•Says IPOB leader is true Igbo son
By Paul Asogwa
MOST Reverend Emmanuel Chukwuma, the Anglican Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, has again vented his concern about the state of the nation, insisting that insincerity and puzzling actions are still the order of the day in the Muhammadu Buhari administration. According to him, “people are already losing confidence in the change mantra of the government. People are hungry, indebted, frustrated and committing suicide here and there, out of hardship and frustration. And if the government doesn’t buckle up quickly and effectively, by the time the government clocks two years, things could get worse and out of hand… EFCC seems to be making caricature of that commission by purportedly, discovering or intercepting huge sums of money here and there without any arrest or disclosure of identities of their owners… ”
What is your perception of the present state of the nation?
First of all, again, we are grateful to God that Mr President returned to the country safely after his medical trip abroad, because whether we like it or not, it has pleased God that he should be our President at this point in time. We also appreciate the Vice President for holding forth for President Buhari in a sterling manner while the President was away, which Mr President had also acknowledged. The VP really did a lot when he took charge, and we experienced some stability of power. But unfortunately, it seems as if since Mr President came back, things returned to their former state soon. So, talking about state of the nation; we can say that there are some flashes of improvement here and there, but there are as well flashes of issues about the present administration that have been raising profound concern and suspicion. The whistle-blowing thing is becoming ridiculous and we are so concerned about it. The EFCC seems to be making caricature of that commission by purportedly, discovering or intercepting huge sums of money here and there without any arrest or disclosure of identities of their owners. Another concern is the issue of 2017 budget. The year is fast running out; we are now in the fourth month of the year and the budget still remains an unresolved issue. Many Nigerians are concerned about that, just as we are concerned about the faceoff between the Senate and the Executive. The President must urgently do something to arrest the situation.
What is your view on security and the economy?
The economy is still in bad shape; inflation is still very high and there is still growing concern about rapidly rising unemployment. Nothing is done yet to make life better for Nigerians, yet they keep sermonising about economic recovery and how Buhari has exited the country out of recession. How much is the current bag of rice, a tuber of yam or a paint bucket of garri? That is how to really determine the real truth. If Mr President really has good intentions, people should begin to see concrete achievements of the Buhari administration that they can proudly hold on to as the achievement of the present administration. People are already losing confidence in the change mantra of the government. People are hungry, indebted, frustrated and committing suicide here and there. And if the government doesn’t buckle up quickly and effectively, by the time the government clocks two years, things could get worse and out of hand. In the area of security, I think we have to thank God for the recorded improvement in that sector. But there is need for improvement because of what is happening in Southern Kaduna. We are not happy at all about developments there, and the President does not seem to take the case of menace of Fulani herdsmen in Southern Kaduna and elsewhere seriously. He is a Fulani and he should be aware that those suspected to be Fulani herdsmen are exhibiting more than expected effort to tarnish the image of the present administration, which he presides over.
You earlier noted that things improved in the country when the Vice President held forth for Buhari during his medical trip abroad, but that they ceased upon the President’s return. But the President’s men ascribed such development to acts of saboteurs working against the Buhari administration. Do you agree with that?
No, I do not. But even if such was the case, then the President needs to re-examine himself about his actions. If such things are happening, they are negative actions and actions that indicate that the Buhari administration does not enjoy reasonable spread of acceptability. So, I urge him to withdraw from personal vendetta. Look at how the VP went round places that the President could not. And that pacified the people. Buhari should know that he has to be fully involved in the process of calming nerves in this country. And he should avoid acts of vendetta and victimization.
When you talk about vendetta and victimization do you refer to the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu and the likes of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki?
The truth is that some of the problems bedevilling the Buhari administration are because the President is still holding Nnamdi Kanu to ransom, because that is really causing series of tension here and there. He has to look into it very seriously. And I urge the President to set the young man free. Let him release Kanu to me and all will be well. Whatever that Nnamdi Kanu said was done out of a frustrated heart. You cannot flog a people and expect them not to cry. The people of the South- east are neglected, frustrated and dejected. They have suffered perennial flogging in the hands of successive governments in this country and had been crying in silence. But Kanu chose to cry out. He may have done that out of proportion, but he is still not a criminal. He did not kill anybody.
But the government has just granted him bail; aren’t you happy about it?
What bail are you talking about? That sort of bail condition cannot work at all. Any bail condition that infringes on his rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association is wrong. It is stringent, illegal and unacceptable. And above all, it is unconstitutional, and Justice Binta Nyako knows that she acted unconstitutionally. But I believe that she just read out a script that had been prepared by her masters. What is the Federal Government afraid of that they would make a mockery of the court by dishing out such unfortunate bail conditions to the young man? I have asked President Buhari to release Kanu to me. All those bail conditions are unnecessary; let the President release him to me and there would be no problem at all. We will talk to him and calm him down; he is our true son. Even if he needs to be tamed we shall tame him. Thank God that we currently have a wonderful man in place as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo; and concerned traditional rulers around. We shall all look at the issue through and through and create proper dialogue channel over the matter. The government is just creating more tension by issuing him such outrageous bail conditions that negate human rights principles. They said he should not be found among a group of more than 10 persons; which means that he cannot even go to church. Can you imagine that? He cannot go to a supermarket, and his extended family members cannot go to his house to welcome him back? There is no bail then? If you say he should not grant any press interview or attend any sort of rally that means there is no bail at all. Let them release him formally to us and there would be no cause for alarm. The President will enjoy absolute peace by releasing Kanu; and he will be healed too because reconciliation is like a healing balm.
