Rising from a meeting in Lagos on Sunday, Yoruba leaders have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to return Nigeria to true federalism.
Those who attended the meeting included the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Frederick Akinrutan; Oba of Lagos Riwanu Akiolu; Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle and Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Alabi.
Ministers and governors in attendance include Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos and his deputy Dr Obafemi Hazat, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, and Gboyega Oyetola of Osun.
The federal delegation that attended the meeting of Northern governors and traditional rulers last week in Kaduna also attended the meeting. They are include Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the director-general, Department of State Services (DSS), Alhaji Yusuf Magaji Bich and work and housing minister Babatunde Raji Fashola.
The Yoruba leaders issued a 13-point communiqué in which they also called for “specific measures to repair damages” done during #EndSARS protest.
The Yoruba leaders demanded equal treatment for all Nigerians irrespective of ethnic or religious leaning. They urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that Nigeria is brought back to true federalism to avert a crisis like the one witnessed during the #EndSARS protest.
The communiqué read in part: “We call for specific measures and proposals to repair damage done to the physical infrastructure and economic assets of the South West.
“We believe that the prolonged closure of the border has caused economic difficulties and should be re-examined to alleviate problems of the people in the border communities and prices of some essential commodities.
“There is need to review the closure and permit resumption of economic and trading activities.”