SAVE OUR LAND: IGBIMO ODUDUWA YOUTHS (IOY) CALL ALL YORUBA GROUPS TO UNITE AS ONE VOICE

The indigenous People of Yorubas tagged as "Igbimo Oduduwa Youths" have call on all Yoruba groups and leaders to unite as one. In the last meeting of the Igbimo Oduduwa Youths (IOY) held on 1st October, 2019 in Ibadan, the spokesman for the Forum, Peter A. Adeosun Esq., after congratulating all Nigerians for the 59th Independence Celebration, reiterated the fact that The Yorùbá people, with a population of about twenty-five million, constitute one of the largest single ethnic groups in sub-Saharan Africa, spread across four West African countries, Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo and Sierra Leone, the largest concentration being in Nigeria, With the carving of the Nigerian Federation into smaller states, the Yorùbá came fully to occupy six states, namely Lagos, Ògùn, Òyó, Òsun, Ondó, and Èkìtì. Kwara, Kogi, which were carved out of the former Northern Region, Edo and Delta are partly Yorùbá states. The Yorùbás, though culturally homogenous, were differentiated into regional sub-groups, like the Òyó, Ìjèbú, Ifè, Èkìtì, Ègbá, Ìjèsà, Ondó, Ìkálè, Ìlàje, Àkókó and others, from time immemorial. 

He further stressed that the people of Yorùbáland has been explained differently, ranging from the most fanciful to the most plausible. These accounts include the story of direct descent from heaven or the sky as popularised by traditional historians, and stories of migrations from different places as stressed by professional or academic historians.

According to him, the stories of creation and of migrations emphasise the importance of Odùduwà in the emergence and spread of the Yorùbá as a group. At the same time, some of the traditions hint at the existence of some autochthonous groups beginning from Ilé-Ifè before the emergence of Odùduwà, the emergence of Odùduwà radically transformed the Yorùbá society, particularly with the centralisation of political authority and the adoption of Arè or Adé as a symbol of royal authority.

while showing his disapproval to the state of insecurity in Nigeria and the ceaseless threat of the Fulani Herdsmen, Barrister Peter Adeosun stated that it is disheartening that a country of 59 years of independence in a 21st century is still struggling to survive in terms of worthwhile leadership, national security, and economic growth.

He therefore call on all Yoruba groups home and abroad, to come together as one to safeguard yorubaland as a whole and protect the general interest of the Yorubas. He also stressed the need for all the Yoruba groups after unification to have a National secretariat somewhere in Ibadan or Ile Ife, as there is need for drastic reduction of threats in Yorubaland, which we cannot continue to fold our arms and watch our Land being destroyed. He finally concluded that It will be difficult to protect yorubaland without the unification of all Yoruba groups. He therefore beseech all Yoruba Elders Home and abroad to make this a priority to safe our threatened land as multiple groups are meaningless without one reasonable voice that leads to action.