• Olawepo-Hashim: power devolution will end agitations

March 25, 2021

By Yusuf Alli, Abuja, Sola Shittu, Gombe and Alao Abiodun

Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has said the people’s consensus rather than individual’s agitation will determine the success of any secession bid.

He explained that few people can’t declare the establishment of the “Yoruba nation” without considering the general interest of the South-west.

The governor spoke on Wednesday when he featured on a Channels Television programme monitored by The Nation.

Yoruba rights activist, Sunday Adeyemo (aka Sunday Igboho), had declared that the Southwest would no longer be part of Nigeria with the establishment of “Yoruba Nation”.

Akeredolu said: “It is a group of individuals who are raising this issue; they are entitled to it. Everybody is entitled to his own position. But when you come to the issue of nation or you want to leave a particular setup, there must be a consensus.

“Nobody can, on his own, wake up and say he is speaking on behalf of others. Who gave them such powers?

“We have never yielded power to people to speak on our behalf on matters of this importance. That is what we are saying.

“A few people cannot just stand up one day and say to us: ‘Yes, we want Yoruba nation.’ How? Where did we sit down to discuss this? With who and who? At what point in time? So, if you do not carry everybody along, you cannot be representing us.”

Also, a former presidential candidate in the 2019 general election, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, recommended devolution of more powers to the states and local government areas to forestall further separatist agitations across the country.

The businessman urged the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to address the imbalance among the various ethnic nationalities in the country.

“I quite agree that there is frustration in the land as a result of the problems which over-centralisation of powers in the hands of the Federal Government has caused since the unfortunate military coup of 1966.

“The solution is not the dismemberment of the Republic but de-centralisation of power to the component states, which must start now.

“Nigeria will do better, and we are in fact better together, if we immediately take steps to devolve powers to the states and local governments in areas where there is a clear national consensus,” he said.

Olawepo-Hashim identified areas where Nigerians have started building consensus, including the creation of state police, as follows:

Creation of state and local government police side by side with the Federal Police to make policing more efficient and to bolster national security.
Amendment of the Constitution to enable states have some control over the development of all mineral resources in the inland basins.

Amendment to ensure concurrent jurisdiction of Federal and state governments over electricity generation, transmission and distribution and electoral reform clause to include electronic transmission of results from all level of results collations.

The businessman said a simple Executive-sponsored constitutional amendment Bill narrowed to these clearly defined items may get a resounding support if properly managed with the 36 governors and the Houses of Assembly.

He said it was in the best interest of Nigerians to remain united instead of breaking up.

Also, Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya yesterday dissociated the Northeast from those calling for secession.

The governor noted that the agitation by some individuals to opt out of Nigeria would not solve the nation’s common challenges.

Yahaya spoke at opening of All Progressives Congress (APC) Northeast stakeholders’ meeting for the review of the party’s constitution.

“We are not among those calling for Nigeria to be divided. We are not. We are not among those that are trying to separate. The unity and unity of purpose of Nigeria is not compromisable at all.

“As a result of that, knowing we have a common problem, we have to approach it with common sense of purpose in order to achieve, recover and go out of the problem. There is need for states in the Northeast to have a common position with regards to this issue,” he said.

Vaughanlanrewaj:
Our founding fathers did not concede to the union at gunpoint and they knew that their strength is in having a big, strong and united nation.

Any review of the union will not be at the whims of the likes of intemperate and blood thirsty state actors like IPOB leader and the one insulting and threatening Kabiyesis in the SW. If not, once our unity is dissolved , more countries will still emerge from the initial sub divisions and they will be led by blood thirsty intemperate vicious state actors.
FG must prevent this calamity from happening to save millions of lives. Just imagine a country led by the likes of the current insurrectionists and imagine how Delta State has remained underachieving despite 4 incredible stages of division transitions from Western region to Mid-west to Bendel and now Delta State yet despite years of petrol billion dollars, in Delta State, poverty and unemployment are still rife in the state and Delta State is still far from being an Eldorado.
God bless Nigeria.

