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By Idu Jude Abuja
Chieftain of the Labour Party (LP) and an aspirant to the Federal House of Representatives, Chief Anthony Ikenna Okafor, has condemned the economic policy of the ruling APC, noting that the wrong ideas have dwarfed the economic progress of the industrious people of Anambra State.
In this interview, he discussed what he described as Governor Soludo’s wrong approach to sit-at-home in the state, which has affected the state’s IGR, among other national issues.
As a chieftain of LP, what can you say is missing in terms of development in your constituency?
I have always said that the present administrations both at the Federal or state levels lack vision. And the fact remains that they make bad policies. If not, why should a state not make a law that is in tandem with its economic advantage. In Anambra State, we don’t need the Federal allocation to develop our state or communities. What we need is good infrastructure development that will enhance business because we are inclined to do business of buying and selling. So what we need is a good policy that would create an enabling environment so that business thrives.
Nnewi, by now should have become the sole supplier of auto spare parts to the whole of Africa but with the economic sabotage, industries at Nnewi and its environs are winding up one after the other and I think it is a plan to cripple the economy of the Southeast people.
As an opposition member, did you consider the zoning formula in your constituency before picking the nomination form?
I am from Nnewi North, but I am talking about zoning of political offices. Such arrangement does not resonate or apply at the federal elections. It actually does at the State Assembly election. Nnewi has four polling units and the constituency has been structured such that we have zoning in respect of the State Assembly election only; that was why I told you that when it comes to national election, it is the popularity of the person that determines. Now coming to the position I’m vying for – the House of Representatives, which comprises Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo, the issue of popularity, I can say that before anyone can vie for this position, he should have weighed options and the possibility of winning. The person should have studied the political environment because nobody wants to waste his resources knowing he cannot come out victorious. Politics is time consuming and nobody wants to waste his or her precious time. The time you spend must have value so you don’t just come to waste it. So one should be able to articulate, take a look at your chances, your relationship with people and possibly the grassroot connection and also the way to grow. You also check your family background and what people say about them. So there are things that can give you an edge above other rivals.
This may sound weird but I must tell you that I grew up being loved by my people. People love me for what I do. I believe these are what a person needs to win elections in my place. Assured that I have what is required, I took the step, which is to obtain the expression of interest and nomination forms. It is a journey that began in 2023. I think I have done my part by securing this. We now wait for the National Working Committee to guide us through the primaries and once I have the ticket, I shall kick off the campaign. However, in everything we do, we have to seek God’s intervention first.
How popular is LP in Anambra State, where All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, is rge ruling party, particularly in your constituency?
In today’s politics, the LP is popular, but as we see things currently, no party is the most popular one in Nigeria. Take it or leave it, every political party is at the same pedestal, especially if you look at how things are moving with the breeze blowing from the right to the left. But what I believe is that one must have a party platform as the election guideline requires of every contestant. And again my take is that every political party platform is equally good but it depends on individuals. Some are saleable while some are not. When we talk of the Labour Party back in 2023, it wasn’t as popular until Mr. Peter Obi picked the Presidential Election ticket under them. So if one person can give the party such prominence, another can as well reactivate the party. It depends on who the person is and that is what I am talking about. It is all about popularity; it is all about who you are and how you relate with people at the grassroots. I treat people equally without prejudice. I mingle with every class of human being irrespective of class, religion or association.
What exactly do you think your constituency lacks,which you want to put in place when elected?
When we talk of my constituency, we talk of insecurity. Our people are business oriented and no business thrives in an atmosphere of insecurity. No one can trade where there is no peace. We cannot grow where there is no justice. So if elected, the first thain I shall do is to provide an enabling business environment for their trade to continue. I will give them security so there will be no fear in the minds of buyers and sellers from within and outside the state. So once this is achieved, my people will feel at home to trade. We are business-inclined; we are not lazy people who depend on government allocations. My people are hardworking people and the only thing they need is an enabling environment. If I take you back on the memory lane, you will see that Nnewi is known for business and this was where trade-by-barter originated in Africa. When others are sleeping, they are trading, and for that reason, right now we control the auto parts market in Africa, both in manufacturing and sales. Talking of motorcycle parts, motor spare parts, generator parts, tricycle spare parts and other minor trades, Nnewi is leading in Africa.
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Nnewi dominates, it is leading in auto dealers in Africa and based on that, they need security and they need peace for their businesses to grow. So my people are not lazy even those who know me can attest to that.
Are you alleging that even the ruling party in your state has failed to address the issue of insecurity?
I won’t say that the present leadership in Anambra under APGA has failed totally, but I can also say that it has not done enough, because looking at the recent event that took place in Anambra State, where the governor forcefully made people disobey the sit-at-home order. For me it wasn’t the right way to bring lasting peace because the action he took failed to address the challenges and to bring permanent solutions. So it is neither here nor there. It failed to address the matter because Governor Soludo used the executive powers to intimidate men of different calibres.
