* Renews call for restructuring Nigeria
The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has scrapped the office of the acting leader of the group currently occupied by Pa Ayo Adebanjo.
The group, which met on Wednesday at the residence of its National Leader Pa Reuben Fasoranti in Ondo State, issued a communique saying it has constituted the Elders Caucus with Adebanjo as a member.
“In the light of recent events and the pressing need to reposition and rejuvenate Afenifere, it has been decided that the position of acting leader and deputy leader have now been abrogated,” the communique read out by the group’s Publicity Secretary Jare Ajayi said in part.
“The responsibilities and authority of advising the leader of Afenifere and Asiwaju Yoruba are now vested in the Afenifere Elders Caucus which is hereby constituted.”
According to the communiqué, Fasoranti is the chairman of the elders’ caucus, while some members of the group include Adebanjo, Olu Falae, Senator Cornelius Adebayo, Senator Femi Okunrounmu, Seinde Arogbofa, Senator Kofo Bucknor-Akerele, Prince Ladigbolu, Lt. Gen Alani, Akinrinade (Rtd.), Maj. Gen. Olu Bajowa (Rtd.), Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, and Prof. Banji Akintoye, amongst others.
Afenifere also expressed displeasure over the state of the nation, especially the socio-economic and security challenges in the country.
Afenifere urged President Bola Tinubu to set the machinery in motion to restructure the country.
“There is an urgent need to rework the security architecture of the country to ensure that Nigerians can live and move about without the fear of being kidnapped or harassed in any way. Such reworking should include giving states and local government councils that so desire to establish their police services with all the requisite powers to function as such. Doing so would check if not stop, the incidences of kidnapping and sundry banditry now ravaging the land.
“The unfortunate blast in Ibadan underscores the need to allow the federating units in the country to control mineral resources in their respective areas with particular reference to mining and exploration.
“The reasoning behind this was that had it been that states were in control of mining, for instance, the Oyo State Government was likely to know how explosives were being moved around. Such would have made last week’s horrendous blast that claimed many lives, traumatised hundreds of people, and destroyed properties running into billions of naira would have been prevented,” the statement said.