SYLVAN EBIGWEI, former President-General of Aka-Ikenga – intellectual think-tank of Ndigbo, in this chat with Assistant Politics Editor, DANIEL KANU, speaks on some contending national issues including the national conference, Boko Haram challenge and task before Ndigbo…
Nothing good coming out of confab
SYLVAN EBIGWEIFor me, the confab is a good initiative and a lot has emanated from its various sub-committees. Anybody taking such stand is either not reading the papers or not aware of any news coming out from the confab. Many of the decisions reached at the confab, if implemented, will go a long way in solving major administrative, economic, political, social and other very fundamental issues bedevilling this country. Let’s start from the issue of state creation. The confab looked into the geo-political zones which many have advocated to be the federating units, had a superior argument, thereby stepping down the issue of having the six geo-political zone federating units of this nation. Instead, they went for the balancing of the states between the geo-political zones. That was why they decided that South East, which has been short-changed over the years, should have one more state to be at par with the other zones.
Having listened to all the arguments that emanated at the confab, many minority groups have stated clearly that they no longer want to be enslaved or encapsulated anymore by the larger ethnic groups within the geo-political zones. This is one of the singular and most important reasons for not adopting the six geo-political zones as federating units; instead going for the states to be the federating units. This is because some of the minority states claim that, through state creation, they have been removed from the clutches and negative enveloping of the larger ethnic groups. I think they have some points there.
Also, this nation is bleeding today in a sense that all the generated incomes are just being utilised by and for few individuals. So, the confab looked into the expensive way the government is operating and into many avenues through which the government can cut the cost of governance which is so enormous today. It is part of the reason Nigeria’s growth has remained stunted over the years. There is no country that utilises two-thirds of its annual budget on recurrent issues and a paltry percentage for capital expenditure that develops, and no country has developed in such a way. You can only have genuine development when capital expenditure exceeds recurrent expenditure. Recurrent expenditure does not grow any economy because it’s the money that is being shared by few individuals for the purpose of running the government. It does not generate jobs; neither does the average individual on the street feel the impact. We support the stand taken by the various committees that government should be downsized. Downsizing should start from the National Assembly because a lot of money is being expended there. We support the stand that those involved in lawmaking should be on part-time and they should be remunerated just like any other civil servant. Indeed, the problem of our democracy is that it is being practised in a primitive way, where people beg with rice and money to go and serve. Nobody in a real sense should bribe another person to serve that person. When such happens, there is an ulterior motive. If you are going to be a lawmaker and you are going to sincerely serve the nation, you don’t need to spend money on anybody to vote for you; rather, it’s the voters that will spend their money to put you there, knowing full that you will give them quality representation. The reverse is the case in Nigeria, where politicians, during elections, carry bags of rice, beans, tomatoes, money to go and coax the public to vote for them. Why they do such is because they know that they are not going there to serve but to enrich themselves. People even kill in order to usurp the position of another. When you make political positions, including that of lawmakers, less attractive, it is then you will see good people going there for sincere service. If what the average lawmaker gets is less attractive, even below what an average civil servant gets, then you will see those who really love this nation coming out to genuinely serve. For most of them, being in such offices is a means to an end, because of the perks of the office. They have no other jobs. As the slogan goes in Nigeria today, if you want to be a rich man, you either become a politician or you become a pastor.
I think it is right for the lawmakers to be on part-time basis. For me, despite the short-coming, the confab is worth it because the delegates have touched the very nerves, very sensitive issues that if left the way they are will not augur well for our corporate existence. The truth is that if most of the confab recommendations are adopted, Nigeria will make a better nation. The cost of governance is too high and must be pruned down.
Watering down confab recommendations at the National Assembly
After the confab, we are not expecting anything less than a referendum. Many of us have said it emphatically to the president that the needful must be done. Members of the National Assembly will shoot everything down if you pass it on to them because most of the recommendations are not in their favour. All the decisions of confab should go for a referendum, simple! And the outcome of the referendum must be adopted. After the referendum, the National Assembly should pass it as it is, as anything outside that will bring chaos to this nation.
