THE topic you have given to me to examine is: “The actualization of Yoruba/Oodua Nation: A Chase of Shadow or a Reality?”
Your choice of topic clearly falls within the secessionist agenda. If a cause is desirable, laudable or altruistic, that there are difficulties in its achievement should not deter the proponents, if they are principled and committed. Therefore, I think the question ought not to be whether Yoruba/Oodua Nation is realizable or unrealizable. I think the question should be even if Yoruba/Oodua Nation is realized, is it the solution to the socio-economic problems facing the masses in the South West?
I have therefore reformulated the topic to guide our discussion as follows: “Is Yoruba/Oodua Republic the Solution to Socio-economic Problems Facing the Masses in the South West?” That I have reformulated your topic does not mean I would avoid addressing the concern in your original topic. I would frontally answer it.
Though it may be at a huge cost of unimaginable gory consequences of civil war; even though it may not be possible to arithmetically predict when it may be, the Yoruba/Oodua Republic may be actualized, if the proponents do not give up.
Those who enrich themselves and impoverish Yoruba masses in the South West today are not Hausa/Fulani or Igbo. Those responsible for the unprecedented poverty in the South West are Yoruba members of the ruling class, who are individually richer than the states they govern. They have designed policies and laws such as the governors and deputy governors’ pension laws, for their continued enrichment for life even after they leave public office, with the consequential eternal impoverishment of Yoruba masses.
Marx explains that “history does nothing, possesses no immense wealth, wages no battles. It is man, real, living man, who does all that, who possesses and fights; history is not, as it were, a person apart, using man as a means to achieve its own aims; history is nothing but the activity of man pursuing his aims” (Marx, The Holy Family, Chapter 6 (1846). It is therefore important we properly consider, assess and reflect on the aims we seek to pursue with our individual and collective life, which is very short indeed.
Self-Determination Is Universally Claimed As A Right – but independence only comes through war (Eritrea, South Sudan, Western Sahara, etc.)
Permit me to make it clear that, though I am not a proponent of secession as the ultimate solution to the socio-economic problems plaguing the masses, I am, all the same, in principle, not opposed to it. This is because I accept that calls for secession fall within the concept of the struggle for self-determination, which is universally recognized as a right.
Though under international law, self-determination is technically understood in two categories as internal or external self-determination, Articles 1 and 55 of the UN Charter (that is UN Constitution), as well as Article 20(1) of the African Charter for Peoples and Human Rights, expressly recognize the rights of peoples to self-determination.
Article 1 sub (2) of the UN Charter provides: “The purposes of the United Nations are:
“(2). To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and SELF-DETERMINATION of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace.”
Also, Article 20(1) of the African Charter, which has been domesticated as a law enacted by the National Assembly, provides: “All peoples shall have the right to existence. They shall have the unquestionable and inalienable right to self-determination. They shall freely determine their political status and shall pursue their economic and social development according to the policy they have freely chosen.”
Though I do not see a breakup of Nigeria as the solution to the problems confronting the masses, I maintain, all the same, that the continued peaceful co-existence of peoples and societies is conditioned upon the continued collective defense of universally recognized human rights. Where a group(s) of people feel oppressed within a nation-state, they should not be repressed or suppressed for agitating to leave such a relationship. Provided they adopt peaceful and non-violent methods, they should be allowed to fully exercise their fundamental right of expression and peaceful action to advocate a re-arrangement of society in ways in which they feel would enable them to fully actualize their dreams and aspirations.
These are the poverty and unemployment-fuelling policies, which constitute serious hardship for the masses. When they privatize public enterprises, for example, capitalist members and/or their stooges, from all ethnic groups are the beneficiaries, not the masses of any ethnic group. The quality of leadership being provided at the national level within Nigeria would merely be replicated in the new Yoruba/Oodua nation, if and when it is actualized. These poverty-fuelling policies are being implemented by all the states in the South West. Is there any state in the South West trying to implement enduring employment creation programmes? I am not aware of any.
No room should be given for tyranny to triumph under the pretext of protecting ‘national’ interest. ‘National interest’ always means the interest of the rich. So the poor always have to suffer poor pay, non-payment of salary arrears and other indignities for the non-salaried segments – in the interests of the nation or state
Would Yoruba/Oodua Republic Solve the Socio-economic Problems Being Confronted in Nigeria?
I am of the opinion that before people and groups like Ekimogun Youths Connect devote their emotions, resources, and time to the pursuit of the Yoruba/Oodua nation, the question that should be asked is: would the creation of the Yoruba/Oodua Republic solve the socio-economic problems confronted within Nigeria in the South West states that would ultimately constitute the Yoruba/Oodua Republic?
