Mr Yinka Odumakin is the
National Publicity Secretary
of the Yoruba socio-
political organization,
Afenifere. In this interview,
he takes a swipe at the All
Progressive Congress, APC,
for kicking against the
National Conference
proposed by President
Goodluck Jonathan.
Excerpts:
In recent times, you have
taken a decision that is
favorably disposed to the
National Conference
proposed by President
Goodluck Jonathan. What is
the basis of your
optimism?
Dr Tunji Braithwaite said at
the town hall meeting
recently, that the
conference is a divine
agenda to perhaps give
Nigeria a lease of life
because Nigeria, as it is, is
heading for the precipe.
Next year will be our
centenary celebration and
there is a widespread
mood among those who
are frustrated with the way
Nigeria has distorted the
aspiration of its people.
And that may be the year
to put an end to Nigeria.
Here is President Goodluck
Jonathan who, two years
ago, said there was no
need for a National
Conference. All of a
sudden, he changed his
mind. I think it is
something that all those
who want this country to
continue, who love this
country and who believe
that there is an alternative
for this country before it
disintegrates, should grab
with both hands to ensure
that we sit down for the
first time in our history
since 1914 that we were
amalgamated to discuss
this nation.
The North and South did
not meet until 1946,
though amalgamation took
place in 1914. There is a
structural imbalance. So,
this conference has given
us an opportunity for the
component units of the
country to come together,
for the first time, and
discuss their union of how
they want to live together
so that we can live in
peace and harmony.
The suspicion is that
President Jonathan has
been stifled by the North,
which is clamouring for
power and that his sudden
change of mind is spurred
by the fact that he wants
power in 2015.
Well, sceptics are free to
their opinions and I think
the issue is that the
credibility of President
Jonathan is at stake or that
he wants power but I think
that should not be the
consideration of those who
love this country. It is just
the fact that he has
provided a window for
reforms and we should
turn that window into a
door.
I have said it before that
the fears of the cynics is
that they doubt Jonathan’s
intention and also that they
do not want Nigeria
restructured. The major
groups, given that the
Okunrounmu panel has
been going round the
country, there is an
emerging consensus that
every section of Nigeria
wants a conference. There
may be divergence on how
we should compose and
there is the consensus that
representation should be
on the basis of
nationalities.
There is a kind of
understanding that the
existing geo-political zones
should be used as basis for
representation. Every
section of this country has
accepted the conference
but the only people who
are against this conference
are the All Progressive
Congress.
What informed your
allegation?
It shows that they are in
politics not for the people
but about themselves. I
think they have this
thinking that this is their
best time to go to the
centre. They have been
recruiting people from the
Peoples Democratic Party
which they said was a
corrupt and useless party,
they have been going
round to meet governors
to join them. There are
some delusions in their
approach, they must be
poor students of history to
think that they can vote
any sitting president out of
office.
So for a group of people to
think that one man will be
in charge of the armed
forces and they will still
defeat him, I want to see
them making that history.
More importantly, people,
over the years, have been
talking about true
federalism and the rest this
is an opportunity for us to
achieve that,and to now
begin to raise all kinds of
excuses to frustrate the
desire of our people to get
out of bondage shows one
thing, they want to lead
the people they do not
understand.
It takes the Yoruba people
to come to a consensus on
any issue but once they
come to that consensus, it
will be difficult to change
position. Those who did it
in the First Republic saw it,
those who followed Abacha
in 1993 to 1999, what
happened to them? From
the 1950s, what the
Yoruba have fought for is
Nigeria’s autonomy, true
federalism, now they want
to have that autonomy and
some people want to stand
on their way and say they
cannot have it saying they
should wait till after the
2015 election.
They are deceiving our
people. Go and ask for the
APC manifesto today, it is
there that they are
committed to the same
Constitution that enslaves
our people. So if they say
we should wait till after
election, who are they
deceiving, when they have
written in their manifesto
that they are committed to
the existing Constitution?
They just want to do
‘Gbajue’ for our people or
one chance. And our
people will not fall for that.
From what happened in
Akure and Lagos, it was
clear that there was no
organisation in Yoruba
land that is not in support
of this conference.
Afenifere, Yoruba Unity
Forum, OPC – everybody
was there! It was clear
where we are. So they are
standing against the people
and I watch them and
laugh. One man came in
the plane, he had not even
stepped down from the
plane and he said he does
not want the conference
and all of you now say that
is the thing. Were the
present governors in
Yorubaland the same
governors in Yorubaland in
1999?
How can we talk about
constitutional development
and issue for Nigeria and
