Yoruba elders cry out over inflation, insecurity, ask Tinubu to take action

A group of Yoruba elders, under the aegis of the Council of Yoruba Elders (CYE), has called on President Bola Tinubu to tackle the recent wave of insecurity in the South-West region of the country.

The elders also lamented the state of the economy amid ballooning inflation, which has made the price of food items and other essential commodities to skyrocket.

The group made the call at a media parley held at its headquarters in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

Addressing journalists, the group’s Secretary General, Dr Victor Taiwo, said the reoccurring insecurity in the region has become a worrisome trend.

He said reports at the group's disposal linked the security menace to activities of suspected Fulani herdsmen, who he said have been relentless in their onslaught against farmers, ravaging farmers’ plantation fields.

The group also condemned the abduction and indiscriminate killings of the people, most especially in Ondo and Oyo States by bandits and other criminal groups.

It noted that though there was a period of reprieve from criminal activities shortly after Tinubu's inauguration as President in May, there has been a resurgence in security challenges in the South-West region.

“You can imagine that 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 record the kidnap incidents in Saki, Okaka and Ipapo, Oke-ogun, and Axis of Oyo State here. 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 it escalates into something else,” Taiwo said.

The Secretary-General identified the removal of fuel subsidy and insecurity challenges across the country as the main factors responsible for the high food inflation in the country.

“The recent attacks on our farmers in the southwest and the fuel subsidy removal have resulted in 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 and it has resulted to high costs of food items.”

“The high cost of transportation due to the removal of fuel subsidy 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.

“For all that is obvious, since the so-called fuel subsidy was removed by the government, the loop effect has been too much 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,” he added.