OPCI Warns External Aggressors To Steer Clear Of Yoruba Land

The National President of Oodua Progressive Care Iniatives (OPCI)
Otunba Maruf Olanrewaju Salam has warned external aggressors like the Fulani herdsmen to steer clear of Yoruba land as the organization is set to defend its land.

Salam gave this warning while fielding questions from journalists during the inauguration of Osun State chapter of the organization/leadership lecture in Ile-Ife.

According to him, “We belonged to Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) before we formed Oodua Progressive Care Initiatives (OPCI) as a result of atrocities in the OPC. What we have used in Mile 12, Mile 2, Agege, Mushin, Sagamu, Ilorin crisis among others is still very much with us.

“We are prepared to come out in full force to flush any marauding Fulani herdsmen out of Yoruba land. We know that the on-going crisis and terrorism in the North East is making their youths to be migrating down South. However, we heard it on good authority that the Hausa/Fulani are sending their youths to Yoruba land and entire Southern part of Nigeria to cause crisis.

Their migratory pattern gives room for suspicion as they get to the South and within a short time start to ride Okada or do other menial businesses. We as an organization are fully prepared to defend Yoruba land.”

Warning Yoruba people to be wary of the Hausa/Fulani migrants, he said, “we should not oversleep, Alimi used religion to deceive the Yoruba to take over Ilorin by killing Afonja. We should be conscious of those riding Okada. We should not allow history to repeat itself”.

On challenges of the organization since it was launched last year September, he averred that inadequate finance and costant harassment of our members by the OPC. “We are not after Gani Adam’s glory but most of his co-ordinators believes that OPCI would wrestle power from OPC. You are aware that OPC has been banned by the Federal Government of Nigeria since 2001 whereas OPCI is registered organization. Gani

Adams and his followers became jittery, feel threatened with the emergence of OPCI and have since been after our members that are defecting to OPCI on daily basis. For instance, Abore and Iya Oodua were kidnapped by OPC members in Osogbo. We had to petition the Inspector General of Police, Director General of Department of State Security Service (DSS(, and the Security Adviser to the President. Though Gani Adamswas not in Osogbo but his followers committing these crimes.”

He added that, “we are set to report him to the kings in Yoruba land for them to see what Are Ona Kakanfo is doing. We would not want Yoruba land to be set on fire any longer.”

He called on the youths in Yoruba land to wake up from their political slumber and take up the challenge of leadership. This is because in our own country, Nigeria, the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki ventured successfully into politics at a young age and he has emerged as a leader.

Salam also appealed to Nigerian politicians to eschew violence and play the game according to its rules as they are approaching election period. He pleaded with them to put the interest of the people at heart by making them get the dividends of democracy.

Salam who disclosed that not less than thirty-five of its members has been sponsored to study courses like Management education at the American University in Benin Republic said that the organization is set to empower its members educationally, financially and logistically to success in any of their ventures.

Resisting the objectives of the OPCI, Salam said, “it is to promote culture, peace and unity among the Yoruba, support the law enforcement
agencies to make the society free of crimes. He said, “our cultural heritage has gone down and if care is not taken, our culture may go into extinction in the next fifty years.Our royal fathers must be actively involved in promoting our culture.

“It is sad that many homes in Yoruba land today don’t speak Yoruba as a language even to their children”

He advocated Yoruba language as the medium of teaching and instructions in the primary and secondary schools.

Eulogising Ooni of Ife, Ooni Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi in his peaceand unity drive, he called on other traditional rulers as well as sons and daughters of Yoruba descent to be committed to an harmonious peace and unity of the race.