You earlier expressed concern over the whistle-blowing initiative; what do you have against it?
I feel that the way the thing is being conducted is very offensive, and one is becoming very sceptical about the whole thing. It is being done in a manner that portrays it as a caricature and an initiative with hidden agenda. I just hope that it is not something that was created to divert the attention of citizens to make them believe that government is working, with nothing sincerely meaningful behind the plan.
But at least, it has been yielding results and monies are being recovered …
What do you call a situation whereby monies are recovered without arrest or revelation of their owners? Is it not ridiculous for the EFCC to say they recovered, intercepted or discovered so, so monies at so, so places without knowing the identity of their owners? I think that those at the helm of affairs are not being serious to ensure that the initiative is tackled with honest dispatch. And I have to also point out here that the problem the Presidency is having over the confirmation of the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, is uncalled for. The Presidency is ridiculing itself with its poor management of that issue. Why is Mr President insisting on Magu? Is the President using him as an instrument? What stops him from telling the acting EFCC boss, to go and rest, since his confirmation bid failed. Why not find him another job if he must have Magu work under his administration?
The Senate also have issues with the Comptroller-General of Customs…
Ah! That is another big ridicule! First, as far as I am concerned, appointment of Comptroller-General outside the Customs service is a bastardisation of the office. You cannot bring in a civilian to become the Inspector General of police, or chief of Army Staff. To me, a member of another uniform organisation, whether serving or retired, should not be allowed to hold the position of Comptroller-General of Customs. The appointment of Mr Ali into that position has discouraged and sidelined some of those who had been aspiring to attain such position; and that is part of the annoyance of Nigerians. Those are some of the things that Mr President has to look into. President Buhari should as well urgently look into the refusal of retired Colonel Hameed Ali to wear Customs uniform. The watery excuse that wearing the uniform would dent his military achievement or that there is no constitutional position that compels him to wear the uniform is also an unfortunate ridicule of not only the President of Nigeria but also a huge mockery and caricature of that vital organisation (Customs) and the country as a whole. And the President has kept silent over it! Ali retired as a Colonel; is that the highest rank in the Army? Did he retire as a Brigadier, General or Field Marshal? A colonel is not even higher than the rank of a Comptroller-General. A Comptroller-General is the highest rank in the Customs and it is like a Major General in the Army. Yet, a retired Major General once headed the Federal Road Safety Commission in this country, and he proudly wore FRSC uniform all through his era. He exhibited high level of patriotism, leadership by example and pride for his job. I am talking about General (Haladu) Hananiya. It seems to me that Mr Ali has some skeleton in his cupboard which Mr President is probably aware of. Even if the man is the best, most performing CG ever in this country, that is no excuse for him not to wear uniform. His refusal to wear uniform, even after some members of the Senate had humbly pleaded with him to do so, is unpatriotic of him. The man is not patriotic! He is not ready to lead by example, and to me, that is very dangerous and unfortunate. Why should someone be allowed to continue enjoying the proceeds of a job that he is not proud of? He is not proud of the Nigerian Customs but he likes the inherent financial gains. It is absurd that somebody who is controlling a uniform organisation would not wear the uniform. That is not acceptable in any country.
In the case of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, do you think that the President may be insisting on Magu’s candidacy because he cannot find a better qualified Nigerian to head that agency at this point in time?
It is not impossible for the President to find a more qualified person than Magu, in all ramifications. In a country of over 200 million population, with citizens doing amazing exploits in all sectors both locally and internationally, and someone says that Magu is the indispensable best? That is a big joke! God has blessed this country so much that nobody is indispensable in any sector. There must be a sort of hidden agenda for which Mr President is insisting on Magu. If not, what is stopping him from removing the man and shopping for a more credible and fierce candidate to replace him, to save himself and the nation all the avoidable controversies and crisis around his candidacy? Magu’s failure to impress both the Senate and the nation with his answers during his recent confirmation session also exposed him as a poor chief executive. Why would he not know how much the EFCC had recovered as proceeds of crime since he assumed office? Even if you cannot state the exact figure, you should be smart enough to give them a casual but verifiable figure. That man must go to save this country from further distractions and ridicule. Everybody believes that there is a hidden agenda for which the President is protecting, a development that is also raising questions the claim of total war against corruption by the Buhari administration. Even if some individuals in the Senate have something against Magu, we are in a democratic setting and they have unanimously said he is not fit, with evidence to buttress their claim. The evidence that dented his reputation emanated from the DSS, a secret arm of the Presidency; unless the President is telling Nigerians that he no longer has faith in the DSS, by carrying on with the acting EFCC boss. The President’s silence over matters regarding Magu and Ali’s positions amounts to wickedness and neglect; and that is very dangerous in a democracy. It is a brazen disregard to the authority of democracy! Like I have always advised, Mr President must realise that we are running a democratic setting and not military type in this country. A situation where he thinks that whatever he says is final is dangerously unfortunate. It is a government of the people by the people and for the people, and not his government by himself and for himself!
