Voice of Emancipation: Yoruba Will Get It Right

By Kayode Emola

Many people looking at the shambles that Nigeria has become today are asking, “Will the same be the fate of the Yoruba nation when it eventually comes?” I believe that those asking these questions have legitimate reasons to want to know that the new Yoruba nation will not fail.

However, they must know that Nigeria is what it is today because of the way it was set up and subsequently run. Nigeria was never set up as a nation to function in the same way one ought to function.

Nigeria was set up as a trading post by the British, and the North/South divide was intentionally maintained throughout British control from 1914 to 1960. Nigeria was founded on the core values of channelling all the wealth of the land into the pockets of the elite few. No account was taken of what the constituent nations stood for, only that it should be made as profitable as possible for the colonial masters.

Hence, anyone trying to make Nigeria work will only be hitting their head against a brick wall. Little wonder, when every new government since 1966 has consistently blamed the previous government for the woes of the country, yet make no effort to call the people that make up Nigeria for discussion on how to move the nation forward.

Why is the government of Nigeria holding the constituent nations to ransom under a constitution that they did not prepare for themselves? The 1999 constitution, foisted upon the people by the exiting military government of the time, is nothing more than a farcical rebranding of the 1979 constitution that had been thrown out 16 years earlier.

Those in the Nigerian government try to make the legislature, amend the wobbly constitution and tweak it at will. This is the antithesis of democracy as it ought to be practiced in a country of over 200 million people.

Therefore, for Nigerians, there is no patriotism towards the flag as it does not represent what the constituents’ nations that form Nigeria stand for. It would behove those in power to be aware that until every nation that make up Nigeria come to a round table to decide their own fate, the issue of self-determination will not go away.

The Holy Bible says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” _(Proverbs 14:34)_ How can a government in all sincerity justify paying the workers of Nigeria a minimum wage of ₦70,000 per month, when an average Nigeria needs nothing less than ₦1million to cater for their monthly expenses? This alone shows that the Nigerian government is insensitive to the modern-day challenges of the Nigerian people.

It is therefore pertinent to inform those questioning whether Yoruba nation will become like Nigeria when it eventually happens, that we will guide against the misfortune of Nigeria. We shall not let affliction happen to us twice; Yoruba nation will be run with the utmost integrity that Nigeria has never had the opportunity to enjoy.

Therefore, the new Yoruba nation will do everything in its power to ensure that every Yoruba citizen is paid a decent wage that can cater for their daily needs. When every Yoruba citizen is given the opportunity to thrive and excel in their own nation without the need for nepotism or having links to a government minister or big man, then we will be able to eradicate the corruption which is the archnemesis of Nigeria.

I will implore those who are harbouring fears that Yoruba nation may not live up to these claims, to perish those thoughts. The Yoruba people have built a great civilisation before and we can do it again. Yorubaland as it currently stands is the backbone of Nigeria; therefore if we withdraw ourselves and our land, there will be more than enough resources to build and sustain a viable Yoruba nation.

Therefore it makes no sense to suggest that the Yoruba people should continue in this union with Nigeria that brings nothing but hardship and pain to our people. We must decide now once and for all to end this bad romance with such a country that does not value the lives and properties of its citizens. We must embrace our Yoruba identity with its promise of breathing fresh air to its people in their new nation. This is the sure path to a prosperous people who are created by God to live to their full potential.