Yoruba nation becomes 45th member of UNPO — Akintoye
ON APRIL 28, 20206:58 PMIN NEWS
By Dapo Akinrefon

The Yoruba nation has been accepted as the 45th member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation, UNPO.

President of the Yoruba World Congress, YWC, Banji Akintoye, said this on Tuesday, noting that the latest development represented a very important step in the collective quest of Yoruba people to achieve the goal of dignity and self-determination.


UNPO, formed on February 11, 1991 in The Hague, Netherlands, is an international membership-based organisation established to empower the voices of unrepresented and marginalised peoples worldwide and to protect their fundamental human rights.

Members comprise indigenous peoples, minorities, unrecognised peoples or peoples of occupied territories.

Akintoye, in a statement, noted that the Yoruba-speaking nation membership was contained in a letter addressed to him through the YWC Coordinator for Europe by her Secretary-General, Ralph Bunche.


He said UNPO membership affords the Yoruba nation an opportunity to participate in advocacy training, worldwide cultural festivals, election monitoring/observation, and sports activities, among the unrepresented nations.

Akintoye said: “Some former members, such as Armenia, East Timor, Estonia, Latvia, Georgia and Palau have gained full independence and have joined the United Nations, UN, as full members.

ALSO READ: Yoruba are abandoning their cultural identity — Elebuibon

“The peoples represented within the UNPO membership are all united by one shared condition: they are denied their equitable level of representation and voice in the institutions of the countries to which they currently belong and in international governance.

“As a consequence, their opportunity to participate on the national or international stage is limited and unfair, and they struggle against difficulties in their effort to realise their rights to civil and political participation and to control their own economic, social and cultural development.

“In many cases, they live under pressure of the worst forms of violence and repression, such as is being perpetrated by armed herdsmen and militias, as well as by terrorist Boko Haram, against many peoples of Nigeria, including our Yoruba nation.

“This violence and repression are being adroitly and surreptitiously supported by the government of Nigeria.

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“In some cases, members of UNPO need serious help because they live in countries and under governments that actively resist their progress and destroy their achievements, as our Yoruba nation lives in Nigeria.

“The UNPO is able to address issues that often remain hidden because UNPO has the freedom to raise issues that others cannot raise due to political or funding constraints. Today, UNPO has more than 40 member-nations.”

Vanguard

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/04/yoruba-nation-becomes-45th-member-of-unpo-akintoye/

Yoruba Amaka

Cool.

I like that Professor Akintoye is leading the Yoruba people.

He's seen that the only way Yoruba will make much progress is through self-determination.

FrLukas:
Cool.

I like that Professor Akintoye is leading the Yoruba people.

He's seen that the only way Yoruba will make much progress is through self-determination.

And some idiots want sell out,selfish,greedy tinubu to lead the Yorubas,the only place he would have lead the Yorubas to is captivity and slavery just like afonja but thank God,yoruba is sophisticated

Congratulations to the Yoruba nation

Can we just split this shithole already?

Unrepresented Nations and People Organisation UNPO. I am hearing about this the first time today.
Thanks Oga @farem

surgical:
And some idiots want sell out,selfish,greedy tinubu to lead the Yorubas,the only place he would have lead the Yorubas to is captivity and slavery just like afonja but thank God,yoruba is sophisticated

You are right.

Tinubu has shown that he would sell his race if it advanced his political cause.

Thank God Yorubas have always had the Fortune of picking the right man for the job at critical times.

Pa Awo did well for us and prevented millions of Yorubas from dying a needless death during the civil war.

Hopefully, Prof will be able to help us navigate these tricky Waters of self-determination without bloodshed.