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General News of Tuesday, 17 August 2021

Source: saharareporters.com

Yoruba Nation agitators release proposed constitution for new country

Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, Yoruba activist Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, Yoruba activist

The agitators for the Yoruba Nation have drafted a proposed constitution for the new country if it is eventually actualised.

SaharaReporters observed that the proposed constitution was drafted and submitted by a group, Yoruba Strategy Alliance, on Sunday, August 15.

In a bid to guarantee the safety of its citizens, Section 13 of the proposed constitution, which was obtained by SaharaReporters, gives citizens the right to bear arms.

The Section reads, “The right of the People to arms, shall not be infringed, save for necessary and proper processes as shall be determined by state legislatures.”

The YSA had earlier filed a submission to the International Criminal Court, alleging that the Nigerian officials committed genocide and crimes against humanity, and perpetrated violence against the South-West people.

According to the secretary of the YSA, Michael Awosanya, the Constitution was drafted after considering several factors, including, “the nature of our People, our strengths, and what we must admit as weaknesses."

He noted that the proposed Constitution takes into cognizance the best practices in governance, including the separation of powers between the federal and state governments and between the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches of government.

It was also observed that an independent branch of government was created for Yoruba monarchs.

He added, “This is a constitution of limited government, which begins with ‘The People’s Rights,' recognising that in a Democracy, the People are the source of power.”

Agitations for a separate nation for the Yoruba people have been on the rise following the killings in the South-West region.

Popular Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho) had brought to the fore, the clamouring for a separate nation, after several killings of Yoruba indigenes at Igangan, a town in Oyo State bedevilled by alleged attacks from Fulani herdsmen.

The spotlight beamed on Igboho after he called for the eviction of the Seriki Fulani of the area whom he accused of sponsoring the killings of the locals.

Since then, there have been rallies in various parts of the South-West region calling for the boycott of the 2023 Nigeria presidential election as the message ‘Yoruba Nation Now' reverberated.

The umbrella body for the Yoruba agitation, Ilana Omo Oodua, led by Professor Emeritus Banji Akintoye, had also reiterated their stance on achieving a separate nation.

Recently, the Ilana Omo Oodua and other groups revealed plans to present their case at the 76th United Nations General Assembly scheduled to hold in September.

The group endorsed the petition by the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS), urging the Nigerian Government to conduct a referendum.

In a recent zoom conversation organized by UK-based Heritage Multimedia TV, one of the leaders of Ilana Omo Odua, Wale Adeniran, stated that the UN General Assembly would be an opportunity to explain the rationale behind the Yoruba nation agitation to world leaders.

Adeniran, a pioneer Commissioner of Education in Osun State and former Director of Institute of African Studies at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife said he would speak to Yoruba historian, Banji Akintoye, concerning participating in the session as part of efforts to drum support for the struggle.

The 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 76) will be held from 14th to 30th September 2021 in New York, US. The first day of the high-level general debate will be Tuesday, 21 September 2021.

Adeniran was quoted as saying, “That’s a golden opportunity for us to present our case forcefully, before the entire world.

“During that one week, tell Yoruba people all over the world to come to New York and the UN general assembly.

“I am going to tell Prof. Akintoye that we would have to be part of the event in the US.”

He also gave an update about the Yoruba nation petition submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

He added, “The ball is in our court to begin to push our case and continue to shout it.

“We’ve submitted our letter and it has been acknowledged; it is now left for us to embark on aggressive propaganda for the ICC to look into the case. They are humans too.

“That we have filed a petition is not sufficient. We have to keep making noise about it.”

Meanwhile, Igboho, who had spearheaded the agitations, was arrested a month ago at Cotonou, Benin Republic by security operatives in the West African country.

Igboho was arrested on July 19 after fleeing Nigeria to evade arrest by Nigeria's secret police.

On July 1, operatives of the Department of State Services stormed Igboho's residence around 1 am, killing two of his associates and arresting 12 other persons.