Bode George, former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has said that all Igbo primary school children should study Hausa,Yoruba language. Bode George made this known in an interview on the Sun,saying: ‘to promote unity in Nigeria, I have suggested that all Igbo primary school children should study Hausa and Yoruba language, while all the Hausa primary school children should study Yoruba and Igbo, while all Yoruba primary school children should study Igbo and Hausa. Once you speak unifying language, it breaks barriers, it opens doors and also promotes unity. Why can’t we do this? He also said that that the PDP should go back to the drawing board and plan for 2023 and that the current managers of PDP should call an emergency meeting more so that the party can do a thorough X-ray of where we are as a party, how they can strengthen this party, because PDP was formed by unique personalities.
Read below the part of the interview Nigeria cannot solve any of its present problems without return to regional government – Odumakin Bode George said: ‘They are telling us that all is well, but in truth, is that in reality? situation in the country today is harsh and tough. Nigerians are passing through difficult times. But my advice is that my party, PDP should go back to the drawing board and plan for 2023. We should not be downcast and say all is lost. When you fall as a soldier, you take up the gauntlet and move on. There is no perpetuity of anything in life.
As for the president travelling and travelling, well, he has a choice, we can’t stop him. There is nowhere in the constitution where it is stated that he can’t travel. But if Rome is burning, the emperor cannot go away. Nigeria has been classified as the poverty capital of the world, that’s very disheartening. But my prayer is that it shall be well with our nation. I want to plead that the issue of tribal division, religious divide, we should throw them away. The gulf among us in this country today is getting wider and wider. That’s why I say that there is the need for the current managers of PDP to call an emergency meeting more so that the Supreme Court has given the final verdict. Let’s do a thorough X-ray of where we are as a party, how can we strengthen this party, because PDP was formed by unique personalities, PDP was formed by political icons of this country including late Chief Solomon Lar, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, Sir Alex Ekwueme, Chief Bola Ige and a host of eminent others.
We can disagree without being disagreeable. But we don’t have to be abusive and bring tribal sentiments into politics, such things don’t help. Giving conditions that if this tribe or that tribe wants to be president, this is what they should do, that should not be the language we should be using. I have friends all over the country, and my best friend is a Fulani. He is a Muslim, and I’m a Christian but we bond together very well. We should promote things that will unite us. To promote unity in Nigeria, I have suggested that all Igbo primary school children should study Hausa and Yoruba language, while all the Hausa primary school children should study Yoruba and Igbo, while all Yoruba primary school children should study Igbo and Hausa. Once you speak unifying language, it breaks barriers, it opens doors and also promotes unity. Why can’t we do this? Yes, Nigeria is not a natural country but yet we have been living together. I want to appeal that we should be promoting things that will unite us rather than dividing us. What is power? Have you seen anybody that has held power in perpetuity?
Where are the leaders of yesterday? Where are they now? Where are the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and other leaders, they’ve played their own roles and are gone. We will also play our roles and go. It is the beauty of your contributions towards the upliftment of your people and country that will be the memories people will have about you. In Lagos State, they’ve legalized stealing. Look at the Alpha Beta thing, look at what they are doing with Alpha Beta. It is the only company that collects all the taxation and internally generated revenues on behalf of Lagos State government, this never happened in any civilised society. Lagos grosses between 30 to 40 billion naira as IGR every month, look at the interests that will accrue on that money, and an individual gets 15 percent of that money.
But look at the derelict in Lagos with all the money. What is all these? But these people lording it over all Lagos, and ruining the place should remember that there will be a day after. Certainly there will be a day of reckoning. A day of reckoning is coming. They said I shout too much about how Lagos State is being brazenly looted and raped, and to keep me shut in their desperate conspiracy, they sent me to jail. But this man playing God in Lagos State, Tinubu is not God.
What does he think he is doing? And some mentally sick people will come out and say that he is bigger than Awolowo, he is bigger than M.K.O. Abiola. And that he is also bigger than former President Olusegun Obasanjo, are these people sick? The record of Baba Obafemi Awolowo till today in the Western Region is unequalled. Go and read Papa Awolowo’s books, his books on methodology of management, go and read all his books. He ruled Lagos for eight years, but has he still let go? He has become emperor in Lagos. Some people in their ignorance will even say Tinubu is in control, in control of what? Let us make sure that the electoral process is not a sham, then you will see how people are angry with their votes. That’s the only power people have.
We should allow the will of the people to prevail. If the will of people is allowed to prevail, he will not be sitting down there taking people’s money. Calculate from 1999 till today, 20 years how they have been raping Lagos. Look at that statement made by one of the former directors of Alpha Beta that they are owing him 45 billion naira, an individual saying they are owing him 45 billion naira in my own state, Lagos State, and this money is supposed to be Lagos State’s money that the man is now claiming they are owing him. Lagos State today is flat broke. The debt portfolio of Lagos State is unimaginable.
Who will pay for it? Our children, our grandchildren? They have impoverished Lagos State. Now he is saying he wants to be president, let him go there, and see what will happen. Some of his followers are also saying that he is the only one that can do it, some even promised to deliver 20 million votes for him. What a deception. They are just pushing him. He should return all Lagos money. I’m even told that he is now planning to make his son the governor of Lagos State. What an insult! We don’t do dirty fights in Lagos, but Tinubu should remember that certainly a day of reckoning is surely coming. Tinubu has over dazed us to stupor.
When I see some of our friends now complaining about Tinubu, I tell them why are you complaining now. I said a long time ago that Tinubu should be checkmated. Let us make sure that the electoral process is modern so that the will of the people can prevail. It is only when the will of people prevail that Tinubu can be checkmated. We are not in the stone age, we should reform and modernize our electoral process. We must make sure we leave a positive legacy for the future generation to emulate, and keep on building Yoruba race and this nation in a positive manner. The reverse is unthinkable.
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