Hon. Dennis Adikwuru is a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Imo State. Adikwuru a member of Imo State Presidential Campaign Council under Media and Publicity Sub-committee in the 2023 elections and erstwhile State Publicity Secretary, Imo State Professionals for Atiku, is also the State Coordinator, Imo PDP Grassroots Movement. In this interview, he spoke to EJIKEME OMENAZU on the recent nationwide protest, reported corruption in the NNPCL and distribution of palliatives across the country by the government, among other issues. Excerpt:
How do you see the recent 10 days nationwide Protest against bad governance, which took place between August 1 to 10 in parts of the country?
The protest against hunger and bad governance was a display of discontentment, disapproval of the people against policies of the Tinubu government which have strangulated the masses resulting in hunger, frustration and loss of hope in the government. It is unfortunate, however, that the government took the protest for granted, but it is a minus on Nigeria’s democratic regime.
Looking at the state of the nation and the issues raised by the protesters, would you say the protest against bad governance was necessary?
The protest was not only necessary, but of expediency because since the advent of this administration, hunger is ravaging Nigerians, life has become unbearably hopeless.
The nationwide protest against bad governance has come and gone, what would you say are the achievements of Nigerians or the protesters?
The protest across the country had a major achievement of exposing Tinubu’s insensitivity, inhumanity and inattentiveness to the plight of the common masses of Nigeria. Secondly, it dashed the hopes of the masses on the expectations of a responsible government, thereby diminishing the acclamation of democracy over military rule. You see also that the agencies of the government, especially those entrusted with ensuring the safety of protesters, rather took the offensive and gunned down some of the protesters. This is an anomaly in a democracy where freedom of expression is an inalienable right of citizens. Finally, the protest created an international awareness of the happenings in Nigeria and an impending mass revolt.
Looking back now, how do you see the roles of the federal, state and local governments before, during and immediately after the protest against bad governance?
What do we say about the roles of the three arms of government in the protest? What roles do you expect of them, except to play down the suffering of Nigerians, to frustrate the efficacy of the protest and of course, collude with security agencies to brutalise the protesters? Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians are already thrown into the various prisons in the country as a result of the protest.
A lot has been said about the way security agencies performed during the protest, would you say they played their roles properly as required by the law?
I have earlier mentioned that the security agencies took sides with the government and sent many protesters to their early graves, while much more were taken to the prisons. In a civil society, the security agencies are supposed to secure the protesters as well as government properties and ensure a non-combatant protest.
In Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) the courts limited the protest to particular places or venues. How do you see the development?
Advertisement
Judicial orders issued against the protest are nullity and ineffective. However, we have a government which is inhuman and unresponsive to the plight of the common man. A government which chooses to clampdown on harmless protesters and would use any machinery to enforce their oppressive and draconian agenda.
Some youths in the North were flying some foreign flags, especially those of Russia and China during the protest. Would you say they committed any offence? If so, how do you think such cases should be treated?
It is not about flying the colours of other countries, but the loss of confidence, loss of hope and total frustration in a government, which should provide comfort to the citizens, but rather chose to submit the citizens to heightened suffocation. So, we should be looking at making Nigerians feel proud of their country, feel happy with the national flag and feel cared for by the government.
In your view, what would you identify as impediments to good governance in the country?
The impediments to good governance have become a recycled reading. From one regime to another, you record a new phase of corruption; you witness nepotism, religious and ethnic power plays. You see the Executive suppressing the Legislature and Judiciary. You see an inactive military and an entirely corrupt polity. The President has not shown any difference from past governments on extravagant spending and treasury looting. There is no hope from the democracy of the day.
The protesters raised several issues during the protest. How do you think these issues should be properly resolved by the federal, state and local governments?
The president has failed to address the salient issues arising from the protest. The National Assembly compromised with the Executive and the Judiciary to pull down the expectations of the protest. And it seems nothing has happened but I am sure another dimension of the protests will come up and the government might be forced to take steps to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians.
With the controversies surrounding the oil sector, the failed promises over the functionality of the local refineries and alleged huge corruption in the NNPCL, how do you see the continued retention of the NNPCL GMD, Mele Kyari? Should he be sacked by President Tinubu, the de facto Minister of Petroleum?
In truth, corruption has been institutionalised in the country with every sector pushing to outscore the other. In the oil sector, being the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy, corruption spans from the Presidency, the National Assembly, the Judiciary and down to the cartel or the cabals. What is witnessed in today’s NNPCL is a tip of the iceberg compared with the Presidency where the President himself is self-appointed Petroleum Minister. Are you talking about the allocation of oil wells, is it crude export? Coming to the NNPCL, corruption is seen as legitimised, taking the cue from the Presidency, National Assembly and the rest. Are we going to hold NNPCL responsible for the treasury draining through recycled repairs and turn around maintenance of Nigerian refineries? I will not recommend any sack of the NNPCL GMD by an equally corrupt president but rather there should be total cleansing of the entire system.
Some of President Tinubu’s critics said he lacks the diplomatic finesse of a President. To what extent would you agree to this view?
You know that Tinubu has a local background in all ramifications and because of his records outside of Nigeria, he had no touch with diplomacy or international relations. You cannot expect anything more than what he is displaying.
The Federal Government and some state governments have announced what they consider as palliatives to Nigerians to fight hunger and high cost of living due to high inflation and removal of oil subsidy. What is your reaction to these announcements and how these items are distributed to the people across the country?
Palliative in Nigeria is another word for siphoning, a conduit pipe to further drain the economy. What can be a better palliative than to put the refineries to function so as to return the fuel price to oil producing country price? The cabal is bent on making Nigeria an oil importing country where the interest of the masses is dumped in the dustbin, while raking in billions to their coffers. There is nothing like palliative which further impoverishes the people.