There were only 28 persons involved in the so-called “amalgamation” of January, 1914. While 6 persons were Nigerians, the rest were British including Frederick Lord Lugard himself, Lewis Harcourt (the secretary of state for the colonies whose name Port-Harcourt city took after leaving the original “Igweocha/Obumotu”) and other European officers in charge of the two Protectorates. The following were the ONLY “Nigerians” officially involved in the amalgamation signage:

• A lawyer, Sir Kitoyi Ajasa (representing the African community in Lagos as a Legislative Council member of the Colony since 1902). Lagos was mainly for the British. Then the rest were summed up as “African community” which included the returnee slaves of Sierra-Leone, Nigerians themselves, Ghanaians, etc.
• His Highness, Oladugbolu (Alaafin of Oyo)
• Hon. R Henshaw (Obong of Calabar)
• Hon. Maiturare (Sarkin Mussulumi and Sultan of Sokoto)
• Hon. Abubakar (Shehu of Borno)
• Hon. Usuman (Emir of Kano)

Note, from the above, that there was no Igbo traditional ruler involved. Not even the Eze Chima of Onicha those days.The Aro Expedition that was the final conquest of Igboland had happened 12 years earlier between 1901 and 1902 as the British Indirect treachery had been fiercely resisted by the Igbo people in the late 19th century. Again, note that there was more Fulani/Northern presence than any other “Nigerians” in the signage.

The “pact” between the British and the Northern Oligarchy had been sealed for over a century and what we complain of today should never be a surprise to anyone who knows history. We are merely slaves living out the dreams and arrangement of unconcerned bourgeoisies—by sheer force!

Vaughanlanrewaj:
Our founding fathers did not concede to the union at gunpoint and they knew that their strength is in having a big, strong and united nation.....FG must prevent this calamity from happening to save millions of lives......

“Since 1914 the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country, but the Nigerian people themselves are historically different in their backgrounds, in their religious beliefs & customs.They do not show themselves any signs of willingness to unite … Nigerian unity is only a British invention” –Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, 1948.

“Nigeria is not a nation. It is a mere geographical expression. There are no ‘Nigerians’ in the same sense as there are ‘English,’ ‘Welsh,’ or ‘French,’ The word ‘Nigeria’ is a mere distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria and those who do not” -Chief Obafemi Awolowo, 1947

“It is better for us and many admirers abroad that we should disintegrate in peace and not in pieces. Should the politicians fail to heed the warning, then I will venture the prediction that the experience of the Democratic Republic of Congo will be a child’s play if it ever comes to our turn to play such a tragic role”
-Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, 1964.

Vaughanlanrewaj:
Our founding fathers did not concede to the union at gunpoint and they knew that their strength is in having a big, strong and united nation.

Any review of the union will not be at the whims of the likes of intemperate and blood thirsty state actors like IPOB leader and the one insulting and threatening Kabiyesis in the SW. If not, once our unity is dissolved , more countries will still emerge from the initial sub divisions and they will be led by blood thirsty intemperate vicious state actors.
FG must prevent this calamity from happening to save millions of lives. Just imagine a country led by the likes of the current insurrectionists and imagine how Delta State has remained underachieving despite 4 incredible stages of division transitions from Western region to Mid-west to Bendel and now Delta State yet despite years of petrol billion dollars, in Delta State, poverty and unemployment are still rife in the state and Delta State is still far from being an Eldorado.
God bless Nigeria.

Idiko1:
In your rant, it is safe to say you did not factor the quality of the leaders. It is unfortunate you could not do better than the rogue leaders.

You already agreed with the governor of Ondo State who claimed consensus must be reached to create a country or lack thereof. Yet the man parades himself as a SANs Does he know what consensus is all about?

SuperBold:
Thank God we still have sensible leaders on Yoruba land.

IGBOHO mission is noble but the way hes going about is not according to our character, we can't call ourselves the progressive tribe if we can't tell the difference between us, kanu and his ipob half baked followers

Kapeter:
Prof Banji Akintoye is our leader not igboho. Thank you

Tofax:
“A few people cannot just stand up one day and say to us: ‘Yes, we want Yoruba nation.’ How? Where did we sit down to discuss this? With who and who? At what point in time? So, if you do not carry everybody along, you cannot be representing us.”

Did Lugard & his Mistress consented with any Indigenous People in Nigeria before the country was named & formed.
Was the opinion of the Yorubas, Ijaws,Igbos, Hausa, Efik, Kanuris etc consented before the geographical expression called Nigeria was created?
Mr. Governor go & sit down

Idiko1:
Was there any consensus reached to form Nigeria?