Oodua National Assembly - ONA: Message to our African Kindred in the Diaspora. The Demand, Recognition, Independence and Re-building of the Oodua Nation - A Home Calling to Work For All. ”Understanding our history, Liberating our present and Re-building an O’odua future” The Oodua National Assemlby, ONA; a popular, plural, revolutionary, liberation and intelligently-democratic movement working towards O’odua Nation becoming a truly independent African State, is using this medium to reach out to kindred in the Diaspora. I do know this is not the first time an African movement or Nation is reaching out to you, our kindred in the Diaspora, and many have done that for various reasons and the receptions have varied as well. I am not here on behalf of the ONA to seek for your approval, finances or sympathy, NO. I am here to appeal to your history, your Africaness, your pursuit of freedom, liberty, our motherland and your never-to-be-renounced true independence. I know that as an African born and raised on Oodua Land - The South-Western region of the colonial bondage called Nigeria, and being a Yoruba, many of you might not like me or want to have anything to do with me for whatever reasons. That I know and Im not here to convince you otherwise, but rather I plead for your time and patience in reading this. Firstly, as much as we Africans in our majority or minority might wish to shy away from the issue of Slavery, both Arab and Trans-Atlantic; as much as we might try to deny the involvement of some Africans, albeit infinitesimal and complementary, in those barbaric, inhumane acts against our own very kindred; as much as we might be naive of our own very history and the role we have played in the destruction of our homes, peoples and cultures; as much as we might like to distance ourselves from our kindred in the Diaspora and label them less African as compared to ourselves; as much as we might fuel the divide and confusion amongst ourselves, I would like to appeal to your kind hearts and apologise for all these - the centuries of pain, sorrow, hurt, inhumanity, divide and confusion our actions have brought you. I would not waste your time by going into the details of history or the numerous examples of these actions, but Im sure that many of you have either conscious of them or have come in direct or indirect contact with them. We Africans at home have surely betrayed you, our kindred in the Diaspora. There is no other subtler way of saying that. For centuries we failed to fight for and rescue our own very kind and till date we have failed to bridge the gap, the actions of some of our predecessors have caused. Some nations and persons have in the past tried to do this, those we applaud and hold high in our books and history. Today, I have come to you, presenting the Oodua National Assembly, ONA, a movement working towards the freedom of Oodua Nation as an independent state from within Nigeria. I know many in the Diaspora and even in Africa are today calling and have been calling for Pan-Africanisn, we at the ONA are in no way opposed to this. We adore the works of humans like Marcus Garvey, Kwame Nkrumah, Fela Kuti, Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sankara and a host of others and we believe that this should remain the ultimate aim and mission of all Africans at home and abroad. We see Pan-Africanism as the final step in re-establishing our place on this earth as humans, equals and a race of leaders, great men and women, who have once been great and done great things and can still reach and surpass those heights. We also understand that for this to be achieved we have to do away with the colonial bondages called nations - which were not created by us nor out of our own accord but by the evil colonial powers that were and sustained by the imperial powers that be and their puppets and agents from amongst us. We are convinced that Pan-Africanism can only be reached when these colonial shackles and borders are broken. We cannot build our homes on the leaky and sinking foundations created by the colonialist; men and women who did not and to this day dont believe in our equality as humans. We are convinced of the freedom and true independence of our African states along our cultural lines as they were and as they flourished before the invasions of the Arabs and Europeans. Let us not be deceived by the so called independence that most Africans nations were given in the past. This in itself was a sham, an illusion and a massive distraction from our path and course as Africans. I have on various occasions challenged the so-called independence and asked what we were really independent from if the colonial status-quo and systems remained and remain. It was simply the repainting of colonial bondages with African colours; the painting of our shackles to look like jewellery, while the chains and machines that produced colonialism, inferior beings and submissive subjects remained. Our so called independent nations are still based on everything colonial from our education, to our economy, politics, religion, language, culture and the rest. So what were/are we really independent from? That is not a question, I am posing to you today, but rather for you to see where the ONA is coming from. Our culture as Oodua people - the predominant one being Yoruba and some other of cousin-cultures around us, is very predominant in the Diaspora, all through Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, Europe and the Arab world. Our people and their descendants and other Africans in Diaspora have embraced this culture in one way or the other. That does mean a lot to us and we are humbled to say, we share a similar culture with you. BUT... Of what relevance is a rich culture without a Nation? Of what use is a culture and people when we cant call any place our independent home? Of what use are we then as humans if we still live our lives along lines and rules commanded by other men? In the description of our movement, we used the word revolution and Ill draw you back to a great man - Malcolm Omowale X, who mentioned in one of his teachings that revolution has to be based on land. A revolution of people and culture which is not based on land is simply a fruitless one. We have based ours on land - OUR LAND - The Oodua Land. We seek to free our Land from within the colonial enclave called Nigeria. We seek to be able to rebuild our lives and lands along the lines of our culture, people, future and creating a strong base for true Pan-Africanism. This action and dream belongs to us all. To everyone who in one way or another identifies as an Ooduan be it in Africa or in the Diaspora. We are not willing to distance ourselves from you, our kindred in the Diaspora yet again, but rather call together for unity, strength and work. The ONA seeks to work together with you and build a Nation for both Oduans, our people on ground in Africa and our kindred in the Diaspora as well. It is time for us all to be truly able to call a place home, HOME in the true sense of the word. As you, our kindred have sojourned in the Diaspora, so have we in this bondage called Nigeria. As you have lost touch with your lands, cultures and dignity, so have we - albeit under various circumstances. The time to finally come together and work together is NOW. We seek to create a truly independent state that will be HOME to us all; a medium and an avenue for us all to come together and rebuild our broken linkages, trust and brotherhood. We seek to create a HOME that would be economically viable, a leader-state of equality and justice amongst others and a pioneer in the true independence of Africa - the cornerstone in the foundation of true independence and Pan-Africanism in Africa. This is our call to duty. This is the work we have dedicated our lives to. We want you to join us in the demand and proclamation of Oodua Nation as an independent state in Africa. We want you to support us in the fight for our collective HOME - Oodua Nation, so we can finally recreate a base for our racial, cultural, spiritual, economic, political and educational growth, development and sustainability. We want you to help us spread the word amongst the Disaporan community, the word of a new phase in the true freedom, liberation of Africa and the mending of our broken relationships, the words of the Oodua Nation. We, albeit a new movement due give our respect and show our appreciation to other movements and organisations that have tried to do similar things in the past.We applaud their courage and most importantly we have learned from them, so we dont fall into similar mistakes, get distracted or lose focus. We want you, our kindred in the Diaspora to stand with us today in this battle for our Oodua Nation, for our HOME. Ill leave you with the words of Thomas Sankara - “We take from each revolution only its kernel of purity, which forbids us to become slaves to the reality of others.” For our HOMELAND and on behalf of the Oodua National Assembly, ONA, oduaassembly/ Humbly yours, Teekay Akin Adeseye.
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 03:33:22 +0000
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