PRESS CONFERENCE BY CHIEF AYO ADEBANJO, LEADER OF AFENIFERE, ON THE 26TH OF SEPTEMBER, 2022, 11:00AM,
AT WHEATBAKER HOTEL, IKOYI, LAGOS STATE.
WHY AFENIFERE SUPPORTS SOUTH EAST PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR 2023 PRESIDENCY.
Before the political parties conducted their primaries, a journalist asked what is my view about the 2023 general election? I answered and said the country should be restructured before the general election, and he followed up by asking if there should be an election, which zone should the Presidency come from? And I unhesitatingly said, of course, the South East
I took my time to explain that the presidency is not a contest between the Yorubas and the Igbos and to a large extent I was able to convince many.
But ever since social media has been filled with comments tending to ethnicize the campaign instead of making it issue-based.
Afenifere has therefore decided to address you today and through you educate the public on the ideological and equitable principles which have influenced our decision.
Let me state here for the benefit of those who may not know that Afenifere is the Yoruba interpretation of the social welfarist ideology of Action Group, a political party founded by Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his colleagues in 1951 with strong advocacy for federalism as the best form of government to give the federating units the requisite autonomy to thrive and peacefully compete among themselves for the ultimate development of Nigeria.
The system was eventually agreed to by our founding fathers, Sir Ahmad Bello, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and endorsed by the Colonial Secretary, Sir Oliver Littleton in 1954 and embodied in the 1960 independence constitution.
This is the modest contribution of Afenifere in shaping Nigeria into a federation where no person or ethnic nationality is oppressed.
In the countdown to the 2023 General elections, long before the parties conducted their Conventions to elect their National Executives and candidates, we had insisted and still advocate restructuring before the elections proposing a synthesis of the identical Resolutions of the 2014 National Conference and the APC El Rufai 2018 True Federalism Committee. We did this as Afenifere and on the wider spectrum of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF). We did this, when politicians, in spite of the monumental crises confronting the nation, carried on as if the attainment of power was all that mattered, the SMBLF unanimously proposed that the minimum condition for a peaceful transition from the disastrous 8years of Buhari’s government headed by a President of northern extraction was to have the next President from the South.
This position was also supported by all the southern governors, irrespective of their political parties at a meeting held in Asaba, Delta State.
Incidentally, this North/South consideration which is at the very root of our amalgamated federation is also the most important testament of all political parties in Nigeria. The principle of federal character enshrined in the constitution dictates that the government of the federation or any part thereof shall not be concentrated in any ethnic group or a combination of such groups.
It is therefore preposterous to adopt this principle for employment in public service admissions in educational institutions, political appointment, the composition of the executive committee of a political party only to jettison it in the most important question of rulership of the federation.
In this quest for peace, based on equity and inclusiveness, the Yoruba took the first turn at the zoning arrangement in 1999, and that led to the emergence of Chief Obasanjo, the current Vice President is a Yoruba man and equity forbids us for presuming to support another Yoruba person for the presidency in 2023. The current President is a Fulani from the Northwest and by virtue of the zoning arrangement that has governed Nigeria since 1999, power is supposed to return to the south imminently. The southwest as I have pointed out has produced a president and currently sits as VP, the South-South has spent a total of 6years in the Presidency, but the Igbo people of the South-East have never tasted presidency in Nigeria, and now that the power is due back in the South equity demands that it be ceded to the Igbo.
We cannot continue to demand that the Igbo people remain in Nigeria, while we at the same time continue to brutally marginalize and exclude them from the power dynamic.
Peter Obi is the person of Igbo extraction that Afenifere has decided to support and to back, he is the man we trust to restructure the country back to federalism on the assumption of office.
We will not compromise this principle of justice, equity and inclusiveness because one of our own Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a frontline candidate.
It is on this same principle, we condemn the PDP for sponsoring Atiku Abubakar, a Northern Fulani Muslim to succeed General Muhammadu Buhari another Fulani Muslim who will soon complete 8 years of uneventful and disastrous rule. One can imagine such a high degree of political insensitivity.
On our part, we are certainly not alien to sacrificing personal interests in the quest for a National coalition to put Nigeria on the proper pedestal.
In this regard, the starting point is Southern solidarity for which we first enacted a handshake across the Niger, which had dovetailed to the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum. We enjoin the labour movement, students, youth organisations, women associations, and every institution whose foundation is built on fairness and justice to join hands in this task of enthroning a democratic government by supporting Peter Obi. If we are sincere and honest about keeping Nigeria together in peace, the slogan henceforth should be
‘To keep Nigeria one, everyone should be Obi/Datti compliant.’
In the final analysis, let it be said that we have no apologies but due courage of our conviction that Nigeria can only prosper in righteousness.
For me, in the twilight of my sojourn on earth at 94, it is too late to derail me on the track of true federalism and National inclusiveness on which I have travelled for over 70 years of my life as one of the few surviving initial prophets, I prefer to ascend on a chariot of fire, fueled by justice and equity.
Thank you all
And may the good Lord bless Nigeria
Signed
CHIEF AYO ADEBANJO
Leader of Afenifere
PRESS CONFERENCE BY CHIEF AYO ADEBANJO, LEADER OF AFENIFERE, ON THE 26TH OF SEPTEMBER, 2022, 11:00AM,
AT WHEATBAKER HOTEL, IKOYI, LAGOS STATE.
WHY AFENIFERE SUPPORTS SOUTH EAST PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR 2023 PRESIDENCY.
Before the political parties conducted their primaries, a journalist asked what is my view about the 2023 general election? I answered and said the country should be restructured before the general election, and he followed up by asking if there should be an election, which zone should the Presidency come from? And I unhesitatingly said, of course, the South East
I took my time to explain that the presidency is not a contest between the Yorubas and the Igbos and to a large extent I was able to convince many.
But ever since social media has been filled with comments tending to ethnicize the campaign instead of making it issue-based.
Afenifere has therefore decided to address you today and through you educate the public on the ideological and equitable principles which have influenced our decision.
Let me state here for the benefit of those who may not know that Afenifere is the Yoruba interpretation of the social welfarist ideology of Action Group, a political party founded by Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his colleagues in 1951 with strong advocacy for federalism as the best form of government to give the federating units the requisite autonomy to thrive and peacefully compete among themselves for the ultimate development of Nigeria.
The system was eventually agreed to by our founding fathers, Sir Ahmad Bello, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and endorsed by the Colonial Secretary, Sir Oliver Littleton in 1954 and embodied in the 1960 independence constitution.
This is the modest contribution of Afenifere in shaping Nigeria into a federation where no person or ethnic nationality is oppressed.
