Here is the latest article from SAN, Femi Fani Kayode titled “Nationality
They say our territory is ”no-man’s land” yet they will never offer us theirs
in return or even allow us to build there. Who is the fool here? And when
we complain they have the nerve to insult us. Enough is enough. It stops
today. I am not a racist or a bigot but I believe that I have a right to defend
that which is mine and to preserve my identity. Though I love being both,
let it be clearly understood that I am a yorubaman before being a Nigerian
and I make no apology for that. We ignore our differences at our own peril
and this is not only naive but it is also exceptionally dangerous. They made
the same mistake in Yugoslavia through the ’70′s and 80′s until the explosion
came out of the blue in the ’90′s and all hell broke loose. No-one saw the war
coming in that country except the more discerning and brilliant minds who
had been shouting for decades before it came that their very own
”nationality question” had to be answered and that Colonel Broznin Tito’s
dream of an eternal and everlasting old Yugoslavia was unsustainable.
No-one listened to those discerning voices and consequently millions
were killed in the most horrendous and vicious civil war that Europe
has ever seen.
From being one country where the people and numerous nationalities
were compelled to ”forget their differences” by law, Yugoslavia was
eventually broken up into five sovereign independant states as a
consequence of fratricidal butchery and unrestrained and all-out war.
I pray that we never break up and that we never witness or fight such
a war in Nigeria. The answer is to understand and settle our differences
and not to forget them.
Question”
Permit me to begin this contribution with two incontrovertible assertions.
Firstly had we successfully answered what has come to be collectively
known as the ”Nationality Question” in the ’50′s and ’60′s there would
have been no civil war in 1967. Secondly had we not chosen to forget
our differences but instead had we tried to understand them the last fifty
three years of our existence as an independent nation would have witnessed
far more unity, stability and progress than it has done.
Firstly had we successfully answered what has come to be collectively
known as the ”Nationality Question” in the ’50′s and ’60′s there would
have been no civil war in 1967. Secondly had we not chosen to forget
our differences but instead had we tried to understand them the last fifty
three years of our existence as an independent nation would have witnessed
far more unity, stability and progress than it has done.
The agitation and quest to answer the ”Nationality Question” in Nigeria
will not stop until the question has been successfully answered no matter
how long our leaders, politicians, professionals and intellectuals ignore it
and attempt to brush it under the carpet. The quest to properly identify, situate
and define the rights, duties and obligations of each and every one of our
numerous nationalities in a wider Nigeria will never end until it is achieved.
will not stop until the question has been successfully answered no matter
how long our leaders, politicians, professionals and intellectuals ignore it
and attempt to brush it under the carpet. The quest to properly identify, situate
and define the rights, duties and obligations of each and every one of our
numerous nationalities in a wider Nigeria will never end until it is achieved.
As a matter of fact given the sheer desperation of each of the major ethnic
groups to win control at the centre in 2015, the activities of Boko Haram,
the agitation of the Niger Deltans, the ressurection of MASSOB, the
unmistakeable resurgence of a rather extreme form of igbo nationalism, the
activities of various ethnic nationalist groups and the growing religious and
sectarian divide in our country it has only just started in earnest and it is a
cause that I have chosen to dedicate my life to. As long as I live I will resist
the idea of any part of yorubaland being turned into a ”no-man’s land”
where the yoruba people are meant to live as second class citizens and
never-do-wells and where they are treated like filth. If that makes me
a tribalist or a bigot, then so be it.
groups to win control at the centre in 2015, the activities of Boko Haram,
the agitation of the Niger Deltans, the ressurection of MASSOB, the
unmistakeable resurgence of a rather extreme form of igbo nationalism, the
activities of various ethnic nationalist groups and the growing religious and
sectarian divide in our country it has only just started in earnest and it is a
cause that I have chosen to dedicate my life to. As long as I live I will resist
the idea of any part of yorubaland being turned into a ”no-man’s land”
where the yoruba people are meant to live as second class citizens and
never-do-wells and where they are treated like filth. If that makes me
a tribalist or a bigot, then so be it.
If loving my nationality, which comprises of 50 million yoruba people, and
adoring my nation of 160 million Nigerians at the same time is a crime then
I am guilty of that crime. I do not have to love one at the expense of the other.
We are not America which is a nation that is made-up of immigrants and
ex-slaves and a country which literally wiped out the indigenous population
that they met there when they arrived who were known as the Red Indians.
We are not Americans who somehow found their way into the world barely
three hundred years ago but we are Nigerians.
