We Condemn Reckless, Almost Senseless Way Some Yoruba Sell Off Their Lands, Buildings

The Yoruba Commitment Leaders (YCL) on Friday, 5th of May 2023 held a meeting at the historic town of Ikenne,Ogun state, the hometown of the revered sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The meeting considered, among other issues that are of general and specific interest to the Yorubas, the plight of Yoruba brethren in Kogi and Kwara States.

The meeting received the report on the coming Governorship election in Kogi State and noted after several observations that

YCL will stand solidly behind the efforts of brethren in Kogi State to produce the Governor of the state in the November 2023 election. That the group hereby calls on all Yoruba loving people in and outside the country to support this worthy cause in Kogi State with all they have. That there is a need for “Yoruba in Kogi” to agree to rally round a single candidate out of the three that are in the race if the struggle is to yield any fruitful result.

The Yoruba group also emphasized on the May 29th swearing in of the President-Elect, noting with dismay the campaign by some individuals and groups for the postponement or outright cancellation of the swearing-in of the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as required by the relevant statutes of the country.

“It was noted that this tendency can only flow from the hangover of their anguish as a result of their dismal failure at the last Presidential polls. It was pointed out that at a time when all and sundry should be collaborating with the President-Elect in formulating strategies on how to tackle the myriad of problems confronting the nation, including restructuring, these people are busy running around looking for ways to scuttle a constitutional process. The meeting concluded that their efforts are doomed to fail because they are working against the law of the land.

“We advise such individuals and groups to go and study the statutes governing the electoral process properly. It was stated that it is in the interest of these self-serving individuals and in the overall interest of the nation that they desist from the reckless and provocative statements and actions they have been engaging in and join hands with other well-meaning Nigerians to frontally confront the concerns bedeviling this country. No one can pretend that this is the first General election that will produce a result which would be contested before an election tribunal. Were the declared winners of those elections not sworn in while the legal battles over the results of the elections were going on?

“We then wonder why the case of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-Elect, is different. We see pure mischief for those who now advocate for a change in this established legal procedure, as provided in the Electoral Act, in the middle of the game” the statement from the group read.

Furthermore, the group condemned the way in which some Yoruba sell off their lands and buildings, even those they inherited, to other tribes for mere pecuniary considerations, without a thought for their diversionary interests.

“It is an abomination in Yoruba land and this practice must stop in the overall usability and interest of our race. Only an outcast rejoices at the debasement of his or her inheritance” they added.

The group laying concerns about how deteriorated culture and norms have gone among the youth, they called in government officials and royal fathers to help restore the sanity that has always been known among Yoruba youths.

“YCL is saddened by the upsurge in our youth involvement in acts of societal disorder, including membership of secret cults, use of illicit drugs and alcoholism without government regulation. We noted with great concern that these young men and ladies are the future of the Yoruba nation, and we shall not sit idly while our future – these youths – is becoming dislocated and disoriented.

“We hereby send our appeal to the Government at the various levels, Royal Fathers, Community Leaders and Youth organizations in Yoruba land to please save our future. We need these agile and energetic souls to build Yoruba nation for us” the statement concluded.

In attendance for the meeting are; Otunba Tayo Onayemi, the Convener, Barr Akeem Aponmade, the Secretary and Otunba Niyi Sodiya,Chief Diran Bamgbopa and Chief Mrs Buky Tunde-Oshunrinde.