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Prominent Yoruba diaspora socio-cultural organization,the Oodua Progressive Union (OPU) has urged the Federal Government to embrace regionalism as the best approach to achieve the nation’s potentials.
The union also advised the six South West governors to place the region’s integrated development plan on the front burner in their list of priorities.
The Yoruba diaspora socio-cultural organisation also want the south west governors to work out modalities for creating effective security network, deliver on quality education, invest in private power projects especially now that states have been given the power to generate electricity. Of course, they also advised on delivering effective railway project, all geared towards engendering growth and development in the region.
The OPU articulated these positions in a communique issued at the end of its European Summit held recently in the United Kingdom. The communique was signed by the 14th Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, who is also the global convener of the diaspora organization, Iba Gani Adams, assisted by the secretary general, Prince Olanrewaju Sunmonu, as well as Europe coordinator, Alhaji Gani Wahab.
The Yoruba diaspora organization, with branches in 101 countries across the six continents, specifically harped on, and encouraged the south west governors to ensure speedy construction of regional electricity and railway networks to galvanise employment and business opportunities, induce ease of movement, and help in cushioning the effects of the hardship being faced by Nigerians with the indisciminate price hikes and electricity tariffs.
“The South West Governors must be ready to replicate the region’s past success stories by focusing on the region’s integrated development plan,” the communiques said.
“We need to revive our educational sector. Security of lives and property should be of utmost priority in the south west. We must make Yoruba language a compulsory subject for students’ admission in all state universities in the South West.
“Our members have been urged to intensify efforts in setting up an online Yoruba language school,in order to promote the Yoruba cultural identity and language.
“We also urge the governors to pay more attention to the issue of insecurity ravaging the region.
“And in doing that, the governors must partner with the South West Security Stakeholders Groups (SSSG), a security outfit consisting 15 different security groups under the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams.
“With the partnership,Yorubaland will be peaceful and the spate of insecurity across the region will reduce drastically.
“The South West governors must also reinforce the security across the region, even as we urge the Lagos State Government to join the other states in the region to inaugurate Amotekun security outfit in order to boost the morale of the other five states in the south west.”