In the countdown to the 2023 General elections, long before the parties conducted their Conventions to elect their National Executives and candidates, we had insisted and still advocate restructuring before the elections proposing a synthesis of the identical Resolutions of the 2014 National Conference and the APC El Rufai 2018 True Federalism Committee. We did this as Afenifere and on the wider spectrum of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF). We did this, when politicians, in spite of the monumental crises confronting the nation, carried on as if the attainment of power was all that mattered, the SMBLF unanimously proposed that the minimum condition for a peaceful transition from the disastrous 8years of Buhari’s government headed by a President of northern extraction was to have the next President from the South.
This position was also supported by all the southern governors, irrespective of their political parties at a meeting held in Asaba, Delta State.
Incidentally, this North/South consideration which is at the very root of our amalgamated federation is also the most important testament of all political parties in Nigeria. The principle of federal character enshrined in the constitution dictates that the government of the federation or any part thereof shall not be concentrated in any ethnic group or a combination of such groups.
It is therefore preposterous to adopt this principle for employment in public service admissions in educational institutions, political appointment, the composition of the executive committee of a political party only to jettison it in the most important question of rulership of the federation.
In this quest for peace, based on equity and inclusiveness, the Yoruba took the first turn at the zoning arrangement in 1999, and that led to the emergence of Chief Obasanjo, the current Vice President is a Yoruba man and equity forbids us for presuming to support another Yoruba person for the presidency in 2023. The current President is a Fulani from the Northwest and by virtue of the zoning arrangement that has governed Nigeria since 1999, power is supposed to return to the south imminently. The southwest as I have pointed out has produced a president and currently sits as VP, the South-South has spent a total of 6years in the Presidency, but the Igbo people of the South-East have never tasted presidency in Nigeria, and now that the power is due back in the South equity demands that it be ceded to the Igbo.
We cannot continue to demand that the Igbo people remain in Nigeria, while we at the same time continue to brutally marginalize and exclude them from the power dynamic.
Peter Obi is the person of Igbo extraction that Afenifere has decided to support and to back, he is the man we trust to restructure the country back to federalism on the assumption of office.
We will not compromise this principle of justice, equity and inclusiveness because one of our own Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a frontline candidate.
It is on this same principle, we condemn the PDP for sponsoring Atiku Abubakar, a Northern Fulani Muslim to succeed General Muhammadu Buhari another Fulani Muslim who will soon complete 8 years of uneventful and disastrous rule. One can imagine such a high degree of political insensitivity.
On our part, we are certainly not alien to sacrificing personal interests in the quest for a National coalition to put Nigeria on the proper pedestal.
In this regard, the starting point is Southern solidarity for which we first enacted a handshake across the Niger, which had dovetailed to the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum. We enjoin the labour movement, students, youth organisations, women associations, and every institution whose foundation is built on fairness and justice to join hands in this task of enthroning a democratic government by supporting Peter Obi. If we are sincere and honest about keeping Nigeria together in peace, the slogan henceforth should be
‘To keep Nigeria one, everyone should be Obi/Datti compliant.’
In the final analysis, let it be said that we have no apologies but due courage of our conviction that Nigeria can only prosper in righteousness.
For me, in the twilight of my sojourn on earth at 94, it is too late to derail me on the track of true federalism and National inclusiveness on which I have travelled for over 70 years of my life as one of the few surviving initial prophets, I prefer to ascend on a chariot of fire, fueled by justice and equity.
Thank you all
And may the good Lord bless Nigeria
Signed
CHIEF AYO ADEBANJO
Leader of Afenifere
According to the report, the 95 year old monarch was breathed his last early on Sunday Morning after old age sickness.
Late Oladunni who ascended the throne on October 24, 1973 exited from the royal pedigree today, December 12, 2021 ending his 48 years reign as the Soun Of Ogbomoso land.
An official announcement on the burial rites by the royal family and the Oyo state government may soon follow as there were speculations the the late monarch may be buried today.
According to the report, the 95 year old monarch was breathed his last early on Sunday Morning after old age sickness.
Late Oladunni who ascended the throne on October 24, 1973 exited from the royal pedigree today, December 12, 2021 ending his 48 years reign as the Soun Of Ogbomoso land.
An official announcement on the burial rites by the royal family and the Oyo state government may soon follow as there were speculations the the late monarch may be buried today.
(Being a Letter Addressed to United Nations Security Council, the Trusteeship Council and the General Assembly, September 14, 2021 by the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination, (NINAS), at the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
PROTOCOLS.
1. We, the Indigenous Peoples of Nigeria gather today at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York to alert the UN, and the rest of the Global Community that the Union of Nigeria has failed irredeemably; and is now at the verge of a Violent Disintegration with Catastrophic Consequences for Global Peace, and Security as our population of over 200 million would become an Instant Global Refugee Nightmare.
2. Amidst the extraordinary difficulties inflicted by the imposition and enforcement of Sharia by a section of Nigeria in a supposedly Secular Union, the immediate reason for this looming catastrophe is the Cocktail of Mass Killing, Kidnapping and General Banditry being orchestrated against the Indigenous Peoples of Nigeria by an invading Fulani Militia masquerading as Herdsmen in an undisguised Ethnic Cleansing Campaign that progressively demonstrate the Complicity of the Federal Government of Nigeria headed by Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, a Fulani man, who as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria is also the Life Grand Patron of the notorious Myetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria; that proudly takes responsibility for the Murderous Exploits of the Fulani Herdsmen Militia designated the Fourth Most Deadly Terror Group.
3. Compounding their impunity, the same Myetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association at a recent Press Conference organised to mock the Planned NINAS Million-Man Freedom March to the UN, boasted to be in control of the UN through their daughter, Amina Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General at the UN. An indication that (Amina Mohammed) nominated to that Exalted UN Position by the Fulani President of Nigeria Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, is in some way a part of the Grand Protection Design for the Fulani Herdsmen in their Bloody, Onslaught against the Indigenous Peoples of Nigeria.
4. It will be recalled that following widespread extrajudicial killings in Nigeria, the UN in August of 2019, dispatched a Special Rapporteur Mission to Nigeria led by Agnes Callamard. The Damning Verdict of that Rapporteur Mission was that the widespread extrajudicial killings were flowing from the Unitary Constitutional Arrangements of Nigeria, which operates as a PRESSURE-COOKER FOR INJUSTICE and that Nigeria under that Constitution is a Danger to Global Peace and Security. The Report warned that unless something is done urgently, Nigeria would Snap, plunging its 200 million Population into turmoil that will trigger a Large-Scale Refugee Crisis of unprecedented magnitude at a time the Global Terror Networks, ISIS, ISWAP and AL-Qaeda are already converging in Nigeria.
