Pan-Yoruba groups reject Sharia law in Southwest Nigeria, other Yoruba territories; cite poverty, corruption, terrorism in practising North
SAHARA REPORTERS
Twenty-nine pan-Yoruba groups have rejected calls from some Muslims in the Southwest region for Sharia law and courts.
The groups claim to represent artisans, workers, students, community-based groups, traders, professionals and self-determination groups and millions of Yoruba people spread across Yoruba territories in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi and parts of Delta and Edo states.
The groups argued Sharia law will not solve the socioeconomic problems faced by the people of the region, noting that the majority of people in the 12 northern states where Shariah law is practised in Nigeria live in abject poverty.
It said, “We do not come as Christians, Muslims, animists, atheist or traditional worshippers but as Yoruba created same way by Almighty God the creator of the universe, bounded together by humanity seeking perpetuation of peace, love and progress of Yorubaland.
“We recognise the right to debate the future of the children of Oduduwa and the right to free speech as exemplified in the constitution of Nigeria and in the timeless culture of Yorubaland.”
The groups “observed the current proposal by a tiny group of people, backed by largely non-Yoruba domestic and international collaborators pushing for the introduction of Sharia in Yorubaland”.
They, however, stated that the introduction of Shariah cannot improve the economic, political, social and cultural deficit in Yorubaland.
They said, “That Yorubaland though seen as the most economically developed territory in West Africa, attained this feat not through theocracy but by the hard work, commitment, determination of our forefathers who were both Muslims, Christians and Traditional worshipers.
“That the poverty, misery, lack of access to good health, increasing number of school dropouts, lack of access to economic and political powers by poor Yoruba people, are direct results of poor, visionless and irresponsible leadership which the introduction of Sharia cannot and will not curb.
“That poverty, corruption, high mortality rate, terrorism, violence and unprecedented human misery characterise the 12 states where Sharia has been introduced in the North.
“Zamfara state for instance has 74% poverty rate while 62% live in poverty; Katsina has 74.1% poverty rate. In fact, Sokoto, the headquarters of the Caliphate which also operates Sharia has the highest poverty rate in Nigeria at 79.9%. While the Sharia states have the poorest of the poor, the political leaders that introduced Sharia in these states are some of the richest in the world.
“The Sharia states are currently theatres of war, strive, killings and kidnapping driven by crisis of faith while the Sharia states also have the highest rate of instability in Nigeria.
“This is the dream of the tiny clique that wishes to Talibanise Yoruba Nation; they often learn nothing from history, until their self-destruction is evident.
“The hypocritical aspect of Sharia in these states is the bias implementation of the law whereby the rich continue to exploit the poor, steal billions of Naira and go scot-free, while the poor and the impoverished who steal fowl have their hands chopped off;
“That we observe a conscious and tailor-made plot to destabilise Yorubaland through organised sponsorship of divisive, retrogressive and dangerous proposals that will end up causing confusion, disunity and raise the spectre of intra-Yoruba conflict to the delight of our eternal foes.
“We, the true representatives of Yoruba people hereby strongly oppose the introduction of Sharia in any part of Oduduwaland of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Kogi, Edo, Kwara and Ondo states.”
They added that Sharia is “not feasible and can never be acceptable to a multi-religious, muti-faith people like the Yoruba”.
The groups said, “Sharia is only applicable in societies where Islam is the state religion or majority of the people profess Islam.
“Though proponents of Sharia claim the law is for only Muslims, but the contradictions are self-evident. The Yoruba are bound by blood, history, common fear and shared aspirations, not by religion.
“How can anyone in his right senses conceive Sharia law in a society where Muslim parents have Christian Children and Muslim husbands have Christian or even animist wives and vice versa? There are Yoruba Muslim parents whose children do not go to Mosque and Yoruba Christian parents whose children are Baba or Iyalawo.
“This freedom of faith which has enriched Yoruba civilisation for centuries is what religious extremists, rabid and riotous fanatics and religious anarchists, sponsored by international terrorists are desperate to destroy, fortunately, to their own peril, at the fullness of time.
“That introduction of Sharia in Yorubaland will never be accepted to our people. Having destabilised the North, the proponents want to destabilise the South West and uproot the very foundation of democracy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The intrigue is political, sponsored by vested interests, aimed at polarising the political and electoral fortunes of Yoruba Nation who for many Years have largely defined a common political future.”
“We, the true representatives of Yoruba people hereby strongly oppose any attempt, open or covert to introduce Sharia in any part of Oduduwaland of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Kogi, Edo, Kwara and Ondo states; we hereby warn religious bigots and extremists, including very naïve and shallow-minded political actors to desist from their evil plots or they will face the full wrath of Yoruba people,” they added.
The groups that issued the statement are Tajudeen Olowo- Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements (AYDM); Olu Sulaiman- O’odua Nationalist Coalition (ONAC for coalition members); Hamzat Alao Oriyomi South West Professional Forum (SOWPROF); Bashorun Kunle Adesokan Federation for Yoruba Consciousness and Culture (FYCC); Dr Kola Afolabi The Covenant Group (CP); Chief Kunle Oshodi Agbekoya (Solidarity); Chief Jubril Ogundimu- O’odua Republican Front (ORF); Rasaq Oladosu – Coalition of Oodua Self Determination Groups, (COSEG); Alhaji Adeyemi Taofik- Oodua Peoples Congress (Reformed) and Akin Oloniyi South West Vigilante Groups.
Others are Afiz Agunbiade Neighbourhood Anti-Terrorist Group-Registered with CAC; Alhaja Medina Abioro- South West Women Congress, (SWWC); Alhaji Tunde Abioye United Self Determination Groups (USEPO); Wemi Oritsegbemi Itsekiri National Youth Congress (INYC); Rasaq Arogundade Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC-Reformed); Shenge Rahman Oodua Muslim-Christian Dialogue Group (OMC-DG); Dr Victor Taiwo, Oodua Redemption Alliance (ORA); Chief Medaye Alatse and Mrs Tunbo Adekola, Union of West African Yoruba Communities, Ghana; Nassir Abdul Kalejaye – Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association, NATA-South West; Sanusi Abimbola Yoruba Artisan and Traders Association, (YATA-Registered in Nigeria); Sina Akinyemi-Association of Nigerian Artisans and Technicians (ASNAT); Goke Otunla- Oodua Liberation Movement (OLM); Ade Ikuesan Motocycle-South West Operators Union of Nigeria (MOUN); Muftau Ajayi O’odua Hunters Union (OHUN); O’odua International Democratic Movement (OIDEM); South West Students Coalition (SWSC); South West Progressive Farmers Congress, (SWPFC); Chief Ayo Abereoran Okun Peoples Front, (OPF); and Akinwale Kasali Lagos Progressives Development Front (LPDF).
THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN SAHARA REPORTERS
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