Former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has said that the time is now for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to act, saying that Nigerians were looking to his government to instill security amidst the fear and atrocious crimes being committed by bandits, kidnappers and others in the country, occasioning a threat to personal safety of the citizens.
George, who is also the Atona Oodua of Yoruba land gave this charge on Monday in a signed statement, copy of which was made available to newsmen in Lagos, noting sadly that the sudden increase and high prevalence rate of innocent lives lost, suffered by Nigerians communities was not only tragic but had made it almost impossible to attract the much needed international economic investment that can only prevail in a politically stable environment.
The PDP chieftain further noted that in the wake of the rising menace taking its toll on Nigerians, it had become imperative to address the critical questions Nigerians were asking which basically is: “What exactly is going on in our country?”
George, while giving the charge, quickly recalled that his party, PDP was in power for 16 years and things were not as bad as this, saying that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had been in power for about nine years and it was all mess.
“This APC government must wake up and as a matter of urgency, take immediate action to address the crisis that has completely engulfed this nation to a stupor.
“President Bola Tinubu, the time to act is now.
“In the wake of the alarming escalation of insecurity and the recent waves of kidnappings, terrorising Nigerians, it has become imperative for us to address the critical questions Nigerians are asking.
“The pertinent question Nigerians are asking today is: ‘What exactly is going on in our country?
“Nigerians are looking to the government to instill security amidst the fear and atrocious crimes being committed in Nigeria, which is destroying the security and stability of our nation, making Nigeria very volatile and a threat to the personal safety of Nigerians. The sudden increase and high prevalence rate of innocent lives lost, suffered by Nigerians communities is not only tragic but has made it almost impossible to attract the much needed international economic investment that can only prevail in a politically stable environment
“Nigerians are perpetually engulfed with fear and so they are asking what is happening to the government in power? Why are they refusing to put the national security of this nation front and centre of their political agenda? The government of the day has failed Nigerians once again,” George said.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in power for 16 years and it was not as bad as this. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been in power for about nine years and look at the mess in the country.
“With what Nigerians are going through now, we can now safely say that the PDP government was much better in terms of the posterity of this nation,” he added.
The PDP chieftain lamented that with the recent killing of more than 200 people in Plateau State during the Christmas season, in addition to the rampant abduction of citizens everyday, Nigerians were now forced to look for tens of millions of naira in cash to pay off ransoms, adding: “Kidnapping for ransom is already creating fear all over the country.”
He urged leaders in the country not to just “bombard Nigerians with the semantics of ‘We are on top of the situation,'” saying that those in power must show leadership qualities, in tandem with the a popular saying which goes thus: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in Nigeria is that good citizens watch silently and do nothing.”
Besides, he urged elders in the country to equally stand up and advise government appropriately on actions that would ensue peace and stability in the land, saying it was time for real governance Nigerians were earnestly yearning for on the path of President Tinubu and the ruling APC since the Supreme Court had ruled in their favour as the winners of the February 25, 2023 election.
This was just as he warned that the country was close to the precipice, saying that any little push can lead to a total disintegration and, therefore, the need for President Tinubu’s administration to “put on its armour and tackle this menace in the society now.”
“From Sokoto to Oyo, Rivers to Niger, Imo to Taraba; high rate of unemployment, chronic hunger and malnutrition are so prevalent in the land. According to a popular saying, ‘an idle hand is the devil’s workshop.’ Since people must eat, they will resort to anything that will put food on their tables, even if it is undesirable and despicable.
“So, what is the government doing to engage this growing army of unemployed youths in the country?
“Naira is now about N1,300 to a dollar. A bag of rice is more than N60,000. Cost of living is just going up and the quality of life is going down. It appears the government is helpless and unprepared. Government must stretch out its hands to foster partnerships with all relevant stakeholders and agencies, to ensure immediate relief for those most vulnerable in our society,” George said.
Speaking further, the Atona Oodua of Yoruba land reiterated his call for restructuring of the country, declaring that the time was now.
According to him, if the country is really practising democracy the way it should be done, Abuja should not breathe down the necks of all the 36 states, just as he also urged the Federal Government to equally devolve powers to states to achieve more effective governance and management of each state’s resources.
“Governors are closer to the people. They know what their people need. Apart from monetary policy, customs, defence, foreign affairs and a few others, governors should handle the rest critical matters on the Exclusive List in the Constitution.
“For example, people in Alimosho, the most populous local government in Nigeria, cannot go to Abuja for their basic needs. The governor is there in Alausa, Ikeja to handle such things.
“Development should be bottom-up, not the other way round. That is why if California, a state in the United States (US.), were a sovereign nation, it would rank in terms of nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the world’s fifth largest economy behind Japan and ahead of India.
“In fact, the state of California has a larger GDP than that of all African countries.
“Its Silicon Valley is home to some of the world’s most valuable technology companies, such as Apple, Alphabet and Nvidia.
“If we restructure, some states in the South-East can become our own California and Nigeria will be better for it.
“We must also reform our judicial and electoral systems.
“In many political cases, millions of people believe, and rightly so, that some judges deliver Judgements, NOT Justice. Believe it or not, this is part of the insecurity in the land.
‘Also, the last three elections in the country were nothing to write home about.
“It is only a stupid man who will continue to do same thing and expect a different result.
“The system we are using now is not sustainable. Whether we like it or not, this country must restructure. So, why are we postponing this urgent task?” he added.
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