Chief Martin Onovo, the National Conscience Party (NCP) 2015 presidential candidate, is worried that at 57, Nigerian is more disunited now than ever. In this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU, he laments that the leaders have drifted from the dreams of the nation’s founding fathers, even as he calls for moral revival, without which any restructuring will be in vain. Excerpt:
What is your thought as Nigeria celebrates her 57th independence anniversary?
We thank God that Nigeria is celebrating 57th Independence anniversary this year. Independence is better than colonial bondage. It is unfortunate that we have not made expected developmental progress and our prospects do not look bright under this current federal government. Each new day presents a new opportunity for us to make a u-turn on this path of bad governance. We can do it.
See also: Python Dance 2 In South East Is Unjustifiable – Onovo
Do you think the nation’s has lived up to the dreams of the founding fathers? If, not, where and how did we get it wrong?
The dreams of our founding fathers were very clearly developed, published and celebrated. They were dreams of Integrity, Justice, Unity, Peace, Patriotism and Progress. Many have abandoned the dreams. Today, the country is dysfunctional. Many are promoting the opposites of the dreams. They prefer deceit to integrity, marginalisation to justice, division to unity, python dance to peace, neo-colonialism to patriotism, retrogression to progression. We got it wrong when we started perverting public morality in the mid-80s. Since then, we continued in our retrogression until Chief (Dr.) Obasanjo tried to reverse the trend from 1999 when he became President and Commander-in-Chief.
The issue of unity has continued to be a worry in the nation. How united would you say the nation is?
According to several ethical elder statesmen, Nigeria has never been this divided since independence. We agree with them. Disunity is another index that confirms our national retrogression, particularly under the current government. The current disunity is one of the factors promoting the current calls for restructuring.
President Muhammadu Buhari has maintained that the nation’s unity cannot be negotiated. However, many disagree. What is your take on this?
We are better united. Unity is strength. United we stand; divided we fall. Unity is the first word in our national motto. But, we cannot be united with weak, old, unjust, dictatorial and divisive political leaders. Interestingly, the current cries for restructuring are a result of the divisive dictatorship of the ruling party.
How do you see the constitution of a committee by the House of Representatives on restructuring and agitations?
The House has the right to consider restructuring and agitations in the country within the boundaries set by the Nigerian Constitution. The House, all Nigerian institutions and residents must obey all our laws. We eagerly await the report of the committee and the resolution of the House on the issues. Nigeria has a skewed and unconstitutional, yes, unconstitutional structure, but because of the prevailing lawlessness, we seem not to care.
However, restructuring should not be our national priority now. The current national priority should be good governance. The trouble with Nigeria was very brilliantly analysed by the late Prof. Chinua Achebe about 30 years ago. Instead of using the benefit of the analysis to correct our dysfunctional system, the ruling political elite continued in their corruption and mismanagement of national resources. We started with the structure of three regions. When the mid-west complained of marginalisation, instead of correcting the marginalisation, we restructured to four regions. Subsequently, we restructured to 12 states and then to 19 states. Thereafter, we restructured to 21 states and today, we have a structure of 36 states and one Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
We should have understood by now that the structure is not the primary problem. We must agree with the late Prof. Achebe, that, the primary problem is the prodigal and corrupt leadership that seizes political power illegitimately and then abuses political power particularly by looting and wasting public resources.
Based on figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the government, through Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, the Minister for Budget and Planning, has said that the country has exited recession. Do you think the government should be believed on this?
An economic recession is a decline in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates in two consecutive quarters. An economic depression is a continued decline in GDP well beyond a recession. An economic stagflation is a stagnant GDP that is complicated by high unemployment and high inflation. Using these correct universal definitions to interpret the economic figures published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), it is simple and clear that the Nigerian economy went into a stagflation at the end of June 2016 when the decline in GDP in two consecutive quarters was complicated by the high unemployment and high inflation. With the inconsequential (0.5%) change in the GDP in June 2017, complicated by the high unemployment rate and high inflation rate, it is clear that we still remain in an economic stagflation. The claim that we exit an economic recession is very incompetent and misleading.
What is your reaction to the recent declaration by the government through the court that IPOB is a terrorist organisation?
We in the National Conscience Party (NCP) believe and insist rigidly on the ‘Rule of Law’. The court granted a ‘Motion Ex Parte’ brought by the government. Many leading lawyers have insisted that the motion was professionally inappropriate and that the judge erred in law. We prefer to presume that the court was misled. The government of the United States of America has publicly disagreed with the declaration. We must all wait for judicial finality on the matter as Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer has challenged the declaration in the court.
How do you see the attitude of the South East Governors and the Ohanaeze Ndigbo by proscribing the activities of IPOB in the zone?
