Sunday Aborisade, Abuja

The Okun ethnic nationality in Kogi State has demanded relocation from the North -Central geopolitical zone to the South -West.

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

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,

“ To 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.

“ This 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.

“ The Okun people of Kogi State reaffirm their Yoruba origin. It is incontrovertible that their 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.

“ We 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 .

“ In 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. ’’

https://punchng.com/constitution-review-zone-us-to-south-west-okun-people-write-nass/

Okun people spreads across Kogi west in the map below.

Zone them out of nigeria into Oduduwa.

People are talking of moving out of the current Federal arrangements, these ones are talking about moving into SW.

Please okun should stop wasting their time on this mere academic exercise.

It is a pipe dream.

Mtcheew.

GarangDeMabior:
Zone them out of nigeria into Oduduwa.

People are talking of moving out of the current Federal arrangements, theses ones are talking about moving into SW.

Mtcheew.

It is one step at a time.

GarangDeMabior:
Zone them out of nigeria into Oduduwa.

People are talking of moving out of the current Federal arrangements, theses ones are talking about moving into SW.

Mtcheew.

You don't get it. Imagine a Yoruba speaking person being called a northerner when you don't even share similar cultures or values.

I personally hate it.

Let it be done

GarangDeMabior:
Zone them out of nigeria into Oduduwa.

People are talking of moving out of the current Federal arrangements, theses ones are talking about moving into SW.

Mtcheew.

You don't get it. We'll Join SW and move for Oduduwa in unison.
Do you know that people from Kwara, Kogi, Benue, FcT are referred to as Northerners
It is quite disgusting!

Romanoff:


You don't get it. Imagine a Yoruba speaking person being called a northern when you don't even share similar cultures or values.

I personally hate it.

Thank you my sister.

Romanoff:


You don't get it. Imagine a Yoruba speaking person being called a northern when you don't even share similar cultures or values.

I personally hate it.

Fulanis owns them by virtue of conquest.

U can't do nada about it. Arrewa, come and explain to him

Simongm:

You don't get it. We'll Join SW and move for Oduduwa in unison.
Do you know that people from Kwara, Kogi, Benue, FcT are referred to as Northerners
It is quite disgusting!

These places you named have been known as north for a long time.

They have a common language binding them which is Hausa.

GarangDeMabior:


These places you named have been known as north for a long time.

They have a common language binding them which is Hausa.

Hausa is common in Kwara? Lol, seems you haven't been to Kwara before

Impossible!! Kwarra and okun is forever lost to the caliphate war is the only thing that can bring them back ,can yorrobers go to war ? Not likely.

azmanaty02:


Fulanis owns them by virtue of conquest.

U can't do nada about it. Arrewa, come and explain to him

Fulanis have nothing to do with the Okun People. We have never shared a boundary with them.

That one go hard small oo

Make Arrewa and his Fulani warriors catch una

GarangDeMabior:


These places you named have been known as north for a long time.

They have a common language binding them which is Hausa.

Hausa is not spoken in Kogi and kwara sir

I don't know much about Benue tho but I doubt it cos I have met Benue natives as a corper and they don't speak Hausa

Simongm:

You don't get it. We'll Join SW and move for Oduduwa in unison.
Do you know that people from Kwara, Kogi, Benue, FcT are referred to as Northerners
It is quite disgusting!

That is not true. People in Kwara have different ethnic groups and Hausa is not one of them. In Kogi, there are also various ethnic groups, none are native Hausa speakers. FCT indigenes are Gbagyi, there are no Hausas in Benue.

Fulanis own that land by conquest, you are not going anywhere, if you want to leave the north, you can leave by walking down to the SW with your loads on your head, but not with the land in the North. It belongs to Fulanis.

Two can play the game.

Now you know how the indigenous igbo extraction feels when you say they are not part of igbos..


Or imagine some impps compose theory that the okuns are not yorubas ... How would feel if they say the SW wants to grab Land



Last last we go dey alright

They're not getting any state most likely. There's not going to be any new states for two reasons being electoral politics and revenue sharing. The requirements for new state creation require alot consensus.They can go join whichever SW state they please if they follow the constitutional process.

