In sum, the Yoruba political leadership, as mentioned by Balarabe Musa, has shown itself over the years to be incapable of rising above narrow tribal interests and reciprocating goodwill from other sections of the country by treating other groups with respect. Practically every crisis in Nigeria since independence has its roots in this attitude.

The Yoruba elite and area-boy politics;
Igbo marginalisation and the responsible limits of retribution; and
The Yoruba Factor and “Area-boy” Politics.
My views on the Yoruba political leadership have been thoroughly articulated in some of my writings, prime among which was ” Afenifere: Syllabus of Errors” published by This Day (The Sunday Newspaper) on Sept 27, 1998. There was also an earlier publication in the weekly Trust entitled ” The Igbo, the Yoruba and History” (Aug. 21, 1998).

In sum, the Yoruba political leadership, as mentioned by Balarabe Musa, has shown itself over the years to be incapable of rising above narrow tribal interests and reciprocating goodwill from other sections of the country by treating other groups with respect. Practically every crisis in Nigeria since independence has its roots in this attitude.

The Yoruba elite were the first, in 1962, to attempt a violent overthrow of an elected government in this country. In 1966, it was the violence in the West which provided an avenue for the putsch of 15th January. After Chief Awolowo lost to Shagari in 1983 elections, it was the discontent and bad publicity in the South-West which led to the Buhari intervention.

When Buhari jailed UPN governors like Ige and Onabanjo, the South-Western press castigated that good government and provided the right mood for IBB to take over power. As soon as IBB cleared UPN governors of charges against them in a politically motivated retrial, he became the darling of the South-West. When IBB annulled the primaries in which Adamu Ciroma and Shehu Yar Adua emerged as presidential candidates in the NRC and SDP, he was hailed by the South-West. When the same man annulled the June 12, 1993 elections in which Abiola was the front-runner, the South-West now became defenders of democracy.

When it seemed Sani Abacha was sympathetic to Abiola, the South-West supported his take-over. He was in fact invited by a prominent NADECO member to take over in a published letter shortly before the event. Even though Abiola had won the elections in the North, the North was blamed for its annulment. When Abdulsalam Abubakar started his transition, the Yoruba political leadership through NADECO presented a memorandum on a Government of National Unity that showed complete disrespect for the intelligence and liberties of other Nigerians.

Subsequently, they formed a tribal party which failed to meet minimum requirements for registration, but was registered all the same to avoid the violence that was bound to follow non-registration, given the area-boy mentality of South-West politicians. Having rejected an Obasanjo candidacy and challenged the election as a fraud in court, we now find a leading member of the AD in the government, a daughter of an Afenifere leader as Minister of State, and Awolowo´s daughter as Ambassador, all appointed by a man who won the election through fraud.

Meanwhile, nothing has been negotiated for the children of Abiola, the focus of Yoruba political activity. In return for these favours, the AD solidly voted for Evan Enwerem as Senate President. This is a man who participated in the two-million- man March for Abacha´s self-succession. He also is reputed to have hosted a meeting of governors during IBB´s transition, demanding that June 12 elections should never be de-annulled and threatening that the East would go to war if this was done. When Ibrahim Salisu Buhari was accused of swearing to a false affidavit, the Yoruba political elite correctly took up the gauntlet for his resignation.

When an AD governor, Bola Tinubu, swears to a false affidavit that he attended an Ivy League University which he did not attend, we hear excuses.

For so many years, the Yoruba have inundated this country with stories of being marginalised and of a civil service dominated by northerners through quota system. The Federal Character Commission has recently released a report which shows that the South-West accounts for 27.8% of civil servants in the range GL08 to GL14 and a full 29.5% of GL 15 and above. One zone out of six zones controls a full 30% of the civil service leaving the other five zones to share the remaining 70%. We find the same story in the economy, in academia, in parastatals.
Yet in spite of being so dominant, the Yoruba complained and complained of marginalization. Of recent, in recognition of the trauma which hit the South-West after June 12, the rest of the country forced everyone out of the race to ensure that a South-Westerner emerged, often against the best advice of political activists.

Instead of leading a path of reconciliation and strong appreciation, the Yoruba have embarked on short-sighted triumphalism, threatening other “nationalities” that they ( who after all lost the election) will protect Obasanjo ( who was forced on them). No less a person than Bola Ige has made such utterances.

