Regional Development Commissions Will Accelerate Growth – ARG

The Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) has said the Regional Development Commission established by President Bola Tinubu would help accelerate growth in different parts of the country.

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation which stated this at an event marking the June 12 Democracy Day yesterday said the June 12, 1993 presidential election would remain indelible in the memories of Nigerians as the basis for the expansion, popularisation and growth of democracy in the country.

It also described the election as the freest and most credible in the history of Nigeria.

The coordinator, Ekiti State chapter of ARG, Elder Bunmi Awotiku, spoke in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital during the event organised by the group in conjunction with the state government to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of June 12 and 26 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria.

This came as the people of the Southwest geo political zone of Nigeria were charged to support the ongoing construction of Lagos -Calabar coastal road from Lagos to Calabar because of its economic benefits to the region.

The anniversary lecture, titled “June 12: Economic Imperatives of Southwest Development Commission” was delivered by Professor Taiwo Owoeye of the Department of Economics, Ekiti State University, (EKSU), Ado Ekiti.

Awotiku who decried the loss of many lives during protests staged across the country against the annulment of the election won by late Moshood Abiola, branded those behind the cancellation of the poll as killers.

Dwelling on some of the group’s activities, he said, “ARG had midwife Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) commission, Yoruba Academy, the Amotekun Corps and we are still going to do more.

“ARG stands for the welfare of our people, we want to say away to fiscal federalism and let’s develop at our own pace because we have a lot of things we can lay our hands on to develop. Before the federal government established Southwest Development Commission we have DAWN to help benchmark and do whatever good things others are doing through their comparative advantage in order to have a good network within the six western states and extending it  to Edo and Delta states  also to the Yoruba speaking areas of Kwara and Kogi states , this is the vision” .

In his lecture, Prof. Owoeye described June 12 as a landmark in Nigeria political history, saying it discusses the direction  the Yoruba nation  should take whenever it is being marked.