By Ayodele Oni
Afenifere, Yoruba socio cultural organization, has said that complaint by the President Bola Tinubu’s administration that it inherited bad economy from its predecessor is untenable.
In a communique signed by Chief Ayo Adebanjo
Leader, and Sola Ebiseni, Secretary General, it pointed out that there was enough time for the government to prepare for governance to enable it lay a formidable policies before it took off.
Rising from its meeting, the group at Isanya Ogbo in Ogun state, “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 three 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.
“Afenifere opined that without stabiliszing the Naira the much sought foreign direct investment will continue to be a mirage.
“Afenifere noted that successive Nigerian government 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.
On insecurity, the Yoruba Group “noted that fixing the economy and development are intertwined with security especially in agriculture wherein armed herders have driven farmers out of the land.”
It 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.
It reiterated its advocacy for multi-level policing particularly state police as imperative in a federation and particularly Nigeria with its vast territory.
Afenifere also expressed worries at the dwindling image and increasing loss of confidence in the judiciary by the Nigerian people saying ” 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 which judiciary cannot be trusted to interpret laws with high degree of certainty and its judgment constantly enmeshed in needless controversy cannot expect the confidence of foreign investors in its economy.”
The group 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.
Afenifere renewed its call on 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 for the holistic restructuring of the federation which shall be enacted into a new constitution.
