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By Dickson Okafor
National President, Global Freight Forwarders and Maritime Association (GFFMA), Basil Akukwe, is optimistic that the inclusion of Amb. Bianca Ojukwu in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs will pave way for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from detention.
He expressed joy over peaceful celebration of the Yuletide in the Southeast by the Igbo who travelled from all parts of the country to their villages, saying that they did so because there was security.
He said that the stampedes which led to the death of children in Ibadan and some people in Abuja and Okija where they went for palliatives during Christmas celebration showed the rate of hardship Nigerians are facing and called on President Tinubu to take a second look at the reforms embarked upon by his administration in order to reduce the plight of Nigerians.
He speaks on the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State and other issues. Excerpts:
In few weeks’ time, Donald Trump will be sworn-in as President of the United States of America and you were among those who predicted that Trump would be re-elected, what should Nigerian politicians learn from the just concluded American presidential election?
We share so much in common because America and Nigeria practice the same system of government which is the presidential system. And the presidential system of government is so expensive as contenders must work hard and be patient for anyone to win the election. These are some of the things Nigerian politicians must learn if elections and electoral process in any developing country such as Nigeria must be improved on. That is the price they must pay to earn electoral reward. You saw how Donald Trump was on the streets of America soliciting votes even he was at the burger shops, serving people including children free burger. So, the difference between America’s election and that of Nigeria is not too far hence the only difference is the electoral process. Nigeria has not got it 100 per cent right and that is the only difference. But it is capital intensive, so expensive which is one of the disadvantages of presidential system of government in a democracy.
During the Yuletide some children were stampeded to death at a party organized by the former Queen of Ooni of Ife and some people were stampeded to death also at Abuja and Okija who went for palliatives, like President Tinubu acknowledged that his reforms have weakened Nigeria’s purchasing power and vowed that FG would continue to priorities social investment programme, can this cushion the effects of hunger and hardship?
I want use this medium to sympathize with the parents who lost their children in Ibadan during Christmas and those who lost their lives in Abuja and Okija during distribution of palliatives. May their souls rest in peace. Yes, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has acknowledged that the reforms his administration embarked on, including petrol subsidy removal and floating of the naira, have weakened Nigerians’ purchasing power. He made pronouncement when Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), visited him on the sideline of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brazil. Again, I wish President Tinubu demanded for debt relief from the world leaders and that would have been very good request. He made it clear that Nigerians are in pain because of the reforms which has brought hunger and hardship to the people. At the same time, President Tinubu’s presence at the G20 Leaders Summit has helped Nigeria establish good and cordial relationship with leaders of other countries. But most importantly, we should ask for debt waiver from nations we are financially indebted to. And also seek for assistance to curb terrorism, insecurity and banditry in Nigeria which are coming from sub-Saharan countries.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for the sack of INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu because of poor conduct of the recent governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states to restore the confidence of Nigerians in electoral process, do you support the call for the sack of Mahmood?
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No doubt, the majority of Nigerians have lost confidence in the electoral umpire because of the way elections are conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently. Prof Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of INEC has been in the position going to his second tenure as the presiding officer of the electoral umpire which will elapse next year. From all indications especially the outcome of the recent Edo and Ondo states governorship elections, shows that Prof Mahmood does not have the capacity to conduct free and fair election in Nigeria. Even though no election anywhere in the world is perfect including the just concluded presidential election in the United States of America because there were minor issues that questioned the credibility that election that saw the re-election of President Donald Trump. But in the case of Nigeria under Mahmood, it seems obvious that so far our elections are not credible. So, for me I will suggest he should be allowed to complete his tenure and leave. Because If government sacks him, he will leave with honour, but let him finish his tenure and leave with shame.
The price of fuel came down recently, but can the removal of N50 from the price of fuel reduce the cost of essential commodities and economic hardship in Nigeria?
