REGIONAL AUTONOMY OR SELF DETERMINATION: A WAY FORWARD FOR THE YORÙBÁ

The tragedy of Nigeria is that in spite of an history that has lasted more than a century of amalgamation, it is still strongly divided along the major ethnic lines, while religion still plays an important role in its politics. This is so because Nigeria is not a product of natural evolution but the imagination of some people outside the African continent. Sadly, this imagination has forced Nigeria into a spiral along the cyclone of backwardness, underdevelopment and State failure due to the country failure to adopt one of the finest laws of nature which ensured that the cells of liver can only form the organ called liver and that of the kidney can only form the kidney to prevent cellular chaos.

At best, these organs along with other cellular organizations can now come together to form sustainable systems and ultimately an organism. This process is called organization; a process that once define Nigeria's political and economic structure before the destructive coup d'etat that struck the country twice in 1966. Today's Nigeria is a country that can be likened to a scenario of amalgamated Japan, Korea and China with French as their lingua franca. As a country, these three distinct nations will never take a step forward, they will continue to be at loggerheads and will continue to look for an escape out of such unholy union.

It is an amalgamation that is cancerous in nature and essence, for the cells of kidney has been inoculated with that of liver which will continually be at war with one another until they die out; leaving no room for cooperation, survival, growth and productivity. This is a consequence of the failure of these different cells to agree, to cooperate and to survive, and it is when they are able to survive, that they will grow and ultimately produce. Thus, cooperation, survival, growth and productivity will cease to exist in any society that has failed to organize itself based on this natural law. Hence, there is almost a zero possibility that the Yorùbá nation, Igbo nation and Hausa/Fulani nation can be eternally forced together with a language that was never theirs.

This is so because we are a people of different culture, tradition and language with the Yorùbá having over a thousand years of history which makes it a union that is bound to fail. It is to prevent this failure that the British government; our colonial master, gifted to us the regional government which birthed the post colonial golden era of the Yorùbá before some Igbo military officers destroyed this good political and economic structure through military coup. The latter then allowed the Hausa/Fulani this unacceptable domination through a counter military coup that put an end to the ruling of the first military coup plotters. However, we can not allow these dark events that has shaped our post-1966 till date to continue to do so for the sake of our collective peace, uunity, prosperity and security.

Thus, we must restructure this country in accordance to the 1960 arrangement and if we fail at this sacred duty, one nation or the other will be forced into divorce from this unholy union. It is either regional autonomy with territory based on 1958 recognition or the invoking of rights to self determination as guaranteed by the United Nations(UN) chatter by the Yorùbá. It is not sustainable to be generating revenue in Yorùbáland to fund the lives of the Hausa/Fulani or the extravagance of our political elite; most of them being Hausa/Fulani. Gone are the days we work hard only for the fruits of our labour to be shipped to London, and we must not allow the Northern part of this country to continue to replace that London.

I know it will not be easy because the Hausa/Fulani have total control of the Nigerian State either directly or through proxies but we must rise to the occasion and save the future of our children from the domination of Hausa/Fulani; a people not as sophisticated as the Yorùbá. The Yorùbá youth get educated to acquire skills so as to be qualified to work in relevant capacity yet that capacity is not created, and when it exists only the privileged enjoy such opportunity. While the cost of education remain on the rise with little or no use at all for the certificate that will be acquired in the end.

Majority of us do not know what prosperity is anymore and only see it in the lives of those that are either thieves or corrupt public servants and this comes with great consequences that endanger our values and development as a people. The society does not value earning with dignity anymore, integrity is abandoned and vices are what that are now dignified by our people because the Yorùbá leadership has failed to provide direction that will ensure the needed continuous growth of ability and capacity to drive development, provide jobs, ensure security and prosperity of our people.

Unlike many of us that will want to believe that there is nothing we can do to change the tides of things except we wait on God, I say to you; the future of man rest in his hands and God will not come down to remove corruption from our minds nor will God come down to save us from bad leadership and the apathy we show towards governance. God will only make use of men that are ready and willing to save the day and it is up to us whose culture, traditions and regional development are being threatened and undermined by a Hausa/Fulani dominated Nigeria to rise up to this righteous work. We must do this for ourselves; we must do this for our children and ultimately, we must do this for a prosperous, peaceful and secured Yorùbáland.

Abiola Akintunde is a political commentator based in Ìbàdàn, Nigeria. He tweets at @AAbiolat on twitter and can be reached via paulakintunde@gmail.com

Visit www.abiolaoakintunde. to read other posts by Abiola Akintunde.

