The Yoruba socio- cultural organisation, Afenifere, on Tuesday said what Nigeria needed were statesmen-politicians whose preoccupation should be the next generation and survival of the polity, rather than the next elections.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, Afenifere Leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti warned political actors to desist from over-heating the polity. At the briefing in Lagos were Chief Olu Falae, Chief Supo Sonibare and Mr Yinka Odumakin among others.
“No one can predict the outcome of the drive to the cliff that politicians are propelling the country toward.”
He said rather than creating enabling environment for rational discourse and ideas for the electorates to be able to make informed choices, many political actors were making inflammatory remarks.
“Such remarks geared at political gains are capable of inflaming and deepening the divisions within the country.”
According to him, the sabre- rattling going on among some major party and political actors, are not healthy for the democratic project.
He noted that most of the issues going on were not even about solving any of the major challenges confronting the country.
“We have in our hands a country that appears to be at war, but almost all are pretending that it is all a build up to next elections.
“We are worried that a large section of our political class pretends not to understand the signs of the time and what needs to be done”.
On the upcoming Nigeria’s centenary celebrations, Fasoranti said that there was nothing wrong in celebrating, but that he was against elaborate celebrations.
“If we must celebrate, it has to be done with deep empathy for the down trodden and extreme caution with the hope of salvaging an already prostrate situation.
“We, therefore, suggest a celebration based on sober reflection of our lives, using such an occasion to ruminate on where we have missed our ways and proffer solution”.
On amnesty to the Boko Haram sect, Fasoranti said it should be holistic.
“We should not just be talking of the insurgents but also their victims and the causes of this menace, with a view to ensuring it does not happen again and again”.
He decried the level of corruption in the nation, and expressed worry that the cankerworm had eaten too deep into the nation’s fabrics.
Fasoranti, however, advised the government to ensure transparent management of the oil sector by implementing the key recommendations of the House and Ribadu committees on oil subsidy removal. (NAN)
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