Chief Chekwas Okorie is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). In this interview, he speaks on #endbadgovernance protest, insecurity in the country, particularly in the southeast, why NnamdiKanu should be released, among others. JOY ANIGBOGU brings the excerpts:
There seems to be a resurgence of attacks on security formations in the South-East, is the region returning to the dark days of heightened insecurity?
It is regrettable how the South-East hasdegenerated one more time into a near anarchy. Many of us have made several recommendations to the government to stem this issue of insecurity. Still, the government seems to be more interested in bringing uniformed men, soldiers and policemen to litter the streets of Southeast and expose themselves to this unnecessary danger of being targeted. And the way they also carry out their job is as if they are busy punishing the innocent commuters on the road, extorting money here and there even inside the cities and leaving out the real criminals they should go after. When they are in this business of extorting money, they lose guard in favour of the money they collect from people on the road. So when these criminals come they find policemen and soldiers who are not alert at their duty and they become easy prey. So, my suggestion has always remained that the security of any society is a local thing unless you are in a state of war. But since there is no state of war in the Southeast and most of the country except where we have this insurgency, community policing is the way to go. Let there be community policing in addition to state police.Every community knows its environment and when strange faces come into the community they know. Even when their sons and daughters conduct themselves in a particular way, they know that they would be able to curb all of these things without having to behave like an occupying army. And what we are having in the South-East is not security operatives fighting insecurity. They’re simply an occupation army and when you put an occupation army in a place, the entire people will have this sense of siege, and they believe that they are under attack by the very government that should protect them and this type of thing continues to happen. If they have tried this method and it is not working, why can’t they listen to the voice of reason?
Apart from community policing, some people are of the view that releasing Nnamdi Kanuwill go a long way in resolving the crisis in the South-East. Do you support such an idea?
I am one of the most vocal persons in that direction. Releasing Nnamdi Kanu will reduce the tension in the South-East by almost 70 per cent and I say this because most of these hoodlums and criminals use him as an excuse to perpetrate what they are doing. They said it is because their leader is being held for doing nothing and for simply protesting and canvassing for the liberty and freedom of his people. And that it is not enough offence because others are doing the same even in this country for different ethnic groups and they are not incarcerated the way Nnamdi Kanu is incarcerated. If you go to the records, there is hardly any time I granted an interview that I don’t find a space to put words for Nnamdi Kanu. I have also said to the President in many ways and at various times that one of the things he can do to earn the support of many Igbo people is to releaseNnamdi Kanu. How can you have somebody you are holding down, all the traditional rulers are pleading for his release? The governors of the five states of the region have put in their words for Nnamdi Kanu to be released. All the clergymen, Bishops and town union presidents have put in words for his release. No particular issue has attracted the support, sympathy and appeal of this cross-section of Igbo people in any time I can remember, yet from President Muhammadu Buhari’s time to President Bola Tinubu’s time they seem to be united in leaving that man behind bars despite his health challenges. And the way I look at it honestly is that they believe that if they are holding Nnamdi Kanuthey are holding Igbo people down. But perhaps, Nnamdi Kanu is suffering because he is Igbo. People who are leading agitations in other places have since regained their freedom and it has not stopped them from continuing to canvass what they are canvassing within the law of the country and their rights as citizens. I’m using the opportunity of this interview to appeal to President Tinubu again that it is in the bestinterest of national unityand he will also be remembered kindly that he came to resolve this injustice that is happening to Nnamdi Kanu. I can tell you that even though this Simon Ekpa is a pain in the neck of the government, NnamdiKanu can always take care of that because he said he is doing what he is doing because of Nnamdi Kanu being incarcerated. So, if Nnamdi Kanu comes out, what else would be his reason to be sponsoring this type of crisis in Nigeria while he is comfortably seated in Finland?
With heightened insecurity in the zone, do you think the South East Development Commission would achieve its target of developing the area?
