



Updating your news feed...

NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s leading online newspaper. Published by Africa’s international award-winning journalist, Mr. Isaac Umunna, NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s first truly professional online daily newspaper. It is published from Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and media hub, and has a provision for occasional special print editions. Thanks to our vast network of sources and dedicated team of professional journalists and contributors spread across Nigeria and overseas, NEWS EXPRESS has become synonymous with newsbreaks and exclusive stories from around the world.

Prof Echefuna' R G ONYEBEADI
By Prof. Echefuna' R G ONYEBEADI
A lot have been said and written about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) being a "master strategist", "bold" and can "take hard decisions" and so on.
Should that be correct, then, a pertinent question is: why has PBAT not restructured the country Nigeria as promised in the past, particularly, in the last three years of his presidency, despite various and varied clamour for it?
After all, at least four out of the present six Geopolitical Zones have openly canvassed for restructuring of Nigeria, as agreed by the founding leaders of the country Nigeria. So, what exactly has been holding PBAT back on RESTRUCTURING Nigeria?
"Nigeria" cannot afford to and/or should not be allowed to have transited from British colonial rule to a somewhat internal 'colonization' by a few 'aliens' in the North; and then, drift on to another contraption of ethnic domination of some elements in South West Nigeria.
Freedom should be unencumbered and total in all ramifications!
Presently, the Presidency (executive arm of government), major strategic and political offices in addition to the Economy, Military, Police and Para-Military of the entire country among others, have been monopolized by a single tribe to the exclusion of all others since PBAT assumed office as President. Kindly reference CBN, Ministry of Finance, NNPC, FIRS, Customs, Immigration and so on.
Ditto for the Judiciary!
The National Assembly as presently constituted is also incontrovertibly subservient to the same tribe!
So, with the three arms of government effectively in the pocket of a single tribe out of over 350 tribes in Nigeria, is the country not drifting already to dictatorship?
Where is equity, fairness and justice?
Is that the type of liberation Nigerians are yearning for at this time? Certainly, NO!
PBAT has a golden opportunity to be an "òmò-ólúàbì" which the Yorubas are generally known for, particularly since the last three years of his presidency, but what has he made of it?
Never before has nepotism, favouritism, insecurity, unimaginable corruption, living far below poverty level, humongous foreign debts, unemployment/underemployment and so on been this bad in this country!
Yet some people are standing on a mandate of abysmal retrogression and still want it to continue!
PBAT crawled on the back of NADECO and ÁFÈNÌFÈRÈ (I guess we all know what that means), to become Governor of Lagos State; and then, surreptitiously mimicked these bodies to grab, snatch and run with obvious electoral fraud to become President, with minority votes cast and questionable Supreme "Cult" (or is it "Court") judgement; without any modicum of good governance in the last three years; safe for self comfort, opulence and globetrotting; while the country is literally on fire! Is that what should be replicated for another four years?
Over the years, PBAT has been mouthing 'sovereign national conference' and RESTRUCTURING of Nigeria as championed by NADECO and others.
Besides, restructuring Nigeria is a cardinal promise/program in his political party's manifesto, but has he done it?
PBAT had and still have the opportunity to actualize the RESTRUCTURING of Nigeria, even within his 'little' time left in office, but is he doing so, despite several presentations by concerned citizens, elder statesmen and stakeholders?
Recall that it took General Murtala Ramat Muhammed less than 6 months in office to decree FCT Abuja into existence!
PBAT also publicly promised with his own mouth that, if he does not provide steady and uninterrupted power supply for the country, he should not be 'voted' for again the second time! Has he now provided his promised steady and uninterrupted power supply for the country?
Are failed and/or deceptive promises what should be replicated for another four years?
Meanwhile, it is public knowledge that PBAT is battling with serious health issues with many shrouded "medical" tourism and shameful collapses abroad and within, with no end in sight; and, at humongous public costs. Is that what should be recycled for another four years?
Granted that the North, having had their turn of 8 years in the immediate past, political power should rightly be retained in the South for another 4 years to make it a total of 8 years. Even if that South is domiciled in South West, must it be PBAT?
For the very first time in Nigeria's history, Nigeria has a President in PBAT whose past are shrouded in secrecy.
Many are yet to know if the name PBAT bears now is his real name at birth.
Many are still debating PBAT's real age, his parentage, his place of origin, the schools he attended with dates, his academic qualifications, criminal records (if any) and so on.
Are these what should be recycled for another four years, given the obvious grave implications for the country in the comity of nations?
Besides, it will be interesting to know a single project that was started and finished across the country in the last three years of this PBAT's administration!
So, if we cannot have Nigeria restructured as PBAT promised in his time now as President, with guaranteed safety of lives and properties (which is the primary purpose of government), why then wait for and/or waste another four years?
Are people really being fair to PBAT, in urging him to subject himself to the rigours of another cycle of electioneering campaign and governance, more so, given his state of health and abysmal poor performance so far?
Tomorrow is indeed very pregnant!
•Professor Echefuna’ R. G. ONYEBEADI [DBA; PhDs; CEng. etc], Professor of Engineering Economy, Strategic Management Expert and the Inegbese of Oligbo Kingdom, writes from FCT Abuja.

























