National Confab: APC is standing against the people – Odumakin

National Confab: APC is standing against
the people – Odumakin
on november 17, 2013 at 3:12 am in politics
By Dapo Akinrefon
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.
*Yinka Odumakin
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.