The apex Yoruba socio-cultural group, the Afenifere has advised President Muhammadu Buhari against allowing the war against corruption to become the sole agenda of his government. It stressed the present administration should be more bothered about how to revamp the economy of the country rather than focusing on anti-corruption war, which it feared may take a long time before it could be won. The group made this assertion in a communique read to reporters by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, shortly after the group’s monthly meeting held at the residence of its leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti in Akure, the Ondo State capital. Afenifere pointed out that the only solution to the country’s challenges was to diversify the economy, adding that there was no way such diversification could work without proper restructuring. It, however, pleaded with Buhari to consider the restructuring of the country through the implementation of the 2014 National Conference report. Noting that it is in total support of Buhari’s war against corruption, the group cautioned the President against making the war look selective and sectional, stressing that the fight must be fought within the confines of the rule of law. The communique reads, “We support the war, because corruption is evil but we quickly warn that our war against corruption should not be selective, sectional and should be all embracing and encompassing. It should be fought within the confines of rule of law. “The anti-corruption war should not be the only agenda of this government. They should concentrate on rebuilding the economy because we have seen countries that have been ravaged by war but later people took over those governments and they started rebuilding the economy. “So, we should not turn anti-corruption to the only agenda. Building the economy is important. The naira is collapsing. Every sector is going down. Investors are leaving our country. “This should attract the attention of the government but not to continue to sectionalise anti-corruption war because ultimately, our experience have shown that anti-corruption takes a long time to win the war.” The pan-Yoruba group further condemned the excessive borrowing and the confusion that engulfed the 2016 budget after it was presented to the National Assembly. While noting that it was embarrassing and scandalous that the budget was declared missing, the group urged the federal government not to allow such to occur again. Afenifere also faulted the imposition of N50 stamp duty on every bank deposit, regretting that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, which is supposed to encourage banking was the one discouraging it.
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