By Daniel Kanu
General Obi Umahi (rtd) is former chairman, Southeast Security Committee. He is equally a former General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division Nigerian Army, Commanding Officer 72 Airborne Battalion, Commander Army Task Group (Operation Restore Hope), with two tours of active service in ECOMOG Operations, among other high military positions.
General Obi Umahi leads Ndigbo-Lagos in Lagos State.
In this encounter with Sunday Sun, he speaks on the 2023 general elections and its capacity to make or mar Nigeria, the naira redesign and its fallout, the integrity of INEC, insecurity in the Southeast, and the challenge before the Southeast governors, among other critical issues. Excerpts:
What is your take on naira redesign and the latest politics Nigerians are witnessing on it?
Well, I am not an economist, but I think the intention is good if it has to do with, one: mopping up the excess naira that is expected to be in circulation, but is hiding in people’s homes. If the essence is to go with cashless policy, but cashless policy does not mean that cash cannot be used, but that it is minimized. If the essence of it is to help Nigerians to enjoy a democratic election that is not hijacked by moneybags. If the intention is to address some economic imbalances, then I think, I am 100 per cent in support of the policy. But the implementation is where there is, perhaps, a problem because of all sorts of things people now go through, so that brings the implementation with a lot of challenges and even suspicion.
But the issue has become so complex and with blame games. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is blaming the commercial banks for not distributing the new notes while the banks are refuting the claim that they are not given enough. Who do we hold responsible for this confusion?
I think that it is the CBN that should take all the blames. They are the lender of last resort and should be able to monitor what is distributed to the commercial banks. If they have given money to banks, of course, there is a way to monitor banks to know whether they are distributing the money or not. The bank’s books are there, you can follow it, you can monitor them, you can scrutinize it, so it is not difficult to trace the money given to the banks. For me, we should put the blame squarely on the feet of the CBN. The commercial banks may be into funny practices, but you can’t put the blame on the banks rather the blame should be on the CBN. If they have given out money, they should follow the money, they should monitor it. It is easy to follow the money. There are procedures in place to trace and track money movement. CBN cannot say they have given money and go and relax without monitoring the movement and flow of such cash. They are not telling Nigerians the whole truth about what is happening.
The political campaigns are already winding down, what is your evaluation so far on the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, who you have commented on a few occasions?
You know, how you know someone who is doing well or not doing well is the level of attack that is on the person. In football, it is the person that is holding the ball that receives attacks and tackles, so the level of attacks on him shows that he is doing well. If he can organise a rally in Lagos and thugs will attack supporters, people going to the rally at various entry points, it means that someone is afraid of someone. Yes, someone is afraid of him. If he is not a strong candidate, nobody will be afraid of him, nobody will attack people going to his rally. That his supporters are being attacked shows that he is a big threat, one they cannot ignore. So, his campaigns are great, you can see the crowd, you can see huge followership.
Are you really confident that the electoral umpire, INEC, will deliver on its promise of conducting free, fair and credible election?
You know that there is this electronic dimension that has just been introduced in our elections, the BVAS, and all that. Nobody has actually tested this aspect of Nigerian democratic practice…
(Cut’s in) But they tested it in the Osun election; they used it in the Edo elections also…
(Cut’s in) Yes, they tested it in the Osun election, but you can see it’s subject to litigation. Nobody has actually come to tell us that this BVAS is foolproof. So, there is no formal education with BVAS and I think they should tell us what is possible and what is not possible, so that those things that are possible, the agents, even the people, should be made to properly understand it. They want you to use a device, but you don’t understand everything about the device, so when someone is manipulating the device you will not know. They should educate the public on the device, tell us all that is involved, that this one is completely ruled out, this other one is also completely ruled out…when they know everything about the BVAS, how to know when you are being cheated, how you can know when it’s being manipulated, then it will inspire confidence in the people.
Are you really worried when you hear some snippets coming out from the Southeast, where a faction of IPOB is saying and insisting that there will be no elections in Igbo land?
Yes, obviously, I am very worried. I repeat, I am very, very, worried and I think we should not just fold our hands rather we must begin to work very seriously in order to address that issue and then give the people the confidence that, that was just an empty threat. Something must be done speedily and practically. Number one, for instance, is that the Southeast governors must start psychological operations, propaganda, telling the people, assuring them that everything is being done to keep them safe and that they should come out en masse to vote during the election without fear of any attack, bearing in mind that adequate security measures are in place for their safety. They (Southeast governors) should be blasting it in all radio stations, television stations, make press releases in the newspapers, push it in the social media, using everything opportunity to assure the people that they are on top of the security, and that there is nothing to be afraid off. Number two: Southeast governors in liaison with the security agencies should start a show of force in all the areas. This is to tell the people that we are here, we are on the ground, we will protect you, no shaking, and we are on top of the challenge. That is very important, and it should not just be a show, but something that they are determined to do in the actual. It will not just be mere propaganda that is not backed by serious action that will not guarantee safety for the people. It is something, an action that must be realistic, actual, detailed preparation of action not mere talk. This is because to cause confusion does not take more than firing some gun shots in few places and you create panic, confusion and fear. So, they must be on top of the challenge and be seen by the people that there is something on ground to guarantee their safety. Their preparation should even send signal to anybody or individuals planning anything funny to have a re-think that they cannot cope with or contain the fire power that will visit them if they dare. If there are preliminary operations that must be done before the time (election) it should be done. In fact, operations should be conducted, comb the entire bush, get all information needed, get your intelligence right and all other things needed. Those who will want to foment trouble are not spirits, they live among the people and they can be tracked. When they realise that you are fully prepared for them and that you have superior power force and network to face them, they won’t show up. So I use this opportunity to tell Ndigbo and, in fact, the entire Nigerians that this election is very critical for Nigeria as a whole because our future depends on it. The future of our children depends on it; the future of our children’s children depends on it. Nigeria needs this election in order to survive and continue to answer Nigeria. Nigeria needs this election for a turn-around, for a new Nigeria, for a new way of doing business in this country. So, I will tell Nigerians to take this election very seriously, it will be a watershed, a defining moment. It is an election that will affect Nigeria like no other, it is an election that will affect our lives like no other and it is our opportunity to choose and we have the opportunity to choose rightly.