Former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, on Monday, said giving the myriad of problems facing the country which recently marked her 59th Independence Anniversary, there is a need for the citizens to set aside a day for national prayers and fasting across the land for a rebirth.
George, who is also former military governor of old Ondo State, said this while addressing newsmen at his Ikoyi office in Lagos, describing Nigeria as a God giving country that equally needed to appease the Creator like the Israelites did to enable her to reach the promised land.
Besides, the PDP chieftain, who said he was making his suggestions in a non-partisan manner, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to write his name in the good book of history by scrapping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and make elections in the country human proof.
“I believe we need to set aside a day for national prayer. I see this country as God giving nation. We need to set aside a day for prayers and fasting for national reconstruction. We must set aside a day for national prayers, we would fast for a particular request from God,” he said.
“We need one day right across the land to rescue this country,” he added.
Chief George, who expressed sadness over the conduct of the last poll exercise across the country and the controversies over the use or not of server before the Election Tribunal, declared that INEC had not really lived up to expectations in serving the people of Nigeria as nearly all election exercises were ending in court of law for resolution.
According to the elder statesman, even India that has well over 800million population unlike Nigeria with just 200million did its elections recently and results were out in matter of two weeks and without litigations.
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“The other thing is getting our people elected. If we don’t scrap INEC and there would be minimal input, anything we are doing is a problem. I talked about India with the population of 800million and in two weeks, all their elections results were out without litigation, whereas every election in our country with just 200million is in court,” he said.
“We must scrap the INEC and sack everybody. Let’s start over again; except this is done, it will never work.
“I am appealing because his name (Buhari) will be written in the good book of history, let him scrap INEC, let the system be human proof. What are we doing, why are we deceiving ourselves,” he said.
“To me after the court, after all, judgements, let him scrap INEC,” Chief George said, wondering what was special about data processing when common Nigerians, including market women even in remote areas, got alert in every bank transaction on their accounts.
George, while reiterating his call for restructuring of the country, lamented that even though Nigeria copied the American constitution that gives force to practice the federal system of government, it was certain that “the country didn’t well.”
The PDP deputy national chairman queried: “Do they have one Inspector General of Police?”
He maintained that police was communal, wondering why Nigeria failed to also copy such example from the US, declaring: “I am part of the military, but let us go back.
“One major issue is that our constitution is defective. But we need to learn, we need to listen to people. Things can change, people are moving, you must ensure you move with the people. Why should all resources be moved to Abuja? Who decides that? he queried.
“There is no part of this country that God has not endowed with resources. They (states) would look for them and survive,” he assured.
and then