By YEMI ADELEYE

The Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide (YCYW) and Yoruba Council of Women Worldwide (YCWW) have asked their members to stay away from the proposed October 1 rally.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that a group, Yoruba One Voice (YOV), has proposed rally for Yoruba self determination Oct. 1.

However, the groups, YCYW and YCWW, both under the umbrella of the Igbimo Apapo Yoruba Lagbaye, in a statement on Monday in Lagos, disassociated themselves from the rally, saying that the plan for the rally was “opaque”.

The statement was jointly signed by Chief Oladotun Hassan and Mr Adekanbi Siyanbade, both President-General and Executive Secretary of the pan Yoruba groups, respectively.

The statement said that the planned rally was being carried out without due regard for various stakeholders as there were no consultations with other interest groups.

It said that the promoters of the rally had remained faceless with their real identities still shielded, adding that the process was being carried out “like a headless chicken”.

“This singular act to raise another flag in a territory of a nation could lead to invasion and arm conflicts against the government.

“We, therefore, seize this medium to inform the whole world, and having earlier instructed and directed all members of YCYW, YCWW and all our affiliate organisations not to promote any Oodua flags, emblems, insignia, nor participate in the declared ‘YorubaExit Rally’ of 1st October, 2020.

“We have more pressing issues than fanning embers of crises; Nigeria currently needs collective fundamental intervention and rescue mission by our generation,” it said.

According to the groups, since the elderly are leaving the scene soon, the YCYW and YCWW are earnestly working on building bridges of collaborations with our sister organisations within Southern Nigeria.

The statement said they were working with like-minded bodies for an opportunity to dialogue on all and every affected areas of mutual concern and raised fundamental demands, while proffering innovative ideas for lasting solutions to the country’s challenges.

It added: “Hence, our freedom lies in our collective destiny and not in the street protest. We need more unity in Yoruba land to succeed on any Yoruba Agenda.

“However, we must first aim to clean the Augean political stables internally, and ask all our elected or selected political leaders to show transparency, integrity, service and give maximum accountability, based on absolute fidelity and prudency in the management of our resources.” (NAN)

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