Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The Okun People in Kogi state have dissociated themselves from the threat of Jihad (war) on the Yorubas of South West Nigeria for rejecting the proposed Sharia Law in the region
In a statement issued by the President General, Okun Development Association (ODA), Amb. Akenson Rotimi said the Okun People who are mainly Yorubas from Kogi State Okun are YORUBA PONMBELE that is totally Yoruba in history, culture- language, customs, practices, dresses, diet, perspectives, social and moral laws, games, music etc etc)
He said the attention of Okun People, currently in the Western Senatorial District of Kogi State, has been drawn a Sahara Reporter’s story, quoting from Facebook that an Okun man with a Fulani mother, has threatened Jihad on the Yoruba of South West Nigeria for rejecting Sharia Law.
“Before our response we draw attention to the following facts in the report, that the man claims that his name is Abbey, an Okun man with a Fulani mother, he claimed to be an Okun man but not Yoruba. He claims that he identifies with the Fulani, his mother’s tribe, rather than Okun and He, very correctly, stated that the Okun are mot Islamaophobic.
According to him, Mr Abbey, who issued a threat of Jihad may not know who he is, but Okun People know who they are. Okun people therefore, dissociate themselves from his threats.
“We want to state clearly that Okun People don’t know him and by his own claim he identifies with the Fulani. He therefore cannot speak for Okun
“We also affirm that his position on the matter at hand does not reflect or represent that of Okun People who wholeheartedly disassociate themselves from the threat he issued.
“Okun People affirm that they are not Islamaophobic. Christians, Muslims and Traditional Religion Practitioners have always lived together happily and are mixed in most families and that there has never been a crisis in their relationships.
“On the matter of religion, Okun People strictly adhere to the very clear position of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended) that NIGERIA IS A SECULAR STATE where everyone has rights to practice any religion. This Constitutional provision means that any part of Nigeria that adopts a religion as State Religion proclaims that it has exited from the Federation of Nigeria.
“We also afirm that the land on which Okun People live is entirely and historically Yorubaland. It never belonged to any other tribe or religion
“Okun is Isale Oya KUN IS ISALE OYA (South) not Oke Oya (North). Okun had been in the North not by the voluntary will of our people but through British Colonialism.
“Okun was taken out of its traditional historical and cultural relationship and merged with other tribes in the North with which they had no geographical, historical, cultural and economic ties, ” he noted
The ODA President therefore called for a reversal of the injustice done to them since 1903 and demand for a referendum to give expression to their new course of History, thisbis because Okun People want to develop new relationship and alliances with those of similar Culture, History and development