Where the answer is ‘yes’, then the cause of Yoruba/Oodua Republic should be pursued with vigour. Where the answer is ‘no’, then it poses a challenge to determine an alternative cause(s) of action.
The first issue therefore to address is what are the identified problems in justification for the advocacy of Yoruba/Oodua Nation/Republic as articulated by the proponents?
I have taken time to read online publications, interviews, and to listen to several video clips by some proponents of Oodua Republic. Their justification appears to include the following ‘evils’ or problems being experienced by Yoruba masses within Nigeria at the moment: Poverty; Unemployment; Insecurity (kidnapping, armed banditry, armed robbery, youth gangsterism, threats to kill and actual killings with impunity without any consequences; incapacitation of state governments despite being called chief security officers of the states); and leadership bankruptcy at the national level.
Others include, collapse of institutions, including collapse of the education sub-sector, loss of excellence, etc.; nepotism in appointments to public office at the national level; land grabbing which includes driving people away from farms, raping, maiming and killing; destruction of farmlands by cattle-herders; open livestock grazing, and the open declaration of ‘born-to-rule’.
Let us examine some of the problems in order to determine the extent to which their existence or source is linked with the fact that the South West states remain a part of Nigeria. Let us begin with the interrelated issues of unemployment and poverty.
Widespread unemployment and poverty are facts that cannot be denied. Unemployment and poverty are pervasive in the South West states just as they are pervasive nationally. But I contend that the breakup of Nigeria into smaller units of sovereign states along ethnic lines would not solve the problem of unemployment and poverty.
The cause of unemployment and poverty in the South West (and nationally) is the looting of public vaults by members of the ruling class and the neoliberal policy of shifting responsibility for economic development on the private sector.
Those who enrich themselves and impoverish Yoruba masses in the South West today are not Hausa/Fulani or Igbo. Those responsible for the unprecedented poverty in the South West are Yoruba members of the ruling class, who are individually richer than the states they govern. They have designed policies and laws such as the governors and deputy governors’ pension laws, for their continued enrichment for life even after they leave public office, with the consequential eternal impoverishment of Yoruba masses.
They provide the Yoruba masses with collapsed hospitals which they, the governors do not patronize for the slightest of ailment. They would rather go abroad for medical care. One of them, unfortunately though, died in a private hospital, as a result of complications traceable to Covid-19, at a time he could not travel abroad. He could not seek medical treatment in any of the collapsed public hospitals in his state after being in power, as governor, for two tenures. They provide the Yoruba masses with piggery-like schools they cannot allow their children to use as restrooms. The governors prefer to fly private or chartered jets rather than pay salaries.
In the context of these realities, can we truly say that the impoverishment of Yoruba masses is a product of the South West states remaining within Nigeria? I think not. Is there any guarantee that after the creation of Oodua Republic, members of the Yoruba ruling class would change? I think not.
The solution to unprecedented and pervasive poverty lies in developing a poverty-reducing and income inequality-reducing programme, so that the wealth of the society would serve the basic needs and welfare of ordinary people rather than serving the greed of a few for primitive accumulation and dispossession of the wealth that belongs to all.
The poverty-reducing and income inequality-reducing programme would be based on employment creation on decent salaries, proper funding for state schools, hospitals and health centres and ensuring that all workers have properly protected trade union rights. It would also include policies that any elected public officer should earn no more than the national minimum wage plus incidental expenses; direct labour for execution of public projects, opposition to contractocracy, prohibition of medical tourism, children of elected public officers to access education only within Nigeria, reversal of privatization of public assets, etc.
Leadership Bankruptcy at the National Level
The leadership of the country at the national level is constituted by the APC of which a Yoruba is the acknowledged leader. The National Assembly is dominated by the APC legislators and other legislators of the PDP, and they include Yoruba legislators. The Vice President, some ministers, advisers, aides, etc.; administering Nigeria at the national level include Yorubas who are prominent members of the APC or who were nominated by prominent leaders of the APC who are Yorubas. They all accept and are implementing neoliberal policies of privatization, increase in electricity tariffs, fuel price, VAT, etc.
These are the poverty and unemployment-fuelling policies, which constitute serious hardship for the masses. When they privatize public enterprises, for example, capitalist members and/or their stooges, from all ethnic groups are the beneficiaries, not the masses of any ethnic group. The quality of leadership being provided at the national level within Nigeria would merely be replicated in the new Yoruba/Oodua nation, if and when it is actualized. These poverty-fuelling policies are being implemented by all the states in the South West. Is there any state in the South West trying to implement enduring employment creation programmes? I am not aware of any.
