The Yoruba Socio Political group, Afenifere, on Tuesday decried the incessant abduction of school children along the coastal line of Lagos, Ogun and Ondo state by kidnappers.
The group who stated this at the end of its monthly meeting in Akure, Ondo state capital, condemned the recent abduction of six secondary school students of Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, in Epe area, by unknown gunmen.
The group called on the Federal and the state government along the coastline region to be proactive in curbing insecurity cases bedeviling innocent students along the coastal region of the south-west of the country.
Speaking to journalists at the end of the meeting, the State Chairman of the group, Chief Korede Duyile, urged the state and Federal government to put adequate security measures in place to curb the activities of the kidnappers rather than waiting for the kidnappers to strike before taking action.
“We are aware that the coastline of Yoruba land stretching from Lagos to Ondo state are daily being bombarded by armed kidnappers and marauders.”
“We called on Federal Government to use all means to stop this trend particularly as relate to vulnerable school children.”
The group who passed a vote of no confidence of the country, also kicked in the marginalisation of the zone in the appointments in agencies and parasatals saying the appointment are lopsided..
Afenifere noticed that the state of the nation’s economy has affected virtually every sector especially the price of food stuffs.
The group said in the communique “in the area of economy, Afenifere called on Federal government and CBN to align both fiscal and monetary policies such that it would be able to checkmate rising cost of valuables, rising rate of inflations and continued loss of value.
“Unless this issue are constructively tackled, our economy may not move at the pace expected to ensure prosperity in Nigeria.”
Speaking on the lopsided appointment, the group said “of recent, there are reports that appointments in some federal agencies and parastatals are still lopsided in particular the Department of State Security Services.
“The report has it that those appointed in Katstina state alone is more than those appointed in the whole of south all together.”
“We called on the federal character commission to look into matter and if found to be true, should immediately take actions to redeemed the imbalance.”
“We also called on the National Assembly to embark on the legislative process that can assist in checking the menace. Afenifere is committed to a prosperous Nigeria within a frame work that guarantee social justice, economic justice and social justice.”
Speaking on the continued invasion Fulani herdsmen on farms in the south west, the group said “We are concern that the Fulani herdsmen menace persists to the detriment of well-being of innocent citizens whose means of livelihood are being destroyed.
“Afenifere deployed the indifferent of the Federal Government on this matter. Unless appropriate actions are taking to the menace, farmers and their people generally may have no choice than to defend themselves and this should not be allow to happen so as to ensure peace in Nigeria.
“We called on the states in Yoruba land to take definite action within their constitutional responsibilities to checkmate the rampaging herdsmen. We employ them to follow what Ekiti state had done in that regards.”
Present at the meeting Gbenga Kaka, Sehinde Arogbofa, Olu Agunloye, Cornelius Adebayo, Kole Omololu, Olu Falae, Segun Adegoke among others.
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