- He implored President Bola Tinubu to review some of his policies to ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians
A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George, has said the current state of Nigeria is deeply troubling.
George said responsive and appropriate measures and policies need to be put in place to address the myriad of challenges confronting the country, especially the economic hardship.
He said this while addressing a news conference on the state of the nation in Lagos.
He implored President Bola Tinubu to review some of his policies to ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians.
He also asked the president to take a holistic look at challenges that beset oil and gas, as well as power sectors with a view to tackling them and getting the country out of socio-economic quagmire.
George stressed that the country is in a parlous and precarious state and it needs people who have the required capacity and competence to get it out of the woods.
“Having been trained by this nation and worked for this country, if I see things not going the right direction and keep quiet, I will be failing. So, it is not a matter of fighting.
“Our country Nigeria is in a political and economic intensive care unit. So, we need proper surgeons- political surgeons and economic surgeons.
“We are talking about people who have gone through this before, who should be able to come to give us that freshness of breath to get out. We must put smiles on the faces of Nigerians no matter where they reside.
“Well, some of us can manage, but what about the myriads of so many young Nigerians who cannot even have any meal,” George said.
Speaking on the oil and gas sector and issues around fuel subsidy, the elder statesman urged the President to tell Nigerians the truth.
On electricity, the PDP leader condemned the high cost of power, saying that the development had crippled so many small businesses out of markets.
George, who expressed surprise that not one of 18 gas turbines bought by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo had been fired, said that regular and cost effective power supply remained the backbone of the economy.
On the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest, George commended young Nigerians who went out peacefully to give feedback on policies to the government.
On food insecurity, the PDP leader, noting that the solution was not in the importation of food, said there should be short, medium and long term policies to empower farmers.
He urged the President to assemble former and current managing directors of banks in a closed door meeting for the way forward.
George, who advocated restructuring, power devolution, resources control and electoral reforms, urged the President and the National Assembly to revisit the 2014 National Conference.
The elder statesman said that Nigeria must bury the problem of tribalism and religious bigotry slowing down its progress
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