A coalition of Yoruba groups, pan-Yoruba National Alliance, has dismissed the notion that Lagos is a no-man’s land. The group, therefore, warned non-indigenes in the state to be sensitive to the culture and sensibilities of the Yoruba.
The group , which is a coalition of youths drawn from Oodua Nationalists Coalition, Oodua Liberation Movement and the Oodua Peoples Congress, among others, said this even as some Igbo groups in Lagos tabled a seven-point agenda before Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, demanding that he appoints some Igbo into his cabinet.
The PAYNA youths, who took to the streets to protest on Tuesday, warned that any attempt to marginalise the Yoruba in Lagos would be resisted.
A leader of the group, Mr. Araoye Akinwunmi, said, “This is a symbolic rally to warn against the assault on Yoruba heritage. We are sick of people who trample on our heritage even though they make their millions on our territory. The Yoruba will no longer accept the conscious attempt to turn us into slaves on our own land.”The youths also denounced the purported siege laid to the Dallas, Texas office of Dr. Ariyo Adeniran, a renowned cardiologist in the United States by some Igbo in the Diaspora.
The group said the offence committed by the doctor was that he supported the Oba of Lagos, Riliwanu Akiolu, who said that anyone that moved against Ambode would perish in the lagoon.
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Martins Adeleke, another leader of PAYNA said, “This is a symbolic rally. More will come. Our actions will be determined by the proportional response to our demand that if you are living in Rome, you must respect the Pope. If you are living in Yoruba land, you must show respect to our age-long values and our cherished heritage.”
“Thousands of our Igbo brothers all over the world have been waging war against this innocent Yoruba person whose offence was that he supported the outcry of Oba Akiolu that anyone who supports the retrogression of Lagos will be consumed by the goddess of the sea.”
He alleged that Igbo companies have launched a ‘reciprocal discrimination campaign’ against Yoruba employees in companies located in Yoruba territory.