From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has knocked Sunday Adeyemo, otherwise known as Sunday Igboho, for his call for the secession of the southwest from the Federal Republic of Nigeria and establishment of Oduduwa Republic.
According to the students body, Adeyemo’s call was not only ill-timed, but portends grave danger to the region, particularly now that the whole country is battling with insecurity.
Addressing newsmen on Sunday, the chairman, NANS Joint Campus Committee, Ogun Axis, Kehinde Damilola Simeon, said Igboho erred by single-handedly agitating for the secession of Yorubaland without getting the consent of leaders and other prominent stakeholders in the region.
Simeon, who further flayed Igboho for turning himself into “accidental activist”, said he “declared” Oduduwa Republic without considering the implication of such on the masses and all concerned.
“We wish to use this opportunity to condemn in its entirety the recent call by Sunday Igboho for Yoruba secession from Federal Republic of Nigeria as Od’ua Republic. This call is ill-timed and deserves the consent of all Yorubas, not just for one accidental activist to wake up and declared Od’ua Republic, without considering the implication of such on the masses and all concerned.
“Has he taken into consideration implications of such affront call on our security and economy of the region? In as much as we recognise the rights of citizens to discuss, agitate and even fight to right perceived wrongs, culminating in self-determination, it must be done within acceptable parameters and all concerned must agree to pursue the same objectives to achieve a desired end”. He said.
Simeon, however, called on the Federal Government, to as matter of urgency, address the issue of restructuring, saying “this will go a long way in addressing arrays of perceived national issues of concerns that border on our security, economy and political sovereignty of all geo-political zones of Nigeria”.
The JCC chairman commended traditional rulers and Yoruba leaders who came out to condemn Igboho’s call of secession.
In another development, Simeon has commended the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, for releasing N500m towards the payment of backlog of pension and gratuity arrears of retired Civil servants in the State.
“This is indeed a commendable feat worthy of celebration by the Ogun state people, as this will go a long way in improving the lives of our retirees in the state”, he submitted.