A group, Yoruba Homeland Defence and Security Initiative, has said only actualisation of an independent Yoruba Nation would end poverty among people of the race.

The National Leader of the group, Dr. Victor Taiwo, who spoke in Ile-Ife, Osun State on Thursday at a symposium organized by Ilana Omo Odua in conjunction with other self-determination groups, said Yoruba people have to rescue themselves from the enemies of the nation.

Taiwo said Yorubaland is blessed with abundant natural resources, but lamented that the South-West region had been unable to tap into the natural endowment due to complications caused by the leadership of the country.

He said, “If we fail to have the Yoruba Nation, we will die of abject poverty. The best thing for us is to get out of the contraption called Nigeria. I have done a lot of research and we have discovered that Yoruba land is the most blessed country in the whole world. It is not an exaggeration but simply the truth.

“Talk of anything, and you will discover that Yoruba land is one of the greatest in the world if we are able to tap into our resources. But because of the situation, we are living in absolute waste in the midst of plenty.

“We have all that it takes to match up with great nations of the world but the situation in this country would not allow us. Our governors are not encouraged to explore the resources they have. Everybody must go cap in hand to Abuja to go and take monthly allocation. The situation we find ourselves in is very unfortunate but we have to rescue ourselves from this malady. We have been on this project for close to 30 years and I want to assure our people that we will surely get there.”

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