Afenifere regroups, demands true federalism

Apex Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has again renewed its call for the proper restructuring of Nigeria into a true federation.
Afenifere made the call during its reunion meeting held on Monday in Akure, Ondo State.
The group, which had not met for a long time owing to the crisis that rocked it before the 2011 general election, met in the home of its Leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti.
The meeting, attended by the likes of Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Olu Falae, said it had become mandatory for the country to practice true federalism, with each region granted autonomy.
A statement signed by the Afenifere National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said the group had resolved to intensify the campaign for true federalism.
Odumakin wrote in the communique he signed on the next line of actions of Afenifere: “To intensify the campaign for the restructuring of Nigeria into a true Federation where every region would have the necessary autonomy to determine their affairs without prejudice to the unity of the country;
“To create a conducive environment for the best and the brightest to play roles in leadership and raise the bar in terms of quality representation for our people.
“Finally, meeting encourages our people not to give up hope in the midst of the many adversities in the country or surrender to the culture of fear that is spreading in the land but be vigilant at all times.”
The communique of the meeting, titled: As we were saying….”, reads in full: A reunion meeting of Afenifere was held at the Akure home of the Leader on Monday 25th February, 2013 with delegates from all Yoruba states.
Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Afenifere Leader, led icons of the group including Chiefs Ayo Adebanjo and Olu Falae to the well attended meeting. The extra-ordinary meeting had in attendance many top players in the group since 1999 who have not met together in recent time.
In his opening remarks, the Leader re-emphasised the core values of Afenifere which include loyalty, honesty, sacrifice, love to the people and respect for one another; the observance in the breach by many who found themselves in public office in the immediate past he identified as the cause of the stress the organisation went through in recent years.
He further stated that given the state of Nigeria today, there was no better time for members of Afenifere who are regarded as the conscience of the Nation to come together and give to both the Yoruba nation and the country at large the desired leadership.
Meeting also received goodwill message from the Oodua Nation in Diaspora in which the group was charged as the torchbearers in the battle for the political soul of the South-West to lead the way and guard rightly on the path of rectitude and political/moral renaissance.
In the open, frank and cordial discussions that followed it was observed as follows:
1. The crises in Afenifere in recent years has robbed Yorubaland of its most potent and irreplaceable ideological and leadership training ground and in the process opened the region to politics without values;
2. This has led to a big vacuum in the progressive vanguard of the Yoruba people;
3. Consequently, this has given rise to a proliferation of organisations as division multiplies problems.
From the foregoing, meeting resolved as follows:
A. To work assiduously to warehouse all progressives forces who are committed to Afenifere values under its banner and resume the historic duty of the Awolowo political establishment;
B. To reposition Afenifere to meet the challenges facing the Yoruba people in particular and Nigerians in general;
C. To build internal solidarity within the Yoruba Nation and network with groups who share similar aspirations across Nigeria towards rebuilding a country that works for its citizens;
D. To strengthen the group’s effectiveness in restoring time tested values on integrity in public life, accountable leadership and service to the people by their leaders as against the pervasive selfishness and opportunism defining our public space at the moment;
F. To galvanise the people to demand a paradigm shift in our polity and rebuild our failed institutions so that our best moments will not continue to be in the past.
G. To intensify the campaign for the restructuring of Nigeria into a true Federation where every region would have the necessary autonomy to determine their affairs without prejudice to the unity of the country;
H. To create a conducive environment for the best and the brightest to play roles in leadership and raise the bar in terms of quality representation for our people.
Finally, meeting encourages our people not to give up hope in the midst of the many adversities in the country or surrender to the culture of fear that is spreading in the land but be vigilant at all times.