Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, yesterday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to match his words with action regarding various indices of governance, particularly security.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jare Ajayi, said that the information and assurance that emanated from President Buhari’s message to Nigerians to mark this year’s Eid-el-fitr celebration “runs against the reality on the ground.”
The President, in his Ramadan message, had disclosed that the end to terrorism acts is very much in sight and that Nigerians have reasons to mark the Ramadan festival with hope, as the “battle waged against terrorists, who falsely masquerade under the name of Islam, is approaching its conclusion.”
But in its reaction, Afenifere said: “Rather than looking at the immediate future with hope, Nigerians are living and moving around in fear and despondence because of the insecurity they face at home, at work and even more so when travelling on highways. How then can one be hopeful in that kind of situation?”
While agreeing with the President that the fight against terrorists in the country “has been long and hard”, the Yoruba body stated that the government has not succeeded in convincing most Nigerians that the ‘final victory is within sight” as claimed by the President.
“Unfortunately, the change we have seen in any of these areas is in the reverse. In reverse in the sense that insecurity is now at an unprecedented level, corruption is at an all-time high while the economy is now so down that hardly are the majority of Nigerians able to eat twice in 24 hours.
“Since it is the government of President Muhammadu Buhari that took us into this asphyxiating condition, history may still be kind to him if he can use the remaining time he has in office to reverse the ugly situation. The permanent way to achieve this is to institute restructuring without any further ado.”
