Oodua groups reject Envoys’ claims on ‘indivisible’ Nigeria
By Kayode Ajisafe, Abuja
Several pan-Yoruba groups have responded with criticisms against statement credited to the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright that Britain supports one “indivisible Nigeria.”
A statement issued today, the Oodua Nationalist Coalition, (ONAC) said the statement of the British Envoy was an indication that the questions about Nigerian unity is real.
Also the Oodua Liberation Movement, (OLM) in an interview with Irohinoodua the group’s National Coordinator, Mr Gbenga Awosode said the position of the Envoy does not stand for the wish and aspirations of “Over 100million Yoruba all over the world, including those in Britain and France, neither does it reflect the wish of the good people of United Kingdom who have a rich history of showing compassion for the oppressed. We are hopeful that the envoy was misquoted.”
The statement credited to the British and French Ambassadors are in bad taste, the ONAC Deputy Director of Foreign Relations, Abimbola Odekunle said. ONAC said the position of the envoy contradicts the current developments in the United Kingdom where the country had exited from the European Union, (EU) amidst Scotland’s call for a second referendum.
Odekunle said “We do not know what the statement was aimed at achieving, but definitely it undermined the sovereignty of the Nigerian people and their right to self determination as entrenched in Article 48 of the United Nations, (UN) Universal Declaration on Human Rights. If UK can support a referendum, why is the same country obsessed with the aspirations of Nigerians who seek political freedom and self determination from a ruthless cabal that takes delight in sucking the blood of the people?.”
He said further “The UK and French Envoys were talking to please the Nigerian authorities and top government officials in a situation where the Nigerian successive governments have always remained anti-people. Britain needs to realize that the will of the indigenous people of Nigeria is what matters. That is the essence of democracy.”
Awosode said the OLM is not perturbed by the position of the British and French envoys adding that across history, anytime Britain opposes self determination of a people it shows clearly that the freedom of the people is near.
“Britain and France stood for one Ethiopia, and Eritrea emerged from that country. Britain and France did not wish to see an independent Singapore, but it emerged. Britain and France opposed East Timor, and that country emerged. Even at a point, the two countries supported apartheid South Africa and described the African National Congress, (ANC) as a terrorist organization, yet the people of South Africa became free” Awosode said.
“ONAC said while recognizing the importance of Britain in the annals of Yoruba history, and that a sovereign Oduduwa nation looks forward to cooperation with Britain towards the global fight against terrorism and international peace, it cautioned that the best way to bring everlasting peace to Nigeria is for Britain to support the campaign of the indigenous people of Nigeria, who, for long have been enslaved and impoverished by the malicious and cruel Nigerian state.
The two groups said inspite of the statement of the envoy, the Yoruba people will continue to hold Britain and France in high esteem and will continue to cherish the traditional relationship between the two civilizations, long before the amalgamation of Nigeria saying that Britain should not remover herself from the list of countries who should be potential strategic partners in the Yoruba campaign for self determination.