By Banji Ayoola
The Pan Yoruba socio-cultural and political group, Afenifere has stressed the need for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to restructure Nigeria into a true federation where all the component units will coexist harmoniously and live side by side under the rule of law.
It called on the Federal Government to harmonise the report of the 2014 National Conference with the resolutions of the ruling APC (El-Rufai) Committee on Federalism and courageously carry out a total restructuring of Nigeria into a true, just and balanced federation, which shall be enacted into a new constitution.
Afenifere made this call in a communique issued at the end of its monthly meeting at Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State, which was signed by its National Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, and Secretary General, Chief Sola Ebiseni.
Also, it carpets the Federal Government on the allegedly lopsided appointment of the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and expressed worries at the disturbing development in the judiciary among others.
According to the group: “Nigeria cannot peacefully, prosperously, and progressively endure under the present military imposed constitution having jettisoned the foundational principles of federalism by which the country attained independence and made giant strides at the beginning of the Nigerian project.
“Afenifere noted the salutary efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who, as Governor of Lagos State, successfully in court challenged many anti-federal provisions of the Constitution in several areas including the local government system, revenue of the federation, items in the legislative lists, usurpation of the residual powers of the states including town planning, advertising, by the federal government, control of internal waterways and water fronts, land use, value-added tax etc.
“Now at the central stage is the time for President Tinubu to step forward with the requisite political determination to live for history and mobilize Nigerians to truly enact for ourselves an autochonous federal constitution.
“Afenifere in line with our historical duty as the initiator and unrelenting leading protagonists of a truly federal Nigeria state has put in place necessary mechanisms to soon mobilize and galvanise Nigerians to achieve this objective and called on other well-meaning Organisations and citizens to brace up for this patriotic endeavour.”
On electoral reforms, the group, decried “the recurrent rituals of hues and cry for electoral reforms after every national election.
It stated that “Nigerians will continue to be afflicted with electoral brigandage under a constitution which over-concentrates powers at the centre and wherein the President of the Federation openly appoints his party members and lackeys as officials of a supposedly independent electoral commission and managers of elections.
“It cannot be overemphasised that such scenario which will continue to set our people against one another in the evident unrestrained cutthroat competition for power.
The communique reads that “Afenifere expressed worries at the dwindling image and increasing loss of confidence in the judiciary by the Nigerian people.
” We consider the parade of different versions of judgment on the Kano gubernatorial elections inexplicable with disturbing implications for the security of the state and the entire nation.
“Afenifere opined and reminded the Federal Government and leaders of the judiciary that most crises in Nigeria are always invariably associated with elections and prevarications of the judiciary.
“Afenifere insisted that a country whose judiciary cannot be trusted to interpret laws with a high degree of certainty and its judgment constantly enmeshed in needless controversy cannot expect the confidence of foreign investors in its economy.
The group also insisted on the ” respect of court orders on the release of detainees like Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho, and others and reasoned that continued disrespect for court orders aggravates the level of insecurity in Nigeria.”
On the economy, the group said it “shared in the current economic anguish of Nigerians in terms of skyrocketed costs of goods, services and energy.”
It said: ” We decried current excuses of the state of the economy inherited by this government from its predecessor of the same political party and opined that the period of 3 months between the declaration of the President in February and inauguration at the end of May was sufficient to lay the foundations for the economy policies of the new administration which soothing effects should be now felt by the people.
“Afenifere noted that the free-fall of the Naira in the foreign exchange market is having its toil on all aspects of the people’s life including prohibitive costs of pharmaceutical products which are largely imported and with dire consequences for the health of ordinary Nigerians who could not afford overseas treatment like their leaders.”
It noted that “without stabilising the Naira the much sought foreign direct investment will continue to be a mirage.
“Afenifere noted that successive Nigerian governments continued to pay only lip service to the diversification of the economy and urged governments at all levels to see beyond oil and gas and focus on agriculture, information technology, and industrialisation with the Federal Government fixing the moribund steel industries and refineries.”
The group equally, noted that “fixing the economy and development are intertwined with security, especially in agriculture wherein armed herders have driven farmers out of the land.
“Afenifere therefore called on the Federal Government to take the bull by the horns by ensuring and insisting on cattle ranching within the states with comparative advantage in the culture and business of animal husbandry.”
The group reiterated its advocacy for multi-level policing particularly state police as imperative in a federation and particularly Nigeria with its vast territory.
I expressed concern over the lack of commitment of President Bola Tinubu to ensuring true federalism in the country amid his stance on the issue as former Governor of Lagos State.
The Yoruba group said that Tinubu, as the President of the country, who is regarded as a prominent figure in national politics, should use his influence to ensure the implementation of the recommendations made during the 2014 National Conference.
The group, in a communiqué after the end of its monthly meeting held at Isanya-Ogbo, Ogun State, the country home of its leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, urged the Federal Government to summon the courage to match and reconcile the resolutions of the 2014 National Conference and the reports of the APC (El-Rufai) Committee on Federalism.
It, however, maintained that necessary mechanisms had been put in place to mobilise and galvanise Nigerians to ensure that federalism is achieved and called on other well-meaning organisations and citizens to brace up for the move to ensure true federalism.
The group, which also alleged that the appointment of officials by the Presidency into the National Electoral Commission (INEC) lacked transparency and called on the government to ensure fairness and inclusivity in the selection process, stressed the importance of having independent and impartial individuals in key positions within the electoral body, as their decisions significantly impact the credibility and integrity of the electoral process.
It further stressed that Afenifere shared in the current economic anguish of Nigerians in terms of skyrocketed costs of goods, services, and energy.
Meanwhile, the Afenifere has announced the appointment of Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo as its new National Publicity Secretary, following the earlier suspension.
The group said: “Adejumo, an alumni of the prestigious University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and indigene of Ibadan, where he holds the traditional title of Mogaji Ikolaba, is now the National Publicity Secretary of the Yoruba Summit Group and a member of the National Caucus of the Afenifere.”
