Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to make policies that would not lead to the country’s break-up.
The group made the call following a statement made by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that a break-up was not the solution to Nigeria’s problem.
Osinbajo had said on Tuesday that some countries in Africa had broken up and yet their problems had not been resolved.
But the Afenifere pointed out that the Federal Government had not done anything to avert the break-up of the country.
The Publicity Secretary of the Yoruba group, Yinka Odumakin, alleged that the Federal Government was being partial in the treatment of various elements in the country, warning this might lead to the break-up of the country.
He said, “What are they doing to prevent the break-up? The President said yesterday that Abiola would have solved ethnic and religious problem in Nigeria, why are they not solving it? Why are they doing all kinds of things that can divide the country?
“So if break-up is not the solution, why are all the actions they are taking making the break-up inevitable? The Fulani people are doing so many things in the country; they are not doing anything against them. You are doing many things that can break-up the country and yet you are saying break-up is not the solution.
“What kind of sermon are they preaching? If they are declaring Shi’ites group as terrorists, what acts of terrorism have they done? Whereas those who are perpetrating terror in Nigeria, you are giving them money.”
Odumakin urged the President to lead with his principle of ‘I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody.’
Similarly, the Secretary-General of the group, Bashorun Sehinde Arogbofa, said the group had never supported disintegration of the country but urged the Federal Government to make policies that would discourage division of the diverse groups in the country.
He said, “The Afenifere has never set out to ask for the break-up of Nigeria. As a matter of fact, we don’t like it. It is those who are pursuing the policy of not making Nigerians good neighbours to one another, those who regard some Nigerians as masters and some as slaves; those, who discriminate and pursue policies of discrimination; those who don’t provide employment for the millions of able-bodied Nigerians even though there are opportunities to do so, that could break-up the country.
“Some Nigerians have the opportunity to utilise the resources to develop Nigeria but fail to do so. It is these people directly or indirectly, who are breaking up this country.”
