Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Osun State Government on Wednesday suspended three public school principals for allowing a pro-Oodua nation group to address their students.
The government also dissociated itself from the group preaching disunity and secession to students in some schools in the state.
The PUNCH investigation revealed that some people had early in the week visited the three secondary schools in Iresi, a town in the Boluwaduro Local Government Area of the state to addressed their students.
It was gathered that the group told the students that they should reject Nigeria and demanded Oodua nation.
But the government in a statement by the Commissioner for Education, Mr Folorunsho Bamisayemi, said the administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola was not aware and never gave consent to the group to speak with public school students.
The statement reads in part, “Nigeria is one entity and will continue to remain so. The State Government of Osun never gave consent to any group to speak with students of public schools on a matter we know can cause disunity and chaos in the country.”
Also reacting, the Special Adviser to Governor Oyetola on Education, Mr Jamiu Olawumi, said it was unfortunate that some unscrupulous elements were going about polluting the minds of young children because they knew that they were still naive.
Many Yoruba ready for self-determination – Ooni, Adams
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Aare Gani Adams, has said majority of Yoruba people are ready for self-determination.
Speaking in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday at the public presentation of a book, ‘Roundtable Discussion on Economy and Restructuring in Nigeria,’ by the National Pilot Book, Adams noted that a “power bloc” was not ready for restructuring.”
The book was edited by Prof. Hassan Saliu and Mr Billy Adedamola.
Adams said, “I support the popular view that we have graduated from restructuring to self-determination but the main powerful block is not ready. This is what Yoruba leaders are clamouring for. If Nigeria is not restructured in the next three years, the future is bleak. We have different types of restructuring; so they should know the kind of restructuring that they want. If Nigeria will be restructured, we have to borrow points from 1960 and 1963 which give room for regionalism. Through the Abacha (late Sani Abacha) regime, it also allowed that the six zones can develop at their own paces. My own is self-determination, you prepare for negotiation.”
Also speaking at the event, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who was represented by the Alara Oodaye of Ife, Oba Segun Layade, said most of the resources in the south were enjoyed mostly in the north.
He also called for the re-introduction of history in the school curriculum.
In the same vein, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Chief Bode George, who was represented by Dr Charles Akitoye said Nigeria’s structure was defective, adding that the country’s economy was tribalistic and north-centred.
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