Pascal Arogorn Ibe
The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, has appealed to those calling for the secession of Nigeria to shelve the idea.
The monarch warned that those beating the drum of war in Nigeria are not only calling for chaos in the country but in Africa at large.
Oba Gbadebo spoke when he played host to the National President of the National Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Musa Maitakobi, the Chairman of RTEAN in Ogun state, Titilayo Akibu, and other members of the association in his palace in Ake, Abeokuta.
The visit was part of activities marking the one year anniversary of Akibu as the state chairman of RTEAN in Ogun state.
Alake’s statement was against the declaration of Yoruba nation and South-West secession from Nigeria by a Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho.
The monarch said Nigeria cannot afford to go through another civil war, stressing that no country in the world will be willing to have over 250 million Nigerians as refugees.
The monarch said Nigerians, irrespective of their tribe, political or religious afflictions, must work together for the greater good of the country.
Alake said if Nigeria fails as a country, the entire black race has failed, insisting that Nigeria is better as one united nation than breaking up.
He said, “Nigerians, wherever we go in Nigeria we must see ourselves as nationals of the same country, people of the same blood.
“We must work together to make Nigeria great because we must not fail, Nigeria must not fail, if Nigeria fails, the black race has failed and may it never happened.
“Where will over 250 million people go to? If they enter the next country, we will eat all their foods within two days, there will be no food for anybody in that place again that is why we must remain where we are and make Nigeria work and work well.”
Alake, however, commended the national president of RTEAN for revolutionalising the nation’s road transport sector.
Maitakobi had earlier commissioned a multimillion naira mosque, built on the premises of RTEAN secretariat in Abeokuta by the Akibu- led administration.
Earlier in his address, Maitakobi said the association has concluded plans to inject new buses into the nation’s road transport sector, to aid easy movement of passengers from one point to another.
Maitakobi awarded Oba Adedotun as the grand patron of the association in recognition of the monarch’s support for RTEA.
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