The Oodua People’s Congress, (OPC), has restated the need for complete overhauling of Nigerian structure, insisting that regionalism is the only solution to the structural imbalances of the country.
The prominent Yoruba socio-cultural organisation stated this at the end of the two- day marathon meeting at the weekend, which was held in Ikeja, Lagos.
After a careful deliberation and appraisal of the activities of the organisation in the previous year, the leadership of OPC set new agenda for the year, and also ratified all the issues raised at the meeting and came up with the Communique, highlighting the position of the organization on sundry national issues.
According to the communique, signed by the Aare-Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Gani Adams, who is also the national coordinator of the organisation and its General Secretary, Chief Babajide Tanimowo, the OPC stated that it would raise the standard of all the cultural promotion activities of the group.
It 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.
The Yoruba organisation also urged the Federal Government to conduct a National Census programme in order to ascertain the true numbers of population of the citizens across the country. It said also that census remains the best measure that could help in addressing the various challenges of the country.
“We are determined to continue pressing on for restructuring as the best solution to the various challenges of Nigeria. We seek regionalism as a system that allows all the six regions (federating units) under the Nigerian federation )to develop at their own pace in accordance with the 1960 and 1963 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“It is our hope therefore that with restructuring of Nigeria along regional lines, the country fully realize it’s potentials as one of the leading black nations in the world.
Highlighting the cultural promotion activities of the organization for the year, the OPC reiterated the need to
champion the cultural promotion struggle, as it urged the Ekiti and Ondo state governors to recognise August 20 as Iseese 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 of the South-West region and Nigeria as a whole, therefore, we appeal to Ekiti and Ondo State governments to, as a matter of necessity, recognise August 20 of every year as Iseese Day.
“The call for the recognition of Iseese Day is beyond religion and it is to identify with Yoruba tradition and culture and to also fulfill the destiny of our race.
The first meeting of the year had in attendance all members of the National Executive Council and National Coordinating Council of the OPC, as well as leaders and delegates of the organization from all the 29 States of the federation.
