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By Ngozi Nwoke
Lawmaker representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2, Jude Emeka Idimogu in this interview, speaks about the security challenges, the crisis in the South East, as well as Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s presidential agenda.
How do you feel about the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria?
In all honesty and sincerity, I feel terrible, devastated, sad and afraid of the level of insecurity facing us. There is no concerned Nigerian or human being living in Nigeria that would not feel the same way I feel. But we are in it. So, the big question is, what can we do to redeem the situation? This is where I enjoin every citizen of Nigeria and residents to be security personnel. In other words, combating insecurity in this country requires collaborative efforts of everyone. Yes, it is true that the Federal Government owe it to her citizens to protect life and property, but we must pause, think and ask ourselves this question. If I am attacked by an armed robber or kidnapped by bandits, who bears the pain, the fear, the trauma, the risk and the casualty?
It is the victim involved. Even before you think of calling the help of security agents, it might be too late, if at all the victim would have the opportunity to call for help. So, my view about fighting insecurity in Nigeria is that everyone should be vigilant, minimize travelling by road at this moment, give out useful information to security agents and stay safe while the Federal Government does its best to fight these insurgents. I also suggest that the government should seek international collaboration to combat insecurity in the country.
If the security experts have exhausted their expertise and tried everything possible within their capacity, and the insecurity is still heightened, then I think the Federal Government needs to seek international collaborations. Especially as scores of innocent and helpless Nigerians are gruesomely killed on a daily basis.
With the level of insecurity in the land, do you think the 2023 election would be possible?
Yes, I think the 2023 election will be held by the grace and will of God. It is already constitutional that a new president must emerge after every four years. If not, there would be anarchy, because the present government must give way for the new government. So, except if God decides that there would be no election in 2023, then I am hopeful that there would be a presidential election come 2023. I understand that with the current level of insecurity, one may think that it would get worse by the day, to a point where the election would not hold. But I trust that no government would allow insurgency and terrorism to stop an election that gives the people the opportunity to perform their fundamental right of voting for their preferred candidates. We are prayerful and hopeful that the 2023 election would hold and by the will of God, nothing can stop it because it is constitutional.
Do you think the Nigerian situation is redeemable?
No doubt, the Nigerian situation calls for great concern. We must also acknowledge that aside from the insecurity situation, we have other burning issues affecting the nation’s performance. The agitation by secessionists to divide Nigeria, the ongoing crisis in the South East, the depreciation of the Naira, unemployment rate, and so on. Let me tell you, there is no government that did not or is not experiencing one national crisis or the other. These issues are not peculiar to Nigeria alone. Even developed countries still experience national crises, but the ability to manage and resolve them is what matters. Nigeria’s situation is overwhelming if we must be truthful to ourselves. But the major focus of everyone should be whether the government is doing enough to resolve them. As a patriotic citizen who loves his country, I strongly believe that the Nigerian situation is redeemable. I also believe that the government is working to perfection by the day, it might not be visible for mischievous critics, but those who pledge their loyalty to serve Nigeria with all their strength would agree that Nigeria would be better someday.
Over five decades after the Nigerian/Biafran war, the nation has largely failed to achieve a sense of unity among her various ethnic nationalities, what do you think is essentially the problem?
The essential problem of the ethnic disunity is a failure to believe in Nigeria. When people have given up in a situation, everyone begins to seek a way out. That is exactly the case. If we agree that the labour of forefathers in the past shall never be in vain, then we would understand that we are better together. If we understand the number of lives that were lost during the civil war, if only we understand the practical meaning of hunger and turmoil, then no sane human being would agitate for separation, and we fail to understand that separation comes with a price tag. My candid advice to these secessionists who are agitating to separate from Nigeria is to research on how the civil war started, how far it went and how it ended.
I tell you that there are people who still suffer from the trauma and after-math of the civil war till date.
The ongoing crisis in the South East is becoming alarming, what do you think about the agitation for the release of Nnamdi Kanu?
It is stated in the bible that “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” Check the age bracket of these people agitating for IPOB, and the release of their self-acclaimed leader, you would discover that they are mostly millennials. I still say this again, you cannot find any sane person who experienced the civil war agitating for the actualization of IPOB. You can only demand for change in leadership where things are not going well, but it is unwise to agitate for the separation of a whole country. No sitting president would want any form of separation or division in a country he leads. That is the fact. It would show failure and weakness on the part of the government if it ever permits such to happen.
For the interest of the younger generation who are yet to achieve and fulfill their dreams, I appeal to them to shield their swords for peace to reign. Let us give peace a chance. There are better ways to agitate for the right thing following the right channel. We may say the government is not leaving up to their expectations, but at the same time, we cannot fight the government. We can only hold them accountable and demand what we want from them. But not to fight them. The most pathetic part of the South East crisis is that the killing is done by the Igbo killing their fellow Igbo. So, to what end? You destroy the sources of income of your Igbo brothers and sisters all in the name of sit-at-home. You are causing hunger and hardship to thrive in your land and you claim to be fighting for the release of your leader knowing that the typical occupation of Igbo is business, buying and selling.
We agree that freedom is not given easily, but we cannot achieve IPOB with violence either. My question to all those agitating for IPOB with violence is, are they ready for a second civil war?
Is 2023 ripe to have a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction and what should leaders do to actualize this dream?
Unfortunately, the Igbo people who are supposed to be united to achieve this dream are busy fighting for separation.
I want to use this medium to tell every Igbo person desiring for this dream to come true, we cannot achieve it on our own. We need the full support of people from another ethnicity. We must agree amongst ourselves as Igbo before other ethnic groups can give us their support. We have to decide, strategize and agree on what we actually need, whether it is presidency from the Igbo or IPOB. Even the late Biafran leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu advised Nigerians not to go for a second civil war.
There are speculations that Bola Tinubu’s presidential agenda would be another long walk to suffering for Nigerians, if he emerges president, what is your view on that?
Tinubu’s presidential ambition is one that I dream of every day. And by the grace of God, he would have the opportunity to take Nigeria to a greater level. When you talk about experience and competence, he is the man you should be using as an illustration. He has all it takes to lead Nigeria. Take Lagos State for example, do you know the positive impact, and empowerment he made to the majority of leaders today? We are talking about a detribalized man who doesn’t see your tribe, or religion before he carries you along. Nigeria would be grateful if he emerges as the next president. We are not saying he is coming to solve all the numerous accumulated problems. It is not magic. It would still take a process and critical thinking, as well as collaborative support to actualize his agenda of offering good leadership. Bola Tinubu already has my full support.
What is the way forward for the people of Oshodi/Isolo constituency?
We are doing our best to serve and represent the people within our capacity and with the little resources we have. We have carried out skills acquisition programmes, empowered young women and girls with sponsorships, and the way forward is only to continue in representing the people by being their voice, fully engaging in grassroots development and social welfare of my constituents. Through the enablement of the Lagos State government, we have recorded a reasonable number of non-indigenes who have benefited from the Sanwo-Olu-led-administration in terms of political positions and other empowerment programmes. I give kudos to him and his team who are working for a greater Lagos.
