Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba organization, has urged the Federal Government to allow the establishment of State police with immediate effect to tackle the upsurge of insecurity in the Southwest geopolitical zone.
Additionally, the mainstream Yoruba group called on Governors in the region to strengthen the security network due to the increasing threat of terrorism in the area.
The group emphasized that the personnel of the Amotekun security outfit should be increased, motivated, trained, and properly equipped.
Afenifere also advocated for the use of modern technology such as drones and trackers to address insecurity in the Yoruba-speaking states of Nigeria, including Kwara and Kogi States.
In a communique issued at the end of a caucus meeting held at the home of the leader, Reuben Fasoranti, the group said that given the crucial role security plays in society, the Federal Government and security agencies must redesign the security architecture to enable those in charge to address its root causes effectively.
Afenifere called on the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to work with State Governors to urgently develop strategies to confront the security challenges and bring them under control.
The group reiterated its conviction that restructuring remains the most potent solution to the socio-political and economic challenges that have plagued Nigeria for years.
Aside from insecurity, Afenifere also called for fiscal independence for Local Governments, as affirmed by the Supreme Court’s judgment on local government autonomy.
The communique read: “Given the Federal government’s support for Local Governments to have fiscal autonomy, as exemplified by the Supreme Court ruling, and the desire of local governments to receive their monthly allocations directly, Afenifere encourages the grassroots to monitor how these allocations are utilized.”
The group also called on State Governors to cooperate with the Federal government to ensure that Local government allocations take effect immediately.
Afenifere stressed the importance of food security and urged State governments in Yorubaland to give more attention to agriculture.
“The group recommended revisiting and reviewing policies on the establishment and management of farm settlements to align with present realities for implementation.
Furthermore, Afenifere proposed that Local government councils be empowered to establish Farms in their respective areas, with farm inputs made available to Farmers at subsidized rates. It also suggested that food items be made available to the public at subsidized rates.
The group also emphasized the need for increased use of the Yoruba language. Afenifere specifically called on governments in Yoruba-speaking states to make Yoruba the medium of instruction at the elementary levels of education, including kindergarten, nursery, primary, and junior secondary schools.
Afenifere further urged legislatures in Yoruba-speaking States to prioritize the use of Yoruba in their legislative proceedings wherever possible.
Given the centrality of restructuring in resolving many of the country’s challenges, Afenifere appealed to President Bola Tinubu to leverage his known democratic credentials as a federalist by accelerating the country’s realization of true federalism.
The communique concluded with an expression of appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for addressing some of the items raised during the April 2024 visit by Pa Reuben Fasoranti.
These included the dualization of the Ore-Ondo-Akure road and ongoing reconstruction work on the Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomoso road.
Fasoranti expressed his gratitude for these developments and appealed to the Federal government to extend its efforts to other key infrastructure projects, including the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha road, as outlined in the memorandum submitted to the President.
