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By Dickson Okafor
The National President, Global Freight Forwarders and Maritime Association (GFFMA), Mr Basil Akukwe, has reassured Nigerians that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration is on course with the backing of the Council of State after the recent inaugural meeting headed by the president.
He called on Nigerians to be patient with Tinubu as the Federal Government begins duty-free import of food items.
Akukwe praised the president for establishing the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) and called on the governors of the region to take advantage of the commission to develop the area.
He backed the call for a new constitution for Nigeria as suggested by The Patriots led by the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku after their recent meeting with President Tinubu in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He faulted the spending of N27.47 billion on Senators monthly earnings especially now that there is acute hunger and hardship in the country.
He speaks about other issues and why the Igbo did not join the nationwide protest. Excerpts:
Senator Abdurrahman Sumaila said his monthly earning is N21million against the N1millon Senate said is the monthly earning of each Senator, isn’t this deception by the FG for spending N27.47billion on Senators monthly earnings especially now that there is acute hunger and hardship in the country?
The 10th Senate has refuted the claim by Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, representing Kano South Senatorial district. To me, N1million monthly salary of a Senator is too small to maintain even his political structure. This argument over the actual amount earned by federal lawmakers has been on since the inception of the present political dispensation. So, in spite of this argument, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has performed very well in his one year in office. The reason the actual figure is hidden from the public is because globally not every issue in governance is made public. In Nigeria you and I know the humongous staff and aids these lawmakers have and we know the huge amount they spend to take care of their staff and political allies. That is why they cannot say how much they earn openly because the people will be mad at them. Like I said, this argument has been on before Tinubu came on board as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The nationwide protest was characterized by looting, destruction and waving of foreign flags in Kano and some states in the North thereby shifting the demonstration from protest against hunger and end of bad governance, leading to the arrest of some of the protesters, do you think the sponsors of the protests intended to destabilize the country as was alleged by the government?
Protest is the fundamental right of every Nigerian as backed by the constitution. It is globally accepted as a means to express your dissatisfaction of any policy or programme of any government. So, waving of foreign flags especially Russian flags during the protest is very unfortunate even though it took place only in the Northern zone. Protesters in the Southern part of the country did not wave any foreign flags and they did not loot or destroy public property. Again, looting and destruction of government property took place only in the North. However, if the protests were political motivated by some politicians from certain zones in order to destabilize the country, that I don’t know. The reason the organisers of the protests gave was a peaceful protest against hunger and end of bad governance, but suddenly it turned to violence in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Borno and Katsina states. So, whatever intension anybody or any group had in mind either to destabilize the country, it did not happen because Nigerians are one.
What would you say was the reason Igbo did not join the protest which instigated some Yoruba youths to say “Igbo must leave Lagos”?
The Igbo did not join the protest because they are daily income earners. Any day they did not open their shops, they won’t be able to feed themselves and their families. So, that does not mean that people from the other parts of the country are not doing anything to earn a living. The Igbo are into commerce to earn a living and that is the major reason they did not join the protest. We are hardworking people and you won’t expect them not to open their shops and join in the protest. Similar thing happened to the Igbo during the civil war when the entire country turned against us because we agitated against marginalization. From experience, whenever there is nationwide agitation or protest, the Igbo are always the target. During the civil war all borders in South-East from where we were getting relief through foreign aids were closed and we suffered acute hunger which led to kwashiorkor and many of our people died. Meanwhile, there is a protest going on in the Southeast every Monday, which is sit-at-home. Tell me, which protest is more than that? When the people in the Southeast are asked to sit-at-home every Monday did the people in the other five geopolitical zones join us? So, the Igbo did not join the protest because if they had joined, we would have been the target. The protesters would have broken into our shops and loot our goods and at the end we will be the main loser. And we don’t want to be the victim at this period of hunger and hardship in the country.
At the Council of State meeting hosted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this advisory body discussed policy-making issues and passed a vote of confidence in President Tinubu. With the state of the state of nation, do you think Tinubu deserves commendation from these former leaders?
Yes, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deserves commendation not only from the former Heads of State and Presidents who were at the inaugural meeting convened at the House Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja with President Tinubu. Other well-meaning Nigerians have given kudos to the Tinubu-led administration for what he has achieved within one year in office. All the past leaders except former President Olusegun Obasanjo attended the meeting or through virtual, alongside some governors. Like you rightly observed, this advisory body discussed policy-making issues and passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu backing him which shows his administration is on course. Of course, Tinubu is a politician to the core and he was financially strong to contest the 2023 Presidential election and won. Unlike the usual trend, Tinubu was not brought or sponsored by godfathers or cabal, but because he started early since 1999 to work towards becoming the president. And that was what earned him the respect and support of Nigerians to lead them. So, I join our former leaders and other well-meaning Nigerians to commend President Tinubu for his milestone achievement in office. However, Tinubu is committed to alleviating Nigerian’s sufferings through policies and economic plans whose effects will soon manifest. Nigeria’s inflation rate has dropped to 33.40 per cent in July 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Before now there was a complete disconnect between the government with the people, but now there is complete connection between the government with Nigerians. That is why the people are asking questions and the Tinubu-led administration is responsive to the plight of Nigerians.