5. It will be recalled that in furtherance of the Repudiation and Rejection of the Unitary Constitution of Nigeria (1999), and the Toxic Union it foists, the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (being the South and Middle-Belt of Nigeria) on December 16, 2020 Declared a Constitutional Force Majeure, raising a Union Dispute with 5-Point Demand for the termination of the operation of the aforementioned imposed Constitution; for the immediate commencement of remediation of the Long-Standing Grave Constitutional Grievances of Nigeria’s Constituent Components, failing which the Peoples of the Alliance Territory would Reconsider their Allegiance to that Constitution. The Key Highlights of the five-point demand include the suspension of the further elections (Particularly the 2023 Elections), under the repudiated 1999 constitution as well as the initiation of a time-bound transitioning arrangement to mid-wife the emergence of fresh constitutional protocols founded on the sovereignty and self-determination rights of the constituent components of Nigeria. An Online Petition conveying the Demands of that Constitutional Force Majeure Proclamation, is currently before the UN Security Council.
6. That Nigeria has failed as a State is no longer a Subject for Debate, having emerged the Global Poverty Capital, and Playing Host to Two of the World’s Top Four Most Deadly Terrorists Organisation, with Three-quarters of the Constituent Components (South and Middle-Belt) Seeking Urgent Extrication by Way of Referendums from what has become a Union of Death. Looking back at the recent turn of events in Afghanistan, this Freedom March to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, is to alert the Global Community of the rapidly degenerating situation of Nigeria, and to invite United Nations, particularly the Security Council, and Trusteeship Council, to initiate Urgent Steps to Arrest Nigeria’s Descent into Chaos, as besieged communities drift dangerously to self-help.
*For and on behalf of the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination*
*Professor Yusuf Turaki*
*Elder T.K Ogoriba*
*Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki*
*Tony Nnadi*
(Secretary-General, NINAS)
*Professor Banji Akintoye*
(Chairman, NINAS)
Prof Banji Akintoye |
(Being a Letter Addressed to United Nations Security Council, the Trusteeship Council and the General Assembly, September 14, 2021 by the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination, (NINAS), at the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
PROTOCOLS.
1. We, the Indigenous Peoples of Nigeria gather today at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York to alert the UN, and the rest of the Global Community that the Union of Nigeria has failed irredeemably; and is now at the verge of a Violent Disintegration with Catastrophic Consequences for Global Peace, and Security as our population of over 200 million would become an Instant Global Refugee Nightmare.
2. Amidst the extraordinary difficulties inflicted by the imposition and enforcement of Sharia by a section of Nigeria in a supposedly Secular Union, the immediate reason for this looming catastrophe is the Cocktail of Mass Killing, Kidnapping and General Banditry being orchestrated against the Indigenous Peoples of Nigeria by an invading Fulani Militia masquerading as Herdsmen in an undisguised Ethnic Cleansing Campaign that progressively demonstrate the Complicity of the Federal Government of Nigeria headed by Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, a Fulani man, who as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria is also the Life Grand Patron of the notorious Myetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria; that proudly takes responsibility for the Murderous Exploits of the Fulani Herdsmen Militia designated the Fourth Most Deadly Terror Group.
3. Compounding their impunity, the same Myetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association at a recent Press Conference organised to mock the Planned NINAS Million-Man Freedom March to the UN, boasted to be in control of the UN through their daughter, Amina Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General at the UN. An indication that (Amina Mohammed) nominated to that Exalted UN Position by the Fulani President of Nigeria Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, is in some way a part of the Grand Protection Design for the Fulani Herdsmen in their Bloody, Onslaught against the Indigenous Peoples of Nigeria.
4. It will be recalled that following widespread extrajudicial killings in Nigeria, the UN in August of 2019, dispatched a Special Rapporteur Mission to Nigeria led by Agnes Callamard. The Damning Verdict of that Rapporteur Mission was that the widespread extrajudicial killings were flowing from the Unitary Constitutional Arrangements of Nigeria, which operates as a PRESSURE-COOKER FOR INJUSTICE and that Nigeria under that Constitution is a Danger to Global Peace and Security. The Report warned that unless something is done urgently, Nigeria would Snap, plunging its 200 million Population into turmoil that will trigger a Large-Scale Refugee Crisis of unprecedented magnitude at a time the Global Terror Networks, ISIS, ISWAP and AL-Qaeda are already converging in Nigeria.
5. It will be recalled that in furtherance of the Repudiation and Rejection of the Unitary Constitution of Nigeria (1999), and the Toxic Union it foists, the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (being the South and Middle-Belt of Nigeria) on December 16, 2020 Declared a Constitutional Force Majeure, raising a Union Dispute with 5-Point Demand for the termination of the operation of the aforementioned imposed Constitution; for the immediate commencement of remediation of the Long-Standing Grave Constitutional Grievances of Nigeria’s Constituent Components, failing which the Peoples of the Alliance Territory would Reconsider their Allegiance to that Constitution. The Key Highlights of the five-point demand include the suspension of the further elections (Particularly the 2023 Elections), under the repudiated 1999 constitution as well as the initiation of a time-bound transitioning arrangement to mid-wife the emergence of fresh constitutional protocols founded on the sovereignty and self-determination rights of the constituent components of Nigeria. An Online Petition conveying the Demands of that Constitutional Force Majeure Proclamation, is currently before the UN Security Council.
6. That Nigeria has failed as a State is no longer a Subject for Debate, having emerged the Global Poverty Capital, and Playing Host to Two of the World’s Top Four Most Deadly Terrorists Organisation, with Three-quarters of the Constituent Components (South and Middle-Belt) Seeking Urgent Extrication by Way of Referendums from what has become a Union of Death. Looking back at the recent turn of events in Afghanistan, this Freedom March to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, is to alert the Global Community of the rapidly degenerating situation of Nigeria, and to invite United Nations, particularly the Security Council, and Trusteeship Council, to initiate Urgent Steps to Arrest Nigeria’s Descent into Chaos, as besieged communities drift dangerously to self-help.
*For and on behalf of the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination*
*Professor Yusuf Turaki*
*Elder T.K Ogoriba*
*Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki*
*Tony Nnadi*
(Secretary-General, NINAS)
*Professor Banji Akintoye*
(Chairman, NINAS)
Prof Banji Akintoye |
The Nigeria's Lawless Department Of State Services has releases two more associates of Yoruba agitator Sunday Igboho.
According to their lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, the two were released by the secret police in. Abuja on Friday.
The Nigeria's Lawless Department Of State Services has releases two more associates of Yoruba agitator Sunday Igboho.
According to their lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, the two were released by the secret police in. Abuja on Friday.
