The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has expressed its dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s approach to the nationwide hunger protests, accusing him of maintaining anti-masses policies.
In an interview with Daily Trust, Prince Justice Fakiyesi, National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere loyal to Acting Leader Chief Ayo Adebanjo, lamented the president’s commitment to retaining the fuel subsidy and other neo-liberal economic policies.
Fakiyesi said, “We never believed that just calling for dialogue would change anything. He has never changed. His neo-liberal economy is the problem – the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira and he’s bent on continuing it and he does not feel any remorse on how he wants to change but really I don’t think he will change.”
Fakiyesi criticized Tinubu’s recent speech, saying it failed to address the root causes of the hunger affecting the nation.
He remarked, “It is unfortunate because we have seen so many countries where these neo-liberal economic policies have not worked. I think he was pushed to read the speech because it was not a matter of dialogue or him addressing people about the exact policy that brought hunger and since he is not willing to reverse or accept responsibility, because he more or less said it was politically motivated.”
He also pointed out the inconsistency in Tinubu’s stance on protests, noting that the president had previously supported demonstrations during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
“When he started and he said specifically that subsidy is dead, he said you can protest as much as you like. He said that. He knew that his policies were going to bring protest. At his age he knows that there have been all sorts of protests against subsidy removal,” Fakiyesi added,
Similarly , another Afenifere chieftain and former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Chief Kofoworola Bucknor Akerele, expressed her disappointment in Tinubu’s speech.
She emphasized that the speech did not address critical issues like insecurity, which has hindered farmers from accessing their fields and producing food.
