By Kayode Emola
For the people asking when the Yoruba nation will be actualised, my answer is that it is coming sooner than we realise. There has been talk of the Yoruba sovereign nation materialising this year by several big players in the struggle. Therefore, by many people’s calculation, there is a short window by which this can be achieved considering the number of days remaining before the end of this year. Many people still feel that there is no sign that Yoruba nation is coming to be this year due to the political atmosphere of Nigeria.
Many people have asked me privately and openly if I still believe that Yoruba nation would become a reality this year. My take is that Yoruba Sovereign Nation will come into fruition this year and it is now or never. Prior to African Nations gaining their independence in the 1950’s and 60’s, not many African leaders believed it will ever come to pass, considering that it was already a decade then since the UN asked countries under colonial rule to start demanding their independence.
For instance, Ghana’s Big 6, which included high-profile figures like Dr. Kwame Nkrumah believed that Africa was ripe for independence in the 1950’s and his campaign centered on “Independence Now or Never”. His visionary leadership led Ghana as the first West African country to attain independence in March 1957 when his compatriots were seeking Independence at the earliest possible time. Many people who doubted it was possible didn’t believe their eyes when Ghana attained her independence and that eventually snowballed into many other countries in Africa attaining their independence.
I believe that just like it happened back then in the 1950’s and 60’s, so also will Yoruba nation will attain her own sovereignty within a twinkling of an eye, and by the grace of God, that will be this year. Many people have asked what is my assurance and what is the preparation so far? All I can say is that the level of insecurity in Nigeria is tipping the country faster into dissolution. The recent alert by the US government of an imminent terrorist attack in Abuja is not just a coincidence. It is a pointer to the direction of travel toward the disintegration of Nigeria.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was unapologetic to his compatriots in fighting for independence in the 1950’s and we also need not be apologetic for the just cause we are pursuing. The atrocities inflicted upon the Yoruba people are etched into many of our collective memories. Many of us have been personally affected, losing property, liberty, family, and friends. We see the desolation of our lands, the retrogression of our infrastructure, and the backward decline of our nation and people. We _know_ what we are suffering at the hands of the Fulani and we cannot pretend that all is well. So, the earlier we get out of Nigeria, the better it will be for our sanity.
People may choose to look elsewhere, however, that does not excuse the atrocities that are happening in our land. The question is, why have we allowed this to fester for so long, where did we keep our thinking cap and who are our visionaries. Were they sleeping when Yoruba nation was retrogressing under Nigeria and how come no one highlighted the dangers before all these recent events, or we just decided to look another way.
For those who ask about signs that Yoruba Sovereign nation will come to fruition this year? I don’t have any signs for you. All I can say is get prepared for the rebirth of the new nation and just like the birth of a newborn, we always pray for safe delivery even though we know that there may be some complications in some instances. The most important thing is the safety of the new child and the birthing mother. My prayer is that the birth of our new nation will not lead to the loss of lives of our compatriots just like many new nations such as Czech and Slovakia emerged.
My final take and plea are that people should try and get for themselves supplies that can last them for at least 3 to 6 months. This will help them mitigate any unexpected event that may make daily supplies difficult to come by. As I speak, the Lagos-Ibadan expressway is unsafe due to continuous daily terror activities on that road in the past few days. We in the south usually associate these sorts of attacks with northern Nigeria, but it is now right on our doorstep and we must tackle it head-on without burying our heads in the sand. If anyone still thinks Nigeria can continue like this and the people will not force a reaction, then I’ll say think again.
The binding powder of Nigeria is the Yoruba people and the vast majority of Yoruba people are saying enough is enough of these constant atrocities committed on their lands. This means that the inevitability of Nigeria disintegrating into several nations is irrevocably certain as the centre can no longer hold. The north is dreading a power shift to the south come 2023 and the south cannot endure the oppression meted out by the north. This looks like the perfect recipe for an implosion if an orderly dissolution is not pursued.
Those campaigning for general elections in 2023 are only wasting resources for an exercise in futility. The northern oligarchs are not willing to hand over their control of the central government and we can all see the handwriting on the wall. If only those also following the politicians blindly can see the handwriting on the wall, they will be preparing more assiduously for the emergence of the new countries that will emerge once Nigeria has been finally put to sleep. Until then, my advice is to let every Yoruba person get ready so that you are not caught unaware. A word is enough for the wise.
