As part of its efforts to ensure the is restructuring of structures in Nigeria, the six states that make up South-Western Nigeria; Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun and Lagos have continued to work together and take steps towards the calls for restructuring under the aegis of Yoruba Koya Leadership and Training Foundation, known as Yoruba Koya Movement. And the latest in the group’s effort is a tour of all Houses of Assembly in Yoruba Land to seek for the support of Yoruba parliamentarians to back restructuring.
The tour embarked upon by the group is focused on sensitising all elected Yoruba parliamentarians on why the restructuring of Nigeria’s political, economic and social structures must be implemented now for the sake of the generation yet unborn.
The first point of call was the Lagos State House of Assembly where the group led by led an Elder Statesman, Dr. Amos Arogundade Akingba and the group’s Convener, Otunba Deji Osibogun supported by Prof Banji Akintoye, Senator Tokunbo Ogunbanjo, Dr Tola Adeniyi, Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu and backed by the Alaafin of Oyo and Aare Afe Babalola spoke with the Lagos lawmakers and lobbied them to support restructuring. The group in addition presented the assembly four copies of the proposed Nigerian constitution written by Voice of Reason for consideration.
Also on the delegation to Lagos Parliament were renowned Lawyer, Otunba Alaba Shonibare, scion of former Western region Minister, Omogbonjuola Osuntokun, Chief Kayode Osuntokun, the Asiwaju of Yoruba Community in California, United States, Otunba Tilewa Osifeso, Erudite University Don, Professor Tunde Fatunde, National Director of Organization and Publicity of the group, Mr. Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye, Youth Coordinator of the group in Lagos State, Comrade Ayodeji Adebayo among others.
After the Lagos visit, Yoruba Koya has finalised plans to visit other Houses of Assembly in the following order; Ogun and Oyo, Ekiti, Osun and Ondo respectively.
The Yoruba Koya delegation was ably received by the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, who is also the current Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assemblies of Nigeria, supported by the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun, Chairman, House Committee on Constitution and Judiciary, Hon. Mrs Funmilayo Tejuosho, Chief of Staff to the Speaker, Mr. Tunde Jafonjo among others.
In his remarks, the Convener of the Yoruba Koya Movement, Otunba Deji Osibogun appealed to Obasa to use his office as the leader of all Speakers in Nigeria to lobby his colleagues in Yoruba Land and other like-minds to back restructuring.
Also in his opening remarks, Dr. Akingba who spoke in Yoruba language decried the changing societal norms, values, culture and tradition linking the defect to cultural adjustments, language pollution and other effects of imported cultures and condemned the infrastructural abandonments and dwindling development across all Yoruba states in the South West geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
The ex-NADECO chieftain explained that the faulty constitution in operation within the country has done more harm than good since it is merely an extension of amended military decree, emphasising the need to revamp Yoruba race starting from her ideology, culture and norms to having a workable national constitution that favours every ethnicity in place.
“The current constitution in operation within the country is faulty and there is the urgent need for us to return to the people’s constitution of 1957 even before the best hands can function well in public offices they are elected to serve,” he stated.
Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa while speaking stated that unless the 1999 constitution of Nigeria is revisited and the political, economic and social structures of the country sanctimoniously and patriotically restructured, the development of Nigeria may be a dream that will never be achieved, adding that all the 40 members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have passed resolutions backing restructuring of Nigeria times without number.
He said that without proper restructuring, values reorientation and entrenchment of culture and tradition, the country Nigeria will continue to retrogress.
“Contrary to the perception of people, I am a pro-restructuring comrade. I am 100 per cent in support of restructuring of Nigeria. I stand for a new people’s constitution drafted and written by the people. I have been supporting this struggle since I emerged as Speaker and I will continue to do so. Lagos State House of Assembly under my leadership has passed resolutions time without number calling for the restructuring of Nigeria. We at the state House of Assembly cannot initiate it but there’s no way the process can be completed without our input.
“I assure the good people of Yoruba Land and Nigerians that we in Lagos State parliament support restructuring. Unless this country is restructured, the quagmires facing us as a nation will continue to boom like wave of ocean. A new constitution that will address injustice, inequality and under-development militating against our country is the solution, irrespective of the quality of leaders we elect as president or governor.
“However, I want to appeal to elders here today to join hands to ensure that the Youths in Yoruba Land exhibit the core values of Omoluabi that we are known for. Today, may young people in Yoruba Land cannot speak Yoruba language. Our children don’t know proverbs; our culture is being jettisoned for foreign cultures which if not curbed, will not augur well for us as a nation. Finland has one of the best educational policies in the world; they achieved everything by introducing teaching in mother’s tongue which is now lacking in Nigeria.
“We as a parliament have made it mandatory for all public and private schools in Lagos State to teach Yoruba as a subject. In Lagos parliament, we conduct our sitting every Wednesday in Yoruba Language. I beg all parents of Yoruba descent to sure that our culture and traditions are not eroded and killed,” he stated.
In his own remarks, another Elder Statesman, Chief Dr. Tola Adeniyi stated that the purpose of the visit to Lagos parliament was to discuss and chart a strategic way out and proactive approach towards synergizing the past efforts of the Six State Assemblies in the South-West Geo-Political Zone towards Nigeria restructuring and constitutional restoration.
Adeniyi, who is the Akirogun of Yorubaland added that restructuring will be beneficial to the country for a formidable national structure.
Also, the Chairman of a policy think-tank of Yoruba group, Voice of Reason (VOR), Dr. Olufemi Adegoke said the current Nigerian Constitution is a product of the military oligarchy, adding that the country is just postponing the evil day if the law is not abrogated now.
Four copies of the proposed Nigerian Constitution written by the Voice of Reason (VOR) and a paper titled “Yoruba Nation in a Restructured Nigerian Federation” was presented to Obasa and his colleagues at the event.
Speaking on the tour, the National Director of Organisation and Publicity, Mr Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye, stated that there is a need for the Yoruba nation to rise up to its responsibility of ensuring sustainable development for its people, adding that the group is united in the fight against bad governance in all the six states in South-Western Nigeria and the strongly rejects the current infrastructure decadence and poor economic growth in Yoruba land as a result of bad governance.
“Yoruba nation deserves much more in the current national politics in our country and we must all rise to this occasion by supporting both the economic and political restructuring of Nigeria, through a more transparent and accountable governance, especially in our region. We cannot continue like this and expect any positive change,” he explained.
And as the Yoruba Koya movement continues its tour of Houses of Assemblies to further its cause, there is a call for all South-West people to join the campaign to demand for restructuring.
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