Chukwudi Nweje
Chukwuemeka Eze, National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) is a chieftain of Rivers State chapter of All Progressives Congress. He spoke on sundry national and state issues.
What is your impression of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter on state of the nation and President Buhari?
Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo as an elder statesman and a patriotic Nigerian, did what he feels was needful for the nation at this period. But, let me ask, who is Obasanjo? Yes, he was the only Nigerian who at this time was a Military Head of State of our country and two- time democratically elected President of Nigeria. Let me state that if I still know Obasanjo very well, he will never want anybody to equal his feats as far as governance is concerned in Nigeria and to him if Buhari is not stopped he may equal his record of been a Military Head of State and two time elected President of Nigeria.
Not minding the crucial issues he raised in his letter which President Buhari must study critically and act accordingly, I want to reiterate that this fear of President Buhari equalling his record as a former Head of State and to be two- time elected President of Nigeria is actually the force and reason that informed Obasanjo’s action.
Again, it is a fact that Obasanjo has the singular honour of influencing the nomination and election of former three Presidents of Nigeria – Yar’Adua and Jonathan including the incumbent President, Buhari. Now he is in the process according to him through formation of Coalition Movement to select or influence the election of the fourth President of Nigeria. Funny enough, Obasanjo has at one time or the other came down on these Presidents he assisted to assume office -Yar’Adua, Jonathan) and now President Buhari. The question I have for Nigerians is, if Obasanjo influenced the election of these three assumedly failed Presidents of Nigeria what makes us think that his fourth nominee will be a success? With all due respect to Obasanjo, I think he should stop playing god to Nigerians at this period as some of us are not ready for his pranks any more. All that he is doing is to prove or make Nigerians think that he is the greatest thing that happened to Nigeria and that his administration stands out while others have failed.
But Obasanjo pointedly mentioned the economy, security and anti –corruption as areas of failure. What do you say to that?
I do agree that President Buhari as a human being may have made some avoidable mistakes in his poor handling of the appointment of his security chiefs from one section of the country and the menace of the Herdsmen but I don’t think it is a good reason to canvas for his removal or deny him the right to contest in 2019. This administration has done her best to deliver on most of her campaign promises. Nigerians are gradually toeing the principles of anti- corruption policies of the administration. The implementation of Treasury Single Account (TSA) has stopped most of the corrupt tendencies in most government agencies. This scheme has helped the government to monitor all revenues accruing to government and ensure its proper disbursements.
In the area of security, this government met a situation where over seven local government areas of Borno State was firmly in the hands of the Boko Haram but today no local government area in Nigeria is in the hands of this deadly group. It is a fact also that we can’t claim to have annihilated entirely the operations of this group as they now adopt suicide bombing strategy in killing and instilling fear in the minds of Nigerians but this administration is not relenting until this evil group is totally routed out from our system. This administration also met a restive Niger Delta region where the Avengers were blowing up our oil pipes but with diplomacy and God’s wisdom we succeeded in bringing peace and stopped to a great extent the damages to oil installations and pipes that was a threat to the nation’s economy.
On the threat of the Herdsmen, the president has vowed to put an end to the menace. The government has also set up a committee of seven governors with the Vice President as Chairman to study and proffer solutions to the acts of this group in its wanton destruction of human lives and property. I am convinced that in the next few months this menace will become history.
Diversifying the economy was one of the areas our campaign for the votes of Nigerians in 2015 was centred. With what we have done so far in agriculture, Nigeria will soon be world supplier of most agricultural products.
So you think President Buhari should contest for a second term?
Nigerians are not fair to President Buhari as he is harshly judged. It is not possible to put right 16 years of rot of the PDP administration. The thinking of most PDP propagandists who are doing everything humanly possible to ridicule this administration notwithstanding the fact that no candidate have surfaced that is capable of unseating President Buhari as the President of Nigeria come 2019, is stop him from running.
In answer to your question, President Buhari has done much to warrant his re-election come 2019. Most of the federal roads abandoned by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan are being fixed. Today, railway revolution has being ignited in Nigeria where rail-line to link all the state capitals are being worked upon. Agriculture has never been as great as it is in this administration. It is better for this country for us to collectively ensure the re-election of President Buhari come 2019.