Yoruba self-determination leader of Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, Prof Banji Akintoye, has advised the visiting United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to make his fact-finding visit to Nigeria worth the while by ‘seeing facts on the ground and not fiction that the government has packaged for him to see’
In a statement by his Communications Manager, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye, the Yoruba Leader said Guterres must resist attempts by the Federal Government to pull the wool over his eyes.
“The Buhari administration has started misinforming the UN chief by preventing him from meeting the right people and from going to the right places. He is being shielded from the truth and from the reality on the ground.
“This is why we the Yoruba,after deaf ears have been turned to our cries for justice, equity and fairness in a country we call ours, have decided to opt out of Nigeria and form our own Oodua or Yoruba nation.
“As Your Excellency is very much aware, these are our God-given and inalienable rights under the Constitution of the UN over which you superintend and the Charter of Indigenous Nationalities and People’s rights.
“Pursuant to these, we the Yoruba people have registered with the UNPO and are vigorously pursuing our goal of extricating ourselves from the contraption called Nigeria through legal and peaceful means.
“We need not tell Your Excellency that the UN has an obligation to assist us in this regard. We cannot continue to be treated as slaves, as conquered people and as second-class citizens in our own country.
“Your Excellency, permit me to say that the UN should act while there is still time for a peaceful resolution of the Nigerian quagmire. We have so far restrained our people from taking the law into their own hands. But time is running out! And the arrogance, imprudence and impunity of the bandits have not helped matters”.
Akintoye regretted that whereas the coming of the UN secretary to Nigeria was for him to get first-hand information of the time-bomb that the Nigerian situation truly is, but the effort of the global organisation has been frustrated.
“Your Excellency cannot get the true picture of how close to the precipice Nigeria is unless you visit the theatres of the criminality . Visit the Middle Belt, behold the atrocities of criminal herdsmen and marvel.
“Visit the Southwest; if you will not talk to anyone at all talk to Chief Olu Falae, a one-time Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), one-time Minister of Finance and presidential candidate and listen to his harrowing multiple experiences in the hands of rampaging herdsmen.
“Speak with octogenarian Pa Reuben Fasoranti, erstwhile leader of Afenifere, whose daughter was murdered in her prime by herdsmen.
“Visit Ifon, also in Ondo State, whose traditional ruler was murdered by herdsmen. Visit Southern Kaduna where ethnic cleansing is a daily activity of the murderous nihilists. Same thing is happening in Taraba, Plateau, Niger, Ogun and Oyo states where herdsmen maim, rape, kill farmers and destroy farmlands on their land, drive across the southern region of the country.
Akintoye advised the UN chief that if he wants to get a true picture of the country’s situation, he should have an audience with the likes of himself (Akintoye), the Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo; Bishop Matthew Kukah, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom and the leadership of Self-Determination Movements in the South East.
“You must be aware of how the Department of State Service (DSS) of the Buhari administration invaded the home of Yoruba self-determination activist, Sunday Adeyemo Ighoho, killing and maiming innocent and law-abiding citizens and destroying property worth millions of dollars.
“The Nigerian court system has described the invasion as lawless and vigrant violation of Igboho’s rights. Costs running into billions of Naira were awarded against the Nigerian government.
“But the Buhari government cherry picks which court decisions to obey and which to disregard. In saner climes which I am sure you are familiar with, the law is no respecter of persons and court judgments are binding on all. Not so here!
“Before war breaks out in Nigeria with the humanitarian crisis this portends for the entire West African subregion and even beyond, please act decisively. A stitch in time, as they say, saves nine”, Akintoye concluded.