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The Yoruba apex sociocultural and political organisation, Afenifere, has urged the National Assembly not to pass the Indigene Status Bill....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>
Afenifere in a statement on Thursday signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, pushed for urgent restructuring of the country, stressing that the bill has the potential to aggravate ethnic tension in the country.
The organisation asked the National Assembly to concentrate efforts at restructuring the country in such a way that every part would have a sense of belonging and be in a position to determine its own affairs as much as possible within a truly federal Nigerian nation.
Recall that the House of Representatives recently passed for a second reading, some bills for the amendments of certain sections of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution (as amended).
One of the bills that was sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu and six other lawmakers, had gone through a second reading on Wednesday.
The Indigenes Status Bill seeks to grant indigenous status and rights on anyone who has lived in a particular area for ten years or on a woman who is married to an indigene of the area.
The statement reads, “The Indigene Status Bill seeks to alter relevant sections of the constitution to guarantee indigene status to a person by reason of birth or continuous residence for a period of not less than ten years or by reason of marriage.
“We’re of the opinion that the motive behind the push for indigeneship could flow from hegemonic desire, territorial expansion, changing status of the land, ecology and the desire for power and influence.
“Whatever was the motive for the bill, it must not be pursued at the expense of natives of a given area and certainly not at the risk of igniting ethnic clashes that will claim lives and properties”.
Afenifere recalled that up till today, clashes are occurring in various parts of the country between indigenes and settlers mainly because those who are supposed to take necessary actions failed to do so due to their own personal biases and dishonesty.
According to Afenifere, in modern times, there are basically four categories of residents in any particular state or country.
They are indigenes otherwise called natives, citizens, residents and visitors. “Ordinarily, anyone staying in a country is a resident of that country while other criteria would then determine whether he or she is a visitor, resident, citizen or indigene.
A person who came in originally as a visitor can gain permanent residence status after meeting certain conditions.
The permanent resident may become a citizen after meeting specific criteria.
“However, indigene-ship is restricted to people with ancestral, cultural, autochthonous and historical roots to the soil on which they dwell.
In various parts of the world, indigeneity is tied to ancestry, historical connection to the land, language, customs and cultural heritage”, Afenifere added…CONTINUE READING>>
