A socio-cultural group, the Yoruba Assembly has decried the marginalisation of the Yoruba ethnic group under President Goodluck Jonathan administration saying that the region that was one a pace setter among other ethnic groups in Nigeria has been greatly short-changed .
This was contained in a communiqué signed by the convener of the group, General Alani Akinrinade after a summit held at Ibadan, the Oyo State capital today.
“In these days of disillusionment, self-doubt and despondency among many of our people, it is simply stating the obvious that we have to, once again interrogate our circumstances within the socio-economic formation known as Nigeria if only to reposition our people so that we can recover our lost glory and re-invent our leadership position in the scheme of things”, the group stated.
According to the Yoruba Assembly, issues discussed at the summit included ; the erosion of Yoruba values, virtues, and mores, affirmation that the marginalisation of Yoruba people has attained the status of deliberate policy of the Central Government of Nigeria. This has been intensified under the current administration by extending it to Yoruba kith and kin in Itsekiri land.
The group therefore demands that Yoruba land will not be an occupied territory calling for the pursuit of the region’s destiny in line with the development priorities and ambitions of her people.
Other demands include; the creation of a structural environment for effective devolution of powers to the country’s constituent units as a strategic development imperative; repeal of laws and policies that stifle the creativity of her people; dismantling of all pseudo-security agencies that impede peace, harass and terrorise her citizens in order to enforce pre-determined agenda that are not consistent with the wishes of Yoruba people.
Also, there was call for, “regional competitiveness should be the basis and indeed the key driver of growth and development of Nigeria, recognising that the creative spirit and latent capabilities of the country reside within the geo-political zones; that the effectiveness of the Federal Government of Nigeria lies on focusing on the critical issues of governance that are common to all components, like defence, national security, foreign affairs, currency and exchange rate, etc, while all other socio-economic responsibilities, especially that of resource control, devolve to the federating units.
“The removal of all bottlenecks in the way of provision of effective and efficient transportation system, electrical power, and petroleum refining infrastructure.
“The facilitation of a fully diversified economy, moving away from the existing mono-product scenario to one in which the federating units can leverage on their endowment and productive resources.
“Finally, Yoruba people hereby state categorically that the General Elections scheduled to commence on Saturday, March 28, 2015 MUST not be postponed or jeopardised. Yoruba people will not countenance any form of unelected government, be it Government of National Unity, Interim National Government or howsoever described”.
