Former Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, has warned the federal government against the use of force to resolve the various agitations by component parts of the federation.
Okupe, via an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, said the government should instead initiate a process of addressing those grievances in a well-coordinated manner.
The former presidential aide said history has shown that when agitations are real and genuine, it is just a matter of time before they are eventually resolved, either positively or negatively.
Okupe also pointed out that the agitation for a sovereign state of Biafra, restructuring and resource control are products of genuine fears corroborated by clinically evident actions and inactions of government that need to be addressed.
While noting that the recent broadcast of the President upon his return from medical vacation did not help to calm frayed nerves and provide hope for the country, Okupe said if President Buhari must leave an enduring legacy for himself and his administration, he will have to increase and widen the scope of consultations nationally and be prepared to adopt and employ new approaches in this rapidly changing world.
Okupe also suggested a deployment of additional 20,000 troops to the northeast region within 90 days in other to wage war against the Boko Haram insurgents.
He said easing of fighter jets from friendly nations will boost the fighting power of the military and ensure that the war is not prolonged beyond the lifespan of the Buhari administration.
He also advised President Buhari to take cognisance of the need to make significant impact within the remaining months of his administration by initiating urgent intervening programmes to complete key projects such as the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the East West Road, the Second Niger Bridge, as well as boosting the generation and distribution capacity of electricity to 10,000 megawatts.
“This administration has a maximum of 16-18 months of rain-free period for active construction (works). Government must carefully select one or two major road projects that can be completed within the next 18 months in each zone.
“In the South-West, Lagos-Ibadan expressway is the star project and it can be completed within 18 months.
“In terms of funding, government may either borrow or revert urgently to the financial model of PPP that existed prior to your administration’s takeover. Similar projects in the three zones in the North can also be identified and executed within this same period.”
