LETTER: In truth you’ve united Nigerians with your bad government, hunger, Onyeagucha tells Tinubu
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
Former Federal Lawmaker and Secretary to the Government of Imo State, Hon. Uche Onyeagucha, in an open letter to President Bola Tinubu dated 5th August 2024, lamented that the President by his national broadcast of August 4 showed that he is not well informed about the level of hunger in the land and anger of Nigerians against his administration.
The very articulate speaker and lawyer, who used the first three paragraphs of his letter to remind President Tinubu about things they both did and places they were together during the pro-democracy struggle era and as opposition politicians, used the rest of the not-too-letter to pass his message that he might clearly understand.
“I write to you with respect to the National Protests against hunger and Bad Governance which started on 1st of August. In truth you have united Nigerians with your bad government and hunger.
“I doubt that your appointees are telling you the truth about the state of affairs in Nigeria. Your contempt and/or ignorance about the level of hunger and anger against your administration was perfectly captured in your Broadcast to the Nation on Sunday, 4th August 2024.
“Your broadcast to the Nation has added serious fuel in the flame. The anger of Nigerians against you and your administration is now unparalleled.”
Like other co-writers of “Nigeria at a Cross Road”, a piece he contributed to with a view to charting the way forward from where the country stands currently under Tinubu, Uche Onyeagucha not only criticised the President but also preferred solutions giving two options of either dissolving his government with immediate effect and form a Government of National Unity (GNU) to achieve true mobilisation of Nigerians against hunger and insecurity or he should resign.
“Mr President Sir, respectfully under the circumstance, you have only two options left:
“1. You should dissolve your Government immediately and proclaim the formation of a Government of National Unity (GNU). I pray that God will touch Nigerians to accept this option in the light of the contempt which you displayed against Nigerians in your Broadcast.
“2. You should resign as President and proceed immediately on Exile to enable Nigeria start on clean slate again.”
Barrister Uche Onyeagucha did not end the straight and clear letter until, after tge optional solutions, he had told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the possible consequences of not taking any of the options he sincerely made available to him in the discharge of his duty as a Nigerian citizen for the support of President of his country.
“Sir, your failure to consider any of these options would very likely drive Nigeria into a Political, Economic and Social crisis of huge proportion. I pray that you find the wisdom, courage, discipline and statesmanship to act on my advice,” he said.
Read details of the Open Letter below as sent to The DEFENDER on Friday Aygust 9. 2024 by the author:
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU
-form a Government of National Unity now or Resign.
Sir,
My name is Uche Onyeagucha the former National Welfare Secretary of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). I’m the young man (wearing a red cap and dressed in white) holding the microphone for you in the video, (which has gone viral) where you were calling for a National Protest in 2013.
We were Pro Democracy Activists during the Regime of General Sani Abacha. In 1995, in our quest for Democracy, we both attended the World Conference on Democracy in Washington DC sponsored by the National Endowment for Democracy, NED.
We were both formerly in the opposition political parties of Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the All Progressive Congress, (APC).
I write to you with respect to the National Protests against hunger and Bad Governance which started on 1st of August. In truth you have united Nigerians with your bad government and hunger.
I doubt that your appointees are telling you the truth about the state of affairs in Nigeria. Your contempt and/or ignorance about the level of hunger and anger against your administration was perfectly captured in your Broadcast to the Nation on Sunday, 4th August 2024.
Your broadcast to the Nation has added serious fuel in the flame. The anger of Nigerians against you and your administration is now unparalleled.
Mr President Sir, respectfully under the circumstance, you have only two options left:
One, you should dissolve your Government immediately and proclaim the formation of a Government of National Unity (GNU). I pray that God will touch Nigerians to accept this option in the light of the contempt which you displayed against Nigerians in your Broadcast.
Two, you should resign as President and proceed immediately on Exile to enable Nigeria start on clean slate again.
Sir, your failure to consider any of these options would very likely drive Nigeria into a Political, Economic and Social crisis of huge proportion. I pray that you find the wisdom, courage, discipline and statesmanship to act on my advice.