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Recently, the South-East, through the Igbo Agenda Dialogue (IAD), moved to galvanize stakeholders in the region for a united front that would ensure that candidates and political parties in Nigeria enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the region on development issues, as a bargain for gaining the area’s support during elections. Chekwas Okorie, Founder of the IAD, in this interview with KINGSLEY BENNETH, speaks on the driving force behind the region’s newest body language and other issues. Excerpt: 

 Nigeria recently marked its 65th Independent anniversary. Looking back, would you say there are really reasons for celebration? 

Well, to answer your question, I will say ‘yes’ and ‘no’. The reasons are that on the front of chronological development in comparison with other nations of the world in the same chronological bracket like Singapore, like Malaysia and others, Nigeria’s growth has been stunted and retarded. Here is a country blessed with human and capital resources, mineral resources in abundance yet, cannot boast of manufacturing any item in the international market. 

Here is a country found low in aggregate score in 65 years in comparison to the nation’s developmental dynamics. A country rich, yet so poor! A country blessed with so many natural resources to be a world player yet, the most abused and disrespected in the comity of nations. A country blessed with size and human population and a population of high mental endowments yet, could not translate these into national development. A nation still reeling in the contemporary day with lack of adequate clean water for its people. A nation still groping in the dark of darkness and of epileptic light supply. Nigeria has not fared well. Take it or leave it. 

In sectors of the economy, we have failed, though working it out in the hard way. Education, Transportation, Energy, International Relations and more. In these and more areas we have not fared well. The scorecard is an abysmal failure. Here is a country where poverty reigns supreme and the pains of capitalism and selfish and corrupt leadership has pains and penury to the poor. Corruption reigns with reckless abandon and justice is lost. Equity and fairness is unknown and unseen. Can we start? We will find no end! 

It is not to say that we are doomed. That brings me to the other part. There are a number of fronts that the country has fared well. In some cases, by personal efforts of the people drawing international attention positively as in sports and film and drama and academia. Nigeria is still fighting wars in the North and East. No nation fighting religious and insurgency wars can really make meaningful progress in nation building and infrastructure. So, should we leave this question and answer here. There are yet reasons to celebrate. Yes, for instance insurgency has not swallowed us. Government seems to be doing a lot in that direction although people are clamouring that there is foul play. But the truth is that we cannot deny terrorism and agitations exist. We have to fight it. Nigeria is alive and we thank God! Leadership and followership has been foul. 

Would you say the political leaders are fulfilling the dreams of the country’s founding fathers? 

Political leaders have not fulfilled the dreams of our founding fathers. The dreams of a great nation respected by others, a great nation united and strong. A nation where peace and justice reign. A nation feeding its people and taking care of her young ones. These politicians abandoned the developmental template of our founding fathers and sacrificed it on the altars of selfishness and corruption and building a capitalist economy breeding penury. Please let us not talk of these politicians who have no love for the country, but hate. Who forever wants to bring it down in the pretext of development. These politicians hate Nigeria with a passion. Drivers of Disasters. 

Looking at the current state of the economy, would say the continued reliance of the government on the IMF/World Bank advice and dictates is helping the country? 

When you are a borrower, you are subservient to the one that borrowed you money. Nigeria is a borrower and controlled consequently. This is a sad note. So, the IMF and World Bank dictate the pace of our economy. It is slavery and another colonisation. Yet these politicians are so mentally bereaved that they can’t see beyond. Now, we have built up debts that our children may never be able to pay back. 

What is your take on the volume of foreign loans the country has taken so far? Is it possible for the country to advance without the foreign loans? 

Nigeria needs foreign loans to breathe. What a shame! How calamitous! China has taken away our birth rights because of loans and we are still borrowing. Truth is we cannot advance without foreign loans. Where is the money? The problem is that these loans are misused and found in private pockets. Sad! One day, if we can’t pay, we shall be with our assets or children 

How do you see the current heating up of the polity over the 2027 general elections which are two years away? What does it say of the political class? 

Anything goes in Nigeria anything happens. We are legally in a state of nature in Nigeria. Forget it. The laws are clear, we shouldn’t be campaigning now! 

There are fears that the ADC coalition will likely have a crisis over its choice of presidential candidate. Do you foresee such a crisis and how can it be avoided? 

Politicians are selfish. They only feather their own desires. There will be a crisis in choice. God help them. I have no faith in any of them. 

Considering the current state of the PDP, do you think it can really give a strong fight against the APC in 2027, or would it succumb to the pressure of those who are in the party, but are fronting for President Bola Tinubu? 

PDP died long ago. APC killed it and nailed the coffin. Forget it. APC is PDP owner. Pressure? To whom? Bola? Read between the lines. You must be joking! He knows the game so well. 

Two years into the current administration, a lot of talks are going on over the 2027 elections. Since the elections are two years away, don’t you think this is unusual? 

Yes, a lot of talks are going on over the 2027 elections. It is not unusual. Funny enough, it started from the day of the inauguration of this presidency and it is not akin to this presidency alone.. It is customary with democracies all around the world to hit the ground running. The only breakpoint is that while in other democratic climes, time is allotted to impress the populace with the dividends in view of fulfilling at least a fragment of their promises and manifestos. But, politicians in Nigeria rather engage in ensuring they remain in power. The consequence is that the people suffer. The reason for this is to retain power and their quest for pecuniary gains. Would it not have been better to prove their mettle in the ways of policy and administration and implementation that will hitherto, compel the people to vote them in a second time. 

For God’s sake, if you do well the people will applaud you and vote you in again. However, if politicians combine good works with early planning and implementation, that will generate a lot of positive response from the people. It would have been a better option. 

A lot of Nigerians are divided over the coming together of the opposition forces against the ruling party under the African Democratic Congress (ADC). How do you see this development? 

The true admiration of the democratic institution is enshrined in the demonstrations of the opposition arm. Democracy is about inclusivity, ideology, freedom of expression, as well as, freedom to navigate from one ideology to the other. That is why we say, however, there is no opposition in Nigeria. In a democratic setting, the opposition takes the form of fighting for the less privileged vis-a-vis policies and their implementation by the party in power. 

Sadly, enough the opposition in Nigeria is extinct. The opposition is supposed to be the organ that puts the check on the government in power. But, sadly, it is not so. Look at the United Kingdom. Take the historical antecedent of the opposition. Look at Kemi Badenoch and see the strength of the opposition. 

Now, in Nigeria, a few people are coming together to form another party and they are crossing to the ADC from the PDP and maybe from other parties. That is fine for democracy. However, what do they have to offer? Are they bothered about opposition, or the true essence of the liberation of our people? No! They are all a bundle of men with inordinate ambitions. They are not out to alleviate the suffering of the masses, but to sustainably widen the gap between the rich and the poor. So, the fact is that they are free to register as a party, yet, look at them. They are all friends who had missed out on power sharing. It is sad though. 

There are allegations by foreign interests that there is mass killing of Christians in Nigeria. How do you see this allegation and the government’s reaction to it? 

The case is not isolated. Many of them may still be there in the cabinet. I guess due diligence was not followed. Again, it is information fraud. It should be dealt with. 

What is your take on the recent allegation of certificate forgery that led to the resignation of Minister Nnaji? 

The nation has sold its birth rights to an individual because it could not do its job. The fights are too much for one man. The President must act now! I don’t agree with one man controlling our lives or our economy. Many men should.