Yoruba leaders, Gana urge government to revisit 2014 confab report

Prominent Yoruba leaders under the aegis of Yoruba Leadership and Peace Initiative have called on the Federal Government to begin in earnest, the process of implementation of the 2014 National Conference report before the 2019 general elections.

The leaders at a conference yesterday in Ibadan also appealed to all Yoruba leaders irrespective of their political inclinations to work for the unity and development of the race and revisit some of the policies of the first Premier of the old Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

They noted that the need for the executive and the national assembly to revisit the confab report and douse tension in the country.

Some of the leaders at the conference included a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George; former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; Senator Bode Olajumoke, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN); Chairman, Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Mr. Olawale Oshin and convener of the conference, Otunba Deji Osibogun.

Speakers at the conference declared support for restructuring of the country.

George warned that the mistakes of the past should not be repeated to truncate the unity of Yoruba race, adding that the thoughts of former Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, should be revisited in administering South West states.

Daniel said the report of the 2014 national conference should be considered, describing it as a good document.

Agoro, urged the Yoruba race to stand with the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, especially at this trying period in the nation.

Otunba Deji Osibogun, noted that the 2014 dialogue was acknowledged to have made very far reaching decisions on the required constitutional reforms to effect the desired restructuring.

Also, former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, want government to have another look at the confab report and implement to give a new lease of life to Nigeria.

“To now say that the report is now gathering dust is not fair. There must be some good in that report, we appeal to the government of the day to have another look at the 2014 National Conference report and implement to give a new lease of life to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

In another development, the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, said the position of APC as regard President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2014 National Conference has not changed.

When reminded that the Senate had requested for the reports, El-Rufai said: “That is not likely to happen. We never believed in the national conference. We believe it is a jamboree. Our position has not changed, we are not going to look at the 2014 national conference reports.”

Speaking with journalists at the public presentation of African Study Bible yesterday in Abuja, Gana stated that division and hatred is very destructive to any nation, and appealed to all Nigerians irrespective of their grievances and challenges to desist from making statements that would generate tension in the society.

He observed that in a democracy, dialogue, debate, understanding are the way to go, stressing that you cannot create a society by force but by understanding as two people can never work together unless they agree.