The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has restated the need for a complete overhaul of the Nigerian structure, insisting that regionalism remains the only solution to the structural imbalances in the country.
OPC, the foremost Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, gave this position in the communiqué, jointly signed by the Aareonakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams, who is also the national coordinator of the organisation, and the body’s general secretary, Chief Babajide Tanimowo.
In the communiqué made available to newsmen on Sunday, at the end of the two-day marathon meeting held at Oodua House in Ikeja, Lagos, the socio-cultural group, after careful deliberation and appraisal of the activities of the organisation in the previous year, set a new agenda for the new year, highlighting the position of the organisation on various national issues, even as it urged the Federal Government to conduct a national census programme in order to ascertain the true numbers of the population of the citizens across the country.
The OPC, while making the call, emphasised that the census remained the best measure that could help in addressing the various challenges facing the country.
“We are determined to continue pressing on for restructuring as the best solution to the various challenges facing Nigeria. We seek regionalism as a system that allows all six regions (federating units) under the Nigerian Federation to develop at their own pace in accordance with the 1960 and 1963 constitutions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“It is our hope, therefore, that with the restructuring of Nigeria along regional lines, the country will fully realise its potential as one of the leading black nations in the world,” the group said.
This was just as OPC emphasised its readiness to partner with the government of the South West States in their desire to improve the security architectures in their respective states.
Highlighting the cultural promotion activities of the organisation for the year, the body, while assuring of its readiness to raise the standard of all the cultural promotion activities in line with its mandate, reiterated the need to champion the cultural promotion struggle.
It, however, urged the Ekiti and Ondo state governors to recognise August 20 as Isese Day to further strengthen the bond between the states in the South West.
“It is our responsibility to promote peace, unity, and seek economic prosperity in the South West region and Nigeria as a whole; therefore, we appeal to the governments of Ekiti and Ondo states to, as a matter of necessity, recognise August 20 of every year as Ise Day.
“The call for the recognition of Ise Day is beyond religion, and it is to identify with Yoruba tradition and culture and to also fulfil the destiny of our race,” the socio-cultural group said.
The parley, the first of the year, had in attendance all members of the National Executive Council (NEC) and National Coordinating Council (NCC) of the OPC, as well as leaders and delegates of the organisation from all 29 states of the Federation.
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