Afenifere
…Insists on restructuring; Amotekun remains independent
By Dayo Johnson
THE Pan-Yoruba Socio- Political Organisation, Afenifere, has insisted that the South-West security outfit, Amotekun, should operate independently and not muzzled under the national police.
Afenifere also kicked against the hikes in petroleum products prices and electricity tariff, describing them as wicked and inhuman.
The Yoruba group spoke, yesterday, after its national caucus meeting.
In a communiqué issued after its meeting online and presided by its National Leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, the group described the “recent increases in the prices of petroleum products and electricity as the most insensitive policies against a people being ravaged by a national pandemic without adequate support from their government.
“To ask Nigerians to pay more for these facilities is wicked and inhumane. We call on the people to use all constitutional and peaceful means to resist and reject the hikes.’’
On Amotekun, Afenifere said the Federal Government’s move to take over Amotekun shows it has not commenced restructuring as it claimed.’’
Its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin said that the meeting restated Afenifere’s ‘’rejection of the gaffe by the Federal Government that the Yoruba states security initiative Amotekun will function under the IG of police.
“We fully back our governors that being a product of law by federating units, the outfit should be independent and not be muzzled under the failure of single police that necessitated it in the first place. Seeking to take Amotekun over negates the untruth by the Federal Government that it has commenced restructuring.’’
On Senate constitution review, the group said: “The exercise has become a ritual every four years without tangible progress. It would be sad if the country is being taken through another motion without movement in the midst of its constitutional disorder.
“We therefore recommends the reports of the 2014 National Conference and other profound positions on restructuring as a basis of a meaningful new constitutional order for Nigeria. The mainly Pro-Federal reports have enough provisions to take Nigeria out of its present crisis.’’
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Kicking against the Water Resources Bill, Afenifere said the bill “is a dangerous agenda being pursued by the Executive in wanting to subvert the Land Use Act in the constitution that vests lands in the states in the governors.
“The Bill is so dangerous as it seeks to convert waterways to RUGA facilities for the Federal Government. The Bill seeks to give 18 kilometres after River Banks to Federal Government when in a state like Lagos you hardly can go beyond a kilometre of any river before meeting residential buildings.”
“We ask that the Bill be dropped immediately except there is an agenda to divide the country being pursued frenetically.’’
The group congratulated Mr Akinwumi Adesina “ for emerging overwhelmingly victorious in his bid for second term as African Development Bank President.
“We are happy that his integrity took him through the fire of challenge and he was not burnt. May his second term be more glorious than the first.
On the late former US Ambassador, Walter Carrignton, Afenifere said he was “the quintessential Ambassador in our June 12 years who gave all in support of our struggle. He refused to keep silent in the face of tyranny and promoted the culture of liberty and democracy in our country.’’
