Reporters from major international news organizations across the world and Nigerian panelists will, on Thursday, July 1, set the pace for global discussion on the spate of insecurity in Nigeria and South-west in particular.
The event organised by Yoruba One Voice Foreign Affairs Department (YOV/FAD) is to discuss pertinent issues bordering on insecurity, terrorism, genocide, raping, abuse of women and children, sex trafficking and the call for self determination in Nigeria among others.
Apart from CNN and BBC reporters from other international media such as Fox News, Sky News,MSNBC, Al Jazeera, and Euronews are expected to be at the event.
The international conference, according to the YOV Director of Programme, Erelu Victoria Harley, is geared towards achieving peaceful road map for amicable solutions to the current crises in Nigeria and also prevent further disintegration that may lead to civil war.
Expressing worry at the present situation in Nigeria, YOV flayed President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration over what it described as the wanton killings in the South-west, insisting that the administration had been plagued by many atrocities across Yorubaland.
“Today in Nigeria, kidnapping has become a lucrative business with government paying huge ransoms to terrorists Fulani Herdsmen, and kidnappers and we find it very difficult that government’s negotiators can find their locations but cannot arrest them,
“It is no doubt that the government is complicit in the criminal enterprise where paid ransoms are used to buy ammunitions for terrorism. We find it very difficult to believe that a president will rather lose his country to foreign herdsmen and Fulani terrorists, using cattle grazing as a cover up for terrorism, killings, kidnappings and banditry.
“It is sad that Nigeria has found itself in this terrible situation. The situation in Yorubaland is even more worrisome. Farmers could no longer go to their farms because they are being killed daily with their crops and harvests destroyed. With the two incidents at Igangan, killing of pastors, business men and women, maiming, raping and kidnappings for huge ransoms running into millions of naira.
“The outlined problems are reasons different ethnic nationalities and groups are now demanding self determination as the best option”.
The Yoruba Diaspora group, however, restated its determination to seek self determination, saying the Yoruba are a blessed race with common language, culture and values, and are ready to determine their fate by demanding their own nation.
“We have an outstanding record of successes in the South-West. In those days, we successfully ran our own government that was the shining star on the hill during Awolowo’s era when we achieved and accomplished various feats and firsts in both television and radio stations in Africa, free education system, free health care system with the best hospital in Africa, functioning public water system and regular electricity supply. We are capable and ready to be part of the civilised world again”
The YOV director of programme said further that the group seeks self-determination through an internationally supervised referendum before an imminent civil war that may grossly affect all the international industries in Nigeria and the southwest in particular.
“Given the present situation in the country, the spate of insecurity, including terrorism and genocide in Nigeria will likely continue, that is why we want our Yoruba nation”.
The event, according to Harley, will be held via zoom, and will also have a long list of people from home and abroad as panelists.
These include the grand patron of the group and Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, Publicity Secretary, Yoruba Summit Group, Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo, foremost social and political analyst, Akogun Gani Kayode Balogun (GKB)and former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Obadiah Mailafia among others.