I support self determination.

A recycled attempt to glorify your race while putting others down .

Nice article

Bbb

Coming back.....

Anyone hoping for restructuring is wasting their time because everyone knows that the core North will never agree to it. The only organ that can restructure Nigeria is the National Assembly and the Core North control over half of its membership. So how will anyone pass a bill on restructuring if the North does not support it? Its impossible

So, that leaves self determination. Eventually, most ethnic nationalities in the South who think Nnamdi Kanu is a fool will eventually have to do what he did, or remain slaves of the North forever.

zendy:
Anyone hoping for restructuring is wasting their time because everyone knows that the core North will never agree to it. The only organ that can restructure Nigeria is the National Assembly abd the Core North control over half of its membership. So how will anyone pass a bill on restructuring if the North does not support it? Its impossible

So, that leaves self determination. Eventually, most ethnic nationalities in the South who think Nnamdi Kanu is a fool will eventually have to do what he did, or remain slaves of the North forever.

The north wants cattle colony and d south doesn't......cattle colony was dropped at d end of the day. That means the north is not the sole dictator of Nigeria.

Nice write up. This is why I was mad at Yorubas who were insulting Nnamdi KANU.

Some of his methods may not look descent but his objective would have been a major focus. It takes crazy people with radical ideology to change a system. History is your friend. Social media warriors like u and I cannot change anything.

In which ways has one Nigeria benefited Yorubas? I have argued with some who point at Lagos. These are people who can be likened to those who drink pure and are rejoicing because they have seen others drink tap water. They forget that there are still people drinking bottled water? Who told u Lagos won't be fine without Nigeria?

My dear, one Nigeria is a scam. All of us cannot be stupid at the same time.

SpecialAdviser:
Nice write up. This is why I was mad at Yorubas who were insulting Nnamdi KANU.

Some of his methods may not look descent but his objective would have been a major focus. It takes crazy people with radical ideology to change a system. History is your friend. Social media warriors like u and I cannot change anything.

In which ways has one Nigeria benefited Yorubas? I have argued with some who point at Lagos. These are people who can be likened to those who drink pure and are rejoicing because they have seen others drink tap water. They forget that there are still people drinking bottled water? Who told u Lagos won't be fine without Nigeria?

My dear, one Nigeria is a scam. All of us cannot be stupid at the same time.

Thanks for the compliment. I do believe there is much we can achieve through social media. It will take efforts of youths like I and you to reach our fellow youths. There is little the elders can do and the fight is not about them anymore but about us and our progeny.

shervydman:

The north wants cattle colony and d south doesn't......cattle colony was dropped at d end of the day. That means the north is not the sole dictator of Nigeria.

The North actually do control Nigeria; they take from the South to develop their region, they assume they will get what they want every time and anytime they want it, they believe they are the ó ẹ that replaced the British rule, they see Nigeria as the Hausa/Fulani colony, and our leaders have allowed them the luxury of feeling that way for a very long time (since the second couple was successful). This needs to stop and the situation be reversed.

zendy:
Anyone hoping for restructuring is wasting their time because everyone knows that the core North will never agree to it. The only organ that can restructure Nigeria is the National Assembly abd the Core North control over half of its membership. So how will anyone pass a bill on restructuring if the North does not support it? Its impossible

So, that leaves self determination. Eventually, most ethnic nationalities in the South who think Nnamdi Kanu is a fool will eventually have to do what he did, or remain slaves of the North forever.

Restructuring or self determination; it is one way or another.

jhubril:
A recycled attempt to glorify your race while putting others down .

It is not an attempt to glorify the Yorùbá, the Yorùbá have been great for a very long time. Like people will say; be a friend of history.

Cofactor:


Thanks for the compliment. I do believe there is much we can achieve through social media. It will take efforts of youths like I and you to reach our fellow youths. There is little the elders can do and the fight is not about them anymore but about us and our progeny.

Good write up, no doubt. However, the psychological background of the piece is part of the problem. I expected the writer to rue the actions of those young Nigerian soldiers that ceased power in 1966 without playing the ethnic card. From what I know, the coup plotters were from more than one ethnic group. Because it suits the regular narrative, it is no longer Nigerian soldiers, but Igbo soldiers. This is one among the many reasons why there is so much hate in the country.