The president called on Nigerians to be patient with his government as the Federal Government begins Duty-Free import for food items and prices of food stuff are coming down. But many Nigerians were disappointed with the national broadcast by President Tinubu. In his speech, the President did not address the problem of hunger and hardship Nigerians are facing, do you see this government being able to ameliorate the sufferings the people are facing in few months?
President Tinubu highlighted some of his administration economic programmes and initiatives that are in place to tackle hunger and economic hardship in the country. Like I said in my last interview, President Tinubu is not a magician, but an administrator. The president in his national broadcast explained the reason for food scarcity and what his government is doing to tame hunger and hardship in Nigeria which include removal of duties from importation of essential commodities which has already taken effect. To me, the solution to food shortage, is for us to go back to farm. This will be possible if our security agencies can put an end to insecurity. For over nine years our farmers were chased away from their farms or killed by Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram hence they could no longer go to their farms. How can you harvest if you did not plant or sow? So, President Tinubu in his speech, addressed the causes of hunger and economic hardship which he inherited.
He made mention of measures the government has put in place to overcome hunger and hardship. But it is important we complement government efforts by engaging in farming no matter how small. If you look around my office even in my house, I farm in order to harvest at the end of the season. Unfortunately, we don’t grow what we eat. We have fertile land across the country, but for sometimes now even Benue State which is the food basket of Nigeria, people can no longer go to farm or meet our consumption rate because farmers are chased out of their farms or killed. This is one of the major causes of food scarcity in the country.
FG has alleged that the protests were sponsored for change of government as bank accounts of the perceived sponsors have been blocked, what is your advice to President Tinubu on how he can stabilize the polity?
Any attempt to truncate democracy is an evil plot against democracy if truly some people sponsored the nationwide protest to effect a change of government undemocratically. My advice to President Tinubu is to continue the good work he is doing. His appointments should be equally spread as some of his appointees are not living up to expectations in their various ministries, departments and agencies. He should give appointments to those who are fit into their area of discipline especially experts. Mr. President should not be afraid to step on toes of those who don’t want Nigeria to move forward. If these are done, President Tinubu’s second term in office is certain.
The Patriots led by the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku has renewed call for a revisit of the present constitution to avoid glaring imminent danger after the group met with President Bola Tinubu, but the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) opposed the call, saying it was an indirect way by Igbo to actualize Biafra, what is your take?
It is unfortunate that Northern leaders see whatever noble ideas and suggestions Igbo leaders come up with to strengthen our democracy as a ploy towards actualization of Biafra or what will favour Ndigbo. But they forget that Nigeria is constituted by three major tribes and so many ethnic groups. That is why The Patriots led by Chief Emeka Anyaoku after meeting with President Tinubu maintained that Nigeria needed a people’s democratically evolved constitution to manage it diversity to avoid glaring imminent danger. And some Northern leaders and groups are kicking against such laudable idea. The earlier we say the truth and do the right thing the better for us. This can be achieved through constituting a constituents constitutional conference to rejig our constitution because Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gunpowder. which will explode anytime if nothing is done about it and this is what Chief Anyaoku is pointing at. The constitution must be amended or re-draft to put an end to marginalization, kidnapping, banditry and insurgency. To unite the people in order for us to live together happily, but if we cannot, let us go our separate ways. The present constitution handed over to us by the military without the input of Nigerians is not working hence it favoured only the North. And that is why they don’t support redrafting of the constitution or its amendment. So, I backed the call for a new constitution for Nigeria as suggested by the Patriots.
You talked of marginalization as one of the reasons Nigeria’s constitution needs to be either redrafted or amended, but recently President Tinubu established the South- East Development Commission (SEDC) after 54 years of the demand, but some Northerners have warned the President to choose carefully who to head (SEDC) because APC has not gained root in the Southeast, isn’t this an opportunity to develop the region?
Once again, I commend President Tinubu for his kind gesture to Igbo for establishing the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) which previous administrations could not do. My advice to Southeast governors is to see this as a welcome development for us having demanded the commission from past administrations for 54 years. They should come together irrespective of political affiliation so that they will use the opportunity to develop the region.
What is your expectation in next year’s governorship election in Anambra State?
One thing about governance is that you can’t satisfy everybody. However, to me, I will urge my people to give Governor Charles Soludo another chance in 2025 to further develop Anambra State as he is doing. And if he fails to continue the good job he is doing, if we elect him for second term in office, we should impeach him.
