Chief Olorunfunmi Bashorun, former Secretary to the Lagos State Government in the Second Republic, a member of the 2005 Constituent Assembly and currently chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), told SEYE OLUMIDE recent developments in the polity Nigeria show that Nigeria is witnessing a political change.
THE people of the South are concerned about the ongoing fraternity between the APC and the New-PDP; aren’t you concerned, too?
It is a new development in the country and I believe Nigeria is in transition politically. Our democracy is in transition and this is part of the transition and through this, Nigeria would arrive at its destination.
We cannot be talking of progressives and conservatives now because when you look at the political parties, I think they were compelled to align for the sake of Nigeria and to save Nigeria. I am very sure with the changes taking place, we will soon get there.
Is there any sincerity of purpose behind the merger of so-called ‘incompatibles’?
Both sides must have considered their position and the position of those they are joining forces with, before the merger. If we are talking of change, we have to change. If they are conservatives — we have succeeded in changing Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and there is the need to change others — they would change because Nigeria desires a change and that change can only come if steps are taking to stop those who are swollen-headed; who think the country belongs only to them.
We have to stop people who are in government; who have no programme. The so-called transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan does not have any face value.
For instance, how would you place a situation where a former Head of State in this country and about four or five former governors had wanted to see the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega and they were stopped by security personnel?
I was disappointed; the president (Jonathan) sent the soldiers to stop them. To me, if Jega were wise, he would have granted those people audience, as himself was an activist. What would they do; what would Buhari do? Would Buhari throw stones? Would Bola Ahmed Tinubu throw stones? Would an old man, Bisi Akande, also throw stones?
Former governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, was there. They wanted to register their protest and that should have been taken in good faith to change this impunity. The change we are talking about is imperative.
What will the G-5 Governors, the PDP described as bad rubbish, bring to the APC table?
What will PDP say? It is saying Murtala Nyako is bad; Nyako who has a track record in the Navy. I want to start with Nyako, who was a member of Constituent Assembly in 2005.
Then to say that Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former governor, who came back and the people of Kano State re-elected him, is bad rubbish; that is their problem.
Perhaps, they were the ones causing problems in the PDP…
Because they now disagreed, they (PDP) look for a word to derogate them; they are now bad rubbish. And if they were, we would change them to good.
Will the likes of Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Bukola Saraki in Kwara State; Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Governor Rauf Aregbesola Osun) and former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Tinubu and Buhari work together in the APC?
Why not? I was in PDP. We formed PDP together and the objective of the group that they belonged to then was to install a Yoruba president.
I didn’t belong to that class, but we worked and got Obasanjo there for eight years after which I found out that I had no other mission in the party.
I came back to my old friends and we are together now. That shows we can always move and spread out. So, with my own experience, I can say that the society is developing; things are changing fast and we have to move and forget about old prejudices.
You noted Lai Mohammed and Saraki, but Saraki is now in charge. Those are changes that would necessarily take place if the tomorrow of this country were to be enjoyed.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) just called off a five-month-old strike; what comments have you on this?
Unfortunately, the ASUU crisis is a recurrent one in this country. The government and the leadership of ASSU are at fault, but the President is more at fault.
It is part of the incompetence of the present rulers; it is part of the incompetence of transformation agenda; otherwise, the crisis ought not to have dragged for so long before it was resolved.
If you want to govern, you must be a psychologist, you must be a sociologist, you must be an economist; you must have many things in your head, not just about I having dollars, or I have this and that.
The ASUU themselves — I would not know those who are there — but they should find a way of getting the government to go their way rather than what we are going to face with continued closure of universities. That is not desirable for the country.
So, both of them are wrong but the President is more wrong because he’s the one that allowed this matter to drag for long.
Is the presidential system too expensive for Nigeria?
It depends. Are we practicing democracy at all? Our model of democracy is government by the rich, for the rich. So, it is obvious that it is going to be expensive here because that is our model.
Whether democracy is expensive or not is relative. From what is happening in Abuja, people are saying that the answer should be the Parliamentary System. That wouldn’t answer the question. We have been in this since 1979, which is 34 years. Now, to reverse it amounts to passing a vote of no confidence against ourselves.
It is expensive and the way to reduce it is to let Mr. President be the right person; let him be the right leader. He will give instructions, starting with himself.
You would recall that during (former President Umaru Musa) Yar’Adua’s reign, he declared his assets publicly and for the short period he reigned, he was gradually reducing all this madness.
The present state of our economy is a function of that blackout in government when Alhaji Yar’Adua was sick. There was no order; everybody was doing whatever he liked.
Abnormality developed when the man was sick and nobody was in charge; all the ministers were in charge and up till date, the position has not changed.
If the position has changed, how would the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, buy two vehicles worth N255 million? It is because they have been in charge. The extant government circular is not even there. Until we are able to install the right person as Number One Citizen of Nigeria, nothing will improve.
I would say (Governor) Babatunde Fashola is trying; he is doing his best. There are certain things he will not be able to do even if he wants to do them because there would be disturbances from somewhere.
Government is not in isolation; you have the federal government and the state governments. The local government is not a tier and that is what they have not recognised.
If they had given local governments to states, we would have a better situation. But they (National Assembly) cling on and they are planning to give the local governments autonomy so that someone from Abuja will be giving instructions to local governments. That will be a sad day; we will all weep.
The problem on ground is bad, but it is still manageable. We pray that the Ike Ekweremadu Committee on Constitution Review will return the local governments to the states and then put checks and balances where governors would not be able to engage in any abuses.
What is your view on the planned national dialogue? Can it bring solutions to Nigeria’s challenges?
We have had national dialogues; I was part of the one convoked in 2005. Nigeria can never assemble the type of people that we assembled in 2005.
But you were handpicked then…
Put the word, handpicked, in inverted coma: rightly handpicked. We were rightly handpicked. If I begin to mention the names of those that were there and their contributions, it will surprise you.
Justice Chukwudifu Oputa was handpicked; he was there. Prof. Adedeji of repute was handpicked; he was there. Justice Babalakin, a Supreme Court Justice (Rtd) was there. Bola Ajibola of the World Court was there.
Then go to the North; you have the likes of Prof. Ango Abdullahi, who was there. Go to the East and all around like that. And I was there from the West. They were very, very objective. I have the report.
For this current exercise, we have the National Assembly in place; they (members) are jealous that any change in the Constitution may affect their position.
To me, let them remain there, 109 (Senators) and 360 (House of Representatives members), that is 469. Let us go to their constituencies and elect one person each using a law to be made by the National Assembly on how we will elect them.
Very simple; let them go and dialogue. When people are talking of ethnic nationalities, it is rubbish. How many ethnic nationalities are between Ikorodu and Sagamu? We are three- Igbogbo, Ikorodu and Remo. When you leave Remo, you go to Ijebu-Ode and Ijebu-Igbo; there is no difference.
Go to the East, go to Benue, you can talk of many ethnic nationalities. Go to Warri, the representative there will be representing Urhobo, Ijaw and the rest.
Therefore, people who are talking of ethnic nationalities just picked those two words to confuse Nigerians; it is not necessary at all.
All this talk about ethnic nationalities is not necessary. You either choose the present constituencies, and use them and create a law.
There must be a law to do election. I want to leave that to the National Assembly. The National Assembly was elected; the other people (delegates to the confab) can also be elected to join them, and they will work together. They (critics) say the National Assembly should not participate; so, who will participate if they should not?
No comments:
Post a Comment