Adoption of state police
I have never been an advocate of state police, at least not for now, looking at the fact that it will be abused. I think we need one central police. Looking at Nigeria today with our type of political structure and looking at the states where the governors are already assuming the position of emperors, empowering them with the instruments of the police force would make it easy for them to use such forces in pursuing and intimidating all political enemies, real or imagined. Adoption of state police force will be detrimental to the political development of the country. It will not serve the purpose for which it is created.
Rescuing abducted Chibok school girls
Rescuing those girls will be dicey by now because there was no prompt action or reaction from government. Those girls would have been rescued in the first one or two weeks if we had reacted proactively. We should know that the Boko Haram leaders will also be smart. They know that it will be suicidal to continue to keep those girls together at one spot. I believe that those girls may have been dispersed to different locations, within and outside the country. I do not think anybody can get those girls collectively at one spot. How will they feed them? How will they clothe them? How do they take care of their health needs? But what is happening brings to the fore the nakedness, emptiness or hollowness of claims of our security agencies. In some countries like the United States of America, the first thing to have been done was to cordon the area that the abduction was carried out and ensure there was no escape route. You then use all your security arsenals, including airplane, to encircle the place and ensure they don’t move out to get anything like food, medicine etc. After caging the area, you find a way of then negotiating the release of those girls. And because they are in a tight corner themselves, they will have no choice than to accept negotiation. Remember, it was at that time that the opposition and government started their bickering, blaming one another and the Boko Haram had no choice but to organise their escape, and only God knows where our Chibok girls are today. I pray each passing day that they should come back alive. What has happened is a failure of our security intelligence. Without intelligence, there is no way you can win the war. It appears Boko Haram has moles planted within the nation than the nation having moles planted within the Boko Haram network. What has happened should teach those in power a very big lesson on the need for intelligence gathering and proper coordination among security agencies. Do we have enough surveillance aircraft, enough security equipment, to properly tackle threatening security issues? That is the challenge. And one may be tempted to ask of the billions we claim we spend on security and the impact. What have we really used the money for? Of course it ended up in some people’s pockets. Our intelligence officers must sit up and ensure that whatever money budgeted for security is properly utilised for its purpose.
Apprehension over 2015
No, I am not worried because election will come and go, and hell will not fall down. Our politicians know that without politics, they cannot survive. They may shout and even fight now, but when the time comes, you will be shocked the way they will settle themselves. Nigerian politicians are not real politicians – at least majority of them. Most of them are going there because of the perks of office; therefore they will not allow anything to disturb the election. They may heat up the polity, but they will ensure it does not stop the election. So, I am confident the elections will hold; forget about the noisemaking and their threats.
INEC conducting credible election
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct the election, but what is not clear is how such election will also take place in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
Dissenting voices among Igbo leadership groups like Aka-Ikenga, Ohanaeze-Ndigbo and the South East Forum over Igbo agenda
As at now, I cannot say what the true position is. But for the first time, we tried to find our bearing when we had the late Ambassador Ralph Uwechue as President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and me as the President of Aka-Ikenga. What many people did not know was the synergy in our operations which gave Ndigbo a good bearing under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. Before Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Aka-Ikenga took up a stand to back Jonathan, I met with the late Uwechue in his African House at Ogwashi-Uku. Both groups had to take up a stand for Ndigbo to back Jonathan, and after the meeting, he went to the press with the agreement that Ndigbo were behind Jonathan. He gave reasons, but many Igbo attacked him. Within one week, Aka-Ikenga put up advertorials on the issue also backing Jonathan. It was an agreement based on Igbo interest. I attended some meetings in Abuja where a group of Ndigbo had already met with Northern groups, and if we had allowed what came out of the meeting, there would be no Jonathan today. Everything depends on leadership and the vision of the leader. I think Ndigbo should put their acts together.
Aka-Ikenga, Ohanaeze leadership compromised?
Of course that is the type of allegation you receive because those saying it never knew the Igbo agenda; but we did and worked hard towards it. Today, we cannot say Ndigbo have not benefitted from it. For us to back Jonathan, Aka-Ikenga subjected it to voting. So, there was nothing like compromise. It was a popular opinion. What did I gain as an individual or what did the late Uwechue gain? Nothing! All we did was for Igbo progress. Was I made a minister or was any position given to me? Not at all! We did what we did all in the best interest of Ndigbo.