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The Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, says autonomy for federating units in Nigeria is the best political solution to resolve the various secessionist groups and arrowheads in the country.
Adams stated this in a chat with The PUNCH in his reaction to a statement by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), saying that the Federal Government won’t rule out political solution to resolve the crisis surrounding separatist agitations in Nigeria.
Growing dissatisfaction, disaffection, and perceived injustice have fueled secessionist agitations in Southern Nigeria of late. While detained Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho is an arrowhead of Yoruba Nation in the South-West, embattled Nnamdi Kanu leads the proscribed secessionist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra in the South-East.
Speaking with our correspondent, Adams said, “The Federal Government have no choice than to proffer political solution to the two cases – Igboho and Kanu – because whether the Federal Government believe in their cause or not, their followers believe in what they are doing.
“In the South-East, the people already have the mindset that they are being shortchanged and marginalised in the political system. What they are agitating for is either to have their liberation or get a certain autonomy.
“And for Igboho, I haven’t seen the offence Igboho committed than warranted criminal charges. He was pressing his demands peacefully and if the government wants to move this country forward, if the Federal Government does not want agitations to breed in other regions, it should resolve the two cases politically, it is the best option to douse tension.”
Adams also said though the government is against the secession of any part of the entity called Nigeria, it should not be against autonomy for the various regions.
He said, “The government should not only resolve the issue of Igboho and Kanu but to listen to the cries of the people. Even though the government does not allow secession, it should allow the federating units to develop at their pace so that more agitation won’t rise because, without this, more agitations may arise in the country because people are hungry and angry.”
