Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has reiterated its call for an immediate restructuring of the country with a view to institutionalizing true federalism, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to, without further delay, set the machinery in motion to organise a constitutional conference that will return the country to a true federation.
The group, which vowed to pursue the Restructuring Agenda with doggedness and steadfastness, further called on the Buhari-led Federal Government to devolve more powers to state governors, provide sophisticated weapons and equipment for the country’s security agencies, in order to stem the present high level of insecurity ravaging the land.
A statement made available to newsmen by the group’s new spokesperson, Comrade Jare Ajayi, said Afenifere made the call at a meeting held at the weekend, which took place at the Lagos residence of its acting leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, where the group noted sadly that there were reasons to express fear over the situation in Nigeria as the country was on the verge of becoming a failed state going by the myriad of problems and crises that were presently bedevilling her.
“At the moment, Nigeria seems to be bleeding in its various arteries. Kidnapping, terrorism, herders/farmers’ clashes, banditry, socio-economic problems, high unemployment, hyperinflation, Boko Haram insurgency etc, are the order of the day.
“The problem of Boko Haram insurgency has reached such a peak that some areas in Niger State have been taken over by the bandits according to the governor of that state. This is in addition to parts of Sambissa Forest that the terrorist group has cordoned off. It is also in addition to various kidnapping and slaughtering activities the terrorists are carrying out in different parts of the country,” Afenifere lamented.
“The only way to prevent a total collapse is to restructure. This restructuring is to encapsulate a return to true federalism under which each federating unit in the country will enjoy self-determination,” it added.
This was just as the group recalled that it had always since its inception, 70 years ago, been consistently agitating for true federalism, adding that it had always promoted it right from various constitutional conferences that took place before the country’s independence and even after the country gained political independence from Great Britain.
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