Judex Okoro, Calabar
Mr Venatius Ikem, has been one of the most active politicians in the last 30 years in Cross River State. The Obudu-born politician has held various political offices including former chairman of Council in 1991, Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo, a two time commissioner under former Governor Donald Duke and Senator Liyel Imoke. He also served as National Publicity Secretary of the PDP.
In this interview, he spoke on various issues facing the nation.
Twenty years of democracy, can you say Nigeria is moving forward in terms of rebuilding the nation?
Of course, Nigeria has made tremendous progress in terms of development of infrastructure and even wellbeing, given our population size vis-a-vis the size of our economy. However, the illusion of our “wealth” remains locked up in potentials only. We are yet to unleash those potentials but we will in due season. I am optimistic because of the daring and aggressive entrepreneurial spirit of the average Nigerian. Today, in real terms, it has been repeated, our economy compares to the economies of medium level states in the United States not even big states, yet we often think in terms of what America does! Instead, we should be setting goals with American states and cities in mind with peer reviews to understand what they are doing to make things work. Preferably, understand how Asian countries and states and regions make progress because our state of development can relate better to theirs than Europe and America. For instance, the State of California has an economy probably more than ten times the size of Nigeria’s just like the city of New York. These States and Cities don’t have an army to maintain, or foreign offices as well as other burdens of a sovereign state. Until we transform these inherent potentials into tangible realities we will be deceiving ourselves to expect too much too quickly. The energy will be unleashed when we get leadership right. We are still nibbling at it but we haven’t taken the critical decisions necessary to actualize our potentials yet. We are not ready to embrace democracy fully. We are not willing to be competitive yet. We still depend mostly on extractive industries for sustenance of the economy which has never worked anywhere in human history before. Yes, having elections over two decades suggests that we are on the right trajectory to democratise. Having a growing voting population that is untainted by military government mentality is positive. Having a growing civil society activism is great, but the right political education is still glaringly lacking.
Can you say the leadership of PDP has really fared better in terms of playing opposition in APC?
I think a lot more can be done. I think the present leadership is not tapping enough from the tremendous trove of experience available in the party to move forward. We need robust and regular intellectual engagements to find the right mix of ideas that will reinvent the party. So ahead of 2023, PDP needs to “be different.” Different from APC; different from her past and different by showing the way through democratising her processes. PDP has a responsibility to deepen democracy. It will show the way by the way she conducts her internal affairs, manages governments under the umbrella and how she practices democracy internally. That’s what will mark her out as different from the competition and live up to her name as a “democratic” party. She needs to be different, especially from the party in government which clearly runs a system inimical to democratic practice.
PDP Congress is around the corner. It is understood that you’re interested in running for the state chairmanship. What motivated you into declaring to run?
I am not sure that I need much motivation as such to want to serve my party in whatever capacity. Aside that, a close observer would notice the dwindling passion amongst party members in the state. While it is true that the governor, Senator Ben Ayade, has expanded government exponentially to capture more party men and women than hitherto witnessed in the annals of party patronage, it would seem to me that there has been a gradual weakening of bonds of party solidarity and motivation. Even though party members still go through the motions of electioneering, they do so now grudgingly. There is growing apathy towards mobilisation as a consequence. Party officials seem not to be given any priority of place because appointments have diverted total energy towards government while the party suffers neglect. Look at all party secretariats across the state, including the state headquarters, can tell you the story eloquently. They are mostly deserted and non-functional. Internal democracy is non-existent for a party whose name is democracy itself. In fact, there is a plethora of reasons why someone with my experience is critical to repositioning the party to re-engineer that spirit of mass participation which is the hallmark of democracy.
What do you think you have to offer that other aspirants don’t have?
