By Daniel Kanu
Chief Kenneth Udeze is the national chairman of the Action Alliance (AA) and former national legal adviser, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
In this encounter, he speaks on the recent nationwide protest, Diaspora voting, and the problem with Nigeria, among other crucial issues. Excerpt:
What is your view on the recent nationwide protest against bad governance?
Commitment to the protest, in the first place, was an ideal venture due to the rationale, and the outcome may be worthy of the effort overtime. But, overall, it was a good initiative. Maybe, subsequent protests will take a much better dimension in terms of organisation, orientation and security, to ensure that the objective and protest trajectory is not manipulated by interested participants and pro-government forces alike.
Would you consider the protest necessary?
What could have been more necessary? Nigerians are suffering. Do you know why? It is because of the government’s actions and they should be held responsible for that. Subsidy issues are still reverberating across boards. As fundamental as it is to the welfare of the people, President Bola Tinubu should not have removed it without due consultations and proper assessment, as the structures that will support citizens were not in place yet. That singular move took Nigeria to inflation, and the spiral effect brought hardship on Nigerians. That is why the 10 days protest was embarked on, and I believe, their points have been driven home to those in position of power to either heed to the demands or make adequate arrangements to address all the issues.
Some say there was no benefit achieved over the nationwide protest against bad governance? Do you share in such view?
The achievements recorded from the protests are many and it will serve as a reference point many years to come. But beyond that, the consciousness that power belongs to the people and that government is all about the people has been instilled in the mind of those in government. President Tinubu still has a lot to tell Nigerians, especially his involvement in the Malta refinery. Did he really remove the subsidy and privately indulge in paying himself secretly? The protest was the medium utilised to escalate that rumour.
How would you describe the role of the federal, state and local governments before, during and after the protest against bad governance?
Officials of the Nigerian government across the board do not know how to handle protests, and this is not isolated to any tier of government. This is because Nigerians in power do not like opposition or criticisms. Our leaders are more like emperors in office and it was evident before, during and after the 10-day protest. The president’s steps before the protest were very wrong. He went about inviting religious leaders, traditional rulers, security operatives and party supporters running civil society platforms etc, to discredit or stop the protest, instead of reaching out to the organisers directly. Granted the South Eastern states pulled out of the protest to safeguard the businesses of their indigenes due to previous untoward experiences, but overall, Nigerians across the states participated. In other states of the federation, especially the northern states, I cannot say sincerely that I was impressed. As for the local governments, the principal officers still operate like the glorified PAs of the governors and I doubt if they really have much to do based on the system we operate in Nigeria at the moment.
Would you say security agencies played their roles poorly as required by law during the protest?
Our state forces still need much orientation and proper training regarding their roles as stipulated by law, when it comes to protests or civil right issues. I cannot say much, but they know that much needs to be done to detach them from their shameful inclinations to unprofessional practices just to please their pay master. They should be conscious of the fact that they are serving the people, including the government.
What is your take on judicial orders in some states limiting the protest to particular places or venues?
You are aware that leadership is not a position, but an action. The strategy was the best anyone in office of authority facing validation or scrutiny of the public should adopt. So, I do not blame them for such a move. The extent of the destruction of our national assets or critical infrastructure could have been more or worse if some of those measures were not taken. Conventionally also, protest routes must be approved by the security operatives, with the aim of protecting lives. So, I do not have any challenge with that.
Would you say that the youths who were flying some foreign flags during the protest committed any offence? If so, as a lawyer, how should the case be handled?
Nigeria is a sovereign nation with a legitimate flag and Coat of Arms, and any imposition or parading of another nation’s flag within our territory is simply an act of treason. What was that for? Were those guys trying to pitch Nigeria against the Russian Federation? That sight was bad and I condemn those that sponsored it. They should be mindful of their actions next time.
What do you see as impediments to good governance in Nigeria?
The underlying impediment to good governance in Nigeria is corruption coordinated by cabals. Until we deal with corruption, we are not ready to transform as a nation. The other two terrible phenomena are ethnicity and religion. It is so sad that our country is underdeveloped because of these vices. Institutions and notable personalities always look for the best to administer over their concerns, but when it comes to the issue of governance in Nigeria, if a particular region provides a half breed, as long as he or she is either of a preferred faith or ethnicity, that will do. That is madness, because at the end, everyone suffers. I have always maintained that a good friend is always better than a bad brother.
How do you think the issues raised by the protesters should be properly resolved?
To answer this question, let us first take a look at the demands of the protesters. Scrap the 1999 Constitution and replace it with a people-made Constitution for the Federal Republic of Nigeria through a sovereign national conference, immediately followed by a national referendum. Toss the Senate arm of the Nigerian legislative system, keep the House of Representatives, and make law making it a part-time endeavour. Oil refineries’ rehabilitation, to produce our own petroleum products. Pay Nigerian workers a minimum wage of nothing less than N250, 000 monthly. Invest heavily in education and give Nigerian students grants, not loans. Aggressively pursue free and compulsory education for children across Nigeria. Release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally and demilitarise the Southeast. All #EndSARS and political detainees must also be released and compensated. Renationalise publicly owned enterprises sold to government officials and cronies. Reinstate a corruption-free subsidy regime to reduce hunger, starvation and multi-dimensional poverty. Probe past and present Nigerian leaders, who had looted the treasury, recover their loots and deposit such in a special account to fund education, healthcare and infrastructure. Restructuring Nigeria to accommodate Nigeria’s diversity, resource control, decentralisation and regional development. End banditry, terrorism and violent crimes – reforms of security agencies to stop continuous human rights violations and duplication of security agencies and enhance the physical security of Nigerian citizens. Establish special energy funds immediately to drive massive corruption-free power sector development. Immediate reconstitution of the Nigerian electoral body @inecnigeria to remove corrupt individuals and partisan hacks appointed to manipulate elections. Massive investment in public works and industrialisation will help employ Nigeria’s teeming youths. Massive shake-up of the Nigerian judiciary to remove cabals of corrupt generations of judges and judicial officers that continue denying citizens’ access to real justice every day. Diaspora voting. None of the demands listed by the protesters as seen above is worthy of trivialisation and I personally implore the government to urgently address the conveyed demands. Although, one of our eminent Nigerians, His Excellency Emeka Anyaoku, and his team were in a meeting at the Presidential Villa with the President last week to present their written request for the review of the constitution and other demands, this development tilts towards one of the protesters demands. A quick review of the demands will first convey to you a simple revelation of the solutions. This government should seek to address the anomalies in our governmental system and in the same vein, the panacea to the lingering challenges brought about by overlooking them. Let us take, for instance, if we are talking about Diaspora voting among other authentic demands above, definitely, an electronic or online channel will be created by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), where Nigerians, irrespective of where they reside overseas, will be encouraged through voting, to participate in determining who should lead Nigeria, and ultimately help to protect their huge Diaspora funds/investments coming into our country. So, in response to the resolution you seek from the protesters’ demands, I will expect Mr. President to set up a panel or committee of professionals drawn from different fields, including Nigeria’s in the Diaspora, to review all the protesters’ demands and submit to him a white paper on how to implement their recommendations. Although, some of the points can be addressed through his executive fiat or judicial pronouncement, like the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the petroleum products subsidy reinstatement. It will be in the best interest of the government to properly address all issues raised by the protesters, ignoring them amounts to postponing the dooms day. If the government is sincere, they will give priority attention to the issues raised.