George Knocks Tinubu over Visit to France Amid ‘Series of Crises’

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has expressed concern over President Bola Ahmed Tunubu’s ongoing visit to Paris, France, amid series of crises in the country, saying reasons for such journey were best known to him and his handlers.

He raised this concern in a signed statement titled: ‘Whither Nigeria, my beloved country’, saying while Nigerians don’t feel safe anymore in their fatherland, the federal government led by President Tunubu, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Senate were only interested in recalling Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

George described such disposition as shameful, recalling the popular album released in 1972 by Fela Anikulapo Kuti, titled: “Roforofo Fight” in which he sang, “When Trouble Sleeps, Yanga Wake Am, Wetin E dey Find, Na Palaver E Dey Find. Na Palaver E Go Get oooo.”

The PDP chieftain, while expressing concern over the state of affairs in the country, noted that those in charge of the polity had closed their ears to reasoning and deliberately came out with policies capable of disintegrating the country.

He said it was disheartening that Nigeria was precariously and dangerously staggering on the path of self-destruction.

According to him, the fact is that history is a faithful record of the past, and also a prophecy of what is coming, saying he saw what led to the collapse of the First and Second republics being repeated by the APC-led federal government.

He claimed that those in charge seemed to have refused to learn lessons from events of the past, while pitiably, “lovers of Nigeria are too timid to challenge them.

“This was exactly what happened from mid-30s to early 40s when Adolf Hitler of Germany, Benito Mussolini of Italy and the military apologists in Japan held the world by the jugular. It was almost too late before Americans, Britons and others rose to the occasion to save the world.

“Today, and with the series of crises, insecurity, hunger, joblessness and other vices in the country, President Bola Tinubu has taken off to Paris, France for reasons best known to him and his handlers.

“Nigerians don’t feel safe anymore in their fatherland, but the federal government, All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Senate are only interested in recalling Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. What a shame!

“Aside from the fact that history is a faithful record of the past, it is also a prophecy of what is coming. That is why Fela’s song is still apt, decades after. Today, I see what led to the collapse of the First and Second republics being repeated by the APC-led federal government,” he warned.

George noted the handling of Lagos State Assembly saga involving Speaker Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa’s impeachment and reinstatement, the declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State, which led to suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and lawmakers, but which was carried out without the National Assembly mandatory two-thirds approval, declaring it was disheartening that Nigeria had been on the spot globally for wrong reasons.

Recalling that former President Olusegun Obasanjo said recently that democracy was dying, George said such was not the situation, but that it was the operators, especially, Executive and Legislature, that were losing their sense of responsibility, declaring such a big shame.

 “Nigerians could not believe it when security was withdrawn from an elected speaker in Lagos and deployed to a deposed speaker. A legislative decision was also overturned by the unilateral action of the president in Abuja.

 “In Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and lawmakers were suspended, and the National Assembly, without the mandatory two-thirds approval, rubber-stamped this unconstitutional action by voice vote.

 “The partisan handling of the allegations made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, by the Senate and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is an embarrassment to the country.

 “It is disheartening that Nigeria is on the spot globally for the wrong reasons. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo said recently that democracy is dying. I disagree. Democracy is not dying. Rather, the operators, especially, Executive and Legislature, are losing their sense of responsibility. It is a big shame.”