By Abdul-Ganiyy Raji
Yoruba people of South Western Nigeria are known to be lovers of education. They can borrow or sell their valuables just to get a tertiary education. One particular South Western State is reputed to have the most professors in the country. I guess you know the state I am talking about.
It is an incontrovertible fact that the Yorubas are the most educated people in Nigeria. They love education so much that they also pursue it beyond the shores of the country. There is hardly any continent of the world that does not have a student of Yoruba origin. However, a study of the economic realities of many Nigerians show that other ethnic groups like Ibo, Hausa and Fulani are better off financially than many graduates of Yoruba origin. Let us begin by taking a look at most of the big and small shops in Lagos State, they are owned by Ibos. Most highbrow estates in Lagos State are also fast becoming another South East within a State because of the high concentration of people of South Eastern origin who are resident in them. This is kudos to Ibos. At least, they are working hard and smart. It is wrong to think that all Ibos who are well-off are fraudsters or money ritualists. Many of them just have great legit business ideas that many Yoruba graduates do not have. They never get carried away by their academic qualifications.
One wrong assumption that many South Westerners have is thinking that the Hausas who do menial jobs and hawk yams and pepper in Lagos State are also poor people back in their various states. What we fail to realise is that most of these Hausas are making fortunes in Lagos and other big cities. Many of them are millionaires in their states. Some of them even have farmlands that are big enough to feed large communities.
Why are Yorubas not the richest people in Nigeria notwithstanding their educational edge over other tribes? The simple answer is Yorubas are egomaniacal. They are arrogant. Their arrogance makes them avoid jobs which yield high profits but which will require them to get their clothes and feet stained with mud, oil or sand. Yorubas like white-collar jobs. They all want to work in cosy offices. If they fail to get jobs in big companies, they keep waiting till eternity. When a graduate of Ibo origin fails to get his desired white-collar job, he considers selling Okirika, raw foodstuffs or any other thing that he can lay his hands on. This is not the case with graduates in the South West. To the Yorubas, it is an embarrassment that a university graduate should be seen selling Okirika, raw foodstuffs or cooked food, or doing a blue-collar job. This is one of the reasons why many graduates are poor in the South West.
Friends and family members are also blameworthy for the poor economic status of many graduates in the South West. They will mock you behind and in front of you for selling raw foodstuffs, cooked food or Okirika, or for doing blue-collar jobs if you are a graduate. *"How can a graduate like you be selling yams?* This is what they will say even without making any attempt to help you get an alternative job. They will taunt you so much that if you are not focused, you may end up becoming frustrated and hopeless.
A Hausa man will put out a tray with 20 oranges and within two months, the oranges will become 200. Before long, he will be buying multiple sacks of oranges. The same Hausa man who came to Lagos with nothing will return to his state annually with lots of money. Where is the Yoruba man who is a university graduate? He is still roaming the streets looking for a white-collar job that does not exist.
The problem with graduates in the South West is that they have a morbid sense of self-importance and and entitlement. *"I am a graduate and therefore, I must get a prestigious white-collar job"* *"I am a graduate and therefore, I must not be seen doing a job that is meant for non-graduates."* Yorubas who reason in these manners are living in a utopian world. Today,there are many blue-collar jobs and self-run busineses that pay more than white-collar jobs. We can see many blue-collar workers and self-employed people building their houses and sending their children to schools of their choice while many white-collar workers are even struggling to make ends meet.
Do not misconstrue me. I do not mean to say that white-collar jobs are bad. What I am aiming at is that if you cannot get a white-collar job, never sit down wallowing in poverty and self-pity. Think about other things you can do that will put food on the table for you and your family, even if such other things will not involve knotting a tie or wearing a suit. Do not allow mockery from your friends, family members or former classmates, or your supposedly intimidating credentials to prevent you from doing legit blue-collar jobs that can bring you money. Let people ridicule you for doing a blue-collar job or running your small business. When you finally make it, they will come back to congratulate you.
Yoruba people, wake up before it is too late.
Abdul-Ganiyy Raji
By Abdul-Ganiyy Raji
Yoruba people of South Western Nigeria are known to be lovers of education. They can borrow or sell their valuables just to get a tertiary education. One particular South Western State is reputed to have the most professors in the country. I guess you know the state I am talking about.
It is an incontrovertible fact that the Yorubas are the most educated people in Nigeria. They love education so much that they also pursue it beyond the shores of the country. There is hardly any continent of the world that does not have a student of Yoruba origin. However, a study of the economic realities of many Nigerians show that other ethnic groups like Ibo, Hausa and Fulani are better off financially than many graduates of Yoruba origin. Let us begin by taking a look at most of the big and small shops in Lagos State, they are owned by Ibos. Most highbrow estates in Lagos State are also fast becoming another South East within a State because of the high concentration of people of South Eastern origin who are resident in them. This is kudos to Ibos. At least, they are working hard and smart. It is wrong to think that all Ibos who are well-off are fraudsters or money ritualists. Many of them just have great legit business ideas that many Yoruba graduates do not have. They never get carried away by their academic qualifications.
One wrong assumption that many South Westerners have is thinking that the Hausas who do menial jobs and hawk yams and pepper in Lagos State are also poor people back in their various states. What we fail to realise is that most of these Hausas are making fortunes in Lagos and other big cities. Many of them are millionaires in their states. Some of them even have farmlands that are big enough to feed large communities.
Why are Yorubas not the richest people in Nigeria notwithstanding their educational edge over other tribes? The simple answer is Yorubas are egomaniacal. They are arrogant. Their arrogance makes them avoid jobs which yield high profits but which will require them to get their clothes and feet stained with mud, oil or sand. Yorubas like white-collar jobs. They all want to work in cosy offices. If they fail to get jobs in big companies, they keep waiting till eternity. When a graduate of Ibo origin fails to get his desired white-collar job, he considers selling Okirika, raw foodstuffs or any other thing that he can lay his hands on. This is not the case with graduates in the South West. To the Yorubas, it is an embarrassment that a university graduate should be seen selling Okirika, raw foodstuffs or cooked food, or doing a blue-collar job. This is one of the reasons why many graduates are poor in the South West.
Friends and family members are also blameworthy for the poor economic status of many graduates in the South West. They will mock you behind and in front of you for selling raw foodstuffs, cooked food or Okirika, or for doing blue-collar jobs if you are a graduate. *"How can a graduate like you be selling yams?* This is what they will say even without making any attempt to help you get an alternative job. They will taunt you so much that if you are not focused, you may end up becoming frustrated and hopeless.
A Hausa man will put out a tray with 20 oranges and within two months, the oranges will become 200. Before long, he will be buying multiple sacks of oranges. The same Hausa man who came to Lagos with nothing will return to his state annually with lots of money. Where is the Yoruba man who is a university graduate? He is still roaming the streets looking for a white-collar job that does not exist.
