Okupe writes Buhari, warns against use of force on dissenters

FORMER Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, has written an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari warning him against applying force on dissenters rather than addressing agitations by component parts of the Nigerian federation.

In a statement made available to the media in Abuja on Sunday, he admonished the president to instead initiate a process of addressing those grievances in a well coordinated manner.

According to the former presidential aide, history has shown that when agitations are real and genuine, it is just a matter of time, they will eventually be resolved; either positively or negatively to the detriment of the nation.

He described the agitation for a sovereign state of Biafra, restructuring and resource control as products of genuine fears corroborated by clinically evident actions and inactions of government that need to be addressed.

Okupe noted that the recent broadcast of the President upon his return from medical vacation did not help to calm frayed nerves and provide hope or the country, saying that if President Buhari  must leave an ending 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.

On the fight against insurgency in the North Eastern part of Nigeria, Okupe suggested a deployment of additional 20,000 troops in the region within 90 days as well as leasing of fighter jets from friendly Nations as a way of boosting the fighting power of the Military and ensuring that the war does not prolong beyond the lifespan of the Buhari administration.

Okupe, who recently announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), advised President Buhari to take cognizance of the need to make significant impact with the remaining months of his administration to initiate urgent intervening programmes to complete key projects like the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the East West Road, the Second Niger Bridge a well as boosting the generation and distribution capacity of Electricity to 10,000. Megawatts.

He added: “This administration has a maximum of 16-18 months of rain free period for active construction.

Government must carefully select 1 or 2 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 3 zones in the North can also be identified and executed within this same period.”

Okupe rejoiced with President  Buhari on his health recovery and resumption of office, counseling that he should use the rare opportunity offered him by God to “show gratitude and turn the Nation back to the Creator through a deliberate declaration of days of thanksgiving in churches and mosques across the country.”