A Yoruba socio-cultural group, known as the Council of Yoruba Elders (CYE), has called for urgent intervention by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the recent reoccurrence of insecurity challenges in the south-west region of the country.
The group also condemned the high cost of food items and other essential commodities on the market, which has made life more unbearable for Nigerians.
While addressing journalists during a media parley at the headquarters of the group in Abayomi Axis of Iwo Road, Ibadan, Oyo State capital on Wednesday, the Secretary General of the group, Dr Victor Taiwo, lamented over the reoccurring insecurity challenges in the south-west region of the country.
He said, “A lot of reports reaching our office daily regarding the effect of the renewed Fulani herdsmen attacks on our farmers, the ravaging of our farmers’ plantation fields, the abductions of our people for ransom by bandits, and the indiscriminate killings of our people, most especially in Ondo and Oyo states, respectively, have become a sort of nightmare to us.”
“It was a kind of relief for us when we witnessed a reduction in the menace immediately after the government changed hands in May 2023, but quite unfortunately, what we are witnessing now is a high-profile resurgence. It is also an understatement to say armed robbers are literally on the rampage in the land.”
“You can imagine the widely published sad occurrence of the gruesome murder of a 62-year-old grandmother, Iyanuoluwa Adamolekun, of Similoluwa area, Agbaluku Arigidi Akoko in Ondo State.
We also have in our records the kidnapping incidents in Saki, Okaka, Ipapo, Oke-ogun, and the Axis of Oyo State. So, within a month, Fulani herders’
attacks on farmers in Afon, Ipokia, Ogun State, Iwere-Ile, Komu, and Otu in Oyo State.”
“We also heard about the killing of Rev. David Musa of the ECWA in Obajana, Kogi State, on October 14, 2023, and also the abduction of about 15 church members in Ondo State in September.
All these challenges should be critically looked into by Mr President before they escalate into something else.” Dr Victor Taiwo said
While speaking on the level of inflation in the country, Dr Taiwo linked insecurity issues across the country and the fuel subsidy removal to the high cost of food items in the country.
He said, “The recent attacks on our farmers in the south west and the fuel subsidy removal have resulted in the high cost of food items in our markets.
The Fulani herders, through their series of attacks, are preventing our farmers from freely accessing their farms, and this has naturally led to a deficit in food items, which has resulted in high food item costs.”
“The high cost of transportation due to the removal of fuel subsidies has also contributed a lot to the high cost of essential commodities in our markets, and Nigerians are finding it so difficult to maintain their three square meals daily.”
“We reviewed the state of the economy, and it is very lamentable that the suffering the masses are passing through is fast becoming unbearable, so much so that the rate of deaths by suicide due to hunger and hopelessness is quite unprecedented in the history of this country.”
“The rate at which inflation on foods and general goods and services is skyrocketing is very disturbing to the nerves, so much so that deaths by hunger are no more news to the ear.”
“The rate of unemployment in the country has literally become paradoxically the norm and terribly alarming.
So, out of sheer hopelessness for our youths at securing employment, they find solace or alternative means of survival in Yahoo businesses, kidnapping of their fellow citizens for ransom, and several other criminal activities.”
“For all that is obvious, since the so-called fuel subsidy was removed by the government, the loop effect has been too telling on the general economic life of the people. And yet all efforts by the government to ease the hardship have not effected any positive change in the lives of the people but rather excruciating agony.”
“Now, as the new voice for the Yoruba people of Yorubaland, we cannot feign ignorance of the cries our people are inundating us with daily.
What is, therefore, the way out for our people in Yorubaland suffering amid plenty? So, we are using this opportunity to call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to find a lasting solution to all these issues at hand for our people to truly have rest of mind.”Taiwo said.
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