The Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, and some Yoruba elders held a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Tuesday.
The leaders presented a five-point demand to Buhari, including a call for the deployment of additional policemen in the 774 local government areas to tackle insecurity and a true federalism.
Pa Ayo Fasanmi led the leaders, which included the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
However, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye read Afenifere’s prepared text at the meeting.
On insecurity, the leaders believed that strengthening the police by recruiting additional hands for deployment in local government areas would help a great a deal.
They suggested the training of the general public on how to monitor strangers in their localities and report promptly to law enforcement agencies.
“Imbibing such habit and practice will be a tremendous help or service to the police and other security agents as regards ‘intelligence’ support, especially now that most people have access to individual means of communication (handsets)”, the letter read.
On education, the leaders called on Buhari to reintroduce “Free Universal and Compulsory Education” at all levels, as was practised in the past, especially in the South-West, where it recorded success.
The leaders also wanted Nigeria to practise true federalism as the surest way to make the country become truly great.
“We seriously recommend clinging to the spirit and letters of our Federal Constitution. This is one sure way of achieving the desired goal of unity even in diversity, mutual respect, tolerance and giving true meaning to the opening phrase of our constitution that is, ‘We the people.”
“We will be a greater nation if we sincerely practise true federalism and think and act as Nigerians rather than as champions of the smaller units we were born into. Our big size is an asset worthy of preservation. Good examples of big size, hard work and prudent spending are the USA, China and India,” the leaders said.
