The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has said that it was obvious that President Muhammadu Buhari was not sincere on meeting the demands of the #EndSARS protesters, saying that it was a clear indication of how the government was alienating itself from Nigerians.
In a statement signed by the organisation’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere equally condemned the high handed manner with which the police treated those who peacefully organised rallies to commemorate one year of the protests and alleged killings at the Lekki toll
gate.
The statement further stated that Wednesday’s incident was a clear indication that government and the police had learnt nothing from the October 20, 2020 debacle, while the alleged killings equally mean nothing to them.
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Afenifere added that since January 1 when the President made the promise of fulfilling the five demands of the youths, “there is nothing on ground to show that the promises were kept or are in the process of being kept.”
Afenifere advised the Federal Government to release those who were arrested in connection with the #ENDSARS protest, fulfil the five-point demands, work on ending spate of insecurity and restructure the country.
According to the statement, “The failure of the government to fulfil the promises made by President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue has added to the list of how the government continues to alienate itself from the people.
“For some time to come, October 20 of every year will continue to be a reminder of the little value that the Nigerian nation places on the life and future of its youths going by how it treated youths who were protesting at Lekki toll gate, Lagos on October 20, 2020.”
Afenifere further said: “If anything, the promises appear to be kept in reverse. For, other than the nomenclature SARS that has been officially removed, the same persons who were members of the organisation still don police uniforms.
“That is not the problem. The problem is that they are still exhibiting the attitude that ignited the call for the disbandment of their organiation in the first place.”
