Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has kicked against the proposed Water Bill by the Federal Government.
So also did the apex Yoruba group frown at the attempt to review the constitution of the country, demanding that the National Assembly Constitution Review Committee should revert to the outcome of the 2014 Conference set up by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
These and the recent increase in the pump price of petrol and upward review of electricity tariff formed the crux of the discussion of the body as contained in a communique it issued after its virtual meeting on Monday.
The meeting was presided over by the group’s leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti.
The communique, made available to the press by its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, read: “We reviewed the latest invitation for memoranda by the Senate for Constitution Review and observed that the exercise has become a ritual every four years without tangible progress. It would be sad if the country is being taken through another motion without movement in the midst of its constitutional disorder.
“We, therefore, recommend the reports of the 2014 National Conference and other profound positions on restructuring as a basis of a meaningful new constitutional order for Nigeria. The mainly pro-federal reports have enough provisions to take Nigeria out of its present crisis.
“The meeting also discussed the Water Resources Bill rejected by the eighth National Assembly, which has been revived surreptitiously by the House of Representatives and we concluded that a dangerous agenda is being pursued by the Executive in wanting to subvert the Land Use Act in the constitution that vests lands in the states in the Governors. The Bill is so dangerous as it seeks to convert waterways to RUGA facilities for the Federal Government. The Bill seeks to give 18 kilometers after River Banks to FG when in a state like Lagos you hardly can go beyond a kilometer of any river before meeting residential buildings. We ask that the Bill be dropped immediately except there is an agenda to divide the country being pursued.
“On fuel and electricity prices increase, the meeting considered the recent increase as the most insensitive policy against a people being ravaged by a national pandemic without adequate support from their government. To ask Nigerians to pay more for these facilities is wicked and inhumane.
“We call on the people to use all constitutional and peaceful means to resist and reject the hikes.
“On the issue of Amotekun, we restated our rejection of the gaffe by the Federal Government that the Yoruba states security initiative will function under the Inspector General of Police. We fully back our governors that being a product of law by federating units , the outfit should be independent and not be muzzled under the failure of single police that necessitated it in the first place. Seeking to take Amotekun over negates the untruth by the FG that it has commenced restructuring.”
