Afenifere blames Tinubu for economic sabotage
Justice Faloye, National Publicity Secretary of the Adebanjo-led faction of Afenifere, a socio-cultural organization for the Yoruba people of Nigeria, has accused the Tinubu administration of economic sabotage under the guise of implementing economic reforms.
In an interview, Faloye criticized the government’s handling of the economy and the repression of citizens protesting their worsening economic conditions.
He called for the immediate release of protesters jailed on charges of treason, stating, “We are very concerned and are asking for the immediate release of those detained for treason. Even if there were acts of violence during the protests, they could be charged with willful destruction of property and other offenses, but not treason. The real question is, who is actually committing treason here? What Nigerians are facing is economic sabotage. They keep calling it economic reform, but I say it is economic sabotage.”
Faloye expressed concern over what he perceives as a rise in authoritarian tactics, comparing the current situation to the era of military dictator Sani Abacha. He warned, “We are moving back to the days of Abacha if we are not careful.”
He also criticized the government’s failure to address Nigeria’s reliance on petrol imports, which he claimed accounts for 55% of the country’s import bill. “Our biggest problem right now is the importation of petrol. This government came in promising change, but within the first hundred days, we would have expected them to address 55% of our import bill. Our refineries have consumed over $20 billion with little progress. Meanwhile, there are ongoing discussions about Dangote refineries. What do you expect the people to do?”
Faloye argued that the government’s approach to economic issues is flawed, saying, “Logic suggests there was a way the government should have resolved these problems. We are not addressing key issues. They keep talking about economic reforms, but what specific industries are they aiming to grow from these reforms? If you’re not addressing high petrol imports and their impact on our import bill, and instead making life more difficult for everyone, what are these so-called reforms achieving?”
Regarding the arrest of NLC President Joe Ajaero, Faloye expressed frustration, calling it an act of intimidation. “We know that he was invited a couple of weeks ago and complied. Why is he being intimidated? What are the charges against him? If he was guilty, why was he released within 24 hours? We see this as intimidation. It’s not just the NLC president; there are also underage individuals currently being locked up for treason. Afenifere is concerned about this because we support the fundamental right to protest, especially in cases where economic livelihoods have been undermined under the pretense of economic reform.”
On internal divisions within Afenifere, Faloye refuted claims of a factional split. He acknowledged that Afenifere is not an opposition party but hinted at the possibility of forming or joining a political party to challenge the government’s economic direction. “We don’t have a faction. Some individuals, driven by personal motives, decided to align with Tinubu. For the last twenty years, Afenifere has criticized Tinubu’s governance, even in Lagos, where he failed to improve the quality of life. Afenifere is not an opposition party, but we might consider creating or joining a party to address the government’s economic policies.”
Proofreading by Gift Luckson, Editor at Neptune Prime.
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