By CHUKWUDI NWEJE
Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere has congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his election as Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Commission of West Africa States (ECOWAS).
President Tinubu was unanimously elected as the regional body’s chairman on Sunday, July 9, 2023 at its 63rd extra-ordinary meeting that held in Guinea Bissau.
Afenifere in a congratulatory message signed by Chief Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti, charge Tinubu to embrace the welfarist ideas contained in his manifesto that he (Tinubu) shared with Afenifere during his visit to Akure in October, 2022.
The organisation expressed optimism that the election of Tinubu as ECOWAS Chairman will afford him the opportunity to strengthen the position of Nigeria in the sub region as well as better the lot of the citizenry and Africans in general in world affairs.
It tasked Tinubu on areas of priority he must focus on to put Nigeria back on the path of glory.
A statement by National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi listed the areas identified by the organisation to include, addressing the country’s insecurity, high cost of living, high unemployment rate, social and economic dislocation, declining agriculture, infrastructural deficit, high tariff and irregular supply of electricity as well as the urgent need to revamp the education and health sectors.
He said, “Afenifere identifies with President Tinubu’s vision as it correlates with the organisation’s philosophy. It is when a people’s social and cultural philosophy and practices are noble that their political philosophy and political practices would be people-centred. It is when government policies are people-centred that such a government would be in a position to pursue people-oriented programmes.”
The message read in part, “Afenifere is optimistic that President Tinubu will use the opportunity he has as Nigeria’s President and Chairman of ECOWAS to better the lot of Nigerians and uplift the conditions of the region’s citizens with a view to ensuring that Nigerians and Africans generally experience a new lease of life that everyone would be happy about.
“The central core of Afenifere philosophy are the welfare of the people, enhancing and projecting Yoruba interests. The philosophy encapsulates the concept of Omoluabi and life-more-abundant-for-all.
“Incidentally, Yoruba interests are not at variance with the overall interests of the majority of Nigerians. The Yoruba believe in equity, justice and fairness. They believe in peaceful co-existence whereby one does not constitute a threat to his or her neighbour. Being democrats, Yoruba also believe strongly in each nationality in Nigeria that so desires to be in a position to determine its own affairs within the ambit of federal system in Nigeria to do so. That was why we are pushing restructuring.
“Afenifere’s philosophy goes beyond partisan politics, that is why the organisation, in itself, is not a political party but a philosophy. For it is a political party, all those who are not members of the party would automatically not be in Afenifere. Afenifere is for all Yoruba adults who are willing to advance Yoruba interests and are ready to be members of the apex Yoruba organisation.
“We can put our weight behind political concepts that are in tandem with our own philosophy as most welfare programmes meant to better the lot of the people can only be fully realised through governmental policies. And as we all know, the situation in this era is such that governments are formed only through political processes.”
