A Pan-Yoruba socio/cultural organisation, the Agbajowo Advocacy for Yoruba People’s Right (AAYPR), has advocated for more unity to further cement the bond of relationship in addition to engender progress and cohesion of the race.
The group, which made this known in a communique issue at the end of its monthly meeting in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State the capital of Ekiti State, also disassociated itself from calls for secession from the current Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The communique, jointly signed by its National President and the Director of Media and Publicity Otunba Muyideen Olamoyegun and Oluwasola Ibukun respectively, condemned the call by some groups for the division of the country.
The group stressed the need for Nigerian not to be distracted by the call by some elders, noting that there was no time Yoruba elders met and discussed breaking away from Nigeria.
It therefore said it is better to call for restructuring in all ramifications to guarantee good standard of living for the common man, which would by extension create an enabling environment for the populace.
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“To be sincere with ourselves, the current clamour for secession will not yield any positive result. What the country need to do at this present time is to tackle the current rise in the prices of food commodities, unemployment among youths and the epileptic power supply in some parts of the country.
“It is pathetic at this point that it is some elders in South-West that are championing the division, forgetting that we have five others group-political zones in this country. It is unwise for Yoruba nation to join any man to clamour for division at this historical moment,” the group said.
While stressing that the need for the Yoruba race to remain monolithic within the Nigerian nation has become imperative in order not to be sidelined, AAYPR noted that common ancestry and acceptance of Oduduwa as the progenitor has provided the basis for unity, irrespective of linguistic, cultural, political and religious differences.
Drawing inference from the recent quit notice issued by Arewa youths to the Yoruba people living in the north, the group said it is another big lesson that the time has come to be conscious of strength in unity.
It also lamented the formation of several splinter associations other than the popular Afenifere and AAYPR groups which it said were the lone voice of the Yoruba race during the period Action Group held sway in the defunct Western Region as well as the formation of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).
The Pan-Yoruba organisation added, “Since the demise of our highly revered sages, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Adekunle Ajasin, it has almost become impossible to get another person that will command the kind of respect the duo had when they were alive.
“Although some of our leaders have attempted filling the vacuum left behind by these two leaders, the process has become almost impossible due to the influence of some politicians who infiltrated their ranks thereby truncating the vision of our past leaders.
“However, since the Yoruba race cannot continue to move like a ship without a captain, it has become important for all leaders of the race who mean well for the people to come together and form a common front.”