As a member of the National Conference, are you bothered about the fate of the conference recommendations?
My feeling is that the change that we are ultimately looking for as Nigerians has come, whether we
belong to the governing class or those of the governed. The ingredients that will make the change possible are embodied in the report of the conference. It will be the wisest thing, for the new government to look diligently into the report and implement those aspects that have not been overtaken by events. It was a thorough job by people from all walks of life. We disagreed to agree on issues, but I can tell you that the conference was one of the best things that have ever happened to Nigeria. Apart from the way former President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat and handed over power, the conference is another plus for him. I want to put it on record that I recognise his contribution to nation building, by establishing that conference and by also conceding defeat. These are the two sides of the coin that I will like to look at in term of nation building.
Which of the constituencies did you represent at the conference?
I represented the professional group. I did not belong to any political group or religious interests. I was one of those who represented the professional group. We were after the betterment of the economy. We were concerned about the improvement of Nigeria and for the country to be respected in the comity of nations. We were after Nigeria being self reliance as a nation.
What would be the implication of not implementing the report by the new administration?
I believe very sincerely that President Muhammadu Buhari will run his administration with a team and as an individual in a government. I also believe he will listen to the ideas of others. I equally believe he will work with intelligent and patriotic Nigerians. If anybody will jettison the whole content of that national conference report, the person will not be doing this nation any good. I don’t see President Buhari as someone who will do that. I believe sincerely that he may not take everything in the report, but he will take what is good for Nigeria, especially since he has promised us change. He has promised to move this nation forward. He has promised that all that he will do will be to look for what will help Nigeria. Based on the promises he has made during the campaigns and his antecedents, I don’t expect him to throw away the report. If the report is thrown away, anything good that anybody will do to move Nigeria forward would amount to recycling the content of that report. It will be a political manoeuvre to say I did not use the report. But, when you go back to the report, you will find that what was done by such a person would be in the report.
What were the most important things the report highlighted?
The report actually addressed a lot of Nigeria’s challenges. And I can tell you that we looked at governance, the future of governance and cost of governance. We looked at education, gender, infrastructure, resource control, political agenda, historical challenges and how to correct them. We looked at religion as a challenge and so many other things. We looked at the economy, transportation, industry and security.
What are the critical areas you want the new government to focus on?
For me, President Buhari should not see himself solving all our problems. It should not be a generalist; he should be a selective combatant. He should identify energy, security, education, agriculture and transportation. If he concentrates on these five areas, we would be able to overcome them, I can tell you that this country will be a paradise. And other things will take effect and change naturally. If there is effective transportation system, where we can leave our home and get to work by the next one hour, then there will be adequate use of time which is often being wasted. You will discover that entrepreneurship will grow when the infrastructures are available. I know everybody will be able to engage himself. It is important for us to redesign our education curriculum. We should look at the education that can put food on the table from primary to tertiary levels. We should look at a situation whether a man or woman can have access to his or her rights. So, it is important he knows that he cannot solve all the problems. Under the situation, all the resources that the environment can give the country will be fully developed. This is what I expect from the new government.
How can the new leader get patriots to work with him to achieve his set goals?
To get patriot to work with him, first of all President Buhari must assist to de-emphasise the monetisation of politics. We must let the system of getting patriots on board come by ensuring that we are not over pricing political offices and the benefit of the office. People who want to serve the nation, those who have contribution to make, should be the ones that should come forward. It should not be that people who want to make money, people want to milk our country dry, people who want to mortgage our future that seek to hold political offices. It should not be people who want to borrow money that our children and grand children will be paying. Such people should not be encouraged into governance. We just need to de-monetise politics and governance.
With defectors rushing to the ruling party, there are fears that Nigeria may become a one-party state…
It is because the politics we are playing is monetised. They are not playing politics of philosophy, ideology and services. They are only playing politics of stomach infrastructure. The assignment and primary role of the opposition is to find the alternative ways of doing things better than the government in power. This is by putting the party in power on its toes by preventing them from making mistakes and by ensuring they make no mistakes. You pass information to them by way of criticising and not condemning them.
Today, some states in the country cannot pay their workers. What is the way out?
This is the reason why the report of the National Conference is important. This issue was debated robustly and the committee that worked on it brought out a very good report. We don’t have reason to even create some states in the first place because they are not viable. They are just drainage pipes; they are just political support instruments. They were created to appease certain people. That is why the conference was looking at a programme, a structure that will give the country structural capability and ability to make the states self-reliant.
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