1999 constitution Chapter 1 part 2 section 8-2

An Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of boundary adjustment of any existing State shall only be passed if- 

(a) a request for the boundary adjustment, supported by two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding and the area affected by the boundary adjustment) in each of the following, namely- 

(i) the Senate and the House of Representatives, 

(ii) the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and 

(iii) the local government councils in respect of the area. is received by the National Assembly; and 

(b) a proposal for the boundary adjustment is approved by - 

(i) a simple majority of members of each House of the National Assembly, and 

(ii) a simple majority of members of the House of Assembly in respect of the area concerned

GarangDeMabior:


These places you named have been known as north for a long time.

They have a common language binding them which is Hausa.

Yoruba language is more popular in Kwara than Hausa and Fulfude

Nobody recognized ODA ....They should have sent the request through their senator Smart Adeyemi and Yusuf?

If the existing structure favours your representatives you think they will just give their personal interest sway lailai

olawalepopoola:

Yoruba language is more popular in Kwara than Hausa and Fulfude

Hausa is not spoken in any part of Kwara and as a matter of fact, in the southern part of Niger state (Nupe land), Yoruba is widely spoken and commonly spoken than even Hausa.

olawalepopoola:

Yoruba language is more popular in Kwara than Hausa and Fulfude

Hausa is not spoken in Kwara


Fulfude is hardly spoken even among core Fulanis and they are very few.
Yoruba is the lingua.
Almost all the people with fulani heritage in Ilorin now answer Yoruba Names including the Emir

azmanaty02:


Fulanis owns them by virtue of conquest.

U can't do nada about it. Arrewa, come and explain to him

Why don't you tell us exactly when Fulani conquered Okunland.

A nation is, a group of people with the same language, culture and in same geographical locations.okun people don taya
Okun people really messed up, when they were in kwara, they dominated almost all the ministry, suddenly the likes of smart adeyemi started fighting for separation and their wish was granted, now they want to come back when gara people don show them shege

Romanoff:


That is not true. People in Kwara have different ethnic groups and Hausa is not one of them. In Kogi, there are also various ethnic groups, none are native Hausa speakers. FCT indigenes are Gbagyi, there are no Hausas in Benue.

Is lokoja part of Okun?

illicit:



Hausa is not spoken in Kwara


Fulfude is hardly spoken even among core Fulanis and they are very few.
Yoruba is the lingua.
Almost all the fulani in Ilorin answer Yoruba Names including the Emir

My project was ' Language use and attitude in Ilorin Metropolis'

Many people know nothing about ilorin, it easier for ilorin to join South West than okun people, I keep telling people that emir of ilorin will never pray for Nigeria to devide because there is no way ilorin will be left behind, the next town after ogbomoso(oyo) is ilorin and after u leave ilorin (heading to North) there are 100s of yoruba town/villages like oke oyi, jebba, share etc, the last time I visited oke oyi, I witnessed their masquerade festival.
Now tell me how they going to merge ilorin with North? Will they erase those yoruba towns from existence ni, is like saying lagos will be part of biafra, will u skip ibadan, ogun etc

Okun people should fight for their right if they feel cheated on their land...

Kogi and Kwara should do the needful that emir for kwara nahim me no even gbadun self na Oba suppose dey lead them

If Ekiti and Ondo are smart they should capitalize on this opportunity. The only limiting factor is Kogi's cooperation. The state should guide them in the process since they didn't read constitution. Lol If the governor Id go so far as pay for propaganda to sway opinions.

Benbellamor:
Nobody recognized ODA ....They should have sent the request through their senator Smart Adeyemi and Yusuf?

If the existing structure favours your representatives you think they will just give their personal interest sway lailai

How is this agsinst their interest? No they should follow constitution to get their demand. Nobody going to declare a state or rezone them by fiat.

That will be a good development.
Femi Gbajabiamila should use his good office to Fast track this amendment.
Okuns are yorubas, as such should/must be counted with their kith and kin (South West)