SAM FRANCISCO, August 31, (THEWILL) – The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere has informed President Muhammadu Buhari that Nigeria is currently in a dysfunctional state, and is sliding towards the precipice hence the need for the federation to be restructured.
The group reiterated this position in a communique issued at the end of its monthly meeting in Akure, the Ondo capital, stating that it was not impressed by the President’s stance during a nationwide broadcast he delivered upon returning from a 103-day medical vacation in London.
Insisting that the problems confronting the country can only be resolved through embracing restructuring, Afenifere categorically called on Nigerian leaders to revisit the 1966 constitutional model.
The group’s National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, who read out the communique, stated that the group condemned Buhari’s statement that restructuring is for the National Assembly and the Council of State to decide upon.
According to the communique, “We are not especially his stand on the restructuring which, he said, is a matter only for
“We do not agree that the sovereignty in the land rests with these two bodies but sovereignty rests with the people and the people, therefore, must be the one to determine the way forward for the country in crisis.
“We believe at this point now that we need a constitution assembly elected by the people of Nigeria to deal with the question of restructuring, so that the country can be put on the sound footing.
“By restructuring, we mean that Nigeria at the moment is a dysfunctional country sliding towards the edge of the precipice with crimes rising day by day, the economy in a parlous state, and the forces of disintegration have been let loose, all the good things that are made for good living are beyond our people and the prices of food today in Nigeria is at a an eight year high.”
The group stated further in the communique that the problems confronting the nation would be a thing of the past if the present adminstration restructured the country.
“It is clear at this point that we cannot resolve any of the problems confronting Nigeria today except we restructure and, by restructuring, Nigeria should go back to the 1966 constitutional model that guaranteed that all section of Nigeria live under a federal constitution with which they fulfil the aspiration and their development, productivity and accountability.
“It is only author of confusion that are saying today that restructuring means different thing to different people, but there is only one definition of restructuring.
“Nigeria must move from a unitary constitutional arrangement to a federal constitutional arrangement as we had in the First Republic, any other thing outside that is running from the issue.
“For those who also think that a restructured Nigeria would not change what was on ground in terms of lopsidedness and the question of leadership in various state, we say to them that a restructured Nigeria will deal with productivity and not sharing.
“It is because we are doing sharing now that is why we have erected all kind of structure to enable cheating and domination but we want to go back to productivity under a restructured Nigeria, where every section of Nigeria would be managing what they have on their soil and they will pay tax to the centre and there will be no need for anybody constructing any structure to cheat any other person.
“Secondly leadership will be different from what we have now, because politics under restructured Nigeria will be about service like we have in the First Republic and not going to be about using politics to make money or using as a trade, the structure will change under a restructured Nigeria,” it added.
The group also condemned the unchecked activities of the herdsmen in the South-West, lamenting that the Federal Government had continued to turn its eyes away from their atrocities.
“We are aggrieved that the Federal Government has continued to turn the other eye while these Fulani herdsmen continue their murderous activities all over the country.
“We call on the Federal Government to enforce law and order against these herdsmen while we also called on the governor of the South-West to emulate the Ekiti State governor and ensure they put in place an appropriate laws to deal with the activities of these herdsmen in the region.
“A 75-year-old woman was gang-raped in Ore, in Odigbo area of Ondo State and the assailants are yet to be brought to book and also Chief Olu Falae, whose farm has become a sort of perennial attack by the Fulani herdsmen, only yesterday came under a renewed attack with policemen on his farm shot at by these Fulani herdsmen,” the communique read.
Afenifere went on to condemn the unwarranted and avoidable ongoing strike by the member of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, urging the Federal Government to honour its agreement while it condemned the lower entry point introduced by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB.
“We are surprised that JAMB has recently decided to lower entry point into all universities, this is an attempt to destroy merit in admission process and this is unfortunate,” it added.
They, however, threw their weight behind the Yoruba summit scheduled for next month in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, while encouraging all leaders from the region to participate in the summit.
Afenifere asserted that this would help to “decide their fate within Nigeria and determine on a proper architecture of a governance and take position on restructuring and true federalism”.