To further show that they were in charge, they led a cult into the Hausa area of Sagamu, murdered a Hausa woman and nothing happened. In the violence that followed, they killed several Hausa residents, with Yoruba leaders like Segun Osoba, reminding Nigerians of the need to respect the culture of their host communities. This would have continued were it not for the people of Kano who showed that they could also create their own Oro who would only be appeased through the shedding of innocent Yoruba blood.
I say all this, to support Balarabe Musa´s statement, that the greatest problem to nation-building in Nigeria are the Yoruba Bourgeoisie. I say this also to underscore my point that until they change this attitude, no conference can solve the problems of Nigeria. We cannot move forward if the leadership of one of the largest ethnic groups continues to operate, not like statesmen, but like common area boys.
iii.The Igbo Factor and the Reasonable Limits of Retribution.

The Igbo people of Nigeria have made a mark in the history of this nation. They led the first successful military coup which eliminated the Military and Political leaders of other regions while letting off Igbo leaders. Nwafor Orizu, then Senate President, in consultation with President Azikiwe, subverted the constitution and handed over power to Aguiyi-Ironsi. Subsequent developments, including attempts at humiliating other peoples, led to the counter-coup and later the civil war. The Igbos themselves must acknowledge that they have a large part of the blame for shattering the unity of this country.
Having said that, this nation must realise that Igbos have more than paid for their foolishness. They have been defeated in war, rendered paupers by monetary policy fiat, their properties declared abandoned and confiscated, kept out of strategic public sector appointments and deprived of public services. The rest of the country forced them to remain in Nigeria and has continued to deny them equity.
The Northern Bourgeoisie and the Yoruba Bourgeoisie have conspired to keep the Igbo out of the scheme of things. In the recent transition when the Igbo solidly supported the PDP in the hope of an Ekwueme presidency, the North and South-West treated this as a Biafra agenda. Every rule set for the primaries, every gentleman´s agreement was set aside to ensure that Obasanjo, not Ekwueme emerged as the candidate. Things went as far as getting the Federal Government to hurriedly gazette a pardon. Now, with this government, the marginalistion of the Igbo is more complete than ever before. The Igbos have taken all these quietly because, they reason, they brought it upon themselves. But the nation is sitting on a time-bomb.
After the First World War, the victors treated Germany with the same contempt Nigeria is treating Igbos. Two decades later, there was a Second World War, far costlier than the first. Germany was again defeated, but this time, they won a more honourable peace. Our present political leaders have no sense of History. There is a new Igbo man, who was not born in 1966 and neither knows nor cares about Nzeogwu and Ojukwu. There are Igbo men on the street who were never Biafrans. They were born Nigerians, are Nigerians, but suffer because of actions of earlier generations. They will soon decide that it is better to fight their own war, and may be find an honourable peace, than to remain in this contemptible state in perpetuity.

The Northern Bourgeoisie and the Yoruba Bourgeoisie have exacted their pound of flesh from the Igbos. For one Sardauna, one Tafawa Balewa, one Akintola and one Okotie-Eboh, hundreds of thousands have died and suffered.

If this issue is not addressed immediately, no conference will solve Nigeria´s problems. By Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

Being Excerpts from A Paper Presented At The “National Conference On The 1999 Constitution” Jointly Organised By The Network For Justice And The Vision Trust Foundation, At The Arewa House, Kaduna From 11th –12th September, 1999.


http://www.naijaonpoint.com/politics/yorubas-are-the-problem-with-nigeria-by-lamido-sanusi.html

Reading...

.

Still reading.....

Chai!

Still still reading

Isn't better u advice ur kinsmen to pack and leave yoruba land with their trouble?

Wen are we going to stop this tribal war? It's seriously taking us aback. How u wish Nigeria is just one tribe or speak same language.

In as much we speak different languages, we will always av issues. Govt is yet to identify our challenges.

I think I have read it many years ago what is it still doing here again?

Am still reading also . .... Yeye people ! Tell me any tribe more accommodating than the yorubas in Nigeria

Ok.

If not for the same Yoruba, I doubt if there wld still be a contraption called Nigeria.

Hmmm."Area boy politics."

Anytime I read this I always give it 100% to Sanusi that he got it right! Indeed the major problem of Nigeria remains the YORUBAS. Even the real Yorubas (not the fake ones) know this.

silly write up... I'm tired of you guys joor. I mean Nigeria as a whole!

Ok

Pheals:
Am still reading also . .... Yeye people ! Tell me any tribe more accommodating than the yorubas in nigeri

My dear truth is bitter but learn how to swallow it, because it will liberate you on the longrun from the spirit of falsehood. The post is not about Yoruba's accommodating spirit (of course other tribes accommodate too) but here Sanusi is talking about the politics of bitterness and sophistries being perpetuated and still going on among the Yorubas. Next time read it well......

