What the Yorubas should know

 

Among the Igbos, there is a firm belief that the Yorubas betrayed them during

the Nigerian civil war. 

The Yorubas too have their version of events to show that the Igbos too were equally guilty of betrayal.

Suffice it to say that all those were in the past.

The reality today is that the Yorubas want to betray the Igbos.

This is with respect to Igbo Presidency. The mark of leadership is sacrifice. Any leader who cannot differentiate between his interest and the interest of his people or subjugate his own interests for the interest of his people is not worth that title of LEADER.

Today as we all know, the South West produced two Presidential candidates in Olu Falae and OBJ in 1999. OBJ won and ruled for 8 years.

He handed over to Umaru Musa Yar ' Adua who unfortunately died in Office. Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was from the North West.

In came his Vice President GEJ, from the South South. Recall that there had been a lot of restiveness in the South South before the emergence of GEJ.

After GEJ came PMB and the Yorubas are warming up to succeed PMB.

Where is the Southern solidarity? If the civil war could not stop the Igbos, a lack of Igbo Presidency, sure cannot break them, but the Yorubas should very much note their role in the matter.

Today, some northerners are talking of power moving to the South, without caring where. It is all well and good.

At least, should the Yorubas fail to back down, an impasse might develop that would let power remain in the North.

This is the time for the Yorubas to embark on a thorough soul searching and know if the Igbos are the problem of Nigeria or the Hausa/ Fulani.

The problem with Yorubas is the absence of the kind of leadership that Chief Obafemi Awolowo represented.

I respect BAT too much to find fault with him but he has to fine tune his strategies and align them with the greater interest of the Yorubas, the South and possibly, Nigeria.

It is not enough to dress like Awo. What Awo represented was selfless leadership.

It is sad that a daughter of Oyo State, Akande Adeola was denied the opportunity of becoming Speaker of the House of Representatives, in favour of Tambuwal of Sokoto State.

This was done by BAT for reasons unknown.

When the daughter of PA Ruben Fasoranti's was killed, BAT asked for the cows and even snidely asked if Evans the kidnapper was a Fulani Herdsman?

It is the Yorubas who say one should not because he wants to eat beef call the cow a brother.

Ambition is good but blind ambition can be blinding.

In taking his colloquium to Kano, BAT says it is to prove that Yorubas and Fulanis are one. Indeed?

I wonder what Yinka Odumakin will say to that.

Looking through Nigeria's power hierarchy today, it is difficult to see where the Igbos stand.

It does not stop them from being who they are but like an adage says, one who is rejected does not reject himself.

At least if the Igbos cannot be trusted with Nigeria's leadership, they should be allowed to leave Nigeria.