Constitution review: Zone us to South-West, Okun people write NASS

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.’’