And each and every one of the great and numerous nationalities that make
up our beautiful nation has a noble heritage that goes back for thousands
of years.
adoring my nation of 160 million Nigerians at the same time is a crime then
I am guilty of that crime. I do not have to love one at the expense of the other.
We are not America which is a nation that is made-up of immigrants and
ex-slaves and a country which literally wiped out the indigenous population
that they met there when they arrived who were known as the Red Indians.
We are not Americans who somehow found their way into the world barely
three hundred years ago but we are Nigerians.
And each and every one of the great and numerous nationalities that make
up our beautiful nation has a noble heritage that goes back for thousands
of years.
We may not be as developed or as wealthy as they are but we know who
we are and we know where we are coming from. That is why I am proud
of this country and all the various nationalities that make it up regardless
of our difficulties and challenges. Yet we are not so different to some others.
In the United Kingdom there are basically four nationalities. The English,
the Welsh, the Irish and the Scottish. Each of these four nationalities is
actually a tribe yet you very rarely find a British person who will tell you
that he is not proud of his Scottish, Welsh, Irish or English heritage AND
at the same time proud of his nation.
He is first an Irishman, a Welshman, an Englishman or a Scot before being
British even though he cherishes being both.
we are and we know where we are coming from. That is why I am proud
of this country and all the various nationalities that make it up regardless
of our difficulties and challenges. Yet we are not so different to some others.
In the United Kingdom there are basically four nationalities. The English,
the Welsh, the Irish and the Scottish. Each of these four nationalities is
actually a tribe yet you very rarely find a British person who will tell you
that he is not proud of his Scottish, Welsh, Irish or English heritage AND
at the same time proud of his nation.
He is first an Irishman, a Welshman, an Englishman or a Scot before being
British even though he cherishes being both.
He does not have to sacrifice his Irish, Welsh, English or Scottish heritage
and roots for Britain and neither does he have to sacrifice Britain for his
heritage and roots. He balances it well, he has the best of both worlds and
this is indeed a wonderful thing. He derives his strength from both.
He enjoys being Irish, Scottish, English or Welsh and cherishes it deeply
just as much as he enjoys and cherishes being British. And today, centuries
after Great Britain was established as one nation under one Crown and
one Royal Sovereign the British citizen still cherishes his primary
nationality and tribal heritage so much that power has been gradually
devolved from the centre at Westminster in London to the various tribes
and ethnic nationalities in the regions over the years.
and roots for Britain and neither does he have to sacrifice Britain for his
heritage and roots. He balances it well, he has the best of both worlds and
this is indeed a wonderful thing. He derives his strength from both.
He enjoys being Irish, Scottish, English or Welsh and cherishes it deeply
just as much as he enjoys and cherishes being British. And today, centuries
after Great Britain was established as one nation under one Crown and
one Royal Sovereign the British citizen still cherishes his primary
nationality and tribal heritage so much that power has been gradually
devolved from the centre at Westminster in London to the various tribes
and ethnic nationalities in the regions over the years.
Such is the agitation for the restoration of ethnic identity and devolution
of power in the United Kingdom today that Scotland is preparing for
a referendum to determine whether her people should remain in
Great Britain or not. This is a beautiful thing. It is known as
self-determination and no human being ought to be denied that right.
Taking pride in your primary roots and your ancient heritage is not a crime.
That is how it is meant to be. It is only in Nigeria that we call this
perfectly natural and wholesome phenomenon ”tribalism”. We give it an
ugly name and we ascribe to it an even uglier connotation. Everywhere else
in the world the reality of ethnic nationalities is acknowledged, respected,
valued, cherished and well-managed. As a matter of fact such diversity
is a source of strength and pride for many.
of power in the United Kingdom today that Scotland is preparing for
a referendum to determine whether her people should remain in
Great Britain or not. This is a beautiful thing. It is known as
self-determination and no human being ought to be denied that right.
Taking pride in your primary roots and your ancient heritage is not a crime.
That is how it is meant to be. It is only in Nigeria that we call this
perfectly natural and wholesome phenomenon ”tribalism”. We give it an
ugly name and we ascribe to it an even uglier connotation. Everywhere else
in the world the reality of ethnic nationalities is acknowledged, respected,
valued, cherished and well-managed. As a matter of fact such diversity
is a source of strength and pride for many.
For example in the nation of Belgium one will find that there is an
ancient dichotomy and deep rivalries between the Flemish people of the
north and the Waloons of the south. They speak different languages and
have a completely different history and cultural heritage yet these two
great and ancient nationalities or tribes are proudly Belgian and they rally
under one flag. This is how it ought to be everywhere. I have no hate or
ill-feeling towards any other ehnic group in this country or anywhere else.
