Rahman Owokoniran, General Secretary, People Democratic Party, PDP, South-West Zone, has said Nigeria’s unity as a sovereign state is an advantage, but that the Federal Government was too far from the citizens, leaving them vulnerable.

Owokoniran spoke against the backdrop of Dr. Eddy Olafeso comments that although he was not an advocate of Nigeria breaking up, the Federal Government has made it inevitable for people to seek self-governance.

Olafeso, the immediate past National Vice Chairman of South-West PDP, made the comments in an interview, where he also called for a revisit of the constitution to ensure that there is fairness and equity in the country.

Corroborating Olafeso, Owokoniran said the citizens would feel protected and a part of the Nigerian project if the government of President Muhammadu Buhari administration makes conscious efforts not to value one set of people over others.

His words: “If only the President takes time to climb down his high horse to address the Nation more frequently, at least the people will know what the challenges are.

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“Lack of empathy by our number one citizen to communities and families is a major disconnection between government and the people.”

Owokoniran also had issues with how the government responds to disasters that have become an everyday occurrence.

His words: “The shoddy and reckless responses from the government really showed that they are caught napping and frankly out of touch.

“But to appear to be on top of the situation, the government occasionally throws tantrums, which unnerve the citizenry.

“Right now this government has pushed the Nation that was hurting from economic depression, lack of public healthcare services, grossly inefficient transportation system, and poor standard of living to the edge.

“This can be explained by the number of Nigerians of all shades of life migrating to seek greener pastures in far away Europe, the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and others.

“The intellectuals, the professionals and the millennia, who voted Buhari into office hoping that he was going to actualise their dreams of a corruption-free Nigeria, have been checking out in droves.

“They are not necessarily expecting this administration to deliver all its campaign promises.

“At least if only he could make significant impact on the first three reasons why he was voted into office (security of lives and properties, improved living standards and transportation system) the people will appreciate it.

“But the nightmare of majority of our people is that this President is completely distracted.

“Rather than address the challenges faced by the general population which relates to our economic life, he decided to invest in politics, which has always been the bane of our economy from independence.”

Vanguard News Nigeria