Afenifere chieftain, Ogunmeno, seeks support for Tinubu’s govt, urges patience
By Stephen Gbadamosi
The president of Afenifere World Congress (AWC), Prince Bayo Ogunmeno, has called on Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Tinubu, as he tries to reposition the country, saying he needs more time.
Prince Ogunmeno, in a statement on Sunday, made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, said President Tinubu meant well but that he needed to be given more time to carry out his agenda of turning the country around.
He said the level the country was before President Tinubu took over was precarious, saying the country had deteriorated so badly and that “patience is the key word now.”
Prince Ogunmeno, who is also the Coordinator, Ogun State 4 BAT Forum, said “Nigeria is a federal state and people should also scrutinise the performances of the various state governors, instead of concentrating only on federal government.”
According to him, “President Tinubu met a terrible state of affairs. He has been trying to reposition the country, but this will definitely take time.
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“I plead with Nigerians to please give our president more time. He knows what he is doing. He has the capability and capacity to turn around the fortune of the country; but Rome was not built in a day.
“Nigeria is also a federal state, we should also put the state governors on the spot and assess their performance.
“Few months ago, President Tinubu released N5 billion to the state governors as palliatives. He said the governors should buy and distribute rice and other grains for the people of their states. But we all know what happened.
“Though the president meant well, some of the governors didn’t purchase or distribute rice to their people. Who do we blame? Governors have usurped the functions of the local governments chairmen. It is terrible!”
Ogunmeno, who is chairman, State of Kansas Branch, All Progressives Congress (APC)-USA, said as a leader of the APC in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun state and one who worked hand-in-hand with President Tinubu during the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) movement in the USA, he had studied President Tinubu for years and saw him as an intelligent politician, a shrewd businessman and an accountant with good intelligent quotient (IQ).
“We need to be patient, Tinubu is not magician, but he has what it takes to bring Nigeria back on its feet,” he said.
Prince Ogunmeno also used the opportunity to implore President Tinubu not to forget many of the freedom fighters in the NADECO movement in the USA who fought along with him to drive the military away.
“President Tinubu should also not forget members of APC-USA who sacrificed so much for his election victory. I believe mixing the diaspora talents with local talents as heads of MDAs will uplift Nigeria,” he added.
