2015: It’s either Jonathan, or an Igboman – Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife

Former Anambra state governor, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife has said that only the return to power by President Goodluck Jonathan, or the emergence of a president of Igbo origin would stabilize the country and engender a feeling of fairness and justice. Ezeife who spoke in an interview with Sunday Sun in Abuja blamed the current crises in the Nigeria Govrenors’ Forum, and Rivers state on thedesire by the N orth to take back power in 2015 after 38 years. He spoke on other prime national issues including state creation,insecurity,consultations by five northern governors, among others. Excerpts.

Looking at Nigeria now, there are pockets of crises here and there, in the ruling party. In River State, everywhere, there is crisis. What do you think is responsible for this renewed crises in the country?

Let me first of all, say sorry, and condole the relations of the people who were massacred in Kano the other day. This thing has gone beyond limits, and there is no other way than to involve the people to be securing themselves. sometime ago, I talked with you about it. Now there is no option left than to involve the traders,  the same Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and others, who are there in securing that place. In developing intelligence, I was called up midnight that they had counted 45 corpses.  I know that it is not easy for any government especially governors to take care of everything, but every effort should be made to give people the basis for staying where they are.  Anybody calling our people to come home, is like surrendering in the territory. We ought to fight back, but yes, where are we going? Yes.
We are told this is our country, we wanted to leave before, and  we were forced back. So nobody  forced us out of Nigeria. we belong here.Unless they want a comprehensive restructuring which is not good for anybody. I don’t understand why there should be crisis because every group in Nigeria, minority, majority,  should be happy with a Nigeria that works. This Nigeria that does not work, is  merely because, some people think that it is to their advantage, and those advantages are becoming disadvantages. Let’s meet and talk and have a peoples’ constitution, for Nigeria. Principally, let’s have the geo political zones as adjusted, as the federating unit of this country, and let’s give fair environment to those zones .Whether you call them regions or zones, they are the same. But there are sentiments about regions. Now if we take action at the national level to restructure the country, the crisis will minimize. But the PDP must put their acts in order.
This crisis in the north, how do you situate it, especially with the robust presence of Special military Forces everywhere?
No, they cannot be everywhere. If you carry a trailer of banana, going around, how does Special Forces hit you. It’s only the trailers in that place who will know who is who in the environment; who can police that place. but as you were told, they came, with banana and pawpaw  and they bombed the place and people died. And Special Forces, JTF, are not in a position whatsoever to deal with such difficult situations.
Five Northern governors have been traversing this country, trying to destabilize the polity as it were. This is the first time this kind of thing is happening and the ruling party, the presidency, everybody is condoning it. Do you think it is good for the survival of democracy in Nigeria?
I must not assume knowledge I do not have; but whatever is the true situation, they took dangerous actions.  Every impression is given that they want the military back, and they are the beneficiaries of democracy. How can they want to deal with democracy under democratic setting, and their first point of call was the military? Former military heads of state? That gives the impression that they don’t know what they want. It cannot be in their interest to get the military back. I am sure that each of them will stand to lose more.
But it appears that it’s only elderstatesmen that they are  going to?
No. why didn’t they go to Shagari first? why didn’t they go to Joseph wayas? These are elderstatesmen with experience in the management of parties and government.. You cannot go and you say you are going to elderstatesmen and be causing trouble. Nigeria is a good place. But as elected governors, they should know that having problems with a democratic setting  has no business with military generals. The Generals don’t have  experience in democracy. Command experience is not what we need. Infact, I think we should now all begin to appreciate Jonathan. He allows freedom, but many of us are not used to freedom, tolerance, and compromise. It is a bad move, whatever the motive. They went to rivers state.
But how do you ask a governor from one side of the fence, who has been descecrating the title, and has nothing to show for it. You now go as a group to one southern governor without a single southern governor accompanying you. Is it real  in the face of  the tension and possible backlash it could generate. Even they themselves will realize that they made some mistakes and are even surprised at their actions. So the mind of men sometimes deviates and makes mistakes. They thought they were doing the right thing, and are still saying they want democracy and are inviting the military. There is no compromise ON this issue. The truth is that, irrespective of their motivation, they made mistakes.
If they made mistake in their approach, what do you think is the right way to go about arresting the many crises that is all over now in the country?
I believe that the recent crisis is about the governors forum. I believe that the governors forum can play a very good role in the country, especially in the governance of the states. People learning from one an other; with those that have acquired   wealth and with issues with the EFCC [Economic and financial crimes commission]. They can also make suggestions to the central government. I was a governor, I chaired the meeting of SDP governors, sometimes we had 30 governors, but we never saw it as part of our responsibilities to challenge the president,except in order to give more money to our states.
But playing politics the way the governors forum is playing now is dangerous. There is no honor, no agreement. Even if you are not on their side, you invite somebody,to come and be our consensus person.  you are representing the people,and deep down things went bad. Can’t governors forum go on recess for the rest of this period until after the next election? When a body becomes counterproductive, we begin to re examine it. I don’t like JANG calling governors forum meeting some people will come, Amaechi calling governors forum. It doesn’t earn the governors any respect meeting too.
They are all free. it’s not a matter of saying go and conduct another election, Amechi step-down, Jang step down. That is the way out. But with the decadence that has been introduced into the system, the best way is to send governors forum on leave of absence, out of the system, until a new set of governors emerge. And with the fears of what we are having now, they organize themselves, develop certain decisions and begin to work together.
Why the  NGF can’t go on leave of absence is that they usually play a very crucial role in the emergence of political leaders in this country especially the presidency, senators, and because  of the PDP constitution. So that’s why they are very important. They can’t abdicate that responsibility. So how else do we solve this problem?
The responsibility to elect president, governors, members of the National Assembly, all elected people, is on the electorate. Not on the governors. The governors are counterproductive. That is what we have noticed. This is what is happening. These experiences we have had, of impositions of all kinds, of manipulations ,are what we need to look into it and see if they are the normal way things should be. Why should the governors request for who people should vote for as president? Don’t our young people know what they want? They can only impede progress towards democracy.They should not worsen it. The best democracy is people voting according to their conscience, not for people to be guided by their governors, as to whom to vote for. So they should go on leave of absence for the rest of this period until 2015.
The Rivers crisis is not abating after several months. The majority leader of the House is being charged for attempted murder and security officials attached to the governor are on the run. They have even fled the country. Do you think the Rivers crises is being handled very well?
There are many problems. I am afraid.  How can they have  ruled Nigeria  for 38 and half years,  and power comes to the south, to the  south -south,  for the first time, and a southern or eastern person is being used?
Who would you like to be the next president in 2015?
The next president will be either Jonathan or an Igbo man.
I would like you to comment briefly on the quest for state creation in the south east?
I blame myself, I blame half of the people of the south east.In 2006, we went to Enugu to decide on which state to go for,and we were unable to persuade the rest of the people to go for the state that has no controversy at all, ADADA sate. The twenty-five members of  the national political reforms conference dealt with us seriously.
At the end, 42 leaders from various parts of Nigeria ended the work, and took the position of government.
These 42 leaders, also deliberated  on the position of the state. They did not go into diversifying the numbers  of states, but they selected one state. After deliberations.they voted on it.Out of 42 people,39 voted for the creation of the state.