Secession: NASS member cautions agitators to apply wisdom

Rep. Ibrahim Olanrewaju, representing Moba/Ilejemeje/Ido-Osi federal constituency 2 at the House of Representatives, has cautioned agitators for secession to thread softly.

Olanrewaju, who gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Ado Ekiti, advised the masterminds of the agitations to apply wisdom as the road being thread may lead to destruction.

He said that those desirous of a structural change should make good use of the constitutional review rather than carrying guns and destroying the national wealth.

The lawmaker said that some individuals and groups of people under the guise of clamouring for structural change had engaged in acts inimical to the socio-economic well-being of the country.

He said, “I have no problems with the agitations for secession; maybe if we go our different ways we will be able to understand ourselves better.

“But, even if we are going to do that, we cannot do it this way, we cannot continue to destroy ourselves and say that we want to secede.

“The ways that they are taking their agitations may lead to destruction and they may end up destroying themselves.

“I will advise they thread softly and apply some wisdom and think of the future of those coming behind them.”

Olanrewaju, who is also a lawyer, advised those behind the agitations to key into the ongoing constitutional review to achieve their aims or visions, stressing “but not through destruction of properties and national assets.

“Let them insist that self-determination be included in the sections of the constitution, insist on what they want, list out the procedure and criteria they expect to meet.

“That is the only way out, but not by carrying guns to canvass their position, that can only lead to war.”

He advised all the tribal leaders canvassing for secession to insist on what they wanted before the respective constitution review committees.

“With that, they can be rest assured that the National Assembly will heed their calls because they can not be bigger than the people.

“If Yorubas, Hausa and the Middle belt insist in going their different ways, no problems, but I will like to advise and implore them to be fully involved in the constitutional review to insist on what they want.

“Let them use the opportunity and sit on the neck of the National Assembly to do their bidding, to insert self-determination into the section of the constitution.

“It is these same people that elected us to represent them and they must insist that we do their bidding, but to say that they want to resolve it by carrying arms, it’s a big lie because no crisis has ever been resolved through carrying of arms.

“They will just waste the national resources, kill themselves and at the end of the day, come back to a roundtable to resolve whatever the crisis is and move on,” he said.