“We Have Lived With Strangers for Too Long” — Monisola Ojo Monisola Leads Fresh Okun Call to Return to Yoruba Homeland

By Our Correspondent

A fresh agitation for the political and cultural reintegration of Okunland with the wider Yoruba homeland has emerged, with Dr. Mrs Monisola Ojo Monisola declaring that the Okun people of Kogi State have “lived with strangers for too long.”

Dr. Monisola, in a strongly worded statement, expressed frustration over what she described as decades of political marginalisation, cultural disconnection and developmental neglect of the Okun people since the creation of Kogi State.

According to her, despite the significant contribution of the Okun people to the political process in Kogi State, no Okun indigene has occupied the office of governor since the state was created.

“For 34 years since Kogi was created, our votes have counted, but our identity has not,” she declared.

She noted that the Okun people occupy six Local Government Areas and have retained their distinct Yoruba linguistic and cultural identity despite being administratively located in Kogi State and classified within Nigeria's North-Central geopolitical zone.

Dr. Monisola stressed that the identity of the Okun people cannot be divorced from their Yoruba heritage.

“In Abuja we are called North Central. In our homes we speak Yoruba, we chant Oriki, we beat Bata and Gbedu,” she said, lamenting what she described as attempts to disconnect younger generations from their ancestral identity.

She also raised concerns over infrastructure, insecurity and the safety of farming communities across parts of Okunland, particularly in areas such as Yagba and Ijumu.

‘How Long Shall We Remain Visitors?’

At the heart of the statement is a question she said should compel serious reflection among the Okun people and the wider Yoruba nation:

“How long shall a people live in a house and still be called visitors?”

Dr. Monisola argued that the present political boundaries should not erase the historical and cultural connections that existed among Yoruba-speaking communities before colonial administrative arrangements reshaped Nigeria's political geography.

She specifically referred to the historical significance of the old Kabba Province, arguing that its history demonstrates the longstanding relationship between Okunland and the Western Region.

“The old Kabba Province belonged with the West. Colonial politics cut us off,” she stated.

According to her, the current agitation should therefore not be reduced to a struggle for political office, but understood within the broader context of identity, cultural preservation, political inclusion and the right of communities to determine their future.

‘It Is Time to Go Back Home’

Dr. Monisola called for renewed consciousness among the Okun people and advocated a return to what she described as their ancestral political and cultural home.

“Today we say: ENOUGH. It is time for us to go back home. Back to Yoruba land where our language, culture and destiny belong,” she declared.

She ended the statement with a cultural affirmation of Okun identity and Yoruba ancestry:

“ILE WA NI! ILE YA!”

She further declared:

“Okun ni wa. Yoruba ni wa. Omo Oduduwa ni wa.”

The statement is expected to add fresh impetus to ongoing conversations over the political future of Okunland, the restructuring of Nigeria, regional autonomy and the right of distinct ethnic communities to determine their political and cultural destiny.

For Dr. Monisola and those who share the position, the central message is clear: the Okun people should no longer be treated as political visitors in a land where they have lived for generations.

Three Key Quotes

1. “For 34 years since Kogi was created, our votes have counted, but our identity has not.”

2. “How long shall a people live in a house and still be called visitors?”

3. “Today we say: ENOUGH. It is time for us to go back home. Back to Yoruba land where our language, culture and destiny belong.”