COALITION FOR YORUBA AUTONOMY (COYA) PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE NEGATIVE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MAY 29TH IN NIGERIA HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS. HELD AT THE HUMANITY CENTRE, IJAYE-OJOKORO LAGOS. ON 28TH MAY, 2013. Gentlemen of the fourth Estate, It is with great pleasure we welcome you to this gathering at the instance of our revered Coalition. Two major reasons informed our inviting you to this press conference, namely issues surrounding May 29th as Nigeria Democracy Day as adopted in this fourth republic and the current germane happening in the case of state of emergency in three North-eastern States of Bornu, Yobe and Adamawa. The crisis of confidence that is disturbing and bothering Nigeria today started when there was no nation called such name. But the British colonialist conspired and condoned it pre Northern and southern protectorates, further post 1914 amalgamation for socio-economic remote controlled selfish reasons. May 29th, 1904 was when Othman Dan-Fodio and his brother Adullahi Dan-Fodio, primarily motivated by imperial desires using Islamic religion as a tool to invade the Hausa (Habe) kingdom. On that day, SERIKI YUNFA of Gobriyya (Present Gusua, Zamfara State) was beheaded by the Fulani invaders. Dan-Fodio then start invading and stealing the Hausa lands and establishing green flags as a token of spiritual allegiance to Sokoto where he made his spiritual capital. May 29th, 1922; The colonial opportunists conducted a lopsided and rigged inaugural census for the amalgamated protectorates called Nigeria without the socio-cultural inputs of natives for British economic purposes. Although, by then the colonial master had perfected an agreement with the Fulanis in collaboration with the subjected Hausas. Demographically, that was the first census in the entire universe that will apply demographic superiority to dwellers of Arid desert with such harsh living conditions as against tropical coastal line dwellers. May 29th 1959; The Northern region of Nigeria got approval for self-rule from the British conspiring colonialist two solid years after the West and East has got theirs. The reason is that as of then, the Fulanis has seen the spiritual power inherent in that day for their invading race. May 29th, 1962. State of emergency was declared in the Western Region by the Fulani Tafawa Balewa regine with the British colonialist behind the scene. It was during this period that Chief Obafemi Awolowo was put under house arrest and was eventually jailed for felony. The state of emergency was declared in consonance with the colonial master’s position that the Western Region will be severely punished in future for pioneering the call and process towards independence (i.e. self-rule) from the British government. May 29th, 1967; This was the day the second round of ethnic cleansing of the Igbo people of South-eastern Nigeria took place as orchestrated throughout the North. Both young and old of the Igbo indigenes were eliminated and later go further to all other southerners. Note, that this event majorly culminated in the call by Lt. Col Odumegwu Ojukwu on all Igbo to return back to their geographical space towards the civil war. May 29th, 1999; It was for the above reasons the Fulani oligarchy imposed May 29th, 1999 as the hand-over day on us through Gen. Abdulsalam Albubakar (the then Head of State) and the imposition of same day starting from year 2000 as Democracy Day through their agent, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo. May 29th has no meaning whatsoever to the real indigenes of Nigeria. It only has meaning to the Fulanis because it connotes their dominations; justifies their stronghold on Nigeria Nationalities and signals our collective sense of enslavement by the Fulanis. May 29th was not an Election Day or national mutual event day. What happens to colonial hand-over of October 1st 1960? What happens to October 1st 1963 republican day and October 1st 1979 second republic hand-over date and the usual October 1st Independence celebration days? Therefore, we of Coalition for Yoruba Autonomy (COYA) totally disagree with May 29th as Democracy Day in Nigeria. We rather opt for the usual October 1st as our Independence cum Democracy Day. STATE OF EMERGENCY IN BORNU, YOBE AND ADAMAWA The two main problems threatening the survival of the Nigerian state today are: 1. The question of few ruling elites having much at the expense of the majority poors and 2. The problem of unequal relationship between the component nationalities making up the union. These two germane problematic issues constitute the major head of our existence as a nation with several sub-heads like security of life and properties, socio-economic indices, micro and macro economic pulse, political inequalities and space-seeking etc. But the particular emphasis of today concerns the State of Emergency declared by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in three North-eastern states of Bornu, Yobe and Adamawa. We of coalition for Yoruba Autonomy support the Herculean step taken by the President in declaring State of Emergency. This is because, at the rate Boko Haram insurgency is going, if not curbed on time the death toll of victims may soon surpass that of Syria, which is in the State of Civil War. In all climes, no responsible or responsive government will fold its hands and allow such carnage to go on at the expense of economically and socially oppressed society that is already battling with the ills on ground viz: Killings of Youth Corpers, artisans market men and women, youngs and elders, taking of innocent lives of prison guards, police, para-military and military. This is unacceptable. In furtherance to the State of Emergency, we advice the government to properly monitor the borderline of those states viz–a–viz with neighbouring states to forestall infiltration from the Boko-Haram sect. It is unfortunate that some political establishments in the country are playing pecuniary games with the on-going insecurity in the North-east by refusing to divide the line between politics and nationhood. During any period of national calamities, whether natural or man-made, all should be seen to proffer solutions rather than criticism. This kind of behaviour should stop and we all embrace reasons. Our Coalition, COYA, therefore implores the President that, at this juncture, if a State of Emergency should be declared, it must seen to be total rather than giving political considerations to its process and procedures. Thus, the political structure must be suspended and a time-line should be established for the State of Emergency to end. The rule of engagement should also be clearly spelt out and strictly observed. It mustn’t be perpetual nor blanket. Finally, our Coalition still stands on our resolve that a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) should be convened forthwith to reconfigure a working Nigeria federalism that devolves powers to the constituent authorities. This, we believe will ameliorate all challenging problems facing Nigeria nation. Thanking you all for your presence. ________________________ ______________________ Ambassador Kunle Adeshokan Ojogbon Kola Olusaye Are President Secretary Tel: 08031141991 Tel: 08033279536
Posted on: Tue, 11 Jun 2013 04:12:04 +0000
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