Alaafin: If we don’t want to go the way of USSR, Czechoslovakia, Nigeria must be restructured now

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, has warned Yoruba leaders against giving support to Nnamdi Kanu and his Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), saying they should think twice.
He also said lest Nigeria go the same way of former Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) and Czechoslovakia which were once united as sovereign countries but later disintegrated, the Alaafin called on the Federal Government and political leaders to, as a matter of necessity, acquiesce to the restructuring agitation from various Nigerians of different nationalities.
Oba Adeyemi spoke on Monday in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, at a zonal public meeting organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) on true federalism.
The monarch, who was in attendance with the Olubadan of Ibadan, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso 1, gave the advice which was contained in a memorandum he presented on behalf of traditional rulers from Oyo, Ogun and Lagos States at the All Progressives Congress (APC) South-West Zonal public meeting on true federalism held at the International Conference Centre of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
In attendance were many dignitaries including Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State who is the Zonal Chairman, Governor Abiola Ajimobi who was represented by his Deputy, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo; the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle represented by his Chief of Staff Chief Tolu Odebiyi; Chief Kemi Nelson and the Advisory Council of Lagos State; Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Micheal Adeyemo, the APC Chairman in Oyo State, Chief Akin Oke; the Secretary of the Committee, Olubunmi Adetunji; monarchs across the state as well as various associations and stakeholders that submitted memoranda on the terms rolled out by the APC in consideration for restructuring of the country.
Oba Adeyemi advised leaders of the aftermath of the 1970 Civil War when some Igbo mistook the wise counsel of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo as a kind of endorsement which to the Igbos meant that the Yorubas abandoned them.
Said he: “Nigeria has gone a long way beyond contemplating any break up of it at this stage. Anybody holding restructure synonymous with referendum is only being mischievous. Any idea of disintegration should remain a top and long unattainable dream. Under the present situation, it is unfortunate that some people are turning what should
have ordinarily been a matter for dialogue into confrontation’’.
“The Yoruba are known for civility and respect for the Rule of Law, and do not abhor any act of impunity. Through all his travails in public life, Awolowo never flinched in his respect for the rule of law through the judiciary and other constitutional means. Because of the political structure which Awolowo bequeathed to the Yoruba was that of Change through respect for the rule of law and constitutionalism, the
Yoruba will not support  any kind of lawlessness and youth brigandage in the name of self-determination, as being witnessed in some parts of the country today.
“Although, Yoruba want a united and indivisible country, this should not be at the expense of being subordinate to any other race as a second fiddle’’, the royal father asserted.
Oba Adeyemi, who said he was speaking on behalf of traditional rulers in Yorubaland and insisted that the country should remain one united entity, called for power devolution in some areas like agriculture, labour, education and local government.
Alaafin’s 30 minutes’ speech was interjected with
rounds of applause by the over 5,000 people in attendance.
He stated that a unified admission policy into even state-owned-universities is least desirable, pointing out that states should be able to optimize their resources according to their needs.
“All these calls of marginalisation will be things of the past the moment the centre sheds its overload to the states. States should also be allowed to create and supervise the running of local governments’’.
Oba Adeyemi wondered why ‘’Lagos State, which has the largest population in the country could have only 20 Local Governments, as against 44 in Kano State, just like Jigawa and Katsina too.
‘‘Lopsidedness in the creation of some administrative units needs a re-visit. An example is the creation of Local Governments by the Federal Government not based on population, but on the so-called land mass’’.
Recalling that the institution of Alaafin is a major stakeholder in the Nigeria project since the colonial era, Oba Adeyemi said he was not unmindful of the responsibility which history, traditions and customs impose on him on behalf of the Yoruba race.
“My experience as a federalist predates the modern system of federalism. That dates back to the Old Yoruba/Oyo Empire when too much concentration of power in Oyo led to series of unease and discomfort across Yorubaland. Power has to be decentralised  with the consent of the Alaafin to each kingdom, an equivalent of modern day province’’.
Sounding a stern note of warning therefore, Alaafin told the gathering: “What I am saying is that, if we do not restructure Nigeria, what happened in USSR may happen. USSR was broken with force. Czechoslovakia also was divided through force. What we are currently witnessing was the way the leaders of those countries were doing.
“Thirty-six states’ workers are not being paid because the governors cannot pay them. The root cause of all these was the killing of political leaders in the First Republic which was sectional and unjust. The killing of political leaders was sectional, unjust and the bloodshed is still hunting us.
“Ironsi scrapped the Federal structure and replaced it with unitary system and since then, we have not come back to true federalism. We must go back to the glorious days of Marketing Board.
“There will continue to be ASUU strike. Eighteen years ago, they signed a memorandum of understanding, yet they can’t solve it. We are concentrating too much power at the centre. The present state of things can only be resolved through a summit like this.
“Now, it is very difficult to pay the Obas, the Obas are not trade union and so, we cannot protest. Too much of dependence on the centre has reduced the powers of states with rising state of unemployment. States should be created and resources given them according to their population, and not land mass. Except we come to true federalism, there cannot be peace”, the monarch said.
Lalong noted that restructuring really started in Nigeria from Ibadan, “and we shall go with solution from this summit”.
He promised that all the memoranda submitted by the various groups would not be tampered with, saying, “There will be no dilution. Our duty is to collect your views and present to the appropriate quarter”.