Posted by By AKEEB ALARAPE, Ibadan on
Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) has rejected, in its entirety, the newly released population figure for the country, saying it fell short of internationally known demographic norms and standard.
•Says it falls short of international standard
Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) has rejected, in its entirety, the newly released population figure for the country, saying it fell short of internationally known demographic norms and standard.
The elders council also set a 10-point agenda for the next president of the country, which it said would ensure peace, development and unity of the country.
In a special communique issued at the end of its first National Executive Council (NEC) meeting this year and read by the group's General Secretary, Dr. Tunji Otegbeye, YCE observed that the allocation of figures to Kano and Lagos States ran contrary to accepted norms and therefore unacceptable to the body.
'The published figure are not in conformity with established facts. For example, the United Nations recognises Lagos as the only Mega City in Nigeria with a current population of 13 million. Yet, the census data purports that Lagos State has a population of 9.01 million.
'It is purported that between 1991 and 2006, the population of Kano State increased from 5.81 million to 9.38 million, that of Jigawa State from 2.87 million to 4.34 million and that of Lagos State from 5.72 million to 9.01 million.
Clearly, the published figures contradit known demographic norms and are totally unacceptable and therefore rejected," the communique stated.
The meeting, which was attended by first female Professor of Mathematics, Mrs Toun Ogunseye, Secretary, Southern Leaders Forum, Dr Dejo Raimi, former military administrator of the defunct Western Region, who is also the President of the council, Major-General Adeyinka Adebayo and representatives of the council from the six states of the Yoruba nation, was said to have carefully scrunitized the census results and data and agreed to reject it.
When asked what happened if the federal government stuck to the figure and accepted it at the end of the day, Otegbeye said: 'If they refused to change the figure, they will be involved in a lot of political problems because the figure by international standard is not acceptable. Even, as at now, a large part of the population has not got their names on the register because the commission at the beginning and even now, has not given all Nigerians the chance to register. So, if the Council of State agreed and accepted the census figure and Lagos state objected, we in YCE have also objected"
On the polity, especially as it relates to the forthcoming presidential election, the elders' council disclosed that the Yoruba nation would only cast its votes for any political party, whose presidential candidate believes in ‘paramount issues crucial to the survival of the nation'. It listed such issues to include indivisibility of Nigeria, fair-play, justice and equitable distribution of resources, security of lives and property, genuine commitment to the fight against corruption and readiness to ensure principle of participatory democracy through appointment of at least one minister, one ambassador and one permanent secretary from each of the 36 states of the federation.
YCE also called for a presidential material that would not take the country to international debtor club again and is ready to amend the constitution to accomodate the local government as true third tier of government, assign statutory roles to the traditional rulers, ensure equitable distribution of the nation's resources, abrogate immunity clause for President, Vice-President, governors and their deputies as well as devolution of power from the federal to the states. While calling for violence-free political campaigns and electioneering, the elders' council frowned at the intractable disharmony in the Oyo State House of Assembly and called on the lawmakers to give peace a chance and dedicate their energies to 'their primary duties for the welfare of the electorate and delivery of dividends of democracy"
'YCE also strongly advises the various political organizations and the incoming federal government, to recognize the importance and potency of Yoruba nation, especially in the distribution of resources, political positions and developmental projects across Yorubaland as Yoruba will not allow themselves to be marginalized in the scheme of things post-2007 elections", stated the communique jointly signed by the trio of Major-Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo, Dr. Tunji Otegbeye and Engr. Oluyemi Falade, President, Secretary General and Publicity Secretary of the council respectively.