Tinubu leads team of Afenifere leaders to Abuja where they demand federalism and security from Buhari

SEVERAL leading members of the pan Yoruba cultural association Afenifere met with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja yesterday to discuss the issue of growing insecurity across the southwest and demand the introduction of true federalism.

Led by former Lagos State governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the delegation requested that federalism by implemented as enshrined in the Nigeria constitution. Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye from Ogun State presented a number of demands to the president on behalf of the group, pointing out that there was a need to extend policing to state and local government levels.

Senator Durojaiye said: "We humbly suggest that Mr President should reflect deeply and consider recruitment, training, equipment and deployment of the police on the basis of 774 local governments listed in the First Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Added to this is training the general public on the need to improve on their individual vigilance and awareness of the movement of strangers passing through or moving into their neighbourhoods.

“Imbibing such habits and practice will be a tremendous help or service to the police and other security agents as regards intelligence support especially, now that must people have access to individual means of communication. We will be a greater nation if we sincerely practice true federalism and think and act as Nigerians rather than as champions of the smaller units we were born into."

He added that Nigeria's big size is an asset worthy of preservation and good examples of big size, hard work and prudent spending are the US, China and India. According to Senator Durojaiye, it is not with violence or hate speeches but with mutual trust, self-respect and tolerance that Nigeria will speedily achieve the lofty destiny of the country.

Afenifere also told President Buhari to use his second tenure to implement free education in the country. It added that free universal and compulsory education had been practiced with remarkable success in some parts of Nigeria in the past.

Asiwaju Tinubu said that the government during the next level has to tackle the infrastructure deficit in all parts of the country. He added: "The essence of the meeting is to thank the President, congratulate him on the election and the first step on the security of the country to really see a way out to stem any hate speech, intolerance across the nation and look at the problem of security holistically and from the grassroots level, including the fact there is a shortage of police personnel.

“There is the need to look at the recruitment from 774 local governments and be able to effectively have information. It takes time to train people and you equally create employment from such an action."