Is Major. Nzeogwu the reason why the Nigerian government has failed to do anything right since 1970, even the rudiments of administration? Is the coup responsible for the massive stealing that the country has witnessed in the past? Is the coup responsible for the so many deaths we have recorded in the nation? From political motivated, to the ones with ritual and religious undertone? My brother, Nigeria was bound to fail from the day she was created.

The Kano riot of 1953, the election crisis of 1964, census crisis and several others had the potentials to lead us to where we are today. Neither the Igbo nor the Yoruba is solely responsible for our political cum economic desertification, but our collective refusal to agree that Nigeria is not a nation but a mere territorial space where each ethnic group try to grab as much as they can from its belly.

As long as we continue to pretend that Nigeria will get better, the more pernicious and complex our problems would become.
The big question is whether there is hope for this country; frankly it does not look likely because the minorities killed Nigeria in their minds the day the WAZOBIA nonsense was propagated, and it will remained buried until when we stop the pretence.


Nonetheless, I support the writer's call for self determination because Nigeria has proven herself to be an expired product.

ReubenE:

Good write up, no doubt. However, the psychological background of the piece is part of the problem. I expected the writer to rue the actions of those young Nigerian soldiers that ceased power in 1966 without playing the ethnic card. From what I know, the coup plotters were from more than one ethnic group. Because it suits the regular narrative, it is no longer Nigerian soldiers, but Igbo soldiers. This is one among the many reasons why there is so much hate in the country.

Is Major. Nzeogwu the reason why the Nigerian government has failed to do anything right since 1970, even the rudiments of administration? Is the coup responsible for the massive stealing that the country has witnessed in the past? Is the coup responsible for the so many deaths we have recorded in the nation? From political motivated, to the ones with ritual and religious undertone? My brother, Nigeria was bound to fail from the day she was created.

The Kano riot of 1956, the election crisis of 1964, census crisis and several others had the potentials to lead us to where we are today. Neither the Igbo nor the Yoruba is solely responsible for our political cum economic desertification, but our collective refusal to agree that Nigeria is not a nation but a mere territorial space where each ethnic group try to grab as much as they can from its belly.

As long as we continue to pretend that Nigeria will get better, the more pernicious and complex our problems would become.
The big question is whether there is hope for this country; frankly it does not look likely because the minorities killed Nigeria in their minds the day the WAZOBIA nonsense was propagated, and it will remained buried until when we stop the pretence.


Nonetheless, I support the writer's call for self determination because Nigeria has proven herself to be an expired product.

No ethnic card was played and the coup plotters were five; four Igbos and one Yorùbá. The Yorùbá can be regarded as the Obasanjo type; they are Yorùbá by birth but not Yorùbá by loyalty or association. Nigeria was not meant to be productive in this present shape. Thus the call for regional autonomy or self determination.

Cofactor:


No ethnic card was played and the coup plotters were five; four Igbos and one Yorùbá. The Yorùbá can be regarded as the Obasanjo type; they are Yorùbá by birth but not Yorùbá by loyalty or association. Nigeria was not meant to be productive in this present shape. Thus the call for regional autonomy or self determination.

My brother, the presence of Victor Banjo has already diluted the ethnic outlook which did not entirely made it an Igbo affair.

Secondly, going by your analogy, Major. Nzeogwu was not Igbo by loyalty since he was born and bred in Kaduna, spoke Hausa fluently and even adopted Kaduna as his middle name.

Some people even argue that he is not Igbo since his root is in Delta State, a people that don't claim themselves to be Igbo in present day Nigeria.

Lemme not derail the thread....

ReubenE:

My brother, the presence of Victor Banjo has already diluted the ethnic outlook which did not entirely made it an Igbo affair.

Secondly, going by your analogy, Major. Nzeogwu was not Igbo by loyalty since he was born and bred in Kaduna, spoke Hausa fluently and even adopted Kaduna as his middle name.

Some people even argue that he is not Igbo since his root is in Delta State, a people that don't claim themselves to be Igbo in present day Nigeria.

Lemme not derail the thread....