This is not good for public consumption. It is capable of hitting up the polity.

Am particularly not happy about it as an Igbo man, despite being civil in my conduct.

It can spur one into action.

learn how to swallow it, because it will liberate you on the longrun from the spirit of falsehood. The post is not about Yoruba's accommodating spirit (of course other tribes accommodate too) but here Sanusi is talking about the politics of bitterness and sophistries being perpetuated and still going on among the Yorubas. Next time read it well......[/quote] ahhhh bro most of the top government positions who have been occupying them for long?

So y blaming the yorubas

Lamido sanusi is a fool sha



But the Hausa- Fulani's have ruled Nigeria for over 34 years and where's Nigeria?

This is not time to lay blames. Let us think of how to move this country forward.

Pheals:
Am still reading also . .... Yeye people ! Tell me any tribe more accommodating than the yorubas in Nigeria

You're a yoruba, right? You're no different from Sanusi. Instead of saying that atleast majority of your tribe are accommodating, you're clashing other tribes through your comparison.

I'm an Ibo and I so much love my youruba and Hausa friends and I know that in all tribes, you will get people who are just stupid!

With ur comment above, I now really understand why it is berra for people to remove the broom-stick from their eyes before removing the log of wood from another.

Pheals:
Am still reading also . .... Yeye people ! Tell me any tribe more accommodating than the yorubas in Nigeria

Oh yeah una are accomdating by harassing non Yoruba using your agberos, OPC, and thugs you call leaders.

You are so accomdating by displaying inferiority complex because there's "ohaneze" in your states and declaring "they trying to be kings..they can't be kings in our land" yet the same community Care less that una have a kayebish in Onitsha, a yoruba leader in Enugu and so forth.

You are so accomdating by attacking the Hausa in Ibadan and Lagos because they sell meat higher than they use to. You harass them by using your agberos thugs to try an extort money from them and when they retaliate, you run away accusing them off savagery.

You are so accomdating by repeatedly insulting Akwa ibom maids as if being a house help is something they should be ashamed of. Occasionally mistreating them because of it

You are so accomdating by threatening Igbo's to die in lagoon because they have a different opinion of leadership by una

You are so accomdating by calling deltans and river state "militants" and stealing what naturally belongs to both states and when we migrate to get job to those oil companies, you use your bigotry to make sure Yoruba gets majority of the post.

You are so accomdating that you organized a protest with signs saying "igbo go home" or something like that that in front and igbo businessman company who pay taxes.

Yes you are the most accomdating. Tell me any other southern region who does the crap our dear "accomdating" people do. The least accomdating constantly naming themselves "the most accomdating". Bleep out of here

Although I didn't read all the writeup,

Bt I believe we all entitle to our own opinion

Hmmm...so awolowo really attempted a coup,that's interesting.

princemillla:
Isn't better u advice ur kinsmen to pack and leave yoruba land with their trouble?

Wen are we going to stop this tribal war? It's seriously taking us aback. How u wish Nigeria is just one tribe or speak same language.

In as much we speak different languages, we will always av issues. Govt is yet to identify our challenges.

even though we all speak one language, kins men will still divide us into minority and majority

EastLebanon:
Hmmm...so awolowo really attempted a coup,that's interesting.

I akways knew that there was a good reason why Awolowo was sent to jail for treason.

Forget Yorubas, besides Fayose and FFK, the rest of them are 'a$$ lickers' of the North.

I disagree with Sanusi. While I can't say which of the three major tribes is the problem I can say it is definitely NOT the Yorubas from my experience.

The message is, Sanusi and his friends know that Yoruba is the only tribe standing up to them where it matters, so he took his time to rant about us.. And yes we are his problem and his headache that keeps him up at night.

For the shiitt carriers ibos above, the day you become problem to the trouble making north is the day you arrive. For now "salt melt where it's placed", Stay where you are, no one takes you seriously.

Now it is very convenient for you to agree with Sanusi - a norther muslim.
At other time the north and "their islam" is what is hold us back and many of your people have vowed not to have anything to do with them.
What hypocracy.

Meanwhile, thanks for regurgitating an old article (May 2015) but no thanks for making it look like it was written yesterday.
FYI- this has been discussed before. So shift commot one side.

Next!

So this MohamMADan pedophile is still allow to talk!