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Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to send a bill to the National Assembly on restructuring of Nigeria, due to his latest positive attitude to the proposal.
The organisation made the call in a communique issued after a meeting at the residence of its Acting Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, in Ijebu-Ode on Monday.
In the communique signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, Afenifere expressed its willingness to dialogue with stakeholders across the country over restructuring, stressing that the president should send a bill to the National Assembly immediately after stakeholders have agreed on restructuring models or strategies.
In the five-point communique, the organisation pointed out that the various security breaches pervading the country in forms of kidnapping, robbery and banditry show that the country is bleeding and therefore needs an urgent attention which Buhari should not ignore.
It also decried Buhari’s attitude to the decision taken by Southern governors in Asaba, particularly the ban placed on open grazing.
The communique read: “The meeting deliberated profoundly on matters affecting Yorubaland and the situation of Yoruba peoples in the present nation called Nigeria.
“The meeting also deliberated on various issues that are not only threatening the corporate existence of Nigeria, but making Nigerians to be living fears as many are losing their lives and properties to kidnappers and terrorists.
“The attitude of the Federal Government to the decision the Southern Governors Forum at the meeting they held at Asaba, capital of Delta State with particular reference to open grazing.
“Restructuring and the prospect it holds to halt the rapid descent the country is making into another civil war and possible break up.
After exhaustive deliberations on these issues, the following Resolutions were made:
“Afenifere observes that going by the rate at which terrorism and related vices are spreading, the Nigeria nation is bleeding in many parts. There is the need by the federal government to urgently put a halt various acts of terrorism, kidnapping, the herders/farmers clashes and the like. This, Government can do, by immediately allowing states to have their own police. In fact, security aparatus should be democratised to the local level.
“In view of the challenging situations we face, Afenifere calls for, indeed actually ready for meetings of stakeholders where the issues of Restructuring, Devolution of Power, true federalism would be firmed up. The outcome of such deliberations are to be passed in to law and be made operational immediately.
“It is a matter of interest that the President said that he now favourably disposed to Restructuring. We urge him to send a bill to the National Assembly on it immediately after the planned deliberations by the stakeholders in the country.
“Afenifere strongly holds the position that the above ie Restructuring should be done before the next elections in the country.
“In the meantime, every community must be at alert to realise that they must defend themselves from bandits who seem to have declared war on Nigeria.”