Like I just said above, I have experience. I have adequate cognate and field experience backed by street credibility that even my worst critic would concede to. There is absolutely no one that can claim the mix of experience that I have including being one of the conveners of the party at inception and serving on the inaugural state executive committee of the party. I also served in the NEC of the party. So, I have a clear idea of how a political party can be used as a veritable instrument for social mobilisation, to complement her government. I feel that in these later days, we have witnessed a lull in party activism because we are distracted by the presence of the government. I can redress this anomaly easily and achieve more cohesion within the party and the polity and with it ensure more harmony. I will also represent our collective interest for continuity of our presence in the next government with full confidence of my influence within and outside the state through a network of contacts that come naturally with my political exposure.
Can we say you’re responding to a call by stakeholders that founding members should come forward and rescue the party?
“Rescue” sounds strong to be. I prefer repositioning. Yes, lately there has been a muted cry from critical stakeholders about the need to reposition the party before the apathy being witnessed develops further and leads us to an embarrassing defeat at the polls. Largely, I think success is becoming our problem because we are beginning to take it for granted that the party cannot lose an election in the state and so anything goes. That’s a dangerous mindset in any endeavour. Mediocrity sets in and losing becomes a matter of time. Identifying the problem early as in this case is very admirable; I hope we will apply the requisite energy into enforcing desirable change. Naturally, government is insulated from much of public discourse because of the unfortunate circumstances of sycophancy. People are largely hungry and they pander after government patronage with the wrong approach. Again, government is usually defensive of its policies and activities. So, it requires a lot to get government anywhere in the world to accept criticism of its efforts, be it politics, programmes or policies. We require focused and brave stakeholders to draw attention unafraid to shortcomings of government without the impression that it is condemning the government. It requires courage and is the hallmark of good followership. Besides, the founding fathers of the party laid out the dreams and manifesto and if you read through the manifesto, you will be amazed at how far reaching the dreams of the founding fathers of the party were. All these remain green and achievable. The issues remain alive and the solutions within reach if we remain focused on our founding principles and are disciplined in our approach to finding solutions, accommodating and tolerating one another.
Are you not afraid that the party might not conduct a free and fair primary poll that could throw up unacceptable candidates?
I want to believe that you mean, free and fair congresses. Given the pervading attitude towards congresses, that is a genuine concern of all party faithful. Indeed, it is a problem of our current democracy. The lack of internal democracy is tearing political parties apart and leading to sometimes embarrassing outcomes like it happened in Zamfara and Rivers and was narrowly averted in Bayelsa. One hopes that the party at the national level is learning from these experiences. With all the resources available to governors, it shouldn’t take manipulations for a governor to drive his team through in a congress. If a governor requires assistance in manipulating a congress to his advantage, the National Executive Committee through the NWC should raise a red flag. It means all is not well in that chapter. The irreducible minimum expectation of the NEC is a free and fair contest amongst party members as to who leads them at every level. Using the congress to curry favours from governors will spell doom for the party.
In 2015, you stepped out to APC and later came back. Why the French leave and how was the experience?
Yes, my leaving the party will become one of my enduring lessons in politics and it has given me fresh insight into the problems of Nigerian politics generally, which can be summarised in one word: Nigerians! Nigerians are the same everywhere, in every political party. The issues that confront you here are the same issues you will be confronted with wherever you run to. The challenge of internal democracy is one of the most challenging issues of contemporary Nigerian politics. It thrives on corruption in different forms: greed, cronyism, nepotism and all the vices in-between. If we don’t raise and support strong characters to man our parties, men who have a pedigree in resisting some of them, we will continue to wallow in self-deceit. Rebuilding what we have is my priority now.
Do you intend to bring back defected PDP members?
That is a given. Indeed there is tremendous expression of solidarity from many people across party lines, especially those who were at some point members of the PDP, on the prospects of my becoming Chairman and the recurring decimal is: “We know what you can do”! Indeed, I am greatly humbled and encouraged by the show of support I am currently enjoying from a large cross section of stakeholders including those I thought held various grudges against me, since I started consultations on this aspiration. It translates in practical terms to many people who have left the party because of one disagreement or the other saying, hey! if it’s you, we will come back to our party, because we are sure that you will enthrone a just and fair system within the party.