PRESS RELEASE DATED 19TH JUNE, 2019: THE KADUNA DECLARATION!

THE KADUNA DECLARATION
BEATING DRUMS WAR

History has a way of repeating itself. It comes as a tragedy when the people concerned refuse to learn from its previous incarnation. At other times it comes as a tragic-comic admixture of palliatives which fail to forestall the agony of the past. In some cases, few and far between, there are preemptive measures taken that prevent the impending from occurring or taking its full toll.

The statement by a coalition of youths from Northern Nigeria amounts to, in the least, outright treason and grand larceny.

The idea that this country belongs to a particular tribe who believe they were “born to rule” has been taken too far this time.

This statement brings to mind the Rwandan tragedy where where a pogrom of untold magnitude was triggered by a careless inciting statement by an overzealous Radio presenter.

With the Nation’s polity so heated and bottled up, such statement is capable of igniting the already heated up polity.

Even if one wants to ignore it as an empty threat, the actions of Northern Elders afterwards and the apparent complacency of the government in handling the situation informs otherwise.

Professor Ango Abdullahi is an “elder statesman” and an opinion leader in the North. He was quick in endorsing the treasonable actions of their youths. Then we knew “THEIR FATHERS SENT THEM”.

The order by the Kaduna state governor and the Inspector General of Police for the arrest of the culprits amounts to only pretentious lip service. Non of them has been arrested or even questioned to date.
An attempt to convince us to play the ostrich by chief Paul Unongo and Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule is only surface deep and does not hold water. We want to ask the two elders if they have control over the actions of these youths. Their statement failed to assuage frayed nerves or give assurance that the tragedy will not happen.

These youths must have been told stories of how their fathers massacred fellow Nigerians in 1966 and got away with it. What their fathers didn’t tell them is that TIMES HAVE CHANGED.

Memories of the Kano riots in which many Yoruba people lost their lives and property are still fresh. Many Yoruba lives were lost, not to talk of billions of naira properties lost. The wounds of the post-election violence incidents and killings are yet to heal.

The Boko Haram would not have become what they are today if the Northern Elders after giving the “go” order for their youth to foment trouble have the capabilities to order them to stop. They really don’t.

In light of the foregoing, it will be foolhardy and suicidal to take their threats as empty.

The Yoruba youths therefore wish to state as follows:
1. We condemn the “Kaduna Declaration” in totality.
2. We see the “Quit Notice” as an aggression against the rest of the Country and not just against the Ibos alone.
3. We reject the kid gloves with which the Federal Government, Kaduna State Government and the Inspector General of Police are handling the issue.
4. We declare that as Nigerians, we all have a right to live anywhere in Nigeria.
5. We are suspicious of the action of the Northern Youths and the patronizing attitude of their Elders. We however hope and pray our suspicions are unfounded.
Coming at a time a Yoruba man is the acting president and the mystery surrounding the health status of the president, it will not be out place to assume the North is on a scheme to “make Nigeria ungovernable” in case there is need for a “doctrine of necessity”.
Any attempt to come in through the barrels of guns, citing insecurity and instability as alibi will be resisted.
CONCLUSION
a. While not advocates of secession, we do not blame the Ibos if they leave the North before the deadline given by the children of “the landlords”.
b. We call on the Presidency to, as a matter of urgency, revisit the reports of the last National Conference and implement the recommendations therein.
c. The Federal Government of Nigeria should convoke a meeting of the various tribes aimed at restructuring and determining the terms of our continued co-existence or otherwise.
d. We call on the governments (State and Federal) and the Inspector General of Police to immediately effect the arrest and prosecution of the authors of the “Kaduna Declaration”. They are not faceless, neither are they on the run or hiding, while if Yerima Shettima and Ango Abdullahi and their cohorts are not persecuted as assured, we shall be demanding the immediate quashing of treason charge prosecution of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu of the IPOB by the Attorney General of the Federation to enter into Nolli Prosecue of the pending case at the Abuja Federal High Court, for what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

e. If decisive action is not taken to bridle these urchins and enough assurance seen to convince us that the North will be safe at the expiration of the ultimatum, we will be forced to instruct Yorubas in the North to return home.
Finally, while we still want to believe in One Nigeria, we will not hesitate to pull out if there is No guarantee of continued peaceful co-existence with others in the Federation.
The Yoruba say “ti a ba ti nfi papri isu han alejo, owe ile too lo ni” (When the visitor is shown how little the food left in the house is, then it’s time to go home.
Yorubas are not cowards but are long-suffering, slow to anger and methodical in handling conflicts and wars.
But when (and IF) the drum beat changes to that of war, we will teach the others the war dance.
Our ancestors were masters of both the celebration dance as well as the war dance.
The Egungun Masquerade will entertain you in peace time, and lead battles in the time of war.

Signed:
Asiwaju Samuel Oloyede,
National Publicity Secretary,
Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide.

Aare Barr. Oladotun Hassan,
Founder and President,
Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide.