By Adeyinka Adeniran
Agbekoya Parapo, a Yoruba socio-cultural and farmers organization, has warned those who are allegedly inciting violent protests in Lagos and other Southwest states against the consequences saying that those with ulterior motives should stare clear from the zone.
Agbekoya Parapo spoke in a statement titled, ‘Agbekoya Parapo’s position on the upcoming nationwide protest by youths and opposition against President Bola Tinubu’s government,’ made available to reporters in Ibadan on Tuesday.
The statement was issued after a meeting attended by its President General, Aare Kunle Oshodi; the Secretary General, Chief Kunle Adelakun Eruobodo; Chairman, Elders Council, Agbekoya Parapo, Prof. Ademola Onibonokuta, Prof. Amusa, Pastor Benson Olayanju, Comrade Adebayo Balogun and Chief Remilekun Oyelami.
While saluting the Nigerian youths for their courage and commitment to throw their weight behind the quest for a better country, Agbekoya Parapo advised those with ulterior motives to “reconsider their plans and move their protests to Abuja and their respective states of origin” rather than pressing their points in the South-West, insisting that “We shall never allow what happened in Lagos during #EndSARS to repeat itself.”
According to the statement, it is very sad and pathetic that the current generation of youths has waited for so long to address the inefficiency, injustice, oppression, and lack of equity from the ruling class and constituted authorities.
It read in parts that “We are very much aware that Nigeria belongs to every one of us and that the dividends of democracy should and must be felt by every Nigerian. In view of the impending protests, there are a few salient questions and fundamental issues that the present youths, the opposition, and the organizers of the August protests need to understand to grasp the nature and complexity of the Nigerian state:
“What was the reason behind the removal of history from the secondary education curriculum? Why did the Nigerian military take over the civilian government in the January 1966 coup? And, why was there a counter-coup in July 1966? Why and who imposed the unitary system of government on Nigeria’s regional structures designed by the British colonialists? What were the causes of Nigeria’s military coups/rules in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, especially after the civil war of 1967-1970, and who were the beneficiaries of those coups?
“Is there any official reason why the freest, fairest, and most transparent June (12) 1993 Presidential election was annulled? Whose interests were served, and who benefited from the June 12 annulment? Why have the coupists/perpetrators not been prosecuted to this day? Lastly, is Nigeria free from neo-colonialism?
“The fundamental truth is that Nigerians have been struggling since the military took over civilian administration in the First Republic in the January 1966 coup and the July 15 counter-coup. Furthermore, the 1999 Constitution, which was drafted by General (Sanni) Abacha’s stooges under Prof Yadudu, does not help matters.
“There is no doubt that the 1999 Constitution is a fraudulent and corrupt document, full of lacunae. This is the fundamental reason why the country is in shambles and without peace. The ruling elites exploit these constitutional deficiencies to milk the country dry, while the masses and youths are left at the mercy of God.
“Things have deteriorated in Nigeria, and there’s no magic wand under the less-than-two-year government of President Tinubu. We are all gradually approaching the end of these games. Nonetheless, the solution is bitter and hard to say, but something will surely lead to something. We can’t build something on nothing.
“We are using this medium to warn those who are hell-bent on destroying Yoruba land, including the promoters, organizers, and opposition to President Tinubu’s administration, to reconsider their plans and move their protests to Abuja and their respective states of origin, not Lagos and Yoruba land.
“Protesters should direct their grievances to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. We will not condone any action that may destroy our heritage in Lagos State or any of the Yoruba states. Despite Lagos being the commercial hub of Nigeria, it holds deeper significance for every Yoruba person; it is the hope of the average Yoruba man.
“The destruction and agony caused by the #EndSARS saga still linger. Who could have imagined that the palace of the revered Oba of Lagos could be attacked, a sacrilege on our temple, by uncouth, uncivilized, and irresponsible people of other tribes?
“Our experience during the last #EndSARS protest is enough for our decision. The Southwest has yet to fully recover. The properties destroyed during that single attack were estimated to be worth billions of naira, with no compensation from the federal authorities. Most of our farmlands have been destroyed by herders, resulting in billions of naira worth of agricultural products being lost. Many of our farmers have been killed, and many could no longer go to their farms for fear of being killed.”
It urged the governors in the zone to be more sensitive and proactive by showing greater commitment to the plights of the people in line with the ethos of Omoluabi being attributed to the region.