For me I felt that Governor Soludo does not need Ndi Anambra’s votes again having been elected to serve his second tenure. Let us address it, the sit-at-home had been there before he became the governor. In his first four years, why didn’t he implement such rules? Why did he start immediately when he was voted for second tenure? What the governor should have done was to dialogue with his people who are the business people. They are the ones who know, where the shoe pinches and business is the only source of survival. Yes, when they open shops everyday they make a living but for them to have complied with it means there is a reason and the failure to find out that reason was where the governor got everything wrong. So if the governor can deal with the cause of this then their business can go on, but forcefully making them comply with the order to open on Mondays has jeopardized everything and today we are still asking, ‘Soludo, where is the security?’ You know full well that business in Anambra State takes effect between buyers from other West African countries and and Nigerian states. Using Onitsha Main Market as a case study, it is a very big revenue generating market for Anambra State. It is high in IGR. So for them to always comply with the sit-at-home there must be a reason. He was supposed to have looked into the reasons and not do anything by force. So if the Governor provides an enabling environment for them to open their businesses, you don’t even need to force anyone. Talk of those who come from other West African countries and other states? These people also are complying with the sit-at-home every Monday because they are afraid for their lives and businesses. So even when the governor tried to enforce opening of markets, buyers still didn’t comply. It shows that there are things more grave than the insecurity we are talking about. When Governor Soludo forced the market to open things got worse because of fear. Commercial transporters refused to bring in buyers from states like Ebony, Enugu and Abia, among other states.
Apart from security, what other things can you offer to your people if you are elected?
If you had listened to our elder, Dr. Cosmas Maduka, he reiterated that what an Igbo man needs in Nigeria, is just an enabling environment and a level playing ground. As an indigene of Nnewi, I know what I am suffering. Over there we have lots of factories going down owing to lack of power, and there is no factory that can progress without power. As an Nnewi man, I have a structure there and intentionally I wanted to build a confectionery factory. When I started, somebody objected and said, “My friend, why not take this factory to Ogun State where they have a liquefied natural gas pipeline?” But I replied that at my age that I don’t need to invest outside the town because I am getting old and should be close to my home. So what we need in Nnewi particularly is power and when we have it, the whole nation is good as an industrialized nation. The power I will bring in will come in the form of electricity or gas (CNG or LNG). If you take a look at the Western world they are dominant in economy because of steady power. It is because they make use of gas and most developed countries make use of gas not diesel any more. One litre of diesel in my home town is N2050. With this price, tell me which factory will survive under this kind of situation, where most of the factories make the use of 1000 KVA and 5000 KVA generators respectively. There is no factory that can survive in such a situation. And considering all the factories in the Southeast, they all operate without steady power, even pure water factories operate on diesel and so many are folding up with their staff thrown into the labour market.
If I am elected, I will fight for generation of power for steady production for the state and particularly Nnewi and its environs. During the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, he visited Anambra State and described Nnewi as the Japan of Africa. He knew what he saw at the exhibition that was held in Nnewi, he couldn’t believe that all the things he saw were produced in Nnewi and that is why I said that our governments’ priorities should be power.
That is why I see Chief Alex Otti, the Governor of Abia State as my ideal governor. Just look at what he is doing in Abia State. I hold him in high esteem. I admire him so much because he has the strong will to work for his people. If my own governor should concentrate on providing steady power, then the Anambra people will forgive his sins because it will be a healing to all the wounds.
In case you are elected, would you still recommend the apprenticeship system to the youths of your constituency, as a way of empowerment?
Well this is what I can call the negative side effect of civilization, but Igbos cannot do away from (Nwaboyi) apprenticeship system because this is the strength we have to empower the youths. It is a system where we bring people from different backgrounds to serve and be settled for future empowerment. Let me tell you that this is the way we empower our youths and serving the master and graduating is not the issue but learning the secret in the business and teaching them how to manage the business and finances. And looking at the apprenticeship system, we are upgrading the system because education is highly required to run a successful business. So, the new trend now is that we combine education with business. While I propose for our children to go for apprenticeship, I also support that education is necessary to be able to manage family business. Like I said, we cannot do it. If elected, there will be a change of narrative because the system makes more millionaires than white collar jobs. I recommend that people study up to Master’s and doctorate degree levels to be able to manage family businesses and by doing so people won’t see the apprenticeship system as outdated because at the end of the day what matters is success.
What is your take on the use of IGR in your state by the APGA-led government?
If you can recall what I said on the forceful closure of markers in Anambra State by the APGA government, why Anambra is on top of other states in IGR is because we are mostly self-employed people. We don’t depend on government allocations to survive. What we need to survive is a level playing ground. So how can we talk of IGR without good security, enabling ground and lack of good relationship with the traders, who pay tax, who are the main actors in revenue generation? Yes, you cannot mention Anambra IGR without them. There is no town in Anambra that does not have a market, which brings revenue to the government.