Is this the obasanjo you people are talking about?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgJbH45CgfA

you people must realise this man now has absolutely nothing to lose

am surprise u guys are talking about regional autonomy or self determination.

one thing I know is that no matter how the north view the east, they would always respect the east. the reasons are obvious, when the east is for you they are for you, when they are against you they are against you, when they stand on an issue they stand firmly no fence sitting and speaking from both sides. that's why any alignment between the north and east, the east gets it easily and gets a fair deal, even Doyin Okukpe attested to this.

no one would take the west serious until they are ready to stand firmly on issues. and not criticising one issue today because it wasn't initiated by them and supporting the same issue they criticised when things don't favour them. just like this issue of self determination u are talking about.

bonechamberlain:
am surprise u guys are talking about regional autonomy or self determination.

one thing I know is that no matter how the north view the east, they would always respect the east. the reasons are obvious, when the east is for you they are for you, when they are against you they are against you, when they stand on an issue they stand firmly no fence sitting and speaking from both sides. that's why any alignment between the north and east, the east gets it easily and gets a fair deal, even Doyin Okukpe attested to this.

no one would take the west serious until they are ready to stand firmly on issues. and not criticising one issue today because it wasn't initiated by them and supporting the same issue they criticised when things don't favour them. just like this issue of self determination u are talking about.

Again, history is always there to tell. If Yorùbá says A, they do A. If Yorùbá says Bush, they do B. Finally, Yorùbá don't hesitate to turn against a supposed ally if the agree on D and the ally is doing O. That is who we are.

Cofactor:


It is not an attempt to glorify the Yorùbá, the Yorùbá have been great for a very long time. Like people will say; be a friend of history.

Kindly point to an era of greatness in your history. What are your scientific achievements or industrial strides ? Mention one African tribe that has not created its own ' version of greatness'?

Cofactor:


Again, history is always there to tell. If Yorùbá says A, they do A. If Yorùbá says Bush, they do B. Finally, Yorùbá don't hesitate to turn against a supposed ally if the agree on D and the ally is doing O. That is who we are.

When you fail to see things as they are ,you are either shallow or dumb. Your lies are made useless by a political history of betrayal and cowardice known to us. .

The only tribe that possesses the vitality and energy of industry ,at the moment, are in the east. But it is a point of fact that this quality is made useless by their apparent lack of political will.

The Yoruba have an exaggerated view of themselves in relations to others. There is 'their own version of superiority' over other tribes in Nigeria .

Cofactor:


Again, history is always there to tell. If Yorùbá says A, they do A. If Yorùbá says Bush, they do B. Finally, Yorùbá don't hesitate to turn against a supposed ally if the agree on D and the ally is doing O. That is who we are.

I can forgive your forefathers for their selfish mistake in the past but u still been vague in your write up just because you don't want to accept the truth is unacceptable. I will not take your call serious until you come out clean.

it will lead to nothing...even among the Yorubas, we still have some major divisions.....

oooduancalmdown:
I support self determination.

. Michael , is this ur new handle ?

jhubril:
The only tribe that possesses the vitality and energy of industry ,at the moment, are in the east. But it is a point of fact that this quality is made useless by their apparent lack of political will.

The Yoruba have an exaggerated view of themselves in relations to others. There is 'their own version of superiority' over other tribes in Nigeria .

Pls if u have nothing but hateful spite to contribute, can u please excuse this thread with ur straw man argument.....
The topic never claimed superiority over other tribes....
But detailed everything wrong with the Yoruba nation n the way out.....
I wonder why some people will suddenly develop convulsions anytime the sacrosanct of the nigerian state is called into question.....

Now to the topic.....
I think there's no other time for the Yoruba nation to demand for regional autonomy than now....
We need to come together n speak with one voice over this issue....
This is not the time for any division along partisan line or personal interest.....
The interest and progress of the Yoruba nation must override any other personal ambition.....
Yoruba biggest problem now is the set of political leaders presently at the helm of affairs led by tinubu.....
I've never seen a set of Yoruba leaders as selfish n incompetent as these ones...
They lack foresight, too complacent n all they care about is building their own personal political empire....
They run an extractive economic system that hasn't brought much fortune or prosperity to Yorubaland.....
This was a departure from the inclusive economic system that was the norm during awolowo era n Yoruba governors during the 2nd republic.....
because u wonder why ondo state which is the only oil producing state in SW should be owing backlog of salaries.....
Osun state future has been completely mortgaged with non performing loans n it will take maybe crude oil selling at 450 dollars per barrel to deliver them....
Now all these was made possible because Yoruba leaders for the first time, fully embraced the retrogressive feeding bottle arrangement of sharing revenue n embarked on wasteful spending without any care for tomorrow....
They failed to look inward, instead focussed on Abuja.....
They joined the band wagon of depending on federal allocations to get things done, they saw the citizens as burdens rather than assets....
They refuse to invest in both human resources or capacity building.....
Of course, there will always be consequences.....
We now have governors who doesn't care if a university is shut down for 9 months.....
Internet fraud is now the biggest employer of labour among the youths....
If SW doesn't pull out from these present unitary system of govt, we'll continue to have these problems....
Governors who doesn't see the need to be held accountable because their main source of revenue is from outside the state....
They also don't see reason to prioritise workers' welfare because ur coming to work is inconsequential to how much enters the govt coffers.....

valentineuwakwe:
it will lead to nothing...even among the Yorubas, we still have some major divisions.....

