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Hon. (Comr) Engr. Igbini Odafe Emmanuel is the former Governorship Candidate of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), leader of opposition Political Parties (CNPP) in Delta state and a leading Human rights and Good governance activist. In this interview, he descended heavily on the leaders of the newly formed Coalition Political Group, accusing them of misleading Nigerians to believing that President Tinubu is destroying the existing multi-party system in Nigeria and in its place, plotting to enthrone a one-party state in order to retain power come 2027 general elections.
Excerpt
Sir, may we first ask if you are a member of the new Coalition Opposition Group determined to wrest power from President Tinubu come 2027 given that you have been a vocal and strong opposition leader since you joined partisan politics in year 2006?
No, I am not a member of the group because we don’t share same interest and ideology. But I respect their constitutional rights to pursue their interest. It is guaranteed to them by section 40 of the 1999 Nigerian constitution, as amended. As you know, I am not a member of APC, PDP or LP but I remain a patriotic Nigerian desirous of contributing my quota to ensuring the speedy return to greatness and prosperity of our beloved country, Nigeria, that was decades ago, the undisputed leader of Africