PROGRAMMES AND PERSPECTIVE OF YOREM.

EXPLAINING YOREM.
The Yoruba Revolutionary Movement (YOREM) is a mass political and socio-cultural fighting and militant formation of the Yoruba nation and people. The YOREM is an organisation which is committed to mobilising,educating and organising the Yoruba masses, the poor,the dispossessed, exploited and oppressed classes of the Yoruba nation to actively and uncompromisingly wage the battle for self determination and social emancipation.
YORUBA is part of the name of YOREM because Yoruba is the correct name of our nation.
The word REVOLUTIONARY is a component of YOREM nomenclature because the struggle we are involved in is a revolution.It is a revolutionary struggle because what we want to achieve is a total,thorough and radical transformation of all facets of our condition and mode of existence.
Besides, we are also convinced that it is only through a revolution that the masses of poor peoples' can take effective political,economic and socio-cultural control of their lives, overhaul the oppressive status-quo and remake society in their interest.
YOREM is therefore a mass political movement at the vanguard or leadership of the revolutionary mass struggle of the Yoruba masses.
OUR STRUGGLE, OUR CAUSE!
For the avoidance of doubt, our struggle is for social justice,for equity ,for equal access to opportunities ,for all Yoruba and for other peoples.The components of our struggle includes:
STRUGGLE FOR SELF DETERMINATION
Self determination is an internationally recognised human right and it means the capacity and ability of a people to determine its mode of existence.Self determination involves the right of equality of all nations and peoples,including the right to exist,if so desired by the nation or people to exist as separate sovereign entity.
Self determination is thus, a political right which negates national oppression and subjugation as well as forceful inclusion of a nationality in a state not of his own choice.Therefore,self determination is a right of a people or nationality to run its own affairs up to and including establishing a separate nation of its own.
In the context of Nigeria today,our struggle for self determination entails the restructuring Nigeria to a truly federal union.This is because the Nigerian state as presently constituted is a negation of our right to self determination.
Thus, our struggle for self determination means regional autonomy for the Yoruba and this will involve self government including
a. our own legislative assembly
b. Our own armed forces in the nature of the armed popular militia,which will include all able bodied adults,
c. Full control, direct ownership and democratic self management of our own human, material and other economic resources.
STRUGGLE FOR SOCIAL EMANCIPATION
Social emancipation is an important component our struggle.This is because,either within the context of regional autonomy or an independent Oodua Republic, we want a situation where the condition which makes it possible for a few people to be extremely wealthy while the majority of the people wallow in abject poverty will be eradicated.
We want a society where the wealth of society will be produced,owned,held and used in common;where every one's need will be met,where there will be jobs for all;where the unemployed,the sick,the disabled, the aged and the infant will receive from the common pool of social wealth, materials and monetary benefits in the form of social security.We want free,functional and qualitative free heath delivery and education for all.we want every one to have affordable and humane homes. We want the poor,who are the majority,who are the real victims of the present system to directly control and run the affairs of society in their own interest.This is social emancipation.
The Oodua Republic,which we want,will not be run by corrupt treasury looters,contract inflating officials nor an inept greedy and corrupt political class,but by the poor peoples ourselves.
THE PITFALL OF OUR EXPERIENCE
Up till this moment the experience of our struggle as a people throughout history has shown that those who claim to be the leaders and leading organisations of our people struggles have always approached the issues as if all Yoruba have a common interest in self determination and social emancipation for the Yoruba nation.
The impression has always been created that the privilege,the extremely wealthy Yoruba ruling elite as a social class have a common interest with the poor,marginalised,exploited masses of the Yoruba nation.The impression is created that the wealthy also want an autonomous self governing Yoruba region(Oodua Republic)where the benefits will be shared equally with the poor, which will committed to(a) eradicating poverty(b) redistributing wealth(c) creating a common pool of social wealth from which everybody's need will be met.
The rich are not prepared to give up their wealth ,positions and privileges, as they are the chief beneficiaries of the status-quo, they will not be interested in transforming the status-quo.All through our history,it is the poor workers,self employed,artisans,traders,jobless youths and students who have borne the brunt and burden of our struggle.
They are the ones who have demonstrated, went on strike,protested,organised rallies,face the brutal repressive backlash of the state.They have been the one's to be massacred on the streets, to be jailed en-mass without being remembered.They have being the one's being harassed,to be thoroughly beaten,and for our women even to be raped.
They are sole militants and combatants of our struggle,they should be the sole beneficiaries of our victory. In the past and until now the leadership of our struggle has been conceded to these deceitful ruling elites or to persons who believe in forming an alliance with these treacherous elite to the detriment of the poor masses.They have always througt it better to collaborate with the corrupt politicians, with the military and the wealthy class in general in order to reap personal benefits.This is why we have not made any headway in our struggle.This is why we must take our destiny into our own hands.
OUR ENEMIES AND OUR FRIENDS
Throughout the whole world, and throughout the whole of human history ,every nation in reality has always being made up of i.e.,the nation of the minority wealthy,privilege,corrupt,inept ruling elite(the oppressors) and the nation of the overwhelming majority of poor,homeless,jobless,marginalised,uneducated,suppressed and exploited masses i.e. the nation of the oppressedThe enemies of our cause, those who have an interest in suppressing our struggle so as to safeguard their wealth and positions, are to be found both within our nation and outside our nation. If every nation is made up of a minority of wealthy oppressors and the majority of exploited, poor and dispossessed oppressed masses, then it follows that our true friends in our struggle can be found only in and majorly among the poor, oppressed and exploited masses of other nations.
The poor, exploited Yoruba masses actually have more in common with and thus a close common interest with the poor exploited Ijaw, Igbo, Hausa, Tiv, Jukun, Urhobo, Ikwere, Ogoni etc. masses. It is in the interest of our struggle to reach out to the poor of the other nations, to form alliances with them, to fight together and organized joint actions with them.
After all, the oppressor wealthy ruling elite of all these nations gets together and plan our common exploitation together in company boardrooms, in government houses, in military commands, in federal and state cabinets, in the houses of assemblies, and other such places including social gatherings where they meet, wine and dine together. It is because the key to our victory is our unity that our respective ruling classes always try to whip up divisions among us and orchestrate violent clashes among us. After all, it is we the poor who end up killing one another and destroying our meager possessions.
THE CURRENT SITUATION.
It is very clear that whether politically or economically the Nigerian ruling class and its constituent ethnic factions are incapable of transforming our lives. For example, the Yoruba elite through Alliance for Democracy (AD) and with collaboration of several so-called Oodua fighting organisations control the affairs of the Southwestern Yoruba states, but what have they been able to do?
Instead of more jobs they have sacked workers. They have left salaries unpaid. They have threatened striking workers with sack. They have enriched themselves by giving themselves fat allowances of various types including housing, furniture, cars etc. Their interest and our interest are not the same. They cannot serve our interest. They are concerned about safeguarding their positions and their properties and ill-gotten wealth. They are busy looting the treasury.
THE WAY FORWARD
In this kind of atmosphere, what can we do?
We believe that it is ONLY THROUGH CONSTANT, CEASELESS AND UNINTERRUPTED STRUGGLE THAT WE CAN WIN.
WE KNOW THAT REVOLUTION IS THE ONLY WAY OUT
To restructure Nigeria into a true federal union to achieve a self-governing, autonomous oodua Republic, to win the battle for self-determination, to take control of the processes and institutions which affect and shape our lives, we need to chase the corrupt ruling class whether civilian or military out of power. We need to radically transform our condition and mode of existence.
THE SOVEREIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE (SNC)
We believe that a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) is the minimum and most peaceful way forward. We also know that neither the Nigerian state nor the existing registered political parties will convene a true SNC. We affirm that the SNC can be called only by the different nationalities working together and waging a campaign of insurrection on the streets can through their collective might independently convene the SNC.
We urge each nationality to convene its own NATIONAL CONFERENCE and work out terms, under which they would wish to associate with other nationalities, as well as in their own internal affairs
On our part we are committed to convening a Pan Yoruba Constituent Assembly (PYCA) to draw up a constitution for a self-governing, autonomous Oodua Republic within the context of a restructured truly federal Nigeria union, as well as work out the terms of our association with others.
Only through intensified militant, direct mass actions – the organized self-activity of the masses can we convene both the Pan Yoruba Constituent Assembly (PYCA) and the SNC independently and proceed from there to make the Yoruba revolution, initiate and consummate the Nigerian and African revolution, for we also believe in a Federation of Africa’s ethnic nationalities on the basis of justice and equity.
OPERATIONAL MODES.
YOREM is a fighting revolutionary organization and shall make use of the modes that includes the followings in the actualization of her mission;
Organisational training of members and cadres and on political, economic, philosophical and ideological issues involved in our liberation struggle.
Mobilisation and education of the people with a view to enlightening them of the programmes and perspectives of YOREM and winning them to support and participate in the actualization of YOREM programmes.
Organisation of lectures, symposia, seminars, rallies etc.
Production and circulating of mass leaflets press statements, fliers, stickers and posters.
Campaign via print and electronic media.
Picketing, mass procession, demonstrations and protest.
Any other modes as may be agreed by the appropriate organ of YOREM.
A CLARION CALL TO HISTORIC DUTY
We are hereby calling on all the patriots of Yoruba nation, and all the oppressed and poor masses of Yoruba nation to
REFUSE OPPORTUNISM – Do not collaborate with our oppressors.
REJECT DOMINATION – Whether by privileged Yoruba or elites of other nationalities.
RESIST OPPRESSION – Whether from the hands of Yoruba traitors, other nationalities, imperialism – alliance of world ruling class and
RECLAIM THE FATHERLAND
Published by: YORUBA REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT (YOREM)
Date: Sunday 21st of NOVEMBER, 1999.