Emeritus Professor of History, Prof Banji Akintoye is the Chairman of the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS), who also heads the umbrella body for Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, speaks to Punch on sundry issues. With due credit given to the most circulated newspaper in Nigeria, we want to bring to our readers Prof Akintoye’s view on the issue of the moment – why he now prefers Yoruba sovereign nation over restructuring of Nigeria. Hear him below:
Afenifere and the Yoruba Council of Elders are clamouring for restructuring, but you are against it. Why do you think restructuring can’t address the problems in Nigeria?
Restructuring can no longer work. Restructuring cannot stop the Fulani terrorists from coming to our land. They have been indoctrinated to go and take over the entire land in the country. So, how can restructuring stop that? Restructuring won’t stop that. I don’t want to continue to live in that type of situation. Moreover, you might sit somewhere and agree on restructuring but these people have an uncontrollable urge to dominate society. One of them, Aliu Gwarzo, wrote an article wherein he said ‘power in Nigeria belongs to us and anybody standing on our way, we will kill, maim, destroy and turn Nigeria into the greatest war zone in Africa.’ I don’t think anybody can change such an attitude with restructuring. In 1960, Sir Ahmadu Bello said only 11 days after Nigeria’s independence that ‘Nigeria shall be an extension of the state of our grandfather, Uthman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power and we will use the people of the Middle Belt as tools, and the people of the South as conquered territory. We will never let them rule over us and never let them control their territory.’ He said that on October 12, 1960 in Kaduna and there were people there. Then in 1960, Aliu Gwarzo said, ‘Allah, through the British, gave us Nigeria to rule and to do as we please and we have been doing that since 1960 and we intend to continue. If anybody tries to stop us, we shall kill, maim and destroy.’ That is their mentality. If anybody thinks that has changed, they are deceiving themselves. Restructuring can change a few things, but it cannot change the mentality of the people behind the scene.
I used to advocate restructuring. I wrote tons of articles published in newspapers on it. But one must react to situations as they are. Restructuring cannot solve the problems at hand now. People say I am Awolowo’s son and that Chief Awolowo would not have wanted Yoruba to go away from Nigeria. I told them that Chief Awolowo reacted to the situation he met at that time. He did not see all these ravaging and destructions going on now. There are tears everywhere now. Papa Awo did not see a woman who was raped and her eyes gorged out. Papa didn’t see where a Yoruba Oba was killed and another abducted. Papa didn’t see Chief Olu Falae beaten and battered by Fulani. I have seen all these. I saw Chief Falae with wounds inflicted from swords and knives and I was horrified. Chief Falae is one of the most intelligent persons God has given to the Yoruba people. He held one of the highest positions in the country in our time and he was treated that way. Chief Awolowo did not see all these, but we are seeing them. Our father was not the kind of person that would see a problem and evade it. I am sure that where he is today, he is happy that I am doing what I am doing. I am resisting oppression. I am resisting the brutalisation and killing of our people.