Resign Now and End Blood Letting, Tinubu Tells GEJ

Bola Tinubu, former Lagos state governor and national leader, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to take  the noble path of resigning rather than continuing to blame imaginary enemies for his inabilities to end the wanton waste of citizens lives.

He also made a comment bound to stir up a hornet's nest of angry opposition and criticisms when supported the granting of amnesty to Boko Haram militants, insisting that they are not ghosts as alleged by President Jonathan.

Tinubu spoke in Kano Wednesday when he led leaders of the ACN on a sympathy visit to Alhaji Ado Bayero , Emir of Kano and  victims of Monday’s suicide attack that killed dozens of people.

He called for the scrapping of the ministries of Police Affairs; and Interior- two ministries, he described as conduit pipes used by the government to siphon money.

According to him, running the ministries is a duplication of the functions and a waste of public funds and that the current security challenges could possibly be due to the duplication of ministries, rendering the Inspector General of Police, M.D. Abubakar, incapacitated to take firm control of security.

He said: “The financial handicap of the IGP, who is supposed to be answerable only to the Police Commission, which should be saddled with promotion and discipline, takes away his independence to steer police affairs properly without interference”

Turning to President Jonathan,  he said  “I am worried of the sustenance of terrorism. If it is happening in some of these states all this while and you have not gathered enough intelligence to nip it in the bud, you have failed. You should please resign as a government.”

“You cannot continue to blame all the Inspectors General of Police or police officers alone. It is the responsibility of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria to make sure that Nigerians live in harmony, not divided religiously, not divided by tribe and not in conflict among themselves” He added

He blamed incompetence for the president’s claim that Boko Haram members are ghosts.

Tinubu said “They are no ghosts. Those people in prison, are they ghosts? If there are ghosts, then please show me their graves? If they are ghosts, then remove the JTF, because the JTF is not trained to fight ghosts”

He called for the granting of amnesty to Boko Haram militants, insisting that they are not ghosts as alleged by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Tinubu explained that the amnesty must be based on justice, particularly for those with no blood stains on their hands.

He however said those involved in criminal activities among them must be made to face justice.

 “For the innocent ones among them, there must be amnesty. We cannot fight a war in our own country against minor crimes and minor people. We would only end up multiplying these people by trying to use force against our own citizens. I therefore disagree with the President; they are not ghosts”  He added.