The problem with graduates in the South West is that they have a morbid sense of self-importance and and entitlement. *"I am a graduate and therefore, I must get a prestigious white-collar job"* *"I am a graduate and therefore, I must not be seen doing a job that is meant for non-graduates."* Yorubas who reason in these manners are living in a utopian world. Today,there are many blue-collar jobs and self-run busineses that pay more than white-collar jobs. We can see many blue-collar workers and self-employed people building their houses and sending their children to schools of their choice while many white-collar workers are even struggling to make ends meet.
Do not misconstrue me. I do not mean to say that white-collar jobs are bad. What I am aiming at is that if you cannot get a white-collar job, never sit down wallowing in poverty and self-pity. Think about other things you can do that will put food on the table for you and your family, even if such other things will not involve knotting a tie or wearing a suit. Do not allow mockery from your friends, family members or former classmates, or your supposedly intimidating credentials to prevent you from doing legit blue-collar jobs that can bring you money. Let people ridicule you for doing a blue-collar job or running your small business. When you finally make it, they will come back to congratulate you.
Yoruba people, wake up before it is too late.
Abdul-Ganiyy Raji
The Nigeria's Lawless Department Of State Services has on Monday releases eight of the detained Igboho's aides while still lllegally Keeping for in custody.
This was confirmed by their lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi on Monday. He, however, said the remaining four aides must be released as they have all met their bail conditions.
Photos:
The Nigeria's Lawless Department Of State Services has on Monday releases eight of the detained Igboho's aides while still lllegally Keeping for in custody.
This was confirmed by their lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi on Monday. He, however, said the remaining four aides must be released as they have all met their bail conditions.
Photos:
A study in 2018 on the Nutritional composition of pap found that pap is rich in essential properties, including carbohydrate, Vitamins [A, B5, B3, B1, riboflavin, C), folic acid, potassium, chromium, selenium, zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium. It also contained high contents of amino acids such as tryptophan, phenylalanine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, and valine. The calories in one serving of pap are 152.
Now, I know that daily a lot of people still take this meal called Pap. I will tell you in this article what pap does to your Body each Time you do. Read carefully now to see what pap is doing to your health:
1. Regulates Blood Pressure
Pap is an excellent source of potassium and contains zero sodium content, making it a good diet for people with high blood pressure and those who want to maintain stable blood pressure or prevent hypertension production. Another benefit of taking potassium-rich foods such as pap is that it helps to lessen the effects to sodium in your body while also relieving discomfort in your blood vessel walls, thereby protecting you from myriads of health problems that might have to sprout.
2. Lowers LDL Cholesterol
There are two primary forms of cholesterol in the body, low-density lipoprotein [LDL] and high-density lipoprotein [HDL], respectively. The former, LDL, is also considered to be 'poor' cholesterol since having excess cholesterol in your body will cause plaque to grow in your artery walls, making circulation a problem. It may also result in undue heart strain, and can even lead to high blood pressure, stroke, or heart attack.
On the positive side, pap contains a decent deal of chromium, zinc, magnesium, and some other active properties that help minimize the body's cholesterol levels of 'poor' LDLs.
In pap, chromium is found to be involved in lowering LDL cholesterol levels as well as inhibiting atherosclerotic plaque formation in the body. This same mineral is also linked to improved levels of blood sugar, reduced risk of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, reduced depression, increased levels of energy, increased regenerative capacity, to mention but a few. Again, pap's zinc and magnesium content are also considered great for lowering the body's LDL cholesterols, as they possess potent properties that are useful for this.
Having said that, some of the best ways to help raise your 'healthy' HDL cholesterols and lower your 'poor' LDL cholesterols include – moderate caloric intake, daily physical activity [exercise], reduced smoking, reduced sugar intake, and trans fats, to name just a few. Eating Nigerian foods with low cholesterol, too, will be perfect.
3. Highly beneficial for nursing mothers
Have you ever wondered why pap is one of the most popular nursing mom foods?
Pap contains a high amount of water and some other components which facilitate the adequate flow of breast milk for mothers who are lactating. It also helps to recover strength after having suffered from one disease or another, not forgetting that it is again an easy-to-digest food – a friend of the digestive system.
4. Good source of energy
Pap is an excellent source of carbohydrate, one of the nutrients on which your body strongly relies on adequate energy. Carbohydrate-rich foods such as pap not only provide the body with energy but also encourage mental sharpness and improve fat for energy metabolism.
5. Easy to digest
Pap is one of the easy to digest foods that we have around us. This helps the body to get rid of unnecessary contaminants and chemicals quickly by simply increasing the pace you urinate at. Another advantage of eating easily digestible food is that it puts less stress on the digestive system and is good for people recovering from illness. In addition to the above, people with digestive disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome ( IBS), irritable bowel disease (IBD), or a sensitive stomach, may enjoy consuming easily digestible foods such as pap as they function on the digestive system quite carefully and seldom trigger issues.
6. Boosts the kidney’s health
The kidneys are among the body's most important organs, so any disruption that can cause adverse effects in the human system in this area. Many of the things that can destroy this vital organ are uric acid, urea, toxins, waste, and other hazardous substances. The great news, however, is that drinking pap can get rid of these substances because it helps remove harmful contaminants in the body by urine. If you're drinking pap you appear to urinate more.
7. Promotes healthy pregnancy and lowers the risk of neural tube defects
One of the main products pregnant women need to have a successful pregnancy is folic acid. This acid deficiency may contribute to the birth of underweight children, or may even cause neural tube defects in newborn babies. Pap is high in folic acid on the plus side making it a perfect and safe food for expectant mothers. Apart from that, you'll be surprised to learn that the same paper also encourages breast milk development after childbirth-what a healthy meal!
8. Akamu is good for babies and toddlers
Pap is one of the safe foods for children in Nigeria. In Nigeria, it's a common weaning meal introduced to infants. While being highly economical, simple to prepare and easy to digest, it is also very nutritious to growing children. Brown pap is the best form of baby pap. Brown pap consists of carbohydrate, millet, and guinea corn which provides some proteins, vitamins, and minerals that are very important to the growth and overall development of babies.
((((((Bottom Line))))))
Pap isn't like some people believe it to be a 'normal' food. But it is filled with many health benefits, including reduced risk of hypertension, improved digestion, sufficient breast milk flow, improved health of the kidneys, to name but a few.
A study in 2018 on the Nutritional composition of pap found that pap is rich in essential properties, including carbohydrate, Vitamins [A, B5, B3, B1, riboflavin, C), folic acid, potassium, chromium, selenium, zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium. It also contained high contents of amino acids such as tryptophan, phenylalanine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, and valine. The calories in one serving of pap are 152.
