By Demilade Michael
The Yoruba Commitment Forum (YCF) at the weekend identified civil and peaceful separation of different ethnic groups in Nigeria, as panacea to the many ills bedeviling the country.
The forum, also reiterated its call for a free Yoruba Nation, under a peaceful and constitutional arrangement, pointing out that peace has eluded Nigeria, as a nation since 1960.
The YCF, stated these in a statement made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, in response to statement credited to a second Republic politician, Tanko Yakasai, where he was allegedly said 'that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has no power to cede away any part of Nigeria or to allow any part of Nigeria to break away from the present arrangement'.
The YCF reaction titled, 'Let Yoruba Breath', was jointly singed by Otunba Tayo Onayemi, Mrs. Buky Tunde Oshunrinde, Mrs. Sola Maja, Dr. Kayode Olunuga and Otunba Niyi Sodiya.
The forum said, "the recent bullying and subtle threat issued to the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the elder statesman, Ambassador Tanko Yakassai has caught the attention of the Yoruba Commitment Forum and we need to appeal to the old man to take it easy on Yoruba matters".
The forum argued that the North was the first region to reject call for Nigeria's independence in 1956, but later called for 'Araba' in the 60s, stressing that in the Nigerian state, there are diverse tribes, stressing that the peoples are plagued with religious, tribal and ancestral crisis.
It added, "there has not been unity in our diversity, because a section of the country seeks to overrun the other, boasting of being born to rule always, and that Nigeria is their inheritance.
"Is there any justice, equity and fairness in a section of Nigeria always making requests, getting more than required, only to always block other sections from making requests at all?
The forum said, call for a peaceful separation is different from violent exit, insisting that peaceful separation is possible without war.
It noted that, "USA separated from Britain, Belgium from Netherlands, Singapore from Malaysia, Pakistan from India and many more of such separations without war.
"Back home in Africa, didn't Sudan break into North and South Sudan in recent history.
Can't there be free choice, freedom of association ? Is it by force that we must be held together and by the jugular ?
The forum said, "nobody should be happy with the multifaceted problems facing Nigeria, leading to deaths and anguish of innocent people, including the children, positing that this is not the Nigeria of the founding fathers.
The YCF therefore called on the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, elders and leaders of Yorubaland to close ranks and save our race.
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