…says ‘our blueprint on restructuring ready’

By James Ogunnaike

The Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, on Tuesday threw its weight behind the call for the adoption of parliamentary system of government in Nigeria, saying it will cut huge expenses incurred during political campaigns and as well reduce cost of governance.

The group, also hinted that the blueprint on its view about restructuring the country is ready.

These were contained in the communique issued at the end of its meeting held at the Isanya Ogbo residence of the Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo.

Reading the communique, the Publicity Secretary of the group, Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo noted that President Bola Tinubu has no excuse not to follow the vision of restructuring the country, having been at the vanguard of the struggle and beneficiary of the call for restructuring within the present democratic dispensation.

The meeting which was presided over by Pa Ayo Adebanjo, equally had in attendance Oba Oladipo Olaitan, the Deputy leader of the group, Chief Supo Sonibare, Treasurer, Chief Mrs Kofoworola Bucknor, former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Prince Justice Faloye, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Chief Segun Ojo, Bashorun Segun Sanni among others.

Mogaji Adejumo said, “what we have here today is caucus meeting of Afenifere and the germane national issue that took the centre stage was restructuring”.

“Sometimes last year 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 association after which it will be taken to the general assembly, where all members will get to know what we mean by restructuring as far as Afenifere is concerned and we shall then print the report, do our various publicity on it for people to be enlightened on what we believe about restructuring.

“Tinubu himself is a product of Afenifere, he was elected 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 efforts to implement restructuring.

“He didn’t do anything when former President Muhammadu Buhari was at the helms of affairs 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 where 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 approval.

Asked to give hint on the Afenifere’s report, Adejumo said “what we are actually proposing is 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 campaign 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, under this system, you will from your constituency come into the House of Assembly and it is from here you will choose your Ministers and Commissioners, you are not going to be appointing 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”.