Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) on Thursday said its late Founder, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, if he had been alive, would have kicked against the current political dispensation under which citizens suffer socio-economic hardship and insecurity.
President of the Fasehun-led OPC National Executives, Otunba Wasiu Afolabi, stated this after a meeting in Lagos to mark the fourth anniversary of the death of the group’s late founder and president, who transited on December 1, 2018.
This was just as Afolabi, on behalf of the group, commiserated with wife of OPC Founder, Deaconess Iyabo Fasehun, praying God would continue to keep her and the children, even as he also prayed God to steer the leaders of the group “to continue in the laudable steps laid by our legendary leader in the advancement of democracy and the welfare and protection of Yoruba people and their neighbours.”
The OPC chieftain, while stating the position the late Founder of the group would have taken if he were alive, said the current hardship faced by Nigerians was a remarkable departure from what Fasehun fought for when he founded OPC in 1994 as part of the struggle to enthrone democracy.
According to him, the current democracy seeing on ground in the country is certainly not one fought for by Fasehun; the winner of June 12 presidential poll, Chief MKO Abiola; Chief Anthony Enahoro, Dan Suleiman, Arthur Nwankwo, late leader of pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Abraham Adesanya; Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, and other heroes.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
“This democracy we see is certainly not the democracy fought for by Fasehun, MKO Abiola, Anthony Enahoro, Dan Suleiman, Arthur Nwankwo, Abraham Adesanya, Kudirat Abiola, Gani Fawehinmi and other heroes.
“It is unfortunate that unlike these heroes of democracy, driven by the vision of a Nigeria that will work for Nigerians, our current leaders in the Fourth Republic have continued to lead Nigerians deeper and deeper into despair and poverty. Nigeria wallows in debt and Nigerians wallow in poverty.
“Corruption reigns at all levels and it is carried out with great impunity, with politicians and public servants getting away with corrupt enrichment,” Afolabi said.
“Nigerians are suffering under the current situation of costly foodstuffs and essential commodities. People are embracing the JAPA SYNDROME and fleeing Nigeria through highly risky means and routes.
“Suffering Nigerians are being driven to commit suicide because of the current hardship. Something needs to be done in a hurry to bring hope to despondent Nigerians.
“A bag of rice has risen to N45,000, an amount that is 150 per cent of the minimum wage, and more than seven times the N6,000 it was when Buhari took over in 2015 from a Goodluck Jonathan government tagged as clueless and corrupt.
“Cooking gas has risen to over N10,000 from less than N2,000. The prices of cooking kerosine, aviation fuel and diesel have shot through the roof, with government appearing to have no solutions,” he added.
Speaking further, OPC, in a release by its General Secretary, Comrade Bunmi Fasehun, said the group was yet to formally adopt any candidate for the 2023 General Elections, be it for the legislative, the governorship, or the presidency.
The group, however, said Nigerians must, come 2023, choose political leaders at all levels capable of delivering the dividends of democracy and alleviate the current hardship faced by the people.