BY MYKE UZENDU
Former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Olabode George on Thursday, urged President Bola Tinubu to restructure the country immediately so that citizens can start enjoying the dividends of true federal system.
The former Chairman of Nigeria Ports Authority also called for the establishment of state police, saying that if policemen who handled the recent #EndBadGovernment protest were drawn from the environment, they would have spotted the hoodlums, isolated them from legitimate protesters, and prevented looting and violence.
The former military governor of Ondo state also advised Tinubu to speed up economic revitalisation to enable Nigerians to heave a sigh of relief from hardship.
George, who reflected on the state of the nation in Lagos, told reporters that the 1999 Constitution is grossly defective, urging the president to accord priority to review.
He alluded to the 2014 National Conference, which produced a report that can serve as a guide on constitutional amendment.
George said: “There is a concluded report of the National Conference from former President Goodluck Jonathan sent to former President Muhammadu Buhari. President Tinubu should retrieve it.
“What is the business of the president with councils in Lagos and Sokoto? States in a federation are not the same. In New York, the Mayor controls the airport. Tinubu should be bold enough to restructure and refix the country.
On the advantages of State Police he said, “DPO knows the bad boys in the neighbourhood. He understands the language of the people. Every state police is local. It makes intelligence gathering easier.”
The party chieftain also spoke on the imperative of the sanctity of the electoral system, urging the umpire to conduct better elections in the future, beginning with Edo and Ondo polls.
George attributed the economic stagnation to the past nefarious activities of bank operators, who indulged in round-tripping and abuse of the exchange rate, saying that they should not be spared.
He urged the Central Bank Governor, Yemi Cardoso, the son of an accountant, to replicate the efficiency of his illustrious father in the financial system.
George urged the president to resolve the electricity crisis in the interest of manufacturing, the informal sector, and productivity.
He lamented that Nigeria had 18 gas turbines when Obasanjo was in power adding that millions of naira were spent on electricity generation and distribution yet it has remained insufficient