The National Leader of the All Progressives Party (APC) and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday dismissed the national dialogue proposed by President
Goodluck Jonathan in his national broadcast on Independence Day as deceptive and diversionary.
He declared this position while addressing the press shortly after his arrival into the country from Chicago, United States of America (USA) where he had a successful knee operation.
His words, “I am yet to consult with my party, but as a matter of personal opinion, it is deceptive. It is a poison apple. How long have we been talking about national conference? Why the sudden change of mind? How many months to the election? I see a contradiction here.
I see deception. I see lack of sincerity. Governance is about the people. This president was Vice President when the late President Umar Yar’Adua told the whole word that the election that brought him to office was flawed. And he followed it up by setting up Electoral Reform Committee made up of prominent Nigerians of high integrity headed by Justice Muhammed Uwais. They went round the country and came up with far reaching recommendations. Where is the report of that committee? They introduced different levels of corruption into the system. Today, the electoral body is no longer independent.”
“At the beginning of this Boko Haram terrorism, this same Jonathan appointed Lemu to head a committee to look into the causes of the violence in the country. They went round the country. At the end of it all, no white paper, no black paper, no blue paper. Where is the trust? Why is it now that he is facing a serious division in his party that he wants to organise a national conference? I will consult with my party. And as a democrat, whatever they say, we do. But the question is: How many months to the election? It is diversionary. It will not work. When we have a visionary, purposeful and committed leader, we will do it.”
Tinubu, who also lamented the death of former governor of Ondo State, Segun Agagu, and the air tragedy that followed, decried the crisis in the aviation industry in the country, blaming the incident on corruption and mediocrity. He said: “It is unfortunate that I am here when this tragedy happened. Many lives were lost. Agagu was a very good man. He was a committed family man, patriotic democrat. Despite the tragedy, God has done one thing; Feyi Agagu survived. He has given us reason to thank Him.
Aviation industry is one of the most regulated and most supervised industries in the world. But in our country, corruption and too much bureaucracy have crept into the sector. We play with lives of the people. This runway is one of the worst in the world. I was ashamed to watch the way Nigerians reacted to the death of those people. My condolence goes to the families of the victims, Olu Falae and others. It has always been promise upon promise of inquiries.
Who are the people making the inquiry? Do they have the intellectual capacity for the inquiry?”
The leader of the APC had been on medical treatment abroad in the last three months. Yesterday, he came into the waiting hands of his teeming supporters, friends, families and associates who anxiously waited for several hours to receive him at Execujet office on the International Airport link road.
After a long wait, his chartered plane bearing CSC-DPF touched down at 1:34 pm. Despite the heavy presence of security operatives, it was quite a hectic time controlling the crowd of people who had thronged the venue of the reception organized for him by his supporters.
At first, he had to beat a tactical retreat back into the plane when he saw the large crowd that gathered to receive him. Subsequently, his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, managed to break into the thick crowd with the assistance of her aides to receive her husband. In an apparent show of love, Tinubu had a short but warm embrace with his wife and then emerged from the plane to acknowledge cheers from his wellwishers and admirers.
In a carnival-like procession, he was led out of the Execujet office in a black Sport Utility Vehicle with an open roof where then he addressed the press and acknowledged cheers from his party members. Speaking with journalists on arrival, he debunked the rumours concerning his ill-health. He said, “It is a great thing I am back on the soil of Nigeria. Almost three months ago, I went for surgery of my left knee and it is healed now. I am fit to do whatever I need to do. Many of you cannot beat me in 2.5 metre race. I disclosed to Nigerians that I was going for surgery in order to avoid rumour and speculations. But some are concerned with rumour. God Almighty will forgive those who spread bad rumour.”
He berated successive governments for lack of adequate healthcare facilities in the country.
In Tinubu’s entourage were Governor of Osun State, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, his counterpart in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, APC Chairman, Lagos State chapter, Chief Henry Ajomale as well as former governor of Benue State, George Akume.
