The Pan Yoruba Socio-Political Group, Afenifere, has
expressed worries at the dwindling image and increasing loss of confidence in
the judiciary by Nigerians.
Rising from its monthly meeting at Isanya Ogbo, Ogun state,
the group in a communique signed by its national leader Chief Ayo Adebanjo and
Secretary General, Chief Sola Ebiseni, lamented that it has great implications
for the country.
The communique reads that “Afenifere expressed worries at
the dwindling image and increasing loss of confidence in the judiciary by the
Nigerian people.
” 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 also 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.
On the economy, the group said it “shared in the current
economic anguish of Nigerians in terms of skyrocketed costs of goods, services
and energy.
” We 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 3 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.
It opined that “without stabilising 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.
The group equally,
noted that “fixing the economy and development are intertwined with
security especially in agriculture wherein armed herders have driven farmers
out of the land.
“Afenifere 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.
The group reiterated its advocacy for multi-level policing
particularly state police as imperative in a federation and particularly
Nigeria with its vast territory.
5.00 Judiciary and Rule of Law.
Speaking on 2014 National Conference, Afenifere, called 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.
It reiterated that “Nigeria cannot peacefully, prosperously
and progressively endure under the present military imposed constitution having
jettisoned the foundational principles of federalism by which the country
attained independence and made giant strides at the beginning of the Nigerian
project.
“Afenifere noted the salutary efforts of President Bola
Ahmed Tinubu who, as Governor of Lagos State, successfully in court challenged
many anti-federal provisions of the Constitution in several areas including the
local government system, revenue of the federation, items in the legislative
lists, usurpation of the residual powers of the states including town planning,
advertising, by the federal government, control of internal waterways and water
fronts, land use, value-added tax etc.
“Now at the central stage is the time for President Tinubu
to step forward with the requisite political determination to live for history
and mobilize Nigerians to truly enact for ourselves an autochonous federal
constitution.
“Afenifere in line with our historical duty as the initiator
and unrelenting leading protagonists of a truly federal Nigeria state has put
in place necessary mechanisms to soon mobilize and galvanise Nigerians to
achieve this objective and called on other well-meaning Organisations and
citizens to brace up for this patriotic endeavour.
On electoral reforms, the group, decried “the recurrent
rituals of hues and cry for electoral reforms after every national election.
It stated that “Nigerians will continue to be afflicted with
electoral brigandage under a constitution which over-concentrates powers at the
centre and wherein the President of the Federation openly appoints his party
members and lackeys as officials of a supposedly independent electoral
commission and managers of elections.
“It cannot be overemphasised that such scenario which will
continue to set our people against one another in the evident unrestrained
cutthroat competition for power.
The group, however, announced the appointment of Mogaji
Gboyega Adejumo as its new National Publicity Secretary.
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