The Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC New Era has condemned the human slave trade involving Nigerians currently going on in Libya and also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to do more in protecting Nigerians abroad.
The group made its position known while its President, Comrade Razak Arogundade was delivering his speech at the official public unveiling of the group in Lagos.
“OPC also strongly condemns the human slave trade currently going on in Libya in which Nigerians have been the major victims.”
It added: “The government of Nigeria should do more in making Nigeria conducive for its citizens to stay rather than seeking a greener pasture in a failed country like Libya. The government of Nigeria should equally work with international community to ensure that justice is done to the case of Nigerians who must have been killed, maimed or maltreated by the Libyans.”
The OPC leader who frowned at how former leaders of the group have used their offices for selfish interests told members that things would now begin to take proper shape.
“We are in an era where we will no longer resort to violence to settle our differences, particularly with our kith and kin. It is a new era where the welfare of the members will come first and the memories of our martyrs will be accordingly honoured. No longer will the ‘monkey work and the baboon chop’ while the monkey is left hungry.”
According to him: “This is a new era where extensive consultations will be done before far reaching actions are taken. As a matter of fact, for the first time in the history of Oodua People’s Congress, OPC New Era now has a constitution that will guide our daily activities as a pressure group.”
Arogundade also stated that there are ongoing plans to consolidate all OPC factions into one.
“Our words are our bound. And this much can be gleaned from our recent rapprochement with members of the Reformed OPC, (the breakaway faction of the Dr. Frederick Fasehun group). We have made history by formally ending the war of attrition between
the two groups. This was done without any external mediation.”
He added: “Yet, under the leadership of our former leaders (Fasehun and Gani Adams), ego and personal aggrandisement prevented the attainment of this despite the concerted efforts of many well meaning Yoruba leaders of thought and royal fathers. Not even the Ooni and Alafin could prevail on the two leaders. And the peace brokered by the then executive governor of Ogun State and the patriotic Engr. Bayo Banjo was only short-lived because the feuding leaders only thought of themselves and not the millions of cadre they led.
My brothers and sisters, if you meet any member of the OPC Reformed group, you are safe to consider them as members of this organisation.”
“This is because efforts are ongoing to consolidate both groups into
one. And there are further plans to consolidate all the other factions
of the OPC into one such that the OPC will again become one as it was in the past. Enough is enough of the divisive actions of some selfish leaders. Ko s’ogun mo; ko s’ote mo.”