure North on Saturday, Alasoadura said Akeredolu is the prefered candidate of Akure people.

The Minister added that it is not yet the time of Akure ethnic nationality to produce the Governor of Ondo State, stressing that the Northern Senatorial District where Akeredolu hails from should be allowed to complete its two terms of eight years.

“I am an Akure man and I can say very confidently the position of Akure people. Our candidate in Akure Kingdom is Akeredolu because we love justice and equity.

“Akeredolu is from the North. Akure is from the Central. The Central just completed eight years, the North should be allowed to complete their eight years. When next the position comes back to the Central, Akure will take the spot because Mimiko has used the slot of Ondo Kingdom.

“Besides, my brother, Jegede is merely wasting his time. We shall defeat him in the two Local Government in a level playing ground. Akeredolu is the man to beat in the two Local Governments in Akure kingdom.” Alasoadura, said.

The Minister appealed to the traditional rulers and chiefs in Akure Kingdom to mobilise their people to vote en masse for Akeredolu, saying that would enable the governor to fulfill all their heart desires in his second term in office.