By Lami Ibrahim
Worried by the recent hardship protests witnessed in Nigeria, the O’Odua Integrity Network ( OIN) has called on the Yoruba Ethnic Nationality to be proactive, saying it was time for Yoruba Nation to re-think and rise to the defence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at all times against the North.
EndBadGovernance movement, according to OIN, organised by some faceless individuals, mostly misguided people, was supposedly against longstanding grievances about governance, corruption, and socio-economic challenges in the country.
In a Press Statement signed by Chief Adewale Adeosun (President) and Mr Ige Kilanko (Secretary), the group, lamented that despite assurances by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the government had heard the message loud and clear and his promises to meet some of the demands, the protests escalated in parts of the country, costing lives and leading to significant damage to property.
OIN said that the protests in the North were particularly volatile, destructive, and mindlessly orchestrated with a clear intention of bringing down the government, with hundreds of protesters waving Russian flags, while others openly called for the military to take over and wondered what the Service Chiefs were doing.
The Ibadan based group noted that Nigeria has a history of youth-led protests, adding that the most notable in recent times was the #EndSARS movement in 2020, which targeted police brutality and sparked widespread demonstrations across the country.
According to the group, during that period, Northern Nigeria remained relatively quiet, pointing out that; ” In fact, President Buhari said the protest was aimed at bringing down his government” and that key Northerners, who would not “stand idly by and watch Buhari’s government attacked”, spared no effort to crush the protests.
They noted that despite efforts by President Tinubu to clear the Augean stable left by Buhari and previous governments, he has been abandoned to bear the brunt of his long-overdue economic reforms, adding that;
“Northerners are up in arms against him – and sadly, very sadly – prominent Southerners, folding their hands, watching”.
The group wrote; “It’s even worse in the South West, Tinubu’s base! It appears that it was for exactly this moment that the illustrious Yoruba dramatist and actor Herbert Ogunde produced the play, “Yoruba Ro’onu!”
“What was the point in the deadly violence in places like Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Gombe, Nasarawa, Sokoto, and Maiduguri, with protesters waving Russian flags and calling for military intervention? What has Tinubu’s government done to deserve a call for unconstitutional change and an invitation to Russia to intervene in the country’s internal affairs? And Yorubas are watching as if it doesn’t concern them”, the group added.
The OIN said that they are concerned that the same Southern betrayal that scuttled the presidential ambition of the sage Obafemi Awolowo in 1979; the same Southern betrayal that cost the region the MKO Abiola presidency in 1993; and the same South betrayal that nearly cost President Olusegun Obasanjo a second term in 2003; was rearing its ugly head again.
They noted that; “While we are opposed to violence, we unequivocally call for a change in the attitude of Southerners, especially the Yorubas of the South West in the unfolding political situation in the country.Yorubas – women, students, workers and the elite – especially the elite, MUST take a stand and do so firmly.They should stop hiding behind a finger or burying their heads in the sand.The Northern agenda is clear, even to the blind. Because they believe that Tinubu must worship them and that they have been at the losing end of the progressive reforms of this government, they have vowed that Tinubu will NOT have a second term.But this is NOT about Tinubu! It’s about the South, specifically, the Yorubas.It is disgusting and disgraceful that Yorubas are standing by, as enlightened as they claim to be, while the North is riding roughshod over the country. We expect Yoruba sociocultural groups to see the Northern agenda for what it is and to come out fully in support of the President. The North’s attitude of “Kaka ki eku ma je se se…”, literally meaning that if they can’t have power, then no one else will, must stop! Yorubas home and abroad must see this danger for what it is and rally to the Tinubu’s defence.They must take a stand, NOW!
Here Is The Full Press Statement By OIN:
STATE OF THE NATION:
YORUBA RO’0NU – TIME FOR YORUBA NATION TO RE-THINK
*RECENT PROTESTS AND DISCONTENT: A CALL TO PROACTIVE ACTION BY YORUBA ETHNIC NATIONALITY
Recently, Nigeria witnessed a surge of youth-led protests under the banner of the “EndBadGovernance” movement.
This movement, organised by some faceless individuals, mostly misguided people, was supposedly against longstanding grievances about governance, corruption, and socio-economic challenges in the country.
Despite assurances by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the government had heard the message loud and clear and his promises to meet some of the demands, the protests escalated in parts of the country, costing lives and leading to significant damage to property.
The protests in the North were particularly volatile, destructive, and mindlessly orchestrated with a clear intention of bringing down the government.
Hundreds of protesters waved Russian flags, while others openly called for the military to take over!
We wonder what the Service Chiefs were doing!!!
Nigeria has a history of youth-led protests. The most notable in recent times was the #EndSARS movement in 2020, which targeted police brutality and sparked widespread demonstrations across the country.
During that period, Northern Nigeria remained relatively quiet – in fact, President Buhari said the protest was aimed at bringing down his government! Key Northerners, who would not “stand idly by and watch Buhari’s government attacked”, spared no effort to crush the protests.
Fast forward to 2024.
Despite efforts by President Tinubu to clear the Augean stable left by Buhari and previous governments, he has been abandoned to bear the brunt of his long-overdue economic reforms!
Northerners are up in arms against him – and sadly, very sadly – prominent Southerners, folding their hands, watching!
It’s even worse in the South West, Tinubu’s base! It appears that it was for exactly this moment that the illustrious Yoruba dramatist and actor Herbert Ogunde produced the play, “Yoruba Ro’onu!”
What was the point in the deadly violence in places like Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Gombe, Nasarawa, Sokoto, and Maiduguri, with swathes of protesters waving Russian flags and calling for military intervention?
What has Tinubu’s government done to deserve a call for unconstitutional change and an invitation to Russia to intervene in the country’s internal affairs?
And Yorubas are watching as if it doesn’t concern them!
We are concerned that the same Southern betrayal that scuttled the presidential ambition of the sage Obafemi Awolowo in 1979; the same Southern betrayal that cost the region the MKO Abiola presidency in 1993; and the same South betrayal that nearly cost President Olusegun Obasanjo a second term in 2003; is rearing its ugly head again!
While we are opposed to violence, we unequivocally call for a change in the attitude of Southerners, especially the Yorubas of the South West in the unfolding political situation in the country.
Yorubas – women, students, workers and the elite – especially the elite, MUST take a stand and do so firmly.
They should stop hiding behind a finger or burying their heads in the sand!
The Northern agenda is clear, even to the blind!
Because they believe that Tinubu must worship them and that they have been at the losing end of the progressive reforms of this government, they have vowed that Tinubu will NOT have a second term!
But this is NOT about Tinubu! It’s about the South, specifically, the Yorubas!
It is disgusting and disgraceful that Yorubas are standing by, as enlightened as they claim to be, while the North is riding roughshod over the country.
We expect Yoruba sociocultural groups to see the Northern agenda for what it is and to come out fully in support of the President!
The North’s attitude of “Kaka ki eku ma je se se…”, literally meaning that if they can’t have power, then no one else will, must stop!
Yorubas home and abroad must see this danger for what it is and rally to the Tinubu’s defence.
They must take a stand, NOW!
Yoruba Ro’onu!
SIGNED:
CHIEF ADEWALE ADEOSUN
PRESIDENT
MR. IGE KILANKO
SECRETARY
