Afenifere skeptical about fresh constitution review

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere on Monday expressed reservation over the fresh move by the National Assembly to carry out a review of the 1999 constitution.

The group observed that “the exercise has become a ritual every four years without tangible progress.”

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This was contained in a communique issued at the end of a virtual meeting of the Afenifere National caucus presided over by Chief Reuben Fasoranti.

Daily Trust reports that Afenifere’s position aligns with the view of the Northern Elders’ Forum which penultimate week rejected the fresh constitution review which, it said, was of no value and a predictable waste of time.

Afenifere’s spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, who signed the communique clarified to our correspondent that the group was not rejecting the proposal but was “skeptical.”

“Every four years, we’ve been doing it. It’s a motion without movement,” he said.

In the communique, Afenifere, however, recommended the adoption of the reports of the 2014 National Conference and “other profound positions on restructuring as a basis of a meaningful new constitutional order for Nigeria.”

According to Afenifere, the previous reports which it described as “mainly pro-federal reports” have enough provisions to take Nigeria out of its present crisis.

It said: “It would be sad if the country is being taken through another motion without movement in the midst of its constitutional disorder.”

The group also rejected the Water Resources Bill which was rejected by the 8th National Assembly, saying it was “revived surreptitiously by the House of Representatives.”

Afenifere argued 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.”

“We ask that the bill be dropped immediately except there is an agenda to divide the country being pursued frenetically,” it added.

It also restated its position that the recently constituted South-West Regional Security Outfit, Amotekun, would not be under the control of the Federal Government.