Let us look at the recent suspension of Babachir Lawal and Ambassador Ayo Oke by the Federal Government…
It was already belated, but we still commend Mr President on the development. But we are still sceptical about such presidential action. Mr President seems to have been shielding APC members or those serving under his government. You find that most of those who are supposed to have been dealt with or booted out of Buhari’s government are walking free. Also, most of those who were supposed to be prosecuted but who ran into APC appear to have been insulated. They should all be fished out and dealt with to serve as deterrent to others; and to assure us of his sincerity about the war against corruption. So, in the case of the suspended SGF and NIA bosses, they should be investigated by independent bodies and not the same Presidency that had earlier cleared Lawal of any wrongs even after the Senate panel had indicted him. The sincerity in the latest Presidential move is still left to be determined. Granted that the Vice President, (Prof Yemi Osibanjo) is a seasoned lawyer, but he is not a trained investigator. Also, why include the National Security Adviser, who had earlier exonerated Lawal in the Presidential Committee? Only time will tell; but personally, I do not see any sincerity in the choice of the Vice President as the head of the committee because they all know how to cover up. I doubt if anything meaningful will come out of the probe; and that was why the man was laughing, on camera, after his suspension, even on the heels of weighty evidence against him.
Many people were startled at the discovery of large cache of monies at Osborne Towers in Lagos; what about you?
I am as amazed and confused as you are! Just like the way monies were discovered at airports without a mention of identities of the bearers, the Osborne incident is as well puzzling. We only hope that at the end of the day those monies do not develop wings and are used to better the lives of Nigerian citizens. But the thing is that there is no sincerity in several of EFCC’s investigations and account of its operations. It is just like the whistle blowing thing, which is a good idea, but it has to be seen to be sincere and believable. I say this because I will soon get my own whistle to blow against Mr President, to protest. If the Osborne money is sincere cash, why was it not kept in the bank? Why was the NIA boss merely suspended, after agency claimed ownership of the money? Why was he not arrested and disgraced on camera like the EFCC usually did to perceived opposition members? That is another comedy of the present administration, and God will definitely expose all looters of our commonwealth. Nigerians are suffering and people are burying money here and there and preventing cash flow.
A few weeks from now, the Buhari administration will clock two years. What is your view about the administration in terms of fulfilment of campaign promises?
The midterm is already here, and I must commend some governors for putting up visionary leadership in their respective states. Several of them are trying seriously to prove themselves under the present dispensation; and I am really impressed. I say this because most of them are as well clocking two years in office and there is improvement in infrastructure across several states. And we are seeing dividends of democracy here and there…
What about the Buhari administration at the centre?
Well, the question of unemployment has not been addressed; the question of hunger and poverty has not been addressed. Inflation is still high up there; and the question about high and uneven Forex rate, especially dollar to naira is still there. Even the dollars that they say they are releasing as intervention are being released to the wrong hands and that is why it is not yielding the expected result. How can you claim so, so intervention and the dollar still exchanges at near 400 naira and above to a dollar? Isn’t that ambiguous? However, we are thankful to God that some thing is being done about agriculture, and there is improvement in roads rehabilitation. We are only praying that those in charge would be more sincere. They are also trying to do something about our airports but that also is devoid of national spread. The Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu is under threat. In fact, I don’t feel comfortable calling it international airport because of its high government neglect. Since the rain destroyed some facilities there, nothing has been done to fix the damaged portions. But they were able to turn around the Abuja and Kaduna airports in a flash. They should as well pay attention to other airports especially the regional ones. Enugu airport is a very important facility that government must fix honestly to pacify the Igbos, who are most travelled than any people in this country. Security is also not too good because the Boko Haram insurgents are still bombing and harassing both citizens and security agents as well. They may have technically conquered Boko Haram, or claim to have done so, as it appears. But the remnants of the sect are still wreaking havoc here and there, just like Fulani herdsmen are doing in Southern Kaduna and some other places across the country.
Our health sector is not of better tale especially as regards medical facilities. Why should Mr President go abroad for medical treatment after voting huge sums of money for the Aso Rock Clinic? And they have been shying away from disclosing how much they spent on his medical trip abroad. Nigerians need to know about it, and I do not know why that is becoming a big deal for the Presidency. Nigerians have suffered a lot and time has come when our people should enjoy and be happy. That was what Mr President promised Nigerians when he was begging for their votes. So, let us now have that for which he was voted to power.