Okun People Writes NASS, Demand Constitutional Review

-Adewale Adetoyese

“Zone us to South-West”

The Okun community, Kogi State.

Members of Okun ethnic nationality in Kogi State has written to the National Assembly, demanding relocation from the North-Central geopolitical zone to the South-West.

TellAfrica gathered that the demand was contained in the memorandum sent to the Senate Committee on the review of the 1999 constitution, under the aegis of Okun Development Association.

They also wanted a separate state which would be made up of the Okun people and the core Yoruba speaking part of Kwara State.

The memorandum, signed by Ambassador Babatunde Fadumiyo, on behalf of the President of ODA, expressed support for the restructuring of Nigeria to bring about a truly federal republic.

The document noted that there should be a boundary adjustment that would bring together, ethnic groups separated from their kit and kin.

It read in part, β€œTo ensure fairness and uphold human rights for minority nationalities who have been separated by artificial boundaries from their kith and kin, a referendum shall be conducted.

β€œThis will enable such nationalities to choose which local government area, state and region to join as long as their present location is contiguous to the LGA, state or region they want to join.

β€œThe Okun people of Kogi State reaffirm their Yoruba origin. It is incontrovertible that their culture and culture and values are the same as those of Yoruba in the South-West of Nigeria with whom we share territorial contiguity and economic relations.

β€œWe therefore, put forward as our core demand, the readjustment or relocation of Okun people’s political and land boundary from the North-Central zone to the South-West.

β€œIn joining the South-West, we demand that Okunland be incorporated as a state (Okun State), since we have all it takes to be a viable one.’’

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