The Pan-Nigerian sociopolitical group, Afenifere has expressed dissatisfaction with the Federal Government’s handling of issues relating to worsening insecurity as well as growing spate of official corruption in the country.
A statement issued by the National Leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan which was made available to newsmen on Monday by the National Publicity Secretary, Prince Justice Faloye stated that these form part of the communiqué that was issued as outcome of the meeting of the group held recently.
Specifically, Afenifere took a swipe on government’s non proactive measures over the continued attacks and killings by organised terrorists in Kwara and Kogi States, noting that the genocidal clues to the attacks tilt towards agenda to occupy and enshrine their socio-economic and political ideology in the land.
Afenifere stated that comprehensive reports gathered by it, indicates a worsening insecurity in Kwara and Kogi States, on account of persistent genocidal attacks by organised Fulani terrorists and that the Presidency cannot continue to prevaricate or be apologetic on the issue of state police, which implementation is being delayed by pretences to national consensus.
“That the unrelenting attacks by the marauding invaders are in pursuit of an agenda orchestrated by Fulani elites to conquer and occupy territories of other Nigerian ethnic nationalities as a social, economic and political ideology which must stop.”
Afenifere noted that successive governments of the federation have been held hostage by this minority invaders obsessed with the belief of the ownership of Nigeria of over 250 million indigenous ethnic nationalities.
“Afenifere declares that the Nigerian state has failed in the primary duty of the collective defence of its constituent nationalities and protection of life and property of its citizens as the fundamental essence of its existence.
“As it is the case in other parts of the Middle Belt, the Fulani marauders have continued to kill and generally, make life difficult for the people of Kogi and Kwara States, who can no longer move freely within their territories and their economy strangulated without access to their farms.”
Afenifere also disclosed that reports indicate that the Sunday attacks on Oke-Ode and other parts of Kwara South that recorded casualties, was the height of sufferings to which the people of Kogi and Kwara State have been persistently subjected.
“The overwhelming majority of Kwara State citizens are indigenous Yoruba who speak the language. The people of Kwara South particularly, have been subjected to permanent attacks making them desert their homes. The communities include Ologomo, Ajegunle, Agban, Owode, Alasoro, Alawan, Bankole, Oreke, Ganmu, Babanla, Ayetoro, Budo, Arifowomo, Apata Olosun, Oreke Isale, Sagbe, Olohun Tele, Oke Ode, Ilu Agunjin.
“The Yoruba speaking Kogi West Senatorial District has witnessed no respite in the hands of these terrorists in most parts, which include Eruku, Okoloke, Okunran, Egbe,Oke-ere, Odo-eri, Ejiba, -Idofin, Ife-Olukotun, Itakete-Ide, Isanlu, Otafun, Igbo-ele, Itakete-Ide, Akutupa, Ofere, Odo-Ape, Obajana, Abugi, Ilafin-Isanlu, Ife-Olukotun, Ponyan, Igbo-ele among others.
“Afenifere condemned in all ramifications these festival of killings of Nigerians by organised Fulani terrorists and urged the Federal government to consider it as the greatest assault on the continued corporate existence of the Nigerian state,” it stated.
Afenifere states that multilateral security architecture is sine qua non in a federation, particularly of entrenched and diverse nationalities like Nigeria which makes adequate security structures and measures at the State, local government and community levels most imperative.
The group urged the President to consider the fact that security at such, requires a state of emergency, to prompt urgent steps towards introducing State and Community policing with speed.
“Afenifere called on every ethnic nationality to rise to the defence of its people by procuring apparatuses adequate for the protection of its members and against invasion of its territory, including a resort to its traditional means of territorial defence.
“Afenifere however, commended the Governments of the South West States on the Amotekun Security Network and urged the Governors to take all measures including procurement of adequate weapons in the defence of the people and not allowing the Yoruba land submit self for annihilation on the altar of one Nigeria,” it added.
On the issue of corruption in public governance, the group observed increasing allegations and published evidence of corruption in government, even to the embarrassment of Nigeria internationally.
“We called on the President on whose table the buck stops, to commence fair and transparent investigation of these allegations to clear the Government and redeem the image of the country.
“On the establishment of prima facie evidence, the President is urged to ask the affected political appointees and their abetting officials to step aside immediately as done with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation over the use of a private bank account for ministry financial transactions even without necessarily proving personal enrichment therefrom.
“The President cannot afford the image of harbouring unelected sacred cows at whose altar the President and the people of Nigeria who elected him, now worship.
“As the Yoruba says “An Okro plant should not grow taller than the farmer who planted it,” Afenifere added.
