A former Deputy National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George has asked President Bola Tinubu to emulate Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum by reducing the price of fuel to N300 to alleviate Nigerians’ sufferings....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE➤
In a statement signed by the elder statesman and made available to newsmen, Atona Oodua of Yorubaland berated alleged request by some Lagos elders requesting the President to hand over King’s College to old students for proper management.
He argued that instead of concentrating on advice that would address infrastructural decay in the State, the elders chose to labour their energies on taking over the school which he noted is unacceptable.
Speaking on the hardship, he stated, “At this stage, it is not enough to be talking of reforming the economy. The question is: reform at what cost and in whose interest?
“When the president came in May 2023, he met a litre of fuel at less than N200 per litre. Today, it is more than N900 per litre and some people are jubilating that a litre has dropped from N1,200 to N950. What sort of logic is that?
“Now that the government is happy that Port Harcourt and Warri refineries have commenced operations, this is the time for Nigerians to be happy too. Nigerians will see the positive effect of this when they start buying a litre of fuel for about N300. And nobody should tell me it is not possible. I am an engineer. I know it is possible if the political will is there.
“I think this is the time for the President to emulate Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State who has announced plans to subsidise fuel at N600 per litre to thousands of farmers in communities hit by Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East state.
“The excuse before was that the cost of importing fuel into the country was huge. Today, Dangote Refinery, Port Harcourt and Warri are all working. We have crude oil in abundance and fuel is locally produced. So, why should Nigerians still be buying fuel at more than N300 per litre?”
The PDP chieftain recalled, “Last week, some notable elders from Lagos State visited President Bola Tinubu during his year-end celebrations in the state.
“To any curious mind, such a visit would have presented an opportunity for the elders to discuss issues of utmost concern about Lagos which is in its worst dilapidated state of decadence, socially and economically.
“I strongly believe it was also an opportunity for the elders to tell the President the true situation of things in the country. But to the chagrin of many of us, particularly Lagosians, whose expectations were high, nothing about the visit has been heard on what transpired between the elders and their host.
“It is a well-known fact that these elders are prominent Lagosians, from Lagos Island, the foremost commercial centre in Nigeria.
“The president also paid a visit to the Palace of the Oba of Lagos at Iga Iduganran, while most municipal roads in the axis are in their worst state of disrepair.
“I expected the elders to have made the issue of rehabilitation or overhauling of decayed infrastructural facilities in the state their utmost priority during their visit to the president.
“For instance, all the adjourning roads to the Oba of Lagos Palace are in their worst state of disrepair. Of particular attention is the ancient commercial area of Jankara Market and its adjourning communities of Idumagbo, Reclamation Roads and others, which have been abandoned for over 20 years, making life a living hell for the people.
They should have advocated for programmes aimed at lifting these individuals out of poverty through skills acquisition, in order to curtail the nefarious activities associated with social vices that have become prevalent across the state.
“The state has descended into one of the worst health risk areas, where hygiene is severely lacking in human existence.
“Economically, life in Lagos is at the worst human existential state, where poverty stares over 90 per cent of the population in their faces. The points I raised should have been the topic for discussion with the president, not just a mere courtesy visit.
“Instead of discussing these urgent state and national issues, I was told some of these elders, who are old students of the prestigious King’s College in Lagos, told the President they wanted to take over the school. They even made the President an Honorary member of their Old Students’ Association, somebody who did not attend the school. All Nigerians know the story and history behind King’s College, a Federal Government school.
He therefore queried, “How do these elders even think the government will hand over the school to them to run as a private enterprise? How do they intend to run the school? What is the blueprint? What are their education plans? Will old students of Queen’s College also ask for a similar favour from the president? What of old students of AIONIAN Schools? Will they make the same request? Is this distraction what we need now?
“What I believe they should do is to ask the Federal Ministry of Education and the management of the school where they can intervene to continue to project the image of the school and help the students,” George pointed. ...CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE➤
Be the first to comment