Now, I know that daily a lot of people still take this meal called Pap. I will tell you in this article what pap does to your Body each Time you do. Read carefully now to see what pap is doing to your health:
1. Regulates Blood Pressure
Pap is an excellent source of potassium and contains zero sodium content, making it a good diet for people with high blood pressure and those who want to maintain stable blood pressure or prevent hypertension production. Another benefit of taking potassium-rich foods such as pap is that it helps to lessen the effects to sodium in your body while also relieving discomfort in your blood vessel walls, thereby protecting you from myriads of health problems that might have to sprout.
2. Lowers LDL Cholesterol
There are two primary forms of cholesterol in the body, low-density lipoprotein [LDL] and high-density lipoprotein [HDL], respectively. The former, LDL, is also considered to be 'poor' cholesterol since having excess cholesterol in your body will cause plaque to grow in your artery walls, making circulation a problem. It may also result in undue heart strain, and can even lead to high blood pressure, stroke, or heart attack.
On the positive side, pap contains a decent deal of chromium, zinc, magnesium, and some other active properties that help minimize the body's cholesterol levels of 'poor' LDLs.
In pap, chromium is found to be involved in lowering LDL cholesterol levels as well as inhibiting atherosclerotic plaque formation in the body. This same mineral is also linked to improved levels of blood sugar, reduced risk of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, reduced depression, increased levels of energy, increased regenerative capacity, to mention but a few. Again, pap's zinc and magnesium content are also considered great for lowering the body's LDL cholesterols, as they possess potent properties that are useful for this.
Having said that, some of the best ways to help raise your 'healthy' HDL cholesterols and lower your 'poor' LDL cholesterols include – moderate caloric intake, daily physical activity [exercise], reduced smoking, reduced sugar intake, and trans fats, to name just a few. Eating Nigerian foods with low cholesterol, too, will be perfect.
3. Highly beneficial for nursing mothers
Have you ever wondered why pap is one of the most popular nursing mom foods?
Pap contains a high amount of water and some other components which facilitate the adequate flow of breast milk for mothers who are lactating. It also helps to recover strength after having suffered from one disease or another, not forgetting that it is again an easy-to-digest food – a friend of the digestive system.
4. Good source of energy
Pap is an excellent source of carbohydrate, one of the nutrients on which your body strongly relies on adequate energy. Carbohydrate-rich foods such as pap not only provide the body with energy but also encourage mental sharpness and improve fat for energy metabolism.
5. Easy to digest
Pap is one of the easy to digest foods that we have around us. This helps the body to get rid of unnecessary contaminants and chemicals quickly by simply increasing the pace you urinate at. Another advantage of eating easily digestible food is that it puts less stress on the digestive system and is good for people recovering from illness. In addition to the above, people with digestive disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome ( IBS), irritable bowel disease (IBD), or a sensitive stomach, may enjoy consuming easily digestible foods such as pap as they function on the digestive system quite carefully and seldom trigger issues.
6. Boosts the kidney’s health
The kidneys are among the body's most important organs, so any disruption that can cause adverse effects in the human system in this area. Many of the things that can destroy this vital organ are uric acid, urea, toxins, waste, and other hazardous substances. The great news, however, is that drinking pap can get rid of these substances because it helps remove harmful contaminants in the body by urine. If you're drinking pap you appear to urinate more.
7. Promotes healthy pregnancy and lowers the risk of neural tube defects
One of the main products pregnant women need to have a successful pregnancy is folic acid. This acid deficiency may contribute to the birth of underweight children, or may even cause neural tube defects in newborn babies. Pap is high in folic acid on the plus side making it a perfect and safe food for expectant mothers. Apart from that, you'll be surprised to learn that the same paper also encourages breast milk development after childbirth-what a healthy meal!
8. Akamu is good for babies and toddlers
Pap is one of the safe foods for children in Nigeria. In Nigeria, it's a common weaning meal introduced to infants. While being highly economical, simple to prepare and easy to digest, it is also very nutritious to growing children. Brown pap is the best form of baby pap. Brown pap consists of carbohydrate, millet, and guinea corn which provides some proteins, vitamins, and minerals that are very important to the growth and overall development of babies.
((((((Bottom Line))))))
Pap isn't like some people believe it to be a 'normal' food. But it is filled with many health benefits, including reduced risk of hypertension, improved digestion, sufficient breast milk flow, improved health of the kidneys, to name but a few.
Of all who lost their lives in the January 15, 1966 coup, only Samuel Ladoke Akintola (1910-1966), who was the 13th Aare Ona Kakanfo, Field Marshal General (1964-1966), of Yorubaland, died fighting back.
After the previous Kakanfo, Aare Latosa who reigned from 1871 to 1885, no one had the courage to accept the title for 79 years because of the mysterious curse associated with it.
Since Alaafin Ajagbo inaugurated the first Aare Kokoro Gangan (Scorpion) of Iwoye in 1650, no Aare was expected to live long and enjoy a soft death.
Akintola was brutally killed by Captain Emmanuel Nwobosi during the coup and the curse continued when his successor MKO Abiola (1937-1998) also died under mysterious circumstances in July 1998.
The Aare Ona Kakanfo title had been vacant for 19 years until Otunba Ganiyu Adams was invested with it as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo by Alaafin Adeyemi III on October 14, 2017.
Credit to History Ville
Of all who lost their lives in the January 15, 1966 coup, only Samuel Ladoke Akintola (1910-1966), who was the 13th Aare Ona Kakanfo, Field Marshal General (1964-1966), of Yorubaland, died fighting back.
After the previous Kakanfo, Aare Latosa who reigned from 1871 to 1885, no one had the courage to accept the title for 79 years because of the mysterious curse associated with it.
Since Alaafin Ajagbo inaugurated the first Aare Kokoro Gangan (Scorpion) of Iwoye in 1650, no Aare was expected to live long and enjoy a soft death.
Akintola was brutally killed by Captain Emmanuel Nwobosi during the coup and the curse continued when his successor MKO Abiola (1937-1998) also died under mysterious circumstances in July 1998.
The Aare Ona Kakanfo title had been vacant for 19 years until Otunba Ganiyu Adams was invested with it as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo by Alaafin Adeyemi III on October 14, 2017.
Credit to History Ville
Today, many of our citizens have gained more consciousness and better political understanding of how a REVOLUTION would put an end to their misery and birth a new era where social and economic justice will be accorded a prime place in their lives.
