General Don Idada Ikpomwen(rtd), ex-Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army, has given kudos to President Bola Tinubu for his show of determination to address some salient issues confronting Nigeria.
According to him, “now that Tinubu has come out to show that he’s ready to address the insecurity in Nigeria; the corruption in Nigeria; the bastardization of democracy in Nigeria. Now he has declared war on terrorism. He has declared emergency on insecurity.
“It’s the failure of government in Nigeria that made Trump, the American legislators and the executive led by Trump to issue threat to first declare Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.”
On the issue of Nigeria’s sovereignty, General Idada stressed: “A lot of people were apprehensive saying America wants to come and rubbish our sovereignty. Some of us said what do you understand by sovereignty. The concept of sovereignty has changed over the years.
“We’re no more talking about sovereignty. We’re now talking about unity, cooperation among nations for common good. The United Nations charter which forbids intervention of one nation in the affair of another nation has also changed.
“What is now forbidden is forceful intervention. In other words when you want to impose your will on another country for no justifiable reason.”
On the recent policy shift by President Tinubu, the retired General stated: “I now notice a major shift in the attitude of Tinubu’s government. He declared emergency on security, he announced that some powers that were being exercised by the federal government should be transferred to the states.
“He gave the impression that Nigeria was now going to work with America to track down those people who are financing terrorism. One of the things that impressed me most was that it was recognized that true federalism was not being practiced in Nigeria. That everything is going to be done to make sure that we dump this unitary system that was imposed by military so that we can be among the nations that practice true federalism.”
Going further, he emphasised: “This is what some of us have been fighting for, talking about in the past three decades. So, if President Tinubu is saying that he is going to do all these things I am sure that many Nigerians will start thinking again whether this is the Messiah that Nigeria has been looking for.
“Of course, whatever action he’s taking some will like it, some will hate it. The way the country is composed now politically there can be no change by voting on the floor of the house (National Assembly) that will change some of these concepts that we’re talking about now. It has to be a change championed by the government itself.”
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