A political thinker and founding secretary of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Prof Udenta O. Udenta, has advised President Bola Tinubu to engage all major opposition figures and civil society leaders to avert national disaster.
He said “the EndHunger protests is a child of compelling historical circumstances, a dialectical response to the excruciating material condition of not just the masses but virtually all societal strata with the exception of the 10 percent.”
In a lengthy letter sent to the media on Wednesday, Prof Udenta said Tinubu should convene a conclave of leading political players like Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, Peter Obi of Labour Party and Musa Rabi’u Kwankwaso of NNPP; the National Chairman of the APC and those of the above parties; the leadership of the National Assembly, the Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum and the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum.
Beside calling for a cabinet reshuffle and incorporation of the opposition as both Obasanjo and Yar’Adua did in 1999 and 2007 respectively, Udenta asked the President to “re-establish the Office of Special Adviser to Mr President on Inter-Party Relations as President Obasanjo did in 1999 when he appointed no less a person as the Founding National Chairman of APP (as it was then called), Sen Mahmud Waziri, as its head with unfettered access to him and as President Jonathan did when he appointed Sen Ben Obi to same office who went all out to platform the current high performing National Peace Committee with support from the EU.”
He also asked President Tinubu to set up a civil society conclave to work out modalities for mainstreaming civic concerns and strategic agendas by creating the Office of the Special Adviser to Mr President on Civil Society Relations as President Yar’adua did in 2007.
He said, “My personal suggestion on the stalwarts to invite to such a gathering are individuals I have neither discussed this matter with and do not really know how they will individually react to it: Femi Falana SAN, Dr Olisa Agbakoba SAN, Annkio Briggs, Clem Nwankwo, Sen Shehu Sani, Dr Kole Shettima, Owei Lakemfa, Prof Sam Amadi, Prof Jibrin Ibrahim, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, Ene Obi, Omoyele Sowore, Amb Nkoyo Toyo, Deji Adeyanju, Dele Farotimi and Aisha Yesufu.
“These are patriots with impeccable credentials and a proud history of telling unvarnished truth to power. They are fearless and if only President Tinubu will engage them openly and honestly the disaster that awaits this troubled nation if things persist the way they are may very well be averted.”
Udenta also criticised a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara over his attack on the governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, and allegation that the President instructed the judiciary from the tribunal, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court return him.
“That President Tinubu’s spokespersons haven’t debunked this reckless accusation that their boss is a serial perverter of the course of justice is more than strange.
“Hon Dogara’s intent in normalizing political diatribe as an acceptable means of political communication and intra- elite conversation is clearly very dangerous but it’s not only Hon Dogara that is afflicted with this terrible disease.
“Even in the corridors of power, a spokesman of President Tinubu is known for his horrifying penchant to trade on ethnic baiting, hateful speeches and divisive rhetoric that diminish his office and tarnish the reputation of the Presidency. To him and others like him, I say: Enough is Enough.”
On the sit-at-home in the Southeast during nationwide protest, he opined that a rigorous interrogation and negotiation was required to get the Igbo “continue to play their very important role in the conversation about the future direction of the country and their place in it.”
Udenta asserted that there is hunger and poverty in the land while calling on patriots to remain restrained.
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