The struggle for #RevolutionNow slated for today was dedicated to the release of unjustly detained citizens by the regime. We are happy to announce that the cowardly regime led by Muhammadu Buhari has yielded by releasing Shiites leader Ibrahim El ZakZaky, #Oduduwa12 abducted from the home of Sunday Adeyemo aka “Sunday Igboho,” #Dunamis5 arrested and tortured for wearing #BuhariMustGo Tshirts to Church, several #EndSarsProtesters have all been granted reprieve while we pursue our next intensive struggle to #FreeNnamdiKanu and several other victims of impunity, we commend our commitment colleagues for a job well done!
However, due to the need to have a bigger and larger mass action for this year, it was decided that we would step down today’s direct action and only engage in symbolic activities. A new date will soon be announced for a global mass action against tyranny and oppression in Nigeria. There is no alternative to a People’s REVOLUTION. #Revolutionnow #Buharimustgo
Today, many of our citizens have gained more consciousness and better political understanding of how a REVOLUTION would put an end to their misery and birth a new era where social and economic justice will be accorded a prime place in their lives.
The struggle for #RevolutionNow slated for today was dedicated to the release of unjustly detained citizens by the regime. We are happy to announce that the cowardly regime led by Muhammadu Buhari has yielded by releasing Shiites leader Ibrahim El ZakZaky, #Oduduwa12 abducted from the home of Sunday Adeyemo aka “Sunday Igboho,” #Dunamis5 arrested and tortured for wearing #BuhariMustGo Tshirts to Church, several #EndSarsProtesters have all been granted reprieve while we pursue our next intensive struggle to #FreeNnamdiKanu and several other victims of impunity, we commend our commitment colleagues for a job well done!
However, due to the need to have a bigger and larger mass action for this year, it was decided that we would step down today’s direct action and only engage in symbolic activities. A new date will soon be announced for a global mass action against tyranny and oppression in Nigeria. There is no alternative to a People’s REVOLUTION. #Revolutionnow #Buharimustgo
The Bail conditions placed on the 12 IGBOHO associates are VERY RIDICULOUS.
More details coming.....
#NoGoingBack #August5thProtest
#BuhariMustGo #RevolutionNow
Nigeria's Lawless DSS forced to produce #Oduduwa12 in court today in Abuja but they only came with 8 of them.
Recall that the 12 Igboho’s aides were arrested, while two were killed on July 1, when the DSS raided his Soka residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.
However, the DSS on Thursday claimed it had only three of the aides in its custody as against the initial 12 reported in the media.
Reacting to the development, Aare Adams in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, said the conduct of the secret police truly showed a complete affront on human rights.
Wondering why it has taken the DSS so much time to investigate the circumstances surrounding the ugly incident, during which two of Igboho’s aides were killed, the Yoruba generalisimo insisted that the DSS is exhibiting pure neglect and arrogance that are capable of discrediting the image of the secret police.
“Our constitution is clear about the rights of every citizen, that anybody arrested must be taken to court latest 24 hours after his arrest, and such rights must be protected under the law. It is sad and most unfortunate that the DSS has arrogated to itself the power that usually reminds us of the inglorious years of the military where citizens rights have no basis in their law.
“Therefore, the DSS’ failure to present Igboho’s aides in court for the second time was a flagrant display of lawlessness and gross injustice. Ideally, it is only the President and the vice president of the country that have that immunity as provided by our constitution. So, why is the DSS finding it too difficult to allow the constitution to take its course as it is done in other climes?”
By Daynews
Recall that the 12 Igboho’s aides were arrested, while two were killed on July 1, when the DSS raided his Soka residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.
However, the DSS on Thursday claimed it had only three of the aides in its custody as against the initial 12 reported in the media.
Reacting to the development, Aare Adams in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, said the conduct of the secret police truly showed a complete affront on human rights.
Wondering why it has taken the DSS so much time to investigate the circumstances surrounding the ugly incident, during which two of Igboho’s aides were killed, the Yoruba generalisimo insisted that the DSS is exhibiting pure neglect and arrogance that are capable of discrediting the image of the secret police.
“Our constitution is clear about the rights of every citizen, that anybody arrested must be taken to court latest 24 hours after his arrest, and such rights must be protected under the law. It is sad and most unfortunate that the DSS has arrogated to itself the power that usually reminds us of the inglorious years of the military where citizens rights have no basis in their law.
“Therefore, the DSS’ failure to present Igboho’s aides in court for the second time was a flagrant display of lawlessness and gross injustice. Ideally, it is only the President and the vice president of the country that have that immunity as provided by our constitution. So, why is the DSS finding it too difficult to allow the constitution to take its course as it is done in other climes?”
By Daynews
*Ilana Omo Oodua* wishes to emphatically dissociate itself and all its affiliate organizations from the call for, or the organization of, any such meeting.
The former Nigerian President has not informed us, nor called any of our leaders, especially Prof. Banji Akintoye, the leader of the Yoruba Self Determination Movement, to put us on notice.
The video is totally empty on detail and content.
Many questions abound:
Which Saturday is it being slated for: tomorrow or next week? What date, specifically?
Which Obasanjo house in Sango Ota? His farm is at Ota; There is no place called Sango Ota. His three known houses, or places of abode, are in Abeokuta: on the hill, at the Library and at his family house in the centre of the ancient city.
What is the agenda of such a meeting?
Who convened it? Is it at the instance of Obasanjo himself?
What is the name of the person making the announcement? Which group does he represent or belong to?
Whose interest is he serving?
Who is sponsoring the convergence?
Obasanjo is a Yoruba. He is within his moral right as a Yoruba elder to call for a meeting of Yoruba people of any hue, concerning matters affecting the Yoruba race.
But if it is on the matter of Yoruba self-determinat
The acknowledged leader of the Yoruba self-determinat
That could have earned the invitation more weight and credibility.
This particular call is uncoordinated, sounds suspicious and would lead to a meeting (if at all any such meeting holds) that is very unlikely to bear any positive fruit for our course.
If anybody chooses to attend the meeting, *Ilana Omo Oodua* states here clearly that he or she does so at his or her own risk.
*Ilana Omo Oodua* is presently inundated with many court cases involving Yoruba sons and daughters illegally arrested, detained or caused to be detained by the Nigerian government.
The attendant expenditure on legal matters and logistics issues is quite challenging.
We may not be in a position to bail out, or rescue, any wayfarer caught in the web of this particular adventure!
Attendee’s discretion is therefore advised.
Thank you.
Opeoluwa Akinola
Secretary General
*Ilana Omo Oodua*
*Ilana Omo Oodua* wishes to emphatically dissociate itself and all its affiliate organizations from the call for, or the organization of, any such meeting.
The former Nigerian President has not informed us, nor called any of our leaders, especially Prof. Banji Akintoye, the leader of the Yoruba Self Determination Movement, to put us on notice.