Collapse of Educational Institutions
The collapse of educational institutions in the South West cannot be attributed to the South West states remaining within Nigeria. For example, two Yoruba states (Oyo and Osun states) could not manage Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) at Ogbomoso. It was completely run aground for a time. We may individually reflect on the state or status of other institutions in the South West.
Indeed, the struggle for the position of the Vice Chancellor in University of Ibadan, UI, a federal government-owned institution, compelled the federal government to dissolve the Council. The struggle for the vice chancellorship position in UI is the mirror to see the nature of the future struggles between sub-ethnic groups within Yoruba/Oodua Nation, if actualized. In the University of Ibadan, there are forces arguing that only an Ibadan indigene should be the next VC. Therefore, collapse of institutions cannot be a sufficient justification for the dismemberment of Nigeria and the creation of Ooodua Republic because even within the South West, institutions have collapsed.
Insecurity
Chief Duro Onabule, a veteran journalist, in an online article, helps to identify that in the South West: “The young Yoruba elites who want to take Yoruba out of Nigeria complain of many evils in the nation. True. But these evils too exist among us and Yorubas are not exempted from them.
“Remember Soka Hill discovered in Ibadan where human parts were being sold to rich clients for years – it’s in Yorubaland. Same has been found in several other places in the Southwest. An Islamic slave labour camp was discovered recently in Ibadan, almost as bad as the ones in the North. Human “poultries” have been found in Akute, Ogun State, and in Abeokuta, etc. where teenage girls are kept by super madams to be paired with young men to breed like rabbits and the offspring sold to rich clients for money. How about cultism and cultic warfares in Ikorodu, Lagos, Ibadan and Abeokuta, which are regular features of news items?”
I also think that it is an illusion to assume that once (or if) the Oodua State is able to have effective physical security architecture, it would be immune from the influence and sources of physical insecurity in the remaining emerging republics and surrounding countries. The emerging republics and countries may still need collaborative efforts.
However, arguing that elements of physical insecurity exist in the South West states and that the Oodua State, if formed successfully, would not be immune from the influence and sources of physical insecurity in the remaining emerging republics and surrounding countries does not mean that the unprecedented level of physical insecurity in the South West and in other parts of the country is acceptable or tolerable.
I maintain that it is legitimate to stoutly oppose and condemn (and I stoutly oppose and condemn) the following obnoxious values, criminal acts, trade practices and public policies, at the level of the federal government, state or local governments within Nigeria: pervasive unemployment (at least, half of young people cannot find a decent job); poverty (it is now estimated that 60% of Nigerians do not have enough money to eat properly); the ethnocentric mentality embedded in open declaration of the notion of ‘born-to-rule’ by some ethnic bigots; land grabbing: driving people away from farms, raping, maiming and killing; destruction of farmlands by cattle-herders; and, open livestock grazing, which often leads to destruction of farmlands.
Nepotism in appointments to public office, either at national or sub-national state and local government levels, contrary to the constitution. Section 14(3), CFRN, 1999, as amended, provides that “the composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, …to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few States or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies”.
Section 14 (4) of the CFRN also has similar provision as far as the composition of the state and local governments and their agencies are concerned. The composition should be “…in such a manner as to recognize the diversity of the people within its area of authority and the need to promote a sense of belonging and loyalty among all the peoples of the Federation”.
Though the last item above, appointments into key offices in the public service is essentially elitist in character, the constitutional provisions guiding such appointments ought to be observed to prevent feelings of exclusion and to promote inclusiveness in order to undermine divisive politics and movements. Where they are not observed, it would be legitimate to resist for the purpose of the values espoused in the constitutional provisions quoted above.
The Problem of Ethnic Minorities
How will ethnic minorities be treated in a state that is built on the Yoruba Nation? States based on nations almost always emphasize ethnicity. This leads to great conflict – like the break-up of the former Yugoslavia or the civil war in South Sudan. A Yoruba Nation could still have conflicts based on Yoruba sub-ethnic groups within each of the states in the South West. In Lagos State, there are prominent families whose grandparents were Tapa from Niger State. Would such people be expelled from Lagos State on the ground that they are not Yoruba?
To be concluded…
Comrade Aborisade, human rights activist and Principal Partner, Abope Chambers, an Ibadan-based law firm, made this presentation at a meeting of the Ekimogun Youths Connect on 9th May, 2021 at 7pm via WhatsApp voicenotes.