The truth of the matter is, oil business in Nigeria is being run by a cabal and if you are not in there you won’t know what is going on in the petroleum sector. The oil business is also measured through the capital market globally. I believe they know what they are doing and until Nigerians open their eyes that is when the politics in the petroleum sector will stop. So, I don’t think that N50 reduction in fuel price by Dangote refinery and the oil marketers will reduce prices of goods and service and as well stop the economic hardship faced by Nigerians.
In your last interview you expressed doubt and would not expect much from the rejigging of the cabinet by President Tinubu, but the appointment of Iyom Bianca Ojukwu as minister of state for Foreign Affairs sparked reactions from Nigerians because she is not a member of APC, do you see her appointment as politically motivated?
In my candid opinion, this idea of appointing persons from the ruling party into the cabinet of the president and into other positions doesn’t make sense to me and it is not the best. But I commend President Tinubu for running inclusive government by appointing technocrats and competent persons into his cabinet to help pilot the affairs of the nation. Let the best in every discipline be selected to serve the country in higher levels irrespective of political affiliation. Because this is national assignment and the best brains must be engaged to serve the country. Or does it mean that if the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Anambra State does not have capable person in the party to be in the position Bianca is appointed to oversee by the Federal Government, so President Tinubu should pick just any member of APC from Anambra State and make him or her Minister of State for Foreign Affairs? Someone who doesn’t have the capacity? It doesn’t make sense to me. So, what President Tinubu has done is the right thing to do and I really applaud him for giving Bianca Ojukwu higher responsibility. I believe that with the inclusion of Bianca in Tinubu’s cabinet it will guarantee the release of Nnamdi Kanu from detention soon. She has served the nation as Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Diaspora Affairs, Ambassador of Nigeria Spain. Therefore, she has the experience to launder the image of Nigeria globally. Also, her appointment is not politically motivated, but it is by merit.
What is your expectation in the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State coupled with high rate insecurity, what do you think can be done to end insecurity in Igbo land?
In the case of Anambra State, we all saw how peaceful the burial of Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah was. The contributions of the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah not only in Southeast as a two-term Senator, but in Nigeria cannot be undermined. He came, he saw and he conquered hence his departure is a profound loss to the country, Southeast geopolitical zone, and particularly Anambra State. On how to restore security in the Southeast, the matter is complex. It began during the last administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and now in the present government. I call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to please release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and by so doing peace will return to Southeast. As I said earlier, with the inclusion of Iyom Bianca Ojukwu in the cabinet of President Tinubu, Nnamdi Kanu’s release from detention is guaranteed. The question most people ask is, does it mean that the security architecture of this country is not working? Maybe because of poor motivation or the right people are not put in the right place to help tame insecurity not only in the Southeast, but also in the North and across the country. I still believe that the present administration is doing their best to curb insecurity in Nigeria and with time it will come to an end. Insecurity is not as worse as it was two and three years ago when terrorists were entering barracks in the Northeast, Northwest and Police barracks, but the tempo has gone down. The new Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa and the Nigeria military are on top of the game and we are seeing results. We will continue to pray and support the government and the military by giving them accurate information when the movement of certain people look suspicious in your environment. Like I said earlier, insecurity is cause by infiltration from sub-Saharan countries such as Mali, Chad, Niger and Sudan. So, it is a war that all of us must join hands together with government to fight and overcome. On governorship election in Anambra State, it will be credible and the candidate will win.
What is your agenda for the FG in order to improve the living standard of Nigerian?
Hunger and hardship are global crisis which is caused by the war between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Hamas and instability within the sub-West African region too are contributory to global hunger and hardship most nations are facing now. And also climate change and I believe that with what President Tinubu is doing, soon the economy will be fixed. So, what is expected from the new ministers is to join hands with the military to restore security in Nigeria and encourage farmers to go back to farm. And compel states governments to pay the new minimum wage with this I believe very soon things will become normal. I’m not happy with people who only criticize the government without proffering solutions on how Nigeria’s problems and challenges can be solved.