The video is totally empty on detail and content.
Many questions abound:
Which Saturday is it being slated for: tomorrow or next week? What date, specifically?
Which Obasanjo house in Sango Ota? His farm is at Ota; There is no place called Sango Ota. His three known houses, or places of abode, are in Abeokuta: on the hill, at the Library and at his family house in the centre of the ancient city.
What is the agenda of such a meeting?
Who convened it? Is it at the instance of Obasanjo himself?
What is the name of the person making the announcement? Which group does he represent or belong to?
Whose interest is he serving?
Who is sponsoring the convergence?
Obasanjo is a Yoruba. He is within his moral right as a Yoruba elder to call for a meeting of Yoruba people of any hue, concerning matters affecting the Yoruba race.
But if it is on the matter of Yoruba self-determinat
The acknowledged leader of the Yoruba self-determinat
That could have earned the invitation more weight and credibility.
This particular call is uncoordinated, sounds suspicious and would lead to a meeting (if at all any such meeting holds) that is very unlikely to bear any positive fruit for our course.
If anybody chooses to attend the meeting, *Ilana Omo Oodua* states here clearly that he or she does so at his or her own risk.
*Ilana Omo Oodua* is presently inundated with many court cases involving Yoruba sons and daughters illegally arrested, detained or caused to be detained by the Nigerian government.
The attendant expenditure on legal matters and logistics issues is quite challenging.
We may not be in a position to bail out, or rescue, any wayfarer caught in the web of this particular adventure!
Attendee’s discretion is therefore advised.
Thank you.
Opeoluwa Akinola
Secretary General
*Ilana Omo Oodua*
Igboho |
We like to state very clearly that Afenifere never made such comparison nor implied it in any form. Afenifere, the Pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, has people of different faiths in its fold. Muslims members occupy eminent positions in the organisation like adherents of other faiths.
To set the record straight, we hereby present the circumstance that gave birth to the unfounded insinuation.
On Monday, July 25, 2021, we issued a statement in which we lauded Olubadan of Ibadan, Ooni of Ife and other Obas for sending delegations to Cotonou in the wake of Sunday Igboho’s trial.
In the statement, an illusion was made to the condemnation being hauled at Igboho 'for running away' from Nigeria.
The relevant paragraphs read as follow:
“It is so sad that President Muhammadu Buhari administration is concentrating on hunting and harassing those who are seeking relief from the oppressive situation in Nigeria while shying away from tackling the menaces of kidnapping, terrorism and antics bordering on ethnic cleansing”.
`On the propriety of Sunday Igboho trying to escape abroad, Afenifere maintained that there is nothing strange or wrong with this adding that history is replete with conveyors of a new order having to seek refuge outside their immediate environment at least for a time.
“We recall that Moses had to be taken away from the prying eyes of Pharaoh and his agents in Egypt. Prophet Muhammed (s.a.w) too had to leave his hometown, Mecca for Medina in order to escape persecution. Thus, there is nothing wrong in Igboho seeking a respite first to preserve his life and perhaps to re-strategize.
Afenifere under Chief Adebanjo accused the federal government of going after freedom agitators while neglecting those who are known to be behind terrorism in the country.'
From the above, it could be seen that the reference made to the two Prophets, Moses and Muhammad (s.a.w) was in the context of seeking refuge from persecution. No reference whatsoever, in form of comparison, to the persons of the highly referred Prophets and Igboho as there was absolutely no reason for such.
Various media used the story. None, except Sahara Reporters, came up with a headline that was clearly sensational and libelous. In none of other media platforms, especially traditional media, did such insinuation appear. Indeed, the body of the story published by Sahara Reporters has no bearing with the sensational and unprofessional headline it cast.
Its handling of the story was so condemnable that it had even pulled it down from its platform - with apology. If it were sure of the veracity of its report, why pulling it down - with apology?
The conduct of Sahara Reporters in this case is saddening in view of the efforts being made to ensure that the media is not gagged.
Giving the recognition members of Afenifere have for all religious faiths and the high regards we have for Prophets of God, there is no way we would liken an individual to these prophets, least of all, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w)' the Release added.
Comrade Jare Ajayi, National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere
Igboho |
We like to state very clearly that Afenifere never made such comparison nor implied it in any form. Afenifere, the Pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, has people of different faiths in its fold. Muslims members occupy eminent positions in the organisation like adherents of other faiths.
To set the record straight, we hereby present the circumstance that gave birth to the unfounded insinuation.
On Monday, July 25, 2021, we issued a statement in which we lauded Olubadan of Ibadan, Ooni of Ife and other Obas for sending delegations to Cotonou in the wake of Sunday Igboho’s trial.
In the statement, an illusion was made to the condemnation being hauled at Igboho 'for running away' from Nigeria.
The relevant paragraphs read as follow:
“It is so sad that President Muhammadu Buhari administration is concentrating on hunting and harassing those who are seeking relief from the oppressive situation in Nigeria while shying away from tackling the menaces of kidnapping, terrorism and antics bordering on ethnic cleansing”.
`On the propriety of Sunday Igboho trying to escape abroad, Afenifere maintained that there is nothing strange or wrong with this adding that history is replete with conveyors of a new order having to seek refuge outside their immediate environment at least for a time.
“We recall that Moses had to be taken away from the prying eyes of Pharaoh and his agents in Egypt. Prophet Muhammed (s.a.w) too had to leave his hometown, Mecca for Medina in order to escape persecution. Thus, there is nothing wrong in Igboho seeking a respite first to preserve his life and perhaps to re-strategize.
Afenifere under Chief Adebanjo accused the federal government of going after freedom agitators while neglecting those who are known to be behind terrorism in the country.'
From the above, it could be seen that the reference made to the two Prophets, Moses and Muhammad (s.a.w) was in the context of seeking refuge from persecution. No reference whatsoever, in form of comparison, to the persons of the highly referred Prophets and Igboho as there was absolutely no reason for such.
Various media used the story. None, except Sahara Reporters, came up with a headline that was clearly sensational and libelous. In none of other media platforms, especially traditional media, did such insinuation appear. Indeed, the body of the story published by Sahara Reporters has no bearing with the sensational and unprofessional headline it cast.
Its handling of the story was so condemnable that it had even pulled it down from its platform - with apology. If it were sure of the veracity of its report, why pulling it down - with apology?
The conduct of Sahara Reporters in this case is saddening in view of the efforts being made to ensure that the media is not gagged.
Giving the recognition members of Afenifere have for all religious faiths and the high regards we have for Prophets of God, there is no way we would liken an individual to these prophets, least of all, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w)' the Release added.
Comrade Jare Ajayi, National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere