Basil Akukwe, National President, Global Freight Forwarders and Maritime Association (GFFMA), among other issues, has said Nigeria does not deserve debt forgiveness.
At the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), President Bola Tinubu called on super powers to stop spending huge amount of money to purchase arms use for war, but should be given to nations that are facing hunger and economic hardship, don’t you think that hunger and hardship are not peculiar to Nigeria, but a global menace?
Whether in Nigeria or African context, hunger and hardship are a global challenge which is not peculiar to Nigeria. Meanwhile, things have never been so bad in Nigeria like this time, hence government must put an end to corruption which our leaders are into and bring down the level of insecurity so that farmers can go back to their farms and there will be enough food and the prices will come down. In Nigeria, a lot of money is spent on white elephant projects when such amount could be used to feed Nigerians. In a situation the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello is accused of embezzling N80 billion and it is not only him, tell me why the economy won’t be bad. The Federal Government has filed fresh charges against Yahaya Bello over alleged N110.4 billion fraud. These are a lot of money being siphoned by our leaders and it goes a long way. Leadership is our problem in Nigeria and in African sub region and the moment we solve leadership problem, every other thing will be a walk over. On the Africa context, from last year’s summit and indeed previous years, we have cried and carried over the numerous challenges of terrorism, armed conflict, inequality, poverty, racial discrimination, human rights abuse, food crises, hunger, irregular migration, piracy, global pandemics, hyper-inflation, nuclear proliferation, grinding debt burden, climate change and a host of other vexations, yet, we have not received foreign assistance to end these menace.
The President represented by his Vice, Kashim Shettima at UNGA 79th session also sought debt forgiveness and insisted on permanent security council seat, does Nigeria deserve debt forgiveness again after former President Olusegun Obasanjo secured it for during his reign?
To be frank with you, Nigeria is not worthy for debt forgiveness. But if we are given such facility, no problem. If properly managed, it will enhance the nation’s image globally. Nigeria is blessed with numerous mineral and human resources even as she is the 6th oil producing nation in the world. But with all these resources, we don’t deserve debt forgiveness. Because the administration of former President Obasanjo with the then Coordinating Minister of Finance Dr. Okonjo Iweala, made similar pleas for debt forgiveness and they got it. Now, the question you ask yourself is, after the debt forgiveness, what have we achieved as a nation? We are back to square one. What it means is that the Western world are now our ‘Mugus’, let me use our local parlance. We use them to get foreign aids and they still give us loan and now we are once again seeking debt forgiveness. It doesn’t make sense to me. Like I said earlier, unless we have good leadership that will make judicious use of such facilities when given to us by the Western nations and financial organisations, we will continue to ask for more. But for now as it is, I don’t think we deserve debt forgiveness because we don’t merit it.
President Tinubu is set to reshuffle cabinet, do you see the cabinet shake-up as solution to the nation’s economic problem?
To me, it is not the solution to hunger and hardship being faced by Nigerians caused by economic problem, rather it is a move by the President to favour some of his political associates who worked hard for him to emerge President in May 29, 2023. It is a political reward and there is nothing wrong in doing that. But it won’t solve the problem of hunger and economic hardship, hence the ministerial shake-up will only enhance President Tinubu’s political relationship with the other geo political zones. The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has hinted that President Tinubu will reshuffle his cabinet. Also, President Tinubu has directed the ministers to prepare to make presentation of their performance as part of events at Nigeria’s 64th Independence celebration.
The Presidency has announced that President Tinubu will not intervene in the petrol price dispute between Dangote and NNPC and this is the reason why there are queues at the filling stations across the country because of price difference, is that a fair decision by the President?
President Tinubu should intervene in petrol price disagreement between Dangote refinery and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), if not, the private enterprises will monopolize it and fix the price that pleases. So, government intervention is very important to cushion the effect of fuel scarcity and reduce queue at the filling station across the country.
The new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun during her confirmation by the Senate promised to tackle corruption in the judiciary and deal with indiscipline among judges, do you see the CJN match his words with action?
I don’t see her match her words with action because previous Chief Justice of Nigeria have made those kind of promises and even threatened to deal with corrupt judges, but they couldn’t do it. I think she can end corruption in the judiciary because corruption has eaten deep in the judiciary and it is not something she will fight and defeat within her tenure as the CJN.
Fresh crisis looms in the universities as Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) gives FG 14-day ultimatum to implement demands or they will embark on their nationwide strike, what is your take?
That is what I’m telling you that our major problem in this country is bad leadership. Government prioritises education and this constant strike by ASUU will be a thing of the past. Over the years, you and I know that ASUU has been going on strike. The bottom line is good leadership. If education is not prioritised like other foreign institutions, ASUU will continue to go on strike. And it is not good for us, to our children and the nation.
APGA plans to suspend Governor Charles Soludo, others over anti-party activities, wouldn’t that affect the chances of the ruling APGA in next year’s governorship election in Anambra State?
I don’t think that will affect Governor Charles Soludo chances of retaining power in 2025. Take the case of the just concluded Edo State governorship election for example, because Governor Godwin Obaseki did not perform, neither did he develop Edo State within 8 years of his tenure, that was why the people rejected the man he brought to succeed him. Remember, Obaseki became governor under the All Progressives Congress (APC) and later quarreled with his godfather, Senator Adams Oshiomhole; he defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and despite the crisis both parties had then with the support of the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike and former governor of Rivers State and other PDP governors support, he got reelected in 2020. So, if Governor Soludo has done well in his first term, nothing will stop him from clinching the ticket of APGA and also win the governorship election next year.
Do you see the just concluded Edo State governorship as free and fair?
I was not in Edo, but from what I read in the frontline newspapers and what I saw and heard in the television and radio stations and if it is true, I don’t think it is good for our democracy.