Founder and leader of OPC, FREDRICK FASEUN, is the National Chairman of UPN. In this interview with Assistant Editor (South West), MUYIWA OLALEYE, and Special Correspondent, TAYE AYOTUNDE, he discusses his passion for OPC, UPN and Yoruba politics, saying the Yoruba are responsible for their perceived marginalisation in the country’s scheme of things.
Assessing Nigeria’s situation today
The situation of Nigeria is rather precarious; but through prayer, we have been able to sustain some element of unity. It can be a better country; better than the countries we run to spend holiday and spend our money. Unfortunately, the leadership has not been up to the task. But we are still hopeful. No country had ever assaulted Nigeria. But recently, some of our citizens were taken away and we have not done anything reasonable about it. It is rather embarrassing. The primary function of any government is security of lives and property of her citizens. Unfortunately, we have not been able to effect this.
Concern of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), on the security situation in the country
OPC was not thinking of taking over the security of lives and property of the whole country. It is not constitutionally empowered to do that. But the members voluntarily decided to provide security for our own part of the country. Through the grace of God, we have achieved that.
OPC importing guns as part of security gadgets to protect the Yoruba
That is a lie. We don’t even have the money to import guns because nobody has ever given us a donation of N1. OPC is self-sustaining. No governor has given us one kobo and yet they collect security vote every month. So, we have no money to acquire such gadgets.
Talking to the authorities
We have tried in our own way, it is just that people misunderstood us. When the pipelines were daily subject of vandalism, we told the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that we could give them security in all the pipelines. I was invited by NNPC for interview and they promised to write to us. When they wrote, they said that government said they could not do business with unregistered organisation and that we should provide an alternative which we did. We provided all the information they needed since 2011. When last year we came to the political arena, our own people started using this against us. We remember Lai Mohammed, the APC spokesman, telling lies to the whole world and Nigeria that the contract had been given to OPC and that Jonathan released N2.8 billion to us every month. It was a bogus lie. Till today, we have not been awarded that contract for no just cause. We have prepared about 40,000 youths for that exercise. If 40,000 youths are employed to provide security for our pipelines, can you imagine the ripple effect on the families of 40,000 youths? But some politicians didn’t see it that way.
Gani Adams’ name omitted as the national coordinator in composition of OPC executives.
When you are given an office in OPC, you spend only four years and leave it for another person. We didn’t denigrate anybody. Gani Adams is the future of OPC; although by my understanding, he has created another body of OPC. If he has done that, definitely, he is not OPC member but Oodua Peoples Union (OPU) member. But he is not going to be president of the organisation forever. The last selection for national officers was done six years ago, so the organisation decided to change them.
Change of baton for four-year term does not affect you as the president
It doesn’t. As a matter of fact, I had led OPC for 20 years. I was tired and I gave up, but I was daily receiving delegation from OPC, urging me not to give up the presidency. This was why we had to adjust. I think I have brought OPC to a level where they (members) will be able to work without Fredrick Faseun. But since they have come to say they don’t want me to leave, I told them I will be there cosmetically.
Involvement in politics
To cure our national politics of intrigues, we should not go on like this. Should we? If we continue like this in Nigeria, we just break up, and there will be boundary dispute all over the place. So every Nigerian should see himself as a stakeholder in nation building. This is why politicians have not been doing anything. Once they win an election, they don’t serve the people, but the next election.
Formation of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN)?
UPN is different. It is an ideological commitment. It is a political platform that has track record. When we compare this record to the existing political parties, we feel it is better to bring back UPN.
Likely presidential candidate of UPN
We are not involved in selecting candidates. We will allow fairplay. We will allow the grassroots to demonstrate the power. Power belongs to the people. So UPN is not selecting for people, but waiting for the people to select or elect their own leaders, sending it to the organisation which will send it to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). We are purely democratic and are not making any pretension about democracy.
Plans to entrench UPN into the political system
Well, we have registered with INEC; we are holding our certificate. That goes to say that INEC is aware of our intention and we will not allow the intention to be defeated. We are waiting for whoever feels comfortable with the ideology of UPN.
Relationship between today’s UPN and UPN of the late Obafemi Awolowo
Baba Awolowo laid a foundation and announced the ideology of democratic welfarism, service to the people, and we are not going to leave that. If there is anything that will sustain the party, it will be included. For instance, the old UPN had free education policy, free health care, rural-urban integration and mass housing. In those days, there was no unemployment; but now, there is huge unemployment. Now some people are starving, while others are looking good. We will redistribute the wealth to the citizens.
Acceptability of UPN since inception
You should notice that we don’t make noise; we are not standing on rooftops announcing our achievements since making our debut. We are present in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). We can boast of our presence in all the villages. We want to prove to the entire nation that power belongs to the people, not to mortgage the future of their children. And they are imbibing these principles. We want to make sure that the Nigerian child grows to adulthood.
Clamour for change of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution
The 1999 Constitution is not actually a constitution. Twenty-six military men wrote the constitution. Military has no culture of democracy. So how can they write a constitution that will be democratic?
A military constitution?
Of course yes! That is why some of us have been agitating that we should go for confab and write the people’s constitution and summit it to the people in a referendum for them to ratify. But here we are, we went to the national confab for only three months, spent billions of naira and we came out loaded with contentious issues that we originally went there to discuss. We have a constitution that doesn’t talk of its youth. There is nowhere in Nigeria constitution where you have the youth except the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). A constitution that does not care for the youth and their education is not a good constitution.
Concern about the youth
In a way, we said ours was a wasted generation and we are still in control of the polity. So what do you think the wasted generation will do with current generation? They are going to waste it. That is why I think the youth must voluntarily serve this nation and make sure they take over. I was surprised when I saw those characters that went to the national conference. Why did you have a 90-year old at the national confab? What was he going to talk? When people approached me I said no; I was nearing 79 years. I said there was nothing I was going to say there that I had not said outside. Let young people go; the future belongs to them. The future of any country is a function of her youth. Unfortunately, they didn’t listen to us because we don’t have military background and not stupendously rich. Now they went and came back, and I am sure there is going to be another confab.
PDP adoption of Jonathan as sole candidate
Well if it is a consensual party policy, there is nothing wrong with it; but it may not be democratic. In the anxiety to make sure Jonathan comes back to power, they may have violated the tenet of democracy. Our democratic tenet has acknowledged that we should go for primary election. As many people as possible may want to come into the leadership of the country. That is why political parties must organise their primaries. But if it is the consensus of those in the party that he has served well and they had enjoyed his services, and want him to continue, I think they are right.
Marginalisation of Yoruba
The Yoruba people marginalised themselves. To capture power, you need some force and that force is derivable from unity. But Yoruba are not united. Look at what happened during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when instead of uniting behind Obasanjo, they constituted the biggest challenge to his government. Until we start uniting, marginalisation will persist.
UPN aligning with PDP in the next election
We are not uniting with PDP because we are registered with INEC. We like to enjoy our political independence. If we have an aspirant in UPN, we will comply with our constitution, but if nobody comes up to say let me challenge Jonathan, when we come to the bridge, we shall cross it.
Advice to the electorate in the coming election
My advice to the electorate is that every Nigerian should be a stakeholder and desire to build a better Nigeria by being a participant in the improvement of our electoral system, so that we will be proud of those we put in power who will in turn serve the people honestly.
