The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has urged Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu’s quest to halt insecurity in the country through the establishment of state police.
The body also appealed to Nigerians to be calm and not allow the current fuel price hike, occasioned by the war in the middle-east, to adversely affect the nation’s economy.
The chairman of the Ekiti State chapter of Afenifere, Elder Yemi Alade, who stated these while speaking with our correspondent in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, said the move by President Tinubu is to secure the lives and property of the people and ensure that peace returns to every part of the country.
Elder Alade explained that the group is strongly backing the president on the creation of state police because Afenifere supports the idea knowing very well that banditry, terrorism, kidnapping will be curbed, if established as soon as possible.
He said, “As an organisation, we have been saying that we support it since it came from us, in the first instance, that state police. We have voluntary organizations that are not well trained, equipped and without arms, so they cannot face the bandits and those coming to kill and kidnap our people.
“So, if we have state police, that are well-trained, equipped with sophisticated arms and those who know and familiar with the nooks and crannies of their respective states, then they will be able to better manage and secure their states and protect the people more than the conventional security agents who are being transferred from other states and places. So, there is a need for the creation of state police as early as possible.”
The Afenifere leader explained that the purposeful leadership being provided by the President Tinubu and Governor Oyebanji was the reason for backing them for a second term in office.
“What informed the decision is because we saw that our president and the governor are performing well and then we held an endorsement programme for the governor. We see progress and then we support a progressive government.
“The performance of President Tinubu at this moment, is very good and up to the standard and expectation of the Afenifere people. You know, it is very easy to destroy, but difficult to build. He is building and the new policies that he is introducing are bringing positive results.
“For Governor Oyebanji, his achievements which endeared him to us include the people-oriented agricultural and economic policies, youth and women empowerment, infrastructural development, regular payment of workers’ salaries and pension among others,” he said.
While counselling Nigerians against outrageously increasing the prices of their goods and services due to the fuel price hike, Elder Alade said, “Nigerians must develop an attitude of knowing that, there is a problem and there must be a solution. But we want to align with peace. So, we pray that there will be peace. Then, for that period, we must be able to accommodate what is happening now.
“There will be an increase in the prices of commodities. When there is an increase in the price of fuel. And now that the raw materials for fuel are being disrupted in Iran and parts of the Middle East and the supply of the product is cut short, then the price will definitely go up everywhere. And then the price of other commodities will go up. We have to appeal to our people to be calm and accommodate the situation”.
