By Kayode Emola
The actions over the past month of the Nigerian government towards the Yoruba nation agitators would have, in the past, sent shivers through the spine of the people. However, the resolve of the Yoruba people to have their own nation distinct from Nigeria is far greater than any threat that the Nigerian government could issue. Undoubtedly, governments the world over generally seek to maintain the status quo, and have gone to great lengths to do so. But it is for the people to decide if the status quo is good enough for them to want to remain in that country.
Many empires and civilisations have arisen throughtout the millenia, yet the eventual end of those empires was disintegration. It is not because the empires were either too small or too big that has caused their dissolution, but simply the fact that in life when some events have run their course they must surely come to an end. Nigeria of today, even though incomparable with the empires of old, can be said to have been an experiment of the British empire that has proven disastrous over several decades, and so now, too, must face the process of coming to an end.
I have said previously that, when the Yoruba nation agitators are done frustrating the Nigerian government with our desire to have our own sovereign nation, the Nigerian government will have no choice other than to allow us to go. This is because it is not just a few isolated groups of people clamouring for this goal, but rather a multitude of Yoruba people across a wide variety of professions and throughout many countries of the world.
The agitation for an independent Yoruba nation took off in earnest around 2020 when the Yoruba people were admitted as the 45th member of Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO). Many of us swung into action, researching the most effective means for the Yoruba people to come out of Nigeria. One of the things I noticed during that research was that our situation was peculiar compared with several other countries that have been in similar situations.
The reason is, although very few near homogenous countries have fought to break apart, none of those that have, come close to the breadth of ethnic diversity seen within Nigeria. We have over 250 tribes and tongues fused together as one nation. Even the Yoruba people are not just one tribe, we are a collection of many nations put together into one country. Yet our advantage is that, even though we have many differing dialects, the Yoruba language is unique and has evolved over thousands of years to become a common denominator for every Yoruba person.
The other element that favours the Yoruba people is our spread across the globe and the resulting influence we wield in the world. The Yoruba people are one of the most sophisticated people worldwide, and our presence can be felt globally in every sector. This advantage has not been wasted: it was rapidly deployed very early on in the campaign for our liberation, and has proven to be a great asset. So when naysayers began to attack the Yoruba nation agitators, I delayed responding, knowing that we had already done our homework and were fully aware of our position.
The Fulani government ruling Nigeria did not envisage that the Yoruba people could one day rise up to demand their own independent nation. They thought in their hearts that Nigeria was their inherited estate from Britain to do with as they please, hence their deceptive phrase “born to rule”. The present state of Nigeria shows that the Fulani people have failed to demonstrate leadership qualities, but have turned elections into personality contests, forcing Nigeria to its knees as a begging nation in the world.
It is therefore not surprising the Yoruba people have decided that enough is enough and the only solution is an independent Yoruba nation. This was initially thought to be the joke of the century even by some Yoruba elites as this has never been on the agenda previously. However, I do not see any reason for their lack of precognition of these events, considering all the challenges we have faced in Nigeria since the so-called ‘Independence’ of 1960. The Yoruba people have retrogressed so significantly that if we don’t change the narrative, not only will our people continue to suffer hardship, but we risk losing our ancestral land to strangers who do not seek our best interests.
This is the reason why our Yoruba nation struggle, both at home and abroad, has sent shivers to the government of Nigeria. The Fulani people were taken aback by the Yoruba agitation as it wasn’t expected and they did not know whom they should approach to quell the uprising. The Fulani’s usual tactics were to look for those Yoruba minorities who would be willing to sell out their people for a pittance. However, our struggle has been so effective and our people so tightly unified that the Fulani have been unable to penetrate our camp, and even the world is in awe of our discipline throughout this ongoing campaign. Our southern governors and representatives also saw the writing on the wall, prompting them to quickly convene a meeting of all the southern governors. This was the first of such meeting in several decades, even though their northern counterparts have been regularly coming together without a second thought.
The goes to show that, even though our agitators were being molested and detained by security operatives in Nigeria and around the world, our resolve to leave Nigeria is far greater than their oppression.
We are a blessed people who understand the art of civilisation and know that everything begins and ends on a round table, where everyone will be able to state their case. I have not seen guns and armoured tanks ever settle a conflict – rather it only serves to aggravate the situation. If you doubt me, ask Yemen and Saudi Arabia, or ask our younger brother America vs Afganistan about their decade of unrest. You must surely know that diplomacy is the only path to accomplish the emergence of the new Yoruba nation. It is the surest way to minimise casualties and the most effective tool in building friendship, long after Nigeria is no longer a nation. I therefore enjoin our Yoruba agitators to know that they are writing their names in gold for future generations and their efforts in liberating our people are not in vain. Continue to stand strong, speak out and together we will make the world hear us.
