The Pan Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, on Wednesday, expressed concerns over the current state of the affairs within the Nigerian judiciary, saying Nigerians are losing confidence in the ability of the nation’s judicial system to deliver justice.
This was contained in the communique of the group signed by its Secretary-general after its monthly general meeting held at the Isanya Ogbo, Ogun state, country home of the leader of the group, Chief Ayo Adebanjo.
The group expressed dismay over the controversies surrounding the recent judgement of Kano gubernatorial election as disturbing, noting that the development poses a significant threat to the future of democracy in the country.
The foremost Yoruba group communique read: “Afenifere expressed worries at the dwindling image and increasing loss of confidence in the judiciary by the Nigerian people.
“We consider the parade of different versions of judgment on the Kano gubernatorial elections inexplicable with disturbing implications for the security of the state and the entire nation.
“Afenifere opined and reminded the Federal Government and leaders of the judiciary that most crises in Nigeria are always invariably associated with elections and prevarications of the judiciary.
“Afenifere insisted that a country whose judiciary cannot be trusted to interpret laws with high degree of certainty and its judgment constantly enmeshed in needless controversy cannot expect the confidence of foreign investors in its economy.
“Afenifere insisted on the respect of court orders on the release of detainees like Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho and others and reasoned that continued disrespect for court orders aggravates the level of insecurity in Nigeria”
The group also noted that Nigerians will continue to be afflicted with electoral brigandage under a constitution which over-concentrates powers at the centre and wherein the President of the Federation openly appoints his party members and lackeys as officials of a supposedly independent electoral commission and managers of elections.
Afenifere also that the recurrent rituals of hues and cries for electoral reforms after every national election will continue to set our people against one another in the evident unrestrained cutthroat competition for power.
The group reiterated its stand on the restructuring of the country and also recommended the adoption of the reports of the 2014 national conference and restructuring of Nigeria as a basis for a meaningful new constitutional order for the country.
The communique stated: “Afenifere reiterated our position that Nigeria cannot peacefully, prosperously and progressively endure under the present military imposed constitution having jettisoned the foundational principles of federalism by which the country attained independence and made giant strides at the beginning of the Nigerian project.
“Afenifere recalled that the 2014 National Conference was constituted by delegates from a cross-section of the Nigerian Federation including the ethnic nationalities, governments of the 36 states, the legislature, Executive and judiciary, the local governments, the armed forces, police and other security agencies, political parties, women and youths organisations, civil society groups, professional bodies, while the 2017 APC (El-Rufai) committee on True Federalism conducted Town Hall Meetings across the federation with both emerging with resolutions and reports on all essential issues in the governance of Nigeria as a true federal state.
“Afenifere therefore called on the Federal Government to summon the courage to match and reconcile the Resolutions of the 2014 National Conference and the Reports of the APC (El-Rufai) Committee on Federalism for the holistic restructuring of the federation which shall be enacted into a new constitution.
“Afenifere noted the salutary efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who, as Governor of Lagos State, successfully in court challenged many anti-federal provisions of the constitution in several areas including the local government system, revenue of the federation, items in the legislative lists, usurpation of the residual powers of the states including town planning, advertising, by the federal government, control of internal waterways and waterfronts, land use, value-added tax.
“Now at the central stage is the time for President Tinubu to step forward with the requisite political determination to live for history and mobilize Nigerians to truly enact for ourselves an autochonous federal constitution.
“Afenifere in line with our historical duty as the initiator and unrelenting leading protagonists of a truly federal Nigeria state has put in place necessary mechanisms to soon mobilize and galvanise Nigerians to achieve this objective and called on other well-meaning organisations and citizens to brace up for this patriotic endeavour.
Speaking on the nation-state of economy Afenifere said “We shared in the current economic anguish of Nigerians in terms of skyrocketed costs of goods, services and energy.
“Afenifere decried current excuses of the state of the economy inherited by this government from its predecessor of the same political party and opined that the period of three months between the declaration of the President in February and inauguration at the end of May was sufficient to lay the foundations for the economy policies of the new administration which soothing effects should be now felt by the people.
“Afenifere noted that the free-fall of the Naira in the foreign exchange market is having its toil on all aspects of the people’s life including prohibitive costs of pharmaceutical products which are largely imported and with dire consequences for the health of ordinary Nigerians who could not afford overseas treatment like their leaders.
“Afenifere opined that without stabilising the Naira the much sought foreign direct investment will continue to be a mirage.
“Afenifere noted that successive Nigerian governments continued to pay only lip service to the diversification of the economy and urged governments at all levels to see beyond oil and gas and focus on agriculture, information technology and industrialisation with the Federal Government fixing the moribund steel industries and refineries.
On Insecurity ” Afenifere noted that fixing the economy and development are intertwined with security, especially in agriculture wherein armed herders have driven farmers out of the land.
“Afenifere therefore called on the Federal Government to take the bull by the horns by ensuring and insisting on cattle ranching within the states with comparative advantage in the culture and business of animal husbandry.
“Afenifere reiterated its advocacy for multi-level policing particularly state police as imperative in a federation and particularly Nigeria with its vast territory”
Afenifere announced the appointment of Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo as its new National Publicity Secretary.
“An alumni of the prestigious University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and indigene of Ibadan where he holds the traditional title of Mogaji Ikolaba, his working career spans banking, finance, management, marketing, media and Procurement consultancy.
“He was the National Publicity Secretary of the Yoruba summit Group and a member of the National Caucus of the Afenifere,” the group stated.
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