Times are changing changing my dear brother. You will be surprised.

jhubril:
The only tribe that possesses the vitality and energy of industry ,at the moment, are in the east. But it is a point of fact that this quality is made useless by their apparent lack of political will.

The Yoruba have an exaggerated view of themselves in relations to others. There is 'their own version of superiority' over other tribes in Nigeria .

I can see that you are afraid of what the Yorùbá is capable of doing and you are afraid. Enjoy the fear and inferiority complex.

Cofactor:


I can see that you are afraid of what the Yorùbá is capable of doing and you are afraid. Enjoy the fear and inferiority complex.

Name calling

SIRTee15:


Pls if u have nothing but hateful spite to contribute, can u please excuse this thread with ur straw man argument.....
The topic never claimed superiority over other tribes....
But detailed everything wrong with the Yoruba nation n the way out.....
I wonder why some people will suddenly develop convulsions anytime the sacrosanct of the nigerian state is called into question.....

Now to the topic.....
I think there's no other time for the Yoruba nation to demand for regional autonomy than now....
We need to come together n speak with one voice over this issue....
This is not the time for any division along partisan line or personal interest.....
The interest and progress of the Yoruba nation must override any other personal ambition.....
Yoruba biggest problem now is the set of political leaders presently at the helm of affairs led by tinubu.....
I've never seen a set of Yoruba leaders as selfish n incompetent as these ones...
They lack foresight, too complacent n all they care about is building their own personal political empire....
They run an extractive economic system that hasn't brought much fortune or prosperity to Yorubaland.....
This was a departure from the inclusive economic system that was the norm during awolowo era n Yoruba governors during the 2nd republic.....
because u wonder why ondo state which is the only oil producing state in SW should be owing backlog of salaries.....
Osun state future has been completely mortgaged with non performing loans n it will take maybe crude oil selling at 450 dollars per barrel to deliver them....
Now all these was made possible because Yoruba leaders for the first time, fully embraced the retrogressive feeding bottle arrangement of sharing revenue n embarked on wasteful spending without any care for tomorrow....
They failed to look inward, instead focussed on Abuja.....
They joined the band wagon of depending on federal allocations to get things done, they saw the citizens as burdens rather than assets....
They refuse to invest in both human resources or capacity building.....
Of course, there will always be consequences.....
We now have governors who doesn't care if a university is shut down for 9 months.....
Internet fraud is now the biggest employer of labour among the youths....
If SW doesn't pull out from these present unitary system of govt, we'll continue to have these problems....
Governors who doesn't see the need to be held accountable because their main source of revenue is from outside the state....
They also don't see reason to prioritise workers' welfare because ur coming to work is inconsequential to how much enters the govt coffers.....

Who has fed on the lies and the straw man fallacy ,and had a bloated stomach as a result? It you who are a sickly ,amoral tribalist. I'm Yoruba to the backbone and by the grace of God a conscientious human being who finds people like you highly detestable.

jhubril:
Who has fed on the lies and the straw man fallacy ,and had a bloated stomach as a result? It you who are a sickly ,amoral tribalist. I'm Yoruba to the backbone and by the grace of God a conscientious human being who finds people like you highly detestable.

If a particular post/article/writeup is detestable to you, after reading it the first time; do not comment on it and do not visit it again. At least, that is what common sense demands. Moreso, this writeup is meant for rational people who understand that Nigeria can not experience development in this present political structure to discuss the alternatives presented by the writer. People like you can read it but it is not for people like you to comment on.

jhubril:
Who has fed on the lies and the straw man fallacy ,and had a bloated stomach as a result? It you who are a sickly ,amoral tribalist. I'm Yoruba to the backbone and by the grace of God a conscientious human being who finds people like you highly detestable.

Ogbeni, I don't have ur time...
This no need to throw banter with u...
If u are not proud of your lineage, where ever that is....
Then u are not worth it....
And don't even bother quoting me....
Cos I don't deem u a reply....