Leadership of the Southwest socio cultural body, Afenifere stormed Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja today, June 25 with five-point demands for President Muhammadu Buhari.Speaking on behalf of the group, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, reminded the President of the support the Southwest gave in the recently concluded general elections in the country.
“We are proud of our contributions to your victory through the Yoruba Summit Conference held at the University of Ibadan International Conference Centre on January 29, 2019. There, we passed a well-applauded motion urging all the people of Western Nigeria origin of voting age to vote for your re-election by virtue of your people-oriented and welfarist APC political programmes and performance and performance. We are happy the people complied.
“We are also here to commend Your Excellency for your recognition of June 12 as a landmark in the political history of Nigeria and for naming the National Stadium in Abuja after Chief MKO Abiola, the hero of Nigeria’s pro-Democracy struggle.
“We are equally glad to note and commend Your Excellency for your efforts to empower the 36 States in Nigeria to have control of the Police as a measure of improving security and for your giant stride in the field of Agriculture, social intervention, revival and modernization of rail transportation, continuing efforts to complete the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway among other achievements.”
Afenifere went on to present the five-point request for the progress and happiness of the people in the region and across the country.
On security, the group said that despite the huge cost, it should be considered worthwhile to take a bold step in combating crime and improving on security by improving on the apparent shortage of the manpower in the Nigeria Police Force and by extending control of the Police from the State to Local Government level.
“By this, we humbly suggest that Mr. President should reflect deeply and consider recruitment, training, equipment and deployment of Nigerian Police on the basis of 774 Local Governments listed in the First Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Added to this is training of the general public on the need to improve on their individual vigilance and awareness of movement of strangers passing through or moving into their neighborhood. Imbibing such habit and practice will be a tremendous help or service to the Police and other security Agents as regards “Intelligence” support especially now that must people have access to individual means of communication (telephone handsets).”
Afenifere said that in their desire to supplement the efforts of the President, the newly elected Governors of Western Nigeria extraction, have held a meeting in Ibadan to map out strategies to eradicate kidnapping and violent attacks. “They and other states will surely need more financial subvention and support.”
On education, the group recalled that free universal and compulsory education had been practiced with remarkable success in some parts of Nigeria in the past, saying that the President might consider re-introducing the programme and make it compulsory at all levels and all over the country as a lasting gift to Nigeria in his final term in office.
“Such a bold step though very expensive will revolutionize and catapult the entire nation to the NEXT HIGHER LEVEL
“One of the obvious advantages that will accrue from Education Programme referred to in paragraph 2 above which will include Basic, Technical, Skill Acquisition, Digitalization and ICT Programmes will be to Open wide gates to Youth Employment in Nigeria and in the Diaspora.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for re-introducing HISTORY in our school curriculum. By doing this, you have told us fellow-Nigerians a proverb of world-famous Roman Senator, Lawyer and Orator MARCUS TULIUS CICERO. He said and I quote “NOT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE YOU WERE BORN, IS TO LIVE THE LIFE OF AN INFANT FOR EVER!”
On Federalism, the group recommended “clinging to the spirit and letters of our Federal Constitution. This is one sure way of achieving the desired goal of unity even in diversity, mutual respect, tolerance and giving true meaning to the opening phrase of our Constitution that is, “WE THE PEOPLE”.
“We will be a greater nation if we sincerely practice true Federalism and THINK and ACT as NIGERIANS rather than as champions of the smaller units we were born into. Our big size is an asset worthy of preservation. Good examples of big size, hard work and prudent spending are the USA, China and India. It is not with violence or hate speeches but with mutual trust, self-respect and tolerance that we will speedily achieve the lofty destiny of this great country, NIGERIA.
“5: Power Supply and Agriculture: We have already commended your Administration on its remarkable achievements in the field of agriculture. But the country asks for more, especially in the Field of afforestation, irrigation and revival of those agricultural products like Cocoa, Groundnut, Cotton, Palm Products and processing them for domestic consumption and export as Malaysia which borrowed seedlings from us has now gone far
ahead of us.
“As to Electricity, we are aware of your efforts which must be more than doubled to improve on the pace of industrialization, productivity and more comfort for all Nigerians.”
