The pan-Yoruba sociocultural group, Afenifere has scored the government of President Bola Tinubu low on the state of the nation, saying Nigeria’s democratic course is veering away from the expectations of the average Nigerian for a better and progressive society.
This forms the summary of a statement made available to New Telegraph signed by the National Leader of the organisation, Oba Oladipo Olaitan and the National Publicity Secretary, Prince Justice Faloye on Friday.
In the document titled ‘Afenifere’s Third Anniversary Report’, Afenifere stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC)- led government has failed to fulfil the intendment of Chapter Two, Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution (As amended) which stipulates that the primary responsibility of government is the security of lives and property.
“On May 29th, formerly Democracy Day, now Inauguration Day, Afenifere is fearful of the current course of our democracy, and commiserates with Nigerian citizens following three years of the inauguration of this maladministration that has bred poverty, unemployment, mass killings and kidnappings, tampering with democratic Federalism, subjugation of other arms of government etc.
“According to Chapter Two Section 14 of the Nigerian Constitution, the primary purpose of governance is welfare and security. Across the world, Citizens are motivated by their governments either with Summum Malum – fear of Ultimate Evil – violent death, poverty, tyranny, or Summum Bonum – promise of Ultimate Good – homes, prosperity, security etc,” the statement reads in part.
The report further added that the President Tinubu-led government which came to power on a mantra of renewed hope, has done little or nothing to rekindle hopes in Nigerians.
On the current state of insecurity in the country, the report stated that “The nightmare of ultimate evil has become a reality under APC administration with teachers being beheaded, children being kidnapped and villages ransacked and displaced.
“The ongoing kidnapping of students and teachers and gruesome murders in Kwara, Oyo and other States is a painful reminder of the Tinubu government’s culpable willful negligence of not restructuring our security architecture, especially the failure to create State and Community Police.
“Nigerians can’t but question whether there is an unholy pact between the APC and terrorists/bandits/mercenaries, following the admittance by some APC stalwarts that they imported terrorists to embarrass President Jonathan out of office in 2015, after which insecurity moved wholesale to President Buhari’s Northwest region, and now to President Tinubu’s Southwest region,” the statement reads.
Afenifere also faulted the current economic situation in the country, saying “President Tinubu’s neoliberal economics has resulted in the poverty rate increasing to 63 per cent and debt of N65.9 trillion for cost of governance and tokenist development projects.
“Despite the concerted efforts and propaganda to cover the true state of the economy, the unimplemented budgets, false revenue and employment statistics, two out of three Nigerians are facing dire circumstances of lack of food and secure shelter.”
It stated that Nigeria ranks as the world’s second-largest extreme poor population after India just as it stated that the country has the highest homelessness in the world with 30 million homeless people.
“Also, Nigeria now has the world’s lowest life expectancy rate at 54.6 years, 20 years lower than the global average. Nigeria also has one of the world’s highest infant mortality rates.
“Therefore Nigerians feel threatened by the replacement of a finance minister who oversaw the drastic fall in living standards with an undertaker taxman bent on sapping blood from our anaemic economy.”
