Afenifere to Buhari: send bill on restructuring to National Assembly

By Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to send a bill to the National Assembly on restructuring based on his latest positive attitude to the proposal.

The organisation made the call in a communique after its meeting in the residence of its Acting Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, in Ijebu-Ode.

It expressed willingness to dialogue with stakeholders across the country over restructuring, stressing the President should send a bill to the National Assembly immediately after stakeholders have agreed on restructuring models or strategies.

Afenifere, in the five-point communique, deplored Buhari’s attitude to the decision of Southern Governors in Asaba, particularly the ban placed on open grazing.

Signed by its National Publicity Secretary Mr Jare Ajayi, the communique reads: “The meeting deliberated profoundly on matters affecting Yorubaland and the situation of Yoruba peoples in the present nation called Nigeria.

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“The meeting also deliberated on various issues that are not only threatening the corporate existence of Nigeria, but making Nigerians to be living fears as many are losing their lives and properties to kidnappers and terrorists.

“The attitude of the federal government to the decision the Southern Governors Forum at the meeting they held at Asaba, capital of Delta State with particular reference to open grazing.

“Restructuring and the prospect it holds to halt the rapid descent the country is making into another civil war and possible break up.

“After exhaustive deliberations on these issues, the following Resolutions were made:

“Afenifere observes that going by the rate at which terrorism and related vices are spreading, the Nigeria nation is bleeding in many parts.

“There is the need by the federal government to urgently put a halt various acts of terrorism, kidnapping, the herders/farmers clashes and the like.

“This, Government can do, by immediately allowing states to have their own police. In fact, security apparatus should be democratised to the local level.

“In view of the challenging situations we face, Afenifere calls for, indeed actually ready for meetings of stakeholders where the issues of Restructuring, Devolution of Power, true federalism would be firmed up. The outcome of such deliberations is to be passed in to law and be made operational immediately.

“It is a matter of interest that the President said that he now favourably disposed to Restructuring. We urge him to send a bill to the National Assembly on it immediately after the planned deliberations by the stakeholders in the country.

“Afenifere strongly holds the position that the above ie Restructuring should be done before the next elections in the country.”