AFENIFERE trail on a journey of carelessness and political hopelessness
Afenifere is a social cultural organisation that was formed by the Yorubas in Nigeria with Chief Abraham Adesanya and chief Bola Ige as its leader and deputy respectively. As a pressure group most of Yorubas see Afenifere as a legitimate force that can defend and influence Yoruba’s interest on federalism. The group is dated back to 1950 during Chief Obafemi Awolowo who established a forum tagged Egbe Afenifere as a social political group to fight for the right of Yorubas locally and at federal level which some of the agenda focus on southwest empowerment through training and development, human right, free education and healthcare among others.
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There is a lot of controversy in southwest regarding Afenifere influences as compared to when Pa Abraham Adesanya and Chief Bola Ige headed the group. According to a Yoruba prominent Muslim Scholar based in London sheikh Dr. Abu Abdullah Adelabu, he described Afenifere as a bunch of tribalism and self-serving ambitious greedy rivals driven by xenophobia and deep bigotry, and possessed by delusion of their so-called cultural commonalities. Sheikh Adelabu, who studied and has a Ph.D. in Damascus founded several institutions, including EsinIslam.com, IslamAfrica.com and the Awqaf Africa Society in London, said the only logic behind the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation is that Afenifere exhibits the very paranoia that has made the Nigerians so hopeless and the Yoruba politicians so careless. (Wikipedia).
Ongoing political activities in southwest today put the integrity of so called Afenifere group into questionable character as they have compromised what they stand for based on what is described by Dr Abdullah Adelabu as self-servicing greedy group that put their individual priority on so called Yoruba’s in the southwest zone by ignoring what is important and focus on less important or irrelevant situation in Yoruba land.
The group said endorsement of Jonathan in southwest is based on implementation of CONFAB report and that it includes Yoruba’s agenda but this was criticised by the human Right Lawyer Chief Femi Falana that none of the Yoruba contribution to the Agenda has direct impact or influence on what the group stands for such as empowerment, job creation, free education and healthcare, even the so call state police that was prioritise in southwest as one of their major concern are not included in the CONFAB. So what is their ambition towards the Endorsement of President Jonathan? FIRSTLY the group need to provide answer to support Jonathan endorsement beyond CONFAB to aid southwest youths for history and documentation purpose.
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Going back to history the last time Afenifere can claim relevance in southwest was during the time of Pa Abraham Adesanya and Chief bola Ige, but now the only value that is left in the pressure group is their old age. According to interview granted by General Alani Akinrinade (rtd) who condemned the endorsement. He said: “if this old men that are shouting marginalisation a few months ago, can sit today to endorse the same man that is marginalising them, then their brains need medical examination.” There is nothing wrong in Jonathan’s endorsement by Afenifere but this must be supported with good reason and sensible evidence that will benefit the entire Yoruba’s they represent. The SECOND question is what has changed from few months ago that warrant the endorsement of Jonathan based on chief Akinrinade’s view since their input in CONFAB is hoodwink.
Afenifere failed to come out clean on issues that are clearly violating what they stand for which is human right on Ekitigate without any action as if Ekiti is not Part of Yorubas they are representing. If Chief Bola Ige was alive today and for any reason he want to endorse Jonathan one of the condition that Chief Bola Ige will need answer for is EkitiGate since the barbaric manipulation was perpetrated in southwest zone they are representing which is total violation of human right.
It seems the group only focus on down fall of the political parties that are represented by some people that can be traced to so called Afenifere group when the going was good and also an in-law to late chief obafemi awolowo because of their greediness, hatred and their personal interest. If they are genuinely representing the southwest zone we need them to answer the THIRD question, since they endorse Jonathan, what about Kashamu, Bode George, Obanikoro, Fayose and Daniel.
It is clear enough to understand that our leaders today are the victims of youths that have been corrupted by the system before they get into position so they cannot be seen as a role model. Our so called leaders took advantage of the system to enrich themselves, to allocate political position and government contract to their children and also to become political godfathers.
Adebola.S.K., [email protected]
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