some people, who are
governors in the South-
west, would not think they
should consult their
leaders – those who are
the authorities in their
states? That Fashola would
not even ask Mr. Tunji
Braithwaite: ‘Sir, what do
you think about this
matter? before taking sides
with a man who just
jumped down from the
plane, who has not talked
to anybody?
That in Ogun State,
Governor Ibikunle Amosun
would not go to Kola
Ajibola, a former Attorney-
General, a former World
Court judge – ‘what do you
think sir, about this
matter?’ before following a
man who just came from
the plane and was takling
about the conference. That
in Ekiti State, a Kayode
Fayemi would not think
that: what does Chief Afe
Babalola or Wole
Olanipekun think about this
matter? Let this conference
hold, after that, you will
come and face the Yoruba
people.
How do you think this
conference can be useful
such that the Yoruba race
can make the best out of
it?
Of the tripod in Nigeria,
Yoruba is the only one that
has never questioned the
corporate existence of
Nigeria. After the legislative
crisis of 1946, the Sadauna
was quoted to have said
“the mistake of 1914 has
come to fore”, that is the
amalgamation was a
mystic. And in the revenge
coup of 1966, the theme
was ‘Araba’, lets divide
Nigeria.
In fact, after the 1953
motion by Enahoro for
independence, the North
came out with their own
agenda which amounted to
nothing but confederation.
When the Igbo got
frustrated, they took up
arms against Nigeria for
three and a half years. In
fact, at every point, in
spite of what they did to
Awolowo between 1960
and 1965, Yoruba never
took arms against Nigeria,
to say let us divide the
country.
For five years, we engaged
Abacha; there was no
resolution that we should
divide Nigeria. So we
believe Nigeria can prosper
through federalism and
Yoruba will be going to the
conference asking for true
federalism and regional
autonomy. That is what we
want out of this conference
because we know the
benefits and we know that
dangers of not having it.
Any experiment with a
unitary Constitution in a
multi-ethnic and multi-
lingua nation is bound to
fail. And if you are in
doubt, go to Sudan – two
major nationalities on
unitary constitution were at
war for over 50 years.
In Cyprus; the Spanish
speaking and the Turkish
speaking, for over 1,000
years they have been
together, there is still
tension. In Syria today, the
Kurds have been asking for
autonomy for a long time.
Even the problem in Iraq
was because the one
million Kurds there were
asking for autonomy.
Yugoslavia has disappeared
from the world map since
1991.
So we believe that for
Nigeria not to disintegrate,
we need to come together,
understand ourselves and
then constitute ourselves
in a way that we can live
together in peace and
harmony. Why Nigeria is
not working is that it is said
that the speed of a convoy
is that of the slowest
moving vessel. That is, if
you have ten vessels and
there is one among them
that does not have
locomotion like the rest,
that will be the speed of
that convoy; except the
others get frustrated and
decide to break away from
that convoy, they will
continue to move at the
same speed.
That is what Nigeria has
been doing in 53 years,
because we are not
exposed to the same level
of speed at the same time.
Between 1955 and 1965
when Awolowo led Western
Nigeria, the least we spent
on education was 29.8
percent in any year. There
was even a time he spent
41 percent. Now suddenly
you came and say you
want…unitarism – you
want to standardise – you
want all of us who have
not invested that kind of
money to go at the same
pace. So for as long as
your son cannot score 200
in JAMB, my son who
scores 201 does not have a
place in the university
whereas your own son
who scored 100, because
he is not from my area
where I’ve invested in
education over a long time,
must go to the university
while there is no space for
my own.
The second thing, it is said
that birds of identical
pulmage flock together.
That is the normal thing,
but in order not for birds
of identical pulmage to
flock together in Nigeria,
Nigeria puts all the birds in
one cage and locked them
up and then because the
birds are not in their
natural habitats – because
birds are supposed to fly –
but they cannot fly
anymore, then start to
peck and bark at
themselves inside the cage.
But now the president has
gone ahead to say the
outcome of the conference
is to be submitted to the
National Assembly as part
of the ongoing
constitutional amendment,
which those who against
the idea have further
pointed to as part of the
flaws of the proposed
conference?
The statement made by the
president was a convenient
excuse for those who don’t
want the conference ab-
initio. Well, even if
President Jonathan said we
would take it to the
National Assembly, which
we have disagreed with, is
it not better than them
who said they are
committed to the current
Constitution that enslaves
our people?
We have disagreed with the
president on that and I
think the president himself
must have seen what the
people are saying. The final
authority lies with the
Nigerian people and it is
very clear. The president
put his view on the table
but his view may not be
the view. When we finish,
the National Assembly
promulgates our
constitution into law; they
will repeal the current the
present decree which
Abdulsalami promulgated;
Decree 24, and put in the
new Constitution that has
been produced by we the
people.


