Take Back Seat, S’West PDP Youths Tell Ex-Convict, Bode George

bode-georgeFormer Chairman of the Board of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and ex-convict, Chief Olabode George, has been criticised for “his divisive and self-serving politics” in reference to the activities of the Chief Ishola Filani-led Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South West.

This was the position of the South West PDP Youth Vanguard in an open letter to the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

The youths urged the party leadership to call George, a former national vice chairman of the party to order over his “surreptitious moves to throw the party in the zone into another round of fresh crisis”.

The group frowned at George’s opposition to the decision of the Extra-Ordinary Session of the South West Congress which nominated Professor Adewale Oladipo as replacement for Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola in accordance with the provisions of Part 7 VII, Section 28, Subsection 3, 4 and 5 of the party’s constitution and the order of the Federal High Court in Suit No. Suit No FHC/ABJ/C8/504/2012.

In its letter dated 15th July and signed by the President and Secretary of the group, Alhaji Akeem Salami and Mr. Kayode Joseph, the group wondered “how Bode George succeeded in snatching a position zone to Osun State by single-handedly facilitating the appointment of one Dr. Remi Akintoye from Lagos State as acting National Secretary of PDP.”

“In a saner clime, someone like Bode George, an ex-convict, is supposed to take the back seat. Or is it not said that those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones? One would have thought that given his recent experiences, Chief George would be more circumspect in his dealings. It is high time he knew that public institutions and organisations are not to be treated as personal estates where one sits in the comfort of his house or office to call the shots.

“If nothing else, his odyssey over the contract inflation and splitting at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) should have at least made him more temperate. Whereas elsewhere, those who have had similar experiences as theirs draw useful lessons that guide them all through life, ours is the exact opposite. And like someone said it does speak to the reformative nature of our penitentiary system,” the letter read in part.

The group, however, praised one of the leaders of the party in the zone, Prince Buruji Kashamu, “for his selfless efforts at re-positioning the party in the zone” and urged the national leadership of the party “to identify, empower and encourage such leaders of the party across the length and breadth of the country; not serial losers.”