Of course, the commission will make a major contribution in dousing the tension in the Southeast because when you look at the content of that Act, I have taken time to read through it, you will see that the major objective of the commission is to address the infrastructural deficit that occurred in the Southeast geo-political zone as a result of the civil war. So, this is the first time since 1970 when the Nigerian government announced the policy of three Rs of Reconstruction, Reconciliation and Rehabilitation. This is the first time since then that something practical is being done to bring into effect that policy because from 1970 till now, that policy has been observed in the breach. So, to have a commission that is targeted at addressing that aspect, to me is the first time the reconstruction aspect of that three Rs’ is being done. It goes to the credit of this President because that particular bill was first sponsored by Honourable Chuks Onyema from Ogbaru Federal Constituency of Anambra State in 2017.But because of the animosity with our people, the NationalAssembly at the time rejected the bill. Benjamin Kalu picked up that bill and represented it with even some improvements in some areas and mobilized all the Southeast legislators at the House of Representatives to throw their weight behind it. And of course, with effective lobbying, other legislators joined in giving it expeditious passage and the Senate didn’t hesitate to give its concurrent assent. The President would’ve allowed it to gather dust if it were somebody else who didn’t want it to happen but he speedily signed it into law. So, I give that credit to President Tinubu. I have also urged and I will continue to urge that the commission should be immediately constituted and funded because the reconstruction aspect of the three Rs if implemented comes with a lot of things that would keep our idle hands busy. The other aspect of it is that beyond the immediate target of the commission, it also hasthe latitude to expand its objectives and even invite investment. And the reason why many investors are not coming to the South-East is this matter of the security of their investment. So, if it’s something that is done in partnership with that commission, it’s more reassuring to investors that their investment will be secured. Having said that, the next stage would now be to go into the aspect of reconciliation which is the other leg of the three Rs and that brings us back to NnamdiKanu. Bringing out Nnamdi Kanu will address that aspect of reconciliation because this is dear to the overwhelming majority of Igbo people including those abroad. So, why wouldn’t the President that happily signed the bill into law follow it up to deal with this other aspect? And then we now know that what is outstanding is rehabilitation.
Apart from the South-East, there is also a resurgence of insecurity in the North. Do you think that it is time for the Federal Government to rejig Nigeria’s security architecture?
Each time insecurity escalates, the first thing that many Nigerians will begin to call is for a rejigging of security architecture and a few times it has been rejigged and nothing hasimproved. What I see which I don’t want to sound like an indictment to our security forces including the police is very embarrassing that with the heavy assets in the North or Nigeria, they don’t seem to be deployed effectively to fish out these people and deal with them decisively. The idea that they cannot be tracked is even the most embarrassing in this day of modern technology. The idea that we cannot even deploy unmanned drones to identify their locations and deal with them is amazing. It looks as if somebody is sleeping on duty somewhere. So, I don’t know how many people would be slaughtered and how many traditional rulers before the country wakes up to know that we are actually in a state of war. It’s very embarrassing but the military people keep coming up with sorts of excuses that have not made any sense to me. So, the President is the Commander-In-Chief and if the technology we have is not adequate, we should be able to acquire it because others are doing the same. This type of thing cannot be happening within our border they are inside Nigeria. Look at Kaduna and Niger states, and it’s almost cutting half this country called Nigeria. How do we even produce the food that we eat with these people occupying and taking control of all the farmlands and rural communities? It is such a scheme honestly and very disappointing.
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The recent protest against bad governance is considered an indication of the disaffection of the people towards the government of the day, do you think that the country is at a crossroad considering the unending fuel crisis and hardship?
Things are very difficult but I would like to be a bit charitable here because the economic managers are trying their best. The policies of the Ministers and heads of agencies that deal with the economy are not too bad and things are a little bit under control. I said this with the benefit of hindsight because many Nigerians especially the young ones even some older ones in their 50s and 60s have forgotten. When I discuss this in certain quarters, I discovered that many people have forgotten that at one time in this country, things got so bad that people were queuing up not for fuel but to buy essential commodities. I don’t know how many people remember that era of lack of essential commodities like salt, milk, sugar and all the basic things that people need in their homes. Supermarkets were empty and the government was importing rice and they were bagged in 5kg bags to make it go round. We were in that precarious situation and almost getting to the point where malnutrition had started afflicting families but somehow we were able to get out of that situation. Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe also experienced it. We were seeing pictures of empty shops where money was worthless.
