The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has said that government’s failure to tackle insecurity and challenges affecting the economy led to the growing calls for secession.
Adams made the remark on Saturday at the fifth edition of the ‘Yoruba One Voice’ global conference, which held virtually.
Adams said it is the right of every ethnic nationality to seek justice, good governance and self-determination when it becomes necessary.
Recently, the calls by groups in the south-east and south-west for secession amid Nigeria’s worst recession in three decades and insecurity is growing.
“If Nigeria were good, none of us would have sought the exit door from this country. We would have buried the cause of the struggle,” Adams said,
“But the struggle for a Yoruba nation became more prominent when it was obvious that Nigeria could not [address] the ravaging unrest and economic downturn.
“When it was obvious that things had gone awry, and the nation we always call ours had lost the battle to terrorists and bandits, and the country has eventually lost its soul, I think those are the reasons we started having agitations from the geo-political zones.
“In seeking self determination, we are not ready to destroy the hard-earned glory and heritage of our forefathers.
“There are many options that are better than the present political arrangements. Without sounding immodest, it is obvious that majority of the Yoruba, especially, those in the diaspora, are tired of this forced marriage.
“Perhaps, those that are against our calls for self-determination are either not seeing what we see or they are not feeling the pain we feel because they are beneficiaries of the bad system that is ravaged by huge debt, increasing spate of insecurity, killings, kidnapping, raping, and undemocratic culture of our leaders.”
