BEING A COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AFTER A-DAY YORUBA SECURITY SUMMIT HOSTED BY THE AROLE ODÙDUWÀ & ỌỌNI OF IFÈ, ỌỌNI ADEYEYE ENITAN OGUNWUSI, CFR, OJAJA II AT THE IFÈ GRAND RESORT, ILÉ-IFÈ ON THURSDAY, 29th FEBRUARY, 2024
PREAMBLE:
Due to the recent upsurge in the killings, maiming and kidnappings in South-West, Nigeria, the House of Odùduwà today, Thursday, 29th February 2024, held a Yoruba Security Summit at Ojaja Arena, Ife Grand Resort, Ilé-Ifè.
Two major themes were addressed:
i. Kidnapping and banditry, delivered by Dr. Solomon E. Arase (Ex Inspector-General of Police).
ii. Yorùbá Legacy of African Science: Overcoming the twin menace, delivered by Dr. (Chief) Ifayemi Elebuibon Osundagbonu.
The summit enjoyed the support of H.E. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, under the chairmanship of Retired General Alani Akinrinade, CFR.
The Governor of Ọṣun State was represented by his deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi while the other five governors of Èkìtì, Ondo, Òyó, Lagos and Ogun States sent representatives.
The summit which was conveyed by the Arole Odùduwà & Ọọni of Ifè, Ọọni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, was a gathering of traditional rulers across Yorùbáland.
The summit was attended by the Olowo of Owo, Alayeluwa, Ọba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III; Osemawe of Ondo, Alayeluwa Ọba Victor Kiladejo; the Deji of Akure; Owa Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti; Akarigbo of Remoland, Olowu of Òwu, Abeokuta; Alayemore of Ido-Osun; Aragbiji of Iragbiji; Akire of Ikire-Ile and a host of other Yorùbá traditional rulers.
The summit also featured presentations by the Alara of Ara-Ekiti; Iba Gani Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorùbáland; Mr. Sunday Igboho and Bashorun Akin Osuntokun and a host of others.
OBSERVATIONS
i.The security summit noted that there have been organized systematic attacks on traditional rulers and eminent sons and daughters of Yorùbáland by suspected herders.
ii.The summit further noted that the herdsmen attacks have been largely responsible for food insecurity and food scarcity in the South-West because of the organized attacks on farmers who, for fear of attacks, stay away from farmlands.
RESOLUTIONS
1.That Yorùbá people should take full control of their forests, homelands and farmlands.
2.That the Amotekun corps should be strengthened in terms of
i. Giving recognition and to be transformed to the status of State Police;
ii.Motivation, finances, training and retraining of personnel and that those who are familiar with nooks and crannies of our forests should be recruited into Amotekun.
iii.Provision of training grounds for its personnel.
iv.Provision of adequate budgetary allocations to the Amotekun corps.
v.The summit agreed that a department of Forest Amotekun Corps be created
3.That the Yorùbá, especially the traditional rulers should make recourse to their natural resources, including natural powers to combat banditry and kidnapping; that Yorùbá Ọbas should not jettison traditional values.
4.That government at all levels should recognize the roles of traditional rulers and factor them into the national security architecture.
5.That the entire Ọbas in Yorùbáland should work in unison to ward off the evils of banditry and kidnappings as each of the states could only succeed in chasing the marauders to another state.
6.Traditional rulers are advised to uphold and value the custom and tradition of the land.
- That each time an attack takes place, the offenders were quickly left off the hook by the powers-that-be and that the judicial process should be strengthened to mete out appropriate punishments to culprits or bring them to justice.
8.That the governors of South-West Nigeria should organize Regional Security Summit at the earliest practicable time, including all stakeholders to chart the way forward and give teeth to all the concerns raised at this (current) summit.
9.The security summit called for strong support for the administration of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the larger interest of Yorùbá race.
10.The security summit called on Yorùbá traditional rulers to return to the pristine Yorùbá traditional, spiritual and cultural values. At all times, the traditional rulers should recognize that, in spite of whatever nature of religion they practise, they must recognize that the stool they preside over is traditional.
11.The summit called on Yorùbá traditional rulers to take full possession of their forests, homelands and farmlands.
12.The summit called on local, state and federal governments to employ use of drones and other appropriate technology for the effective surveillance of Yorùbá forests and roads. - The summit agreed that the Yorùbá security summit should be held quarterly so as to capture intervening and supervising variables in our polity.
- We take due cognizance of the difficulties and challenges Nigeria is going through. We dare say that our son, Bola Tinubu, whom it has pleased God to make the President of Nigeria is doing his level best to grapple with, and overcome the challenges. We appeal to our colleauges from all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria to cooperate and support him to make a success of his government.
