As the impact of fuel subsidy removal continues to bring untold hardship to Nigerians, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere has given a five-step recommendation to President Bola Tinubu in order to stop the social and economic collapse of the nation.
In an issued statement signed by its spokesperson, Jare Ajayi, on Sunday, the Afenifere said the current economic situation in the country needs far-reaching and deep-rooted steps for it to be ameliorated.
According to the group, Tinubu can prevent the nation’s socioeconomic collapse by first requesting debt relief from the country’s key creditors and then scaling back all levels of government. Afenifere also called on the president to block areas of leakages of public resources and embark on policies or programmes that are capable of engaging millions of unemployed youths.
The organisation also asked President Tinubu to ensure that the security and safety of lives and properties in the country become paramount.
The statement reads: “The first step is to see debt relief from our major creditors. Another step is to drastically reduce the size of government at all levels. The third is to block areas of leakages of public resources, especially finance. Fourth is to embark on policies or programmes that are capable of engaging millions of unemployed people, old and young, in the country. The fifth step is to ensure that security and safety of lives and properties become permanent features in the Nigeria firmament”.
Afenifere said the five steps suggested would have to be pursued simultaneously for the inherent benefits to be harnessed effectively and promptly. It added: “At the moment, Nigeria’s debt profile is so huge that it is spending about 97 percent of its revenue to service the debts according to many official sources including the Debt Management Office (DMO), federal budget office, ministry of finance and the World Bank.
Afenifere urged the president to travel abroad in order to negotiate debt relief with the country’s creditors, warning that there may soon be insufficient finances for the provision of social services and infrastructure, adding that there is an urgent need to drastically cut down on the emolument of public officials, especially political office holders and wage a serious war against corrupt officers.
The group said it is only by doing the three things listed above that the foreign countries would listen to the Tinubu government for debt forgiveness.
