IN the theories of the State, the general consensus is that a group of independent groups of people agree to form a society of men and women, governed by an agreeable covenant under a leadership that is able to provide security and meet the needs of the people. This expected obligation from the people in power is expected to guarantee loyalty, oneness and obedience from the governed. However, when the people in power are unable to provide these services, the people are free to withdraw their allegiance to the ‘union’ and seek for a new covenant and administration that would guarantee their safety and secure their rights to human dignity.

UNFORTUNATELY aside from the fact Nigeria was a forceful unification of diverse peoples and cultures, the ruling class that has occupied the saddle of power has not showed dogged determination in the improvement of the quality of life, equality of all ethnic groups and the protection of the lives of the citizens. These, THE HOPE observes, had been the cause, since the time of AdakaBoro, the Civil War, MASSOB-IPOB agitations and the current pro-militant agitation of the Yoruba Nation groups, in the agitation for the de-amalgamation of Nigeria.

THE Federal Government, and really the oligarchies in Power, had over the years acted as being concerned about the centrifugal factors in the fragile Nigeria union, and sought to correct the structural deficiencies through State and Local Government creation, establishment of the NYSC, MAMSER,  NOA, embrace of Democracy and the adoption of ‘rotational Presidency’ by political parties. Unfortunately, these have not united the people. Despite the existence of crevices, THE HOPE finds it appalling and despicable that given the availability of contemporary peaceful and effective means of agitation, an attack by some miscreants on the Government House in Ibadan, Oyo State in the guise of agitation for a sovereign Yoruba nation occurred. We view this calculated attack, as a diversion by uninformed dissident aggressors, wishing to carry out a predetermined nefarious treason under the guise of agitations for a sovereign Yoruba nation.

ALTHOUGH the constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria seeks the continuous sustenance and protection of an indivisible entity called Nigeria, recent occurrences in the world have witnessed implosion of nations and republics and the peaceful creation of self-determined sovereign nations.

THUS the United Nations acknowledges the “right of peoples and nations to self-determination”, and the General Assembly postulated that “the right of peoples and nations to self-determination is a prerequisite to the full enjoyment of all fundamental human rights “, and thus recommended that “…States Members of the United Nations shall uphold the principle of self-determination of all peoples and nations”.

VIOLENCE, however, remains unacceptable to an organization poised to maintain global peace. The well informed Yoruba Nation protagonist, Professor Banji Akintoye has insisted that “The movement that I lead is intellectually sophisticated. No single member of the movement, even though we are in millions, will do what…did…. They are not part of us and we are not part of them.

OUR struggle for self-determination has been pursued peacefully. We started in 2019 and this is 2024. That is roughly five years now and no single record of violence. We’ll achieve self-determination peacefully.”

GIVEN that the major grouse of the Yoruba nation agitators are explicitly stated in that “…those people who are killing, maiming and raping our women and daughters remain in Nigeria. The only solution to that is to separate from them; to have our own country where we can make laws and determine who to admit.

BUT  if we restructure, they still have the right to come to Nigeria and still perpetrate the evils they do”, the Federal Government would need to permanently curb the activities of genocide minded groups  who make the life and living unbearable for Nigerians. THE HOPE insists that until equal rights and justice are enforced, the cry for secession may not abate.

WHILE  we commend President Bola Tinubu’s economic ‘re-engineering’ agenda, we reiterate that the move would not solve the political, cultural and social upheavals generated by the desire of certain ethnic groups to exterminate and control others in their ancestral heritage. The call for restructuring therefore re-echoes, and the need for government to heed this call so as to commence the right steps in healing wounds, create assurances and nip secessionist agitations in the bud. If condemnable violence is to be curtailed, then the doors to interaction, conciliation and executable agreements must be thrown wide open.