Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has lauded the 17 Southern governors for deeming it fit to hold a parley on how to move the country forward but quickly charged them to ensure they stick to true Federalism in line with demands of their people of Southern Nigeria.
National Publicity of the group, Mr Yinka Odumakin, said this on Monday in reaction to the meeting of the Southern governors taking place in Lagos and being hosted by the state governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode and his Akwa Ibom counterpart, Mr Emmanuel Udom.
The meeting’s core agenda, according to a statement made available by the Secretary to the Lagos State Government (SSG), Mr Tunji Bello, are: devolution of powers, issue of fiscal federalism, armed robbery and kidnapping.
According to the Afenifere chieftain, the Southern people have since voted for restructuring by agreeing to true Federalism, which he said encompasses fiscal federalism, devolution of power, structure of government and federating units, declaring that devolution of power was just an aspect.
He, however, warned that the Afenifere was totally against shifting of Southern people’s position on true Federalism, which he said the South West governors tried to engage in at their recent parley.
“On the issue that Nigeria should move forward, we have voted for the restructuring of Nigeria, that Nigeria should be restructured on the crest of Federalism of which devolution is just an aspect. What the Southern Nigeria wants is that Nigeria should be restructured, We think that every aspect of our lives, fiscal federalism, devolution of power, the structure of government, federating units, the governors should stick to them.
“We do not want the kind of thing that came out from the South West governor’s parley where they were trying to shift our position. True Federalism is all-encompassing, it includes devolution of powers, fiscal federalism, structure of government and all. This is what we want the governors to focus on,” Odumakin said, even as he urged the governors to collaborate with their colleagues in the North to achieve the goal, declaring that Nigeria cannot continue the way was currently structured.
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