God knows that that is the truth. If I did I would say so and damn the
consequences. Racism and tribalism is below me and such primordial
traits offend my sensibilities. To harbour such views is well below
my intellectual and spiritual dignity. Those that know me well can
attest to this. I am just too big, too large-hearted and too well educated for
that sort of thing and most important of all my christian faith and heritage
does not allow me to look down on anyone or any other race. We are all
children of the Living God. I have as many non-yoruba friends just as
I have yoruba ones. I look down on no other human being, no other race
and no other nationality and I do not claim that the yoruba are
better than anyone else.
ancient dichotomy and deep rivalries between the Flemish people of the
north and the Waloons of the south. They speak different languages and
have a completely different history and cultural heritage yet these two
great and ancient nationalities or tribes are proudly Belgian and they rally
under one flag. This is how it ought to be everywhere. I have no hate or
ill-feeling towards any other ehnic group in this country or anywhere else.
God knows that that is the truth. If I did I would say so and damn the
consequences. Racism and tribalism is below me and such primordial
traits offend my sensibilities. To harbour such views is well below
my intellectual and spiritual dignity. Those that know me well can
attest to this. I am just too big, too large-hearted and too well educated for
that sort of thing and most important of all my christian faith and heritage
does not allow me to look down on anyone or any other race. We are all
children of the Living God. I have as many non-yoruba friends just as
I have yoruba ones. I look down on no other human being, no other race
and no other nationality and I do not claim that the yoruba are
better than anyone else.
What I insist on though is that I should be allowed to acknowledge my
history and to preserve my ancient heritage, culture, values and ethos.
I also insist that my people should be allowed to develop at their own
pace. I am not ashamed of who I am and where I come from and had
it not been for others holding us back I know where the south west
and the yoruba would have been by now in terms of development.
And neither would I go to England or America or Enugu or Kano
and claim that I own the place or that my people built it from scratch
and that they generate all the money that is there. I would never
say or do such a thing and neither should I be expected to sit back
quietly when someone says it about my land, my people and my territory.
history and to preserve my ancient heritage, culture, values and ethos.
I also insist that my people should be allowed to develop at their own
pace. I am not ashamed of who I am and where I come from and had
it not been for others holding us back I know where the south west
and the yoruba would have been by now in terms of development.
And neither would I go to England or America or Enugu or Kano
and claim that I own the place or that my people built it from scratch
and that they generate all the money that is there. I would never
say or do such a thing and neither should I be expected to sit back
quietly when someone says it about my land, my people and my territory.
In this debate I have threatened no-one, I have incited no-one,
I have accused no-one and I have not sought to silence anyone with
threats or blackmail. I have not expressed hatred towards anyone.
Yet my family has been subjected to insults, threats, humiliation,
hate-speech, misrepresentation, falsehood, intimidation, calls for arrest
and lies by some people who really ought to know better. My late father
of blessed memory has been insulted during the course of this debate as
has my late mother, my wife, my children and my people from
the south west. We have been called all sorts of names and
subjected to the most filthy and disgraceful abuse and malicious lies.
And now some ask ask me if I will ever stop this fight for the rights of
my people. The answer is that I will not stop because a price has
already been paid. I will never renounce my views.
I have accused no-one and I have not sought to silence anyone with
threats or blackmail. I have not expressed hatred towards anyone.
Yet my family has been subjected to insults, threats, humiliation,
hate-speech, misrepresentation, falsehood, intimidation, calls for arrest
and lies by some people who really ought to know better. My late father
of blessed memory has been insulted during the course of this debate as
has my late mother, my wife, my children and my people from
the south west. We have been called all sorts of names and
subjected to the most filthy and disgraceful abuse and malicious lies.
And now some ask ask me if I will ever stop this fight for the rights of
my people. The answer is that I will not stop because a price has
already been paid. I will never renounce my views.
As a matter of fact now more than ever before I see how important
it is for us to ensure a certain degree of separate development in this
country and to hold on to our heritage because we are just so different.
Those that have chosen the path of aggression and open hostility and
that seek to supress our voices, intimidate us into silence and drown
us with their propaganda are vulger, crude and rude. That is their way.
They are also experts at telling lies. Yet they cannot silence a whole
nationality or just wish us away. We are here to stay. I am not
looking for trouble and I abhor strife and violence.
it is for us to ensure a certain degree of separate development in this
country and to hold on to our heritage because we are just so different.
Those that have chosen the path of aggression and open hostility and
that seek to supress our voices, intimidate us into silence and drown
us with their propaganda are vulger, crude and rude. That is their way.
