Yoruba Scholars, Monarchs Call For Decentralized Government

A conference of Yoruba elders, leaders and scholars who met at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, on Monday, have called for a decentralization of government.

They meeting was for the sixth Atanda lectures and conference on Yoruba culture and society.

The conference, which had in attendance prominent men and women who are Yoruba scholars and traditional rulers, was led by Professor of History, University of Texas, Austin, Toyin Falola, who submitted that decentralization of power would solve most of the problems facing the country, including insecurity.

The  three-day conference had many national and international scholars on Yoruba and culture as speakers, including a foremost private art collector in Africa, Prince Yemisi Shyllon; Akinloye Ojo, the Director of African Studies Institute, University of Georgia, USA, and Professor Arinpe Adejumo of the University of Ibadan.

Speaking on the state of the nation, Falola said, “The Yoruba are angry, the Igbo are angry, so, how to minimise and reduce the anger is what we should find a solution to.

“At this time, the best advice one can give is decentralization and autonomy in various regions.

Professor of history, Olutayo Adeshina, in his submission advised the agitators for Yoruba nation to think things through.

“Those who are pushing for it, I will say let us take it easy and see it from broader perspectives because here, the structure of Nigeria is skewed; it is imbalanced and it is also not right. Yes, we have rights to agitate; I will say let us take it easy.

“If we agitate and try to secede, move away, what is the benefit of it? What is the cost of taking Yoruba out of Nigeria? Is it going to be done peacefully?

“You have to do this thing very clinically; you must get your parameters right; is it going to be peaceful? If it is going to be peaceful, Okay, if it is not going to be peaceful, what is the cost to us as a people and as a society? What is the cost on our infrastructure? A lot of things must be done carefully and well calibrated.”