The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to end the rhetoric and start matching his words with action regarding various indices of governance, particularly security which has severely deteriorated under his watch.
The group in a release signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi which was obtained by Africa Today News, New York asserted that the information and assurance which emanated from the President’s message to Nigerians to mark this year’s Eid El Fitri celebration ‘fly against the reality on ground’.
Recall that the President in his message which he issued by the presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, to mark the end of this year’s Ramadan fast, had disclosed that the end to terrorism acts is very much in sight and that Nigerians have reasons to mark the Ramadan festival with hope as the ‘battle waged against terrorists who falsely masquerade under the name of Islam is approaching its conclusion’.
However, Afenifere in the release, said: ‘Rather than looking at the immediate future with hope, Nigerians are living and moving around in fear and despondence because of the insecurity they face at home, at work and even more so when travelling on highways. How then can one be hopeful in that kind of situation?’
While agreeing with the President that the fight against terrorists in the country ‘has been long and hard’, he, however, stressed that the government has not succeeded in convincing most Nigerians that the ‘final victory is within sight” as claimed by the President through his spokesman.
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To the group, it is important to let the President know the reality on ground because the specters coming from Aso Rock often indicate a distance between those in government and the people they govern.
The group predicated this on another speech made by the President, through his Vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday, while opening the 4th Plenary Assembly of the Reunion of Episcopal Conferences of West Africa in Abuja, where he said the president admitted that West Africa, of which Nigeria is a part, is ‘passing through a season of considerable political, economic and social turmoil’ without outlining what his own government is doing in concrete terms to put an end to the turmoil.
The group maintained that reports had it that in the evening of the same Tuesday, terrorists under the flag of Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) attacked Kautukari, a community in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, a state whose epithet is ‘Home of Peace’, stating that the insurgents reportedly invaded the community around 6pm shot sporadically, set houses ablaze and killed some people.
Afenifere listed other specter of insecurity in the country to include the killing of two officers and 12 soldiers by over 400 insurgents who camped in a bush in Niger State, the killing on Monday of a policeman, two brothers and others by gunmen in Anambra State in addition to two soldiers (a Sergeant and a Lance Corporal) who were beheaded in the same South-east.
The pan-Yoruba body stated that with all the foregoing prevalent in the land, ‘it is very strange indeed that Mr. President could inform Nigerians that the ‘final embers (of insecurity) are now fading’, noting that it does look like the false sense of assurance and false sense of security being painted by the government have emboldened bandits and terrorists but making it difficult for Nigerians to know how to deal with a situation that is terminating their lives on a daily basis.