The only thing that can save Nigeria now from disintegration –Afenifere

Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has warned that Nigeria’s situation has got to a terminal level.
According to the group, the only thing that could save it from total collapse is an immediate restructuring or a restoration to independence constitutional status.

The group which stated this on Wednesday further called on the Federal Government to as a meter of urgency amend the constitution to allow devolution of powers among the centre, states and local governments “in order to entrench true federalism before it is too late.”
This was contained in a communiqué entitled, “Restructure Now,” reached by the group after its its national caucus meeting in Akure.
It was issued by its spokesperson, Yinka Odumakin, adding that denial to restructure now could only amount to forceful demand for self-determination

“We state without equivocation that Nigeria has entered a terminal crisis and clearly withering away and can only manage to be pulled back from the brink if we commence the process of restructuring or restoring the country to its independence constitutional status before the coup of January 1966.

“Failure to do this will make the demands for self-determination to become more strident. We call on the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government to rise to the avowed commitment in its manifesto by initiating an action to amend our constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties and responsibilities to states and local governments in order to entrench true federalism before it is too late.”

The group also expressed worries over insecurity in the country, decrying that state the country has found itself as recently revealed by Speaker Yakubu Dogara, who said that 28 out of the 36 states of the country were under one military operation or the other.

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“We are alarmed by the increasing spate of the impunity of Fulani herdsmen in the southern and Middle Belt communities of Nigeria. Of late, we have witnessed the shooting of policemen who went to protect Chief Olu Falae’s farm and the killing of his neighbour-farmer; the chasing of students out of schools in Delta, Edo and Anambra states by cows, the storming of Taraba State House of Assembly by armed Fulani herdsmen to stop lawmakers from carrying out their legislative duties because they were debating an anti-open grazing bill, without any response from the Federal Government.

“We have however seen the swiftness with which the Federal Government mobilised all its strength to defend Fulani herdsmen who came under attack in Taraba State,” Afenifere said.
The group during the meeting, also regretted the economic situation in the country were states are unable to pay salaries to their workers for months.

Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo have constantly maintained their call for the restructuring of the country as opposed to northern leaders who seem to favour maintenance of the present status quo, despite all agitations and tension arising as a result of Nigeria’s present structure.

 

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