IPOB is not democratic. Nobody voted for Nnamdi Kanu to represent the people of the Southeast. Some Ohanaeze delegates from many states voted for Chief John Nwodo to become the President General of Ohanaeze in a very democratic election. Ohanaeze Ndigbo is most definitely more representative of the people of the Southeast than IPOB. The Southeast governors are constitutional Chief Security Officers (CSOs) of their states and should take whatever constitutional measures they find necessary to maintain security in their states.
Do you think that by the action the FG, the South East governors and Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the IPOB and the other Biafra agitators have not been unwittingly driven underground, which may be more dangerous to the country?
The Federal Government definitely mismanaged the situation. There is no justification for ‘Operation Python Dance II’. We call on the Federal Government to immediately call off the operation as it is turning the situation from one of simple peaceful IPOB protests to one of a genocidal crisis that has been widely reported by the international media. We must pray. God is God. The structure is clearly imbalanced and should be balanced, but that is not the major ‘Trouble with Nigeria’. If we read the works of the late Prof. Chinua Achebe, we will identify, ‘The Trouble with Nigeria’.
Restructuring is the new fad of the failed political elite to distract Nigerians from their catastrophic failures. With the prevailing pervasive perverted values of many Nigerians, no structure will work. No structure works without integrity. Before political restructuring, we must have a moral revival, otherwise even the restructuring will be distorted by the failed political elite. We must re-establish our constitutional values and only the right political leadership can do it. So, we must get the right political leadership.
While the Federal Government is insisting that IPOB is a terror organisation, UK, US, UN and EU do not agree. Is it possible for an organisation to be a terror group without the international community classifying it as such?
In Nigeria, it is possible for an organisation to be a terror group without the international community classifying it as such. The ‘Terrorism (Prevention) Act is clear about the basis and the procedure for classifying an organisation as a terror group. However, the Federal Government may be wrong in declaring IPOB a terrorist organisation. Leading lawyers have publicly disagreed with the declaration of the court and IPOB’S lawyer has challenged the ‘Ex-parte’ declaration in the court. We must all wait for the judicial conclusion on the matter. We may not agree with IPOB or its leader. But, IPOB claims to be a non-violent movement that is peacefully demanding their right to self-determination. IPOB has remained unarmed and peaceful so far even with serial severe provocations by our security forces. We in the National Conscience Party (NCP) stand for the ‘Rule of law’. All Nigerian citizens and institutions must subject themselves to the law.
What is your advice to the Biafra agitators since their actions do not seem to enjoy general acceptance, even among the Igbos?
They must subject themselves to all Nigerian laws. They must realise that all men are created free and so respect the rights of others, particularly those that disagree with their agitations. We advise Biafra agitators to consider the later position of the late General Odimegwu Ojukwu, that the new Biafra is not territorial, but intellectual. They can also consider that as Nigerians, our size and diversity are strengths that we should cherish and protect.
See also: Nigeria’s Political Leadership Is Lawless, Unrepentant – Onovo
As the military is continuing with the Python Dance in the South East, it has announced more of such action in South South and South West termed ‘Operation Crocodile’. What is your view on this continued action?
There is no justification for ‘Operation Python Dance’. It is wasteful, deceitful, dictatorial, divisive and genocidal. Nigeria has our Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, our regular Police force and our Police Mobile Force for the normal maintenance of law and order. The military is only used for internal security when these Police organisations are overwhelmed. Otherwise, the military must focus on its primary role of the maintenance of our territorial integrity and defending our country from external aggression. There must be no such unjustifiable operation in the South South or South West or anywhere else in Nigeria. The ‘Operation Python Dance’ must be discontinued immediately.
What is the current situation about the Coalition for New Nigeria (CNN) of which your party is a member? We understand that more parties have joined the group. How true is this?
The coalition is necessary for good governance in Nigeria. The previous ruling party failed woefully in governance. Its twin brother the current ruling party has failed catastrophically, perverting public morality, subverting national security, undermining national unity, destroying democracy and ruining the economy. The alternative to these twins failed parties is necessary. The coalition has started very well. It has a very good leadership and it has excellent plans. We are optimistic of success.
Do you think the Coalition for New Nigerian (CNN) can defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), the former and current ruling parties, to clinch the presidency and takeover the reigns of governance in 2019?
Yes! Both parties are widely known to rig elections. Many of their leading members have confessed to rigging elections. Both cannot win in free and fair elections. The primary strategy of the coalition should be to frustrate all attempts to rig the elections in 2019.
The post Restructuring Without Moral Revival Will Be Disastrous – Onovo appeared first on Independent News Nigeria.
Source: Daily Independent
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