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Afenifere Recalls 31 Times Tinubu Dragged FG to Court over Restructuring

Published

6 months ago

March 6, 2024

Eric

Afenifere, on Tuesday, advised President Bola Tinubu not to jettison the calamour for the restructuring of the country, having been in the vanguard for the struggle during his administration.

The Pan-Yoruba socio-political group also said that the blueprint on restructuring of the country is ready.

The Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo, disclosed this while briefing journalists shortly after the caucus meeting of the group held at the Isanya Ogbo Ijebu residence of its leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo.

Afenifere posited the idea of restructuring the country geared towards adoption of the parliamentary system of government.

Adejumo noted that the idea would help in cutting down huge amounts of money being spent on the electioneering campaign and more importantly, the heavy cost of governance under the Federal system of government.

“What we have here today is the caucus meeting of Afenifere and the germane national issue that took the centre stage was restructuring.

“Sometime last year, in November, a committee under the leadership of Oba Oladipo Olaitan was set up to aggregate Afenifere’s view on restructuring and today, the committee said that the report is ready.

“However, this report will still be considered by the executives of the group, after which it will be taken to the general assembly where all the members will get to know what we stand on restructuring as Afenifere, and we shall then print the report, do our various publicity on it for people to be enlightened on what we believe on restructuring.

“Tinubu, himself, is a product of Afenifere. He was elected (governor of Lagos State) on the platform and ideology of Afenifere. He took the Federal government to court under the leadership of former President Obasanjo for 31 times in an effort to implement restructuring.

“He didn’t do anything when former President Buhari was there for eight years, probably he was bidding his time because he knew that northerners won’t implement restructuring because they thought it won’t favour them.

“But Tinubu is there now as the President, he is answerable to us all as a product of Afenifere and as what the whole Yoruba did under the Afenifere in Adamasingba, Ibadan, Oyo State in 2017 that what we want is nothing but restructuring.

“For this 2017 meeting, we invited the South South, South East and the Middle Belt and this is the beginning of what we called Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum.

“So we are still meeting at this forum when other zones will also submit their recommendations, so what we took to 2014 Confab is what we are submitting even though some things have changed. We will then take it before the National Assembly for their approval.

He hinted that Afenifere is proposing a parliamentary system of government in the greater interest of Nigeria.

The Publicity Secretary added, “What we are actually proposing is the parliamentary system of government. Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo didn’t have to campaign in Ijebu Igbo, all he had to do was to win in Ikenne to become a member of the House and whoever is the leader of the party becomes the Prime Minister or the Premier.

“The old Western Region was from Badagry in Lagos to Asaba in present day Delta State, but he never had to be campaigning everywhere as we do now. It makes governance so cheap, nobody will have to spend billions on campaigns again. You will need as much as N100m to campaign for local government chairmanship elections.

“So, until under this system you will from your constituency come into the House of Assembly and from here you will choose your Ministers and your Commissioners, you are not going to be appointed anyone again from outside but those that have been elected into the house of Assembly.

“With this system of government, we are going to be spending one tenth of the humongous resources we are using to run this presidential system of government”.

In attendance at the meeting presided over by Pa Adebanjo were the Deputy Leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan; Chief Supo Sonibare; former deputy governor of Lagos State, Chief Mrs Kofoworola Bucknor Akerele; Prince Justice Faloye; Chief Segun Ojo and Bashorun Segun Sanni.

News

Ngelale Resigns As Tinubu’s Media Aide

Published

5 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Eric

Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and publicity, says he will be embarking on an “indefinite leave of absence to frontally deal with medical matters” affecting his immediate, nuclear family.

In a statement issued on September 7, Ngelale said the decision “was taken after significant consultations with my family over the past several days as a vexatious medical situation has worsened at home”.

“While I fully appreciate that the ship of state waits for no man, this agonizing decision — entailing a pause of my functions as the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity and Official Spokesperson of the President; Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen — was taken after significant consultations with my family,” he said.

Ngelale said he “looks forward to returning to full-time national service when time, healing, and fate permit”.

“I respectfully ask for some privacy for my family and I during this time,” he added.

On July 31, 2023, Tinubu appointed Ngelale, an ex-aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari, as his special adviser on media and publicity.

On May 19, 2024, the president appointed Ngelale as the special presidential envoy on climate action.

News

Revisit Your Drawing Board, Nigerians Are Suffering Deeply, Yoruba Elders Tell Tinubu

Published

1 day ago

September 6, 2024

Eric

The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) has told President Tinubu that Nigerians are “suffering deeply” under his administration asking him to meet short term needs of the people before pursuing a long term vision.

The elders’ council, through its Secretary General, Chief Oladipo Oyewole, stressed that millions of Nigerians living without food, fuel and light, President Tinubu needs to go back to drawing board and fashion out measures that will bring immediate comfort to the people.

YCE, through a statement, noted that it remains hopeful that Nigeria will have a turnaround.

“However, going by scanty information available on Government pursuits and activities, there is, presently, a lot of suffering in the land.

“Be that as it may, we of YCE stand on our strong position that the interest of the masses to live a good life should be given full attention.

“Without regular supply of electricity and with the official announcement of increase in the price of petroleum products (PMS), the current hardship cannot but be increased in daily living by Nigerians.

“The Federal government ought to immediately pursue every avenue to make available to our people, the dividends of democracy. Not through distribution of palliatives (that does not seem to filter to the bottom) but by putting in place avenues to enhance proper and quality living through effective governance administration.

“Every Nigerian should be entitled to enjoy our common resources Indeed, Nigerians are suffering deeply at this time….. no light, no fuel, no food”

“Mr. President should, without delay, revisit his drawing board to attend to the short term needs of Nigerians (the immediate needs of the people) whilst pursuing the long term vision of making Nigeria a better place for growth and for development.

“As Elders, we demand immediate succour for the people to boost the welfare of Nigerians so that all can live in comfort and harmony.As far as this elders council is concerned, a lot of administrative work by Government is (absolutely) required for the masses of this country to live, stay alive as respectable and responsible people.”

The state of this nation today, YCE said, is a pill that has a bitter taste.

“The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should do something quickly to ensure proper steering of its intentions to establish and install better governance in Nigeria. In fact, the Presidency should do all possible to alleviate the suffering of all Nigerians immediately and without delay.”

News

We Deliberately Demobilized, Abandoned Captured Armoured Tank, Says Defence Hqrs

Published

4 days ago

September 3, 2024

Eric

The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has reacted to viral video of terrorists leader, Bello Turji and his gang burning a captured military armoured tank.

In the video that surfaced online, the terrorists were seen celebrating after burning the military vehicle.

In its reaction, the Military, in a report monitored on the official X handle of DAILY POST on Monday, through the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen Edward Buba, said the MRAPs seen in the viral video were demobilized due to the inability of troops to use them.

Buba stated that the incident happened after the military personnel got stuck in swampy terrain during operations against bandits in Zamfara State.

He said the troops decided to demobilize the MRAPs to prevent it from being useful to the terrorists after abandonment.

He said, “Subsequently, troops dismounted and demobilized the MRAPs, when efforts to backload them were futile. The said demobilization of the MRAPs by troops was to prevent it from being useful to the terrorist after abandonment.”