| Values of Zik, Awo, Balewa died
with them, says Bolarinwa, Rep
By CHINELO
AGINA
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
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•Awo
Photo: Sun News Publishing
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Corruption has been described as the undoing of many public
office holders in the country and as such, has plunged the
country into the quagmire of incessant economic crisis. Hon
Bashir Bolarinwa of the House of Representatives gave this
verdict in this interview.
Excerpts:
The gradual spread of Action Congress
What is happening now is a pointer to the fact that the PDP
never won elections in Ekiti State. So, what we are waiting
to see is whether the PDP will come up with another abracadabra
after the shameful governorship re-run. Similar to the fight
the AC put up during the gubernatorial rerun. We are going
to do just that to ensure that we claim what was wrongly given
to the PDP. I have no doubt in my mind that the AC is going
to clinch the seat in the re-run.
Obama’s snobbery of Nigeria
President Obama’s decision to snub Nigeria is not far-fetched.
Any sincere Nigerian familiar with our democratic practice
will definitely not complain about his refusal to visit us.
The simple and clear statement contained in Obama’s
boycott of Nigeria is that we should do it right. We must
do it right with our democracy, do it right in the conduct
of our elections, do it right with having a corruption-free
country and what have you. President Obama sure knew what
he meant by not visiting Nigeria. And Nigerians knew it as
well.
Those in government are equally aware of reasons Obama would
not visit Nigeria. We should not dissipate energy and resources
trying to set up panels to investigate why he came to Ghana
and not Nigeria.
Remember how stridently he harped on corruption in his statement
in Ghana. The focus of his statement on corruption was Nigeria.
We know how endemic corruption has become in this country.
Until we critically tackle this, no country will take us seriously.
Corruption has made us a butt of laughter before the comity
of transparent nations.
It is the desire of President Obama to see Africa rise above
the debilitating effect of corruption. As an African, he is
very much worried. Obama is as concerned as the rest of the
world to see Africa grow. And he underscored that with his
early visit to the continent. No American president has ever
visited Africa in less than one year in office. So his visit,
despite that he did not come to Nigeria, demonstrated the
place of Africa in his foreign policy agenda.
Our founding fathers vs the present crop of politicians
Well, the reason is that the likes of late Chief Awolowo went
into office purely for service. But this time around, many
of us have different agenda for seeking public office. And
it is purely for selfish reasons. It is that difference between
Awolowo, Zik and Tafawa Balewa and the modern-day politician
that has made progress to elude us. Many of the politicians
mouthing Awolowo, Zik and Balewa today, do so for oratorical
sake and for purpose of winning elections. It is not because
we have imbibed the values of these late sages. It is just
a few that still live by the standard and values of Awolowo
or Zik.
I doubt strongly if the mention of their names can guarantee
one’s victory at the polls. It still does for a few,
but winning elections these days, from what we have witnessed
in the recent past, depends on other factors other than just
shouting Zik, Awo, or Tafawa Balewa. The electorate have come
to discover that the values which these men espoused have
long died with them. Not until we go back to where the likes
of Awolowo, Zik and Balewa actually stopped, things will not
augur well for Nigeria.
On the incessant strikes across the country
We are worried and everybody is worried. There is no sane
Nigerian that is not bothered. After ASUU, the medical workers
and RATTAWU are also threatening to go on strike. This is
enough to disturb anybody. Before becoming a lawmaker, I was
also a university student. The effect of the strike is already
telling. Some recently reported armed robbery cases have been
liked to students. So you can appreciate the consequences
of the strike already.
We cannot go on pretending that all is well with our universities.
A lot of things still need to be put in place to restore quality
in our education.
Pay cut of public office holders
Well, if you call it a stimulus package, then that would be
a negative stimulus package. I think the President did that
because of the global financial crisis which has spared no
country, including Nigeria.
The effect of the fall in crude oil prices has its own negative
impact on the economy, especially in terms of budgetary allocations.
So what the president has done is to intervene by way of trimming
the wages of public office holders. It is the concern of every
one of us. And as such, nobody is really complaining.
Well, I do not know what you mean by many sources through
which we earn money. I truly beg to disagree with you on your
assertion. The public believe that lawmakers make money through
committees’ assignments. But don’t forget that
some of these committees have not less than 20 members. So
how much can a parastatal give to go round the members? The
fact we are not raising any eyebrows over the cut is that
the measure is for the benefit of all Nigerians. In truth,
there is no rich man, no matter how wealthy, that would want
his income to be reduced in any way. So it is wrong for anybody
to assume that because there are other alternatives for lawmakers
to make money, that is why they cannot complain.
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