Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has said that Nigeria is exceedingly troubled such that the like of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other stakeholders including traditional rulers needed to be consulted in finding solutions to the troubles economy and security.
Okowa made this disclosure on Tuesday, after a private visit to the Obasanjo’s Penthouse residence at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
A statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the former President, Kehinde Akinyemi, said that the governor lamented that the need for the consultation has become necessary because the situation in the country was getting very troubled.
According to him, the troubled situation “can destroy our economy, which is not in our best interest.
“It is time the country has to come together, all well-meaning people, all stakeholders must come together to think Nigeria first. We need the collective effort of all during this period.
“This is something that is threatening the fabric of our unity and not something we have to play with,” the statement quoted Okowa as having said, adding, “the situation is getting worrisome and it’s time we all have hands on deck to be able to find the solution.
“As it stands today, the APC run government cannot alone be able to deal with it and they need to find wide and a far-reaching consultation, not with those in government alone, but all stakeholders, particularly those who have been part of running this country before and now, including even religious leaders, we need to sit together and discuss the way forward.”
The governor who disclosed that he was on a private visit to the former President described him as “someone who truly understands Nigeria thoroughly and we bless God for having somebody like him. We need to tap from him, especially at a time like this which will help to shape this nation. And I thanked God for the wonderful discussions that I had with him.”
The governor added that he came “to share ideas with Obasanjo, in addition to the situation in Nigeria. He was ready to give fatherly advice. I also discuss with him some issues concerning my state and he willingly advises me too. He is a repository of knowledge and experience.”
On his next line of action ahead of the 2023 general elections, Okowa said he was yet to make up his mind on whether to contest the Presidential election, saying, finding the solution to the nation’s problem was more important than the presidential race for him.
“As of today, I have not made up my mind. The important thing is not about myself, is about the nation, Nigeria. The future of hope. What level of consensus can we build to achieve our dream. Our dream is to see Nigeria begin to have an improvement in our security and the level of the economy. These are some things we have not achieved at the moment.
“The country is so stressed, so much stress in the land. So much unemployment, so much inflation, and unfortunately the things that unite us are badly threatened and we cannot even be sure of tomorrow. These are the things we must discuss. We must all come together to stop this tide of drift at the moment, that is the type of thing we should be more concerned about.”