www.vanguardngr.com/2013/11/national-confab-apc-standing-people-odumakin/

What is the brouhaha all about? If APC does not want to be part of a dialogue, those interested should go ahead with it. If those who elected APC as their representative are uncomfortable with APC's stand, they can vote them out in the next elections. It became politically expedient for members of the PDP who were staunch antagonists of a National Conference to make a sudden volte-face, and if members of APC who have long clamored for a conference do not really trust the motive of our 'Sudden Converts and Born Again', the President, David Mark and co, why should it generate so much negative publicity, and moreover, it is not a conference for political parties? Members of APC and the PDP including the President are self-serving, and they would not do anything that conflict with their interests, and their interests differ from ours.


Many Yorubas would have expected to hear someone like Mr. Odumakin who claim to be the spokesperson of a Pan Yoruba Group to speak out against the campaign of calumny and denigration of his people by Mr. Eze and PDP in extension, who said Awolowo and his people murdered Igbos. Why the conspiracy of silence from our so-called Afenifere? Or his Odumakin now a member of PDP? Silence means acceptance or guilt!!!

take dat: What is the brouhaha all about? If APC does not want to be part of a dialogue, those interested should go ahead with it. If those who elected APC as their representative are uncomfortable with APC's stand, they can vote them out in the next elections. It became politically expedient for members of the PDP who are staunch antagonists of a National Conference to make a sudden volte-face, if members of APC who have long clamored for a conference do not really trust the motive of 'Sudden Converts and Born Again', the David Mark and co, why should it generate so much negative publicity, and moreover, it is not a conference for political parties? Members of APC and the PDP including the President are self-serving, and they would not do anything that conflict with their interests, and their interest differ from ours. Odumakin himself is a politician.


Many Yorubas would have expected to hear someone like Mr. Odumakin who claim to be the spokesperson of a Pan Yoruba Group to speak out against the campaign of calumny and denigration of his people by Mr. Eze and PDP in extension, who said Awolowo and his people murdered Igbos. Why the conspiracy of silence from our so-called Afenifere? Or his Odumakin now a member of PDP? Silence means acceptance or guilt!!!

it shall be well with u,where was he wen d southwest was been mismanaged by obasanjo's boys,hw many times did dey stand up against akala in Ibadan or against tyrant oyinlola in osun,or were dey blind wen obasanjo ruled n no meaningful impact in d southwest. l beg make dem just shut up

I believe afenifere has died a very long time ago,wat we have now is a group if people who are not relevant in d politics of d southwest n are just trying to seek relevance, were dey not d ones dat sold out d southwest to pdp after bola ige died.D recent election in ondo is a very good example,as good elders of d southwest, were dey not suppose to be d one to bring mimiko n tinubu together to settle dere differences but no dey took side n supported one group n dey claim to be representing d good will of the people of d southwest, pls let all dis people just keep quiet and let us decide those we want to lead us n stop instigating hatred

@Oluwa, I agree with your last post to some extent. Afenifere is the foremost Yoruba socio-cultural group, and as such should always play an elderly role. It is incumbent on them to reach out to Fashola and other SW Governors who are opposed to the dialogue, and make them see reasons why all Yorubas must support the proposed conference. It is only when they(Governors) fail to heed the advice of the elders that Afenifere can go on the pages of newspapers to castigate them.


