A cultural and advocacy organisation, Think Yoruba First (TYF), has delivered letters to the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde; the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Debo Ogundoyin; and the Lagos State House of Assembly, urging them to reject the Indigenous Rights bill proposed by the Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
In the letters, the TYF said it is deeply alarmed by the bill which seeks to grant indigenous rights to individuals who have either resided in a place for 10 years or have been married to an indigenous person for the same period.
The organisation warned that if the bill is passed, it will not only erode the cultural and historical foundations of Yoruba land but also create dangerous precedents that could lead to ethnic tensions, conflicts, and long-term destabilisation.
The TYF said it is a cultural and advocacy organisation committed to the protection, preservation, and empowerment of Yoruba people worldwide.
It also said its mission is to uphold the dignity of Yoruba heritage, advance indigenous rights, promote economic sovereignty, and secure a just future for our people within and beyond Nigeria.
“With the highest respect and deep reverence for the sacred thrones of our forefathers, we, on behalf of Think Yoruba First (TYF) organisation, write to you regarding an urgent matter that threatens the ancestral heritage, identity, and future of the Yoruba people and other indigenous groups across Nigeria,” the organisation said.
In its other campaigns against the bill, the TYF noted that indigenous rights are non-negotiable, adding that indigenous identity is based on blood, cultural heritage and ancestry, “it can neither be bought nor be acquired by fiat. Stop HB2057 proposal by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.”
The TYF said no serious nation undermines the rights of its indigenous people by arbitrarily granting indigenous status to settlers.
The organisation urged the National Assembly to focus on restructuring Nigeria into appropriate federating units according to ethnolinguistic and cultural heritage