They are also experts at telling lies. Yet they cannot silence a whole
nationality or just wish us away. We are here to stay. I am not
looking for trouble and I abhor strife and violence.
To me this is simply an intellectual exercise and we can agree to
disagree and still remain compatriots and friends. However I will not
give up my identity because that is all I have. I will not betray the
dreams of my forefathers and their aspirations for our people.
For four generations now the Fani-Kayode have contributed
positively to the affairs of this country. Unlike some of those that
are bleating and insulting us we have paid our dues. Like millions of
others we have a stake here and we are from yorubaland. I have a
little fulani blood in me too and I am very proud of that but I am
first and foremost a yoruba and I will live and die for the yoruba and
indeed for my nation Nigeria if needs be.
disagree and still remain compatriots and friends. However I will not
give up my identity because that is all I have. I will not betray the
dreams of my forefathers and their aspirations for our people.
For four generations now the Fani-Kayode have contributed
positively to the affairs of this country. Unlike some of those that
are bleating and insulting us we have paid our dues. Like millions of
others we have a stake here and we are from yorubaland. I have a
little fulani blood in me too and I am very proud of that but I am
first and foremost a yoruba and I will live and die for the yoruba and
indeed for my nation Nigeria if needs be.
I have written about virtually every major ethnic group and nationality
in this country over the last twenty three years and sometimes in very harsh
terms, including my own, Yet it is only when I disagree with some of our
igbo brothers and sisters and dispute their claims on Lagos that all hell breaks
loose. Well one thing is clear. Whether they like it or not as long as God gives
me life I will voice out my opinion and articulate what millions of the yoruba
are secretly thinking on this matter but are too shy, gentle and polite to say.
They may not want to talk but I will talk for them and I will voice their
legitimate concerns about the future of every yoruba child in an
increasingly hostile, ugly and unsustainable Nigeria.
in this country over the last twenty three years and sometimes in very harsh
terms, including my own, Yet it is only when I disagree with some of our
igbo brothers and sisters and dispute their claims on Lagos that all hell breaks
loose. Well one thing is clear. Whether they like it or not as long as God gives
me life I will voice out my opinion and articulate what millions of the yoruba
are secretly thinking on this matter but are too shy, gentle and polite to say.
They may not want to talk but I will talk for them and I will voice their
legitimate concerns about the future of every yoruba child in an
increasingly hostile, ugly and unsustainable Nigeria.
All the smear campaigns in the world cannot change that and neither can it
stop it. If God does not smear me or mine, no man can smear us.This battle
is more important to me than politics or anything else. It is a battle for the
very survival of my people and my nation and with my intellect, my pen,
my tongue, my knowledge and my wits I intend to fight it till the day that
I die. It is my right to voice out my views and create awareness about the
imminent danger that my people are facing of being overwhelmed by
others that were never really part of them.
stop it. If God does not smear me or mine, no man can smear us.This battle
is more important to me than politics or anything else. It is a battle for the
very survival of my people and my nation and with my intellect, my pen,
my tongue, my knowledge and my wits I intend to fight it till the day that
I die. It is my right to voice out my views and create awareness about the
imminent danger that my people are facing of being overwhelmed by
others that were never really part of them.
They say our territory is ”no-man’s land” yet they will never offer us theirs
in return or even allow us to build there. Who is the fool here? And when
we complain they have the nerve to insult us. Enough is enough. It stops
today. I am not a racist or a bigot but I believe that I have a right to defend
that which is mine and to preserve my identity. Though I love being both,
let it be clearly understood that I am a yorubaman before being a Nigerian
and I make no apology for that. We ignore our differences at our own peril
and this is not only naive but it is also exceptionally dangerous. They made
the same mistake in Yugoslavia through the ’70′s and 80′s until the explosion
came out of the blue in the ’90′s and all hell broke loose. No-one saw the war
coming in that country except the more discerning and brilliant minds who
had been shouting for decades before it came that their very own
”nationality question” had to be answered and that Colonel Broznin Tito’s
dream of an eternal and everlasting old Yugoslavia was unsustainable.
No-one listened to those discerning voices and consequently millions
were killed in the most horrendous and vicious civil war that Europe
has ever seen.
From being one country where the people and numerous nationalities
were compelled to ”forget their differences” by law, Yugoslavia was
eventually broken up into five sovereign independant states as a
consequence of fratricidal butchery and unrestrained and all-out war.
I pray that we never break up and that we never witness or fight such
a war in Nigeria. The answer is to understand and settle our differences
and not to forget them.
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