Former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode Ibiyinka George, has charged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to bring down price of petrol to N300 per litre from middle of December to end of January 2025.
He described the move as a way to ease the suffering of Nigerians and demonstrate gratitude to those who voted for him.
The PDP chieftain, also known as the Atona Oodua of Yoruba Land, made this appeal during an interaction with journalists at his Ikoyi, Lagos office on Wednesday.
According to him, this gesture would be particularly meaningful during the festive period, which holds significance for Christians, Muslims, atheists, and traditionalists alike.
This was just as the elder statesman reiterated his call on the need to revisit the recommendations of the 2014 Confab report, urging President Tinubu to do so being the only panacea to Nigeria problems.
George, while urging for need for the president to bring down petrol price to N300 per litre within the two months interval, described December as month of celebration, saying that January is the next most important month, with both devoted to prayers and appreciation of God’s awesome power.
According to him, children will come home as there will be holidays, while Nigerians would want to cook some special food celebrate, dance all over the whole place and thank God, saying that he had been wondering what could be done “because the anger and the hunger are almost equal on the streets of Nigeria, not only in the West here, but everywhere.”
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“What am I suggesting? Let him sit down, Mr. President. This is directly to him and all those managing directors. They don’t want to be called damaging directors.
“They should sit down. What can we do? Give an order. From this so-so-so date of December, at least to the end of January, the cost of petrol will be N300 per litre.
“Yes, you know, they say losses. losses. Who can absorb the losses? They will absorb the losses, plus all those characters who went to Paris, parading themselves as if they are from the outer planet.
“If they want others to contribute, let’s know how much that is going to cost. Ask people to donate. To bear the cost.
“You will be sending a lot of messages of happiness across the tribes, the homes. Everybody in Nigeria will be happy because it will positively impact on them this period of the year. That December and that January,” George said.
“It is a challenge and he can do it. If Madam First Lady could donate one billion Naira to a university, that would also be a donation into the coffers, to bear this cost. What’s wrong? So that everybody will be able to sleep well, N300 per litre across the board.
“So by the end of January, in the meantime, the prayers, the happiness, the impact of that will drive people up. And the almighty God will answer our prayers. It is what is more important.
“We need this in this December and January to put a smile on the faces of Nigerians,” he added.
On the need to revisit the 2014 Confab report, the PDP chieftain argued that this became imperative because the major challenge facing the country today was because she operates a bad constitution, maintaining that such document can never produce the desired result, irrespective of the amendments made to it.
George quickly recalled that the 2014 Confab took it upon itself to x-ray the problems facing the country and recommended solutions to the challenges, expressing shock that the good recommendations contained in the report were not implemented up till today.
He, therefore, called President Tinubu to address the challenges confronting Nigerians and do things that would make them happy if he believed they voted him into office in the 2023 poll.
On having a credible election, the PDP chieftain said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be made truly independent, saying that there should also be a whistle blower monitoring the activities of the electoral body.
Besides, he insisted that there should be improvement in the electronic system of voting, saying that such was credible and reliable, even as he cautioned that the electronic system of voting should not fail on the day of election and people must be trained on how to properly handle it.
“The electronic system of voting should not fail on the day of election, people must be trained on how to handle it, and there must be whistle blower monitoring the activities of INEC, anybody found guilty should be sent to prison,” he said.
He, therefore, commended Ghanians for organising a credible election, which held few days ago, and also saluted the courage of the loser for accepting defeat, urging Nigerians to learn from the Ghanaians.
Speaking on the future of his party, the PDP, Chief George said the main opposition platform’s future is bright, recalling that it was established on a strong foundation, just as he quickly noted that there was no organization without its challenges.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE