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…Say plans to pull down his govt unacceptable
By Oluseye Ojo
The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) has said that there are plans to pull down the administration of President Bola Tinubu with the myriad of socio-political and economic upheavals from certain quarters, saying the move was totally unacceptable.
The Secretary-General of YCE, Chief Oladipo Oyewole, who disclosed this to this reporter at the weekend said that pulling down the Tinubu administration might be tantamount to pulling down the country.
According to him, the YCE, as a totally non-political body, has not only continued to defend the interest of the Yoruba race, it has also been watching with keen interest and speaking openly to issues that concern developments in the polity.
“We see the ongoing hunger and hardship experienced by the masses as a result of the various forms of reorganisation to prepare Nigeria and Nigerians for a better tomorrow. Food must be made available!
“We commend the president for linking resources together for the betterment of humanity by midwifing Niger State and Lagos State in the area of food production and exchange for money through marketing and sales. This, to us, is a high level management arrangement that takes care of the two states and indeed of Nigerians
“At this time of hunger, PBAT (President Bola Ahmed Tinubu) has shown not only that he cares for the welfare of the masses, but that he is a ‘manager of men and resources,’ we associate with him.
“On the issue of padding of the national budget, we take serious objection to the brickbats in the media. Accordingly, we suggest, with all seriousness that the matter be officially investigated and the truth be told to the people.
“The president and his administration must not be pulled down by any ill-intentioned cause that may advocate same for the great Nigeria we are working for. That will be unacceptable,” the Yoruba elders said.
The YCE also spoke on the abduction of school children in the country, saying: “The abduction of Nigerian children, our children, particularly those babies among them, is totally absurd. How can a thing like this happen in year 2024 if it is not by assumed arrangement or by assumed connivance?
“On this day, at this time of modern defense, there are drones, there are cameras that see in the dark, and the Nigerian military is deemed equipped with sophisticated apparatus for which we pay tons and tons of naira so that they can defend us effectively.
“The YCE sees all the above, particularly this dastardly act, as an affront on the Federal Government of Nigeria. The only honourable thing to do is to face the abductors headlong and bring our children back.
“Payment of ransom will not be a solution to this our common problem. What has been done is an outright affront on Nigeria, and on all of us. If government, rightly, does not want to pay ransom, those paid to defend the land and ensure the security of lives and property should be ordered to be on their toes to do the needful and restore sanity, failing which all will be lost.
“As the abductors have these children in their custody right now, the YCE wants the situation to be taken as a war caused by crime against Nigeria at this time.
“We do not want to mourn over those children. It will not be proper.”
Oyewole also spoke on the home call of the Olubadan, Oba Olalekan Balogun, saying that the council was shocked to learn of the passing on to glory of the king.
“We commiserate with the government of Oyo State, Ibadan kingmakers, his immediate family and the entire people of Oyo State. May Ibadanland know and enjoy peace and continue to make progress even in this hard time of mourning,” he prayed.