Afenifere should see the Governors as erring kids, "Omode o le mo eko je, ko ma ra lenu" and reach out to them. Otherwise, Afenifere would be seen as "Agba ti o le to ile". I do not want to believe that Afenifere's criticism is due to the fact that they've lost out in the balance of power in the SW.

Very myopic in thinking. If you ask were was he when mr Eze said awolowo murderd the igbos, why not ask also, were was he when fashola was deporting igbos from lagos.

take dat: What is the brouhaha all about? If APC does not want to be part of a dialogue, those interested should go ahead with it. If those who elected APC as their representative are uncomfortable with APC's stand, they can vote them out in the next elections. It became politically expedient for members of the PDP who were staunch antagonists of a National Conference to make a sudden volte-face, and if members of APC who have long clamored for a conference do not really trust the motive of our 'Sudden Converts and Born Again', the President, David Mark and co, why should it generate so much negative publicity, and moreover, it is not a conference for political parties? Members of APC and the PDP including the President are self-serving, and they would not do anything that conflict with their interests, and their interests differ from ours.


Many Yorubas would have expected to hear someone like Mr. Odumakin who claim to be the spokesperson of a Pan Yoruba Group to speak out against the campaign of calumny and denigration of his people by Mr. Eze and PDP in extension, who said Awolowo and his people murdered Igbos. Why the conspiracy of silence from our so-called Afenifere? Or his Odumakin now a member of PDP? Silence means acceptance or guilt!!!

babyface333: Very myopic in thinking. If you ask were was he when mr Eze said awolowo murderd the igbos, why not ask also, were was he when fashola was deporting igbos from lagos.

Remarkable idiocy! Did MASSOB, Aka Ikenga, Oha neze Ndigbo and others not speak out during the deportation saga? So why should a Yoruba socio-cultural group not speak out against Mr. Eze? Does Afenifere speak on behalf of Ndigbo?


The leader of OPC, Faseun, condemned the actions of LASG, has any Igbo group called Mr. Eze to order or dissociate itself from his proclamation?

Unbeatable nincompoo! National conference is a national issue. Fashola's deportation is a national issue. This two issues are supposed to be of much concern to every nigeria and odmakin deems it fit to speak on one, that is the national conference leaving out one because he feels as a yoruba man he shouldnt berate a fellow yoruba man.

He tacitly supports fashola by keeping mute because there is a common ground were the both meet here which is him and fashola being yoruba. As a detribalised nigeria he should condemn that action of fashola first before condemning that of Mr Eze. Femi falana did that like so many other igbos are also condemning Mr Eze's uncouth words. So, for you to say he is yoruba and should condemn Mr Eze and leave out the other means you are the biggest tribalist and bigot on nairaland her.

take dat: Remarkable idiocy! Did MASSOB, Aka Ikenga, Oha neze Ndigbo and others not speak out during the deportation saga? So why should a Yoruba socio-cultural group not speak out against Mr. Eze? Does Afenifere speak on behalf of Ndigbo?

babyface333: Unbeatable nincompoo! National conference is a national issue. Fashola's deportation is a national issue. This two issues are supposed to be of much concern to every nigeria and odmakin deems it fit to speak on one, that is the national conference leaving out one because he feels as a yoruba man he shouldnt berate a fellow yoruba man.

He tacitly supports fashola by keeping mute because there is a common ground were the both meet here which is him and fashola being yoruba. As a detribalised nigeria he should condemn that action of fashola first before condemning that of Mr Eze. Femi falana did that like so many other igbos are also condemning Mr Eze's uncouth words. So, for you to say he is yoruba and should condemn Mr Eze and leave out the other means you are the biggest tribalist and bigot on nairaland her.

