Yoruba leaders have been called upon to close ranks in order to fight for political emancipation of their kith and kin wrongly severed to the Northern parts of the country by the colonial masters. Rather than paying lip service, politics and storytelling on the plight of Igbomina, Okun, Ekiti and Ibolo stocks of Yoruba in Kwara and Kogi states, the Yoruba leaders need to evolve pragmatic steps that will cause the liberation of their kin in that region from their yokes.

These were the views expressed by the National Coordinator of Igbomina Self Determination Project, Mr Olaitan Oyin Zubair while reacting to the resolution of Yoruba National Assembly issued in Ibadan, Oyo state capital.  Mr Oyin-Zubair opined that the Yoruba leaders including the royal fathers and high profile politicians have not shown enough political will to the predicaments of their kiths and kin because of infighting and selfishness pointing out that the situation had not only left Igbomina and other Yoruba as minority in the North but also subjected them to perpetual slavery.

The Coordinator of Igbomina Project recalled that the Yoruba in the North had their freedom to live where they belong sacrificed for the attainment of Nigeria independence in 1960, when negotiations for their merger was suspended t o allow for the nation’s independence from the British colony.  He lamented that even after the attainment of the nation’s Independence not much efforts were made to revisit the issue until at 2005 National Political Conference where Yoruba delegates under the leadership of Chief Bola Ajibola SAN, offered to push forward the Memorandum of Understanding for Self Determination by Kwara South Forum for recognition and discussion at the parley.

Mr Oyin-Zubair who claimed to have led the Kwara South Forum before the Yoruba delegates narrated how the delegates suspended all agenda to focus on the liberation struggle of Igbomina, Ibolo and Ekiti people of Kwara South Senatorial District.  In retrospect, this is what is expected of all leaders and groups including the Yoruba National Assembly to do in the present circumstance, he added.

Mr Oyin-Zubair further added that the Igbomina people chose to use the opportunity offered by the ongoing constitutional review to fight the peculiar problem of Igbomina people in Kwara State.

Apart from identity problem and cultural subjugation , all social infrastructures developed through the sweat of the people had either gone or decayed due to obnoxious state government”s policy which gave their erstwhile overlords undue advantages over their people, the Igbomina Project Coordinator further stated.

He declared that their Igbomina brothers in Osun State had always encouraged their unification as a people with common ancestral roots through constant dialogue that gave birth to a functional common development association called Asepo Omo Igbomina.

Mr Oyin-Zubair pointed out that from this platform, a solid foundation and better understanding have been laid to justify their unification and creation of a united state for the people in accordance with the principles of Willick Commission on Minority Rights and Justice Irikefe Panel on creation of states.