Now, if Tinubu had not taken some of the difficult decisions he had taken of which people are still complaining, we would have degenerated to that level where we would be talking about a lack of basic essential commodities. These essential commodities I’m talking about would include drugs to cure even the smallest of ailments, they were not available then. But we have not reached there and that is why I said I want to be a little bit charitable because I have seen the other side and I compare it with what we are going through now. What we are going through now is not the best but it is not the worst that this country hasexperienced in the past. Even in a period of boom, we had that issue. So, if Tinubu pays more attention to agriculture you can’t pay attention to agriculture without dealing with the issue of insecurity which we have talked about. If it is done and staple food is available, complaints will be less. And I tell Nigerians, we shouldn’t cry wolf too much and let’s hold our state governments responsible for a lot of things as well. The attention is too much at the centre and the governors are frittering away all the huge allocations they collect every month and nobody is asking questions.
Are you concerned that those arrested as a result of the protest are being charged with treason?
That is not fair to charge them for treason and I don’t know where protesters are being charged for treason especially when it has to do with bad governance. Whether there is bad governance in Nigeria, it is true because the governance we are having now is not the best. It is quite deplorable especially since our legislators and political appointees are living large vulgar displays of unseen wealth and this is very provocative. So, when people look at all of that and see the overwhelming majority of Nigerians eating from the rubbish bin as it were, you don’t expect that they will not be angry. If the only thing they could do is embark on a peaceful protest, it is not enough to begin to pick up some people, write up a charge of treason and take them to court. So, they should just drop the charge about treason quickly and allow them to go home and face the real issues of governance. The President should also help us to help him by publishing what state governments and local governments receive every month as was done during the time of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Minister of Finance. This will help us to know what comes to our various states and local governments and know where to channel our expectations and anger instead of everything being blamed on Tinubu. There is something wrong in the way we vent our anger and it is the structure of government that has made it like that. That is why some people including myself have been asking for a restructuring of the government so that there will be devolution of power in a manner that every state will have the latitude to develop at its own pace.
Your last comment shows that you agreed with The Patriots that recently visited the President and asked for a new constitution and restructuring of the country…
To that extent, yes, but to the extent of calling for a national conference, no, because there is a 2014 Confab that cost this country N7 billion at that time, which is about N35 billion in today’s value. Over 600 delegates that were drawn from all over the country attended the conference and over 660 recommendations were arrived at by consensus, it’s unprecedented in a diverse country like Nigeria to arrive at such recommendations by consensus. That body also produced a draft constitution incorporating the recommendations they had made and it was returned to President Goodluck Jonathan who convened it but he lacked the political will to implement it. President Buhari came and swore that he would never touch it with a long spoon and he didn’t touch it for eight years. My take is that President Tinubu should bring out those recommendations and submit an executive bill to the National Assembly to pass a law or referendum because we don’t have a law or referendum now once it is passed into law that document would be presented to the Nigerian people for approval. If it is approved by a majority of the people then it becomes law. You will see that everything everybody has been clamouring for both in terms of restructuring and size of government will be resolved. And let me tell you that President Tinubuhas the moral and the political will to do this and he will be remembered as the father of Nigerian federalism. Just like Nigerians know that Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe is the father of Nigerian nationalism. So, letTinubu not allow this opportunity to elude him.
What is the update on the leadership crisis rocking your party?
The update is very simple and straightforward because on the 23rd of March 2023, the Supreme Court gave a judgement confirming Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of the party. That judgement has been gazetted and it is now an authority of the Supreme Court and people now cite it in court because it is in the Nigeria Law Report. But the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for whatever reason did not obey the judgement immediately and the other faction that lost continued to enjoy the recognition of INEC and continued to operate as if no judgement was given and we are talking about the judgement of the Apex Court in the land.
