AKINWALE ABOLUWADE, IBADAN
Unless urgent actions are taken to return Nigeria to true federalism, the country may slip into an ‘avoidable catastrophe,’ Afenifere, Yoruba socio-political group, has warned.
This was a part of the resolutions arrived at, last week, during the Afenifere’s meeting held at the Lagos residence of its acting leader, Chief Ayo Ayobanjo.
Among those at the meeting are the Deputy Leader of Afenifere, Oba Oladipo Olaitan; Secretary General, Chief Sola Ebiseni; Treasurer, Chief Supo Sonibare; National Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu; Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi; Secretary for the Diaspora, Adebayo Adenekan; Director of Research, Dr. Akin Fapohunda; and Gboyega Adejumo.
Following its review of the state of the nation, the Executive Council of Afenifere said that the signs “are ominous requiring steps to prevent the country from apocalypse.”
The group, in a statement, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, indicated that it endorsed the recent resolutions of the southern governors regarding a total ban on open grazing and state police.
The statement read that “Afenifere is in full support of the governors to have laws banning open grazing latest by September 1, this year. We notice that some states already have this law enacted. We urge the remaining states to enact the law expeditiously. Beyond the enactment, however, we call for immediate enforcement of the law so as to put an end to various vices that the act of open grazing is engendering.”
On the disapproval of the northern group to the position of the southern governors, the statement read that “Of what intrinsic benefits has open grazing been in the recent past going by various studies that had been done? It is on record, for instance, that open grazing is one of the major causes of desertification that is occurring in the northern part of the country. It is also on record that cows reared in a ranch are far more productive, healthier and are less tasking for the rearer compared to the ones being driven from one place to another in search of food and water. Certainly, those in ranches constitute less risk to neighbouring communities compared to the ones migrating from one place to another.
“The governors are described as chief security officers of their respective states, yet they have no security agency that can be deployed to where crimes are being committed with arms. Those of them who came up with some security apparatus like Amotekun are dis-empowered because they could not bear arms. When they arrest suspected criminals, such suspects must be handed over to the police.
“As experiences have shown, once this is done, hardly do such cases go beyond the police. The state security has no control anymore since the Police is a federal agency who does not take order from the governor. This must change. State police, down to local government, must become operational immediately.”
It urged President Muhammadu Buhari, the national and state assemblies “and all other concerned authorities to ensure that restructuring takes place within remaining part of this year. Its implementation, in terms of true federalism in finance, security, social welfare etc., must begin before the middle of next year.”