Mental midget, Mr. Eze's statement is also a National issue. It instills further mistrust and deep seated hatred that exists among various ethnic groups in Nigeria, and considering that the President was seated while the dosage of bigotry was dispensed, the message must be repudiated and condemned by a Yoruba group. Odumakin is not a detribalized Nigerian, he is a spokesperson for a Yoruba group. Afenifere is a Yoruba identity! MASSOB and other Igbo cultural groups all maintained a conspiracy of license when when Orji sacked non Abia indigenes from the state public service, but spoke out when Fashola repatriated some Anambrans.



At least, you agreed that some well-known Yorubas spoke against the illegal deportation. I challenge you to provide proof of well-known Igbo figures or groups who have distanced themselves from Mr. Eze's pronouncement.

I am not ashamed to be called a tribalist, but bigot? No. Don't bother quoting me again, you are incapable of logical thought.

Psychotic scallywag! Look how you contradict yourself by saying i should name igbos who condemned arthur Eze speech only for you to finally say am illogigal and shouldnt bother quoting you.

Go check yourself of your mentally imbalanced state and come up with a well balanced thought process than thinking like a kid who wants ice cream only to turn back immediately to despise the same ice cream.

When you have cured yourself of your bipolar insanity and you need my quote and logical response, i will gladly accede to your quest for igbos (well-known or not) who condemned in all sincerity and not politically Mr Arthur Eze's despicable acts. Till then continue to hallucinate and dont even bother quoting me till your are psychologically balanced. Happy sunday.

take dat:

Mental midget, Mr. Eze's statement is also a National issue. It instills further mistrust and deep seated hatred that exists among various ethnic groups in Nigeria, and considering that the President was seated while the dosage of bigotry was dispensed, it must be condemned by a Yoruba group. Odumakin is not a detribalized Nigerian, he is a spokesperson for a Yoruba group. Afenifere is a Yoruba identity! MASSOB and other Igbo cultural groups all maintained a conspiracy of license when when Orji sacked non Abia indigenes from the state public service, but spoke out when Fashola repatriated some Anambrans.



At least, you agreed that some well-known Yorubas spoke against the illegal deportation. I challenge you to provide proof of well-known Igbo figures or groups who have distanced themselves from Mr. Eze's pronouncement.

I am not ashamed to be called a tribalist, but bigot? No. Don't bother quoting me again, you are incapable of logical thought.

Childish Tantrums from an hairless ape with damaged gene sequence. Certified mor0n, you are also afflicted by Empty Brain Syndrome!


Empty Brain Syndrome: A short-term disease that occurs when one is asked to recall something or give an example to prove their point, but cannot remember anything to do so.

..

Irredeemable and unrepentant baboon! It is very clear to me that some underestimated tabula rasa have overtaken a well sophisticated platform like nairaland.

Underestimate this stone-aged gorrillas at your peril.

We give up!

I also give up! I have low tolerance for stupidity. You even had to post twice to display more stupidity!


I'll recommend to Seun that he bestows on you, a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' and also induct you into the 'Hall of Fame' for being the most idiotic contributor ever on this forum! Hapless Oaf!

Hahahahahahahaahahaahaha!

A sheep once told a goat that it is stu..pid and the goat told the sheep that it should sheepishly continue to fall in-line with other sheeps while the sherpherd leads them to graze, while the goat itself was jumping moving on its own to graze.

Sheeps are always known as brainless creatures that always follow without an instinct of its own.

I can see that, the sheep above me will continue to seek my attention till it gets a brain of its own. Follow me mr. Sheep while i lead you to the slaughter house were imbecility is forever silenced.

We give up on sheep brains as am allergic to shadow-loving creatures.

This sheep above me will always be covered by my shadow and will never ever create a shadow of its own because it lacks that brain to do so.

Oya mr sheep reply me again for that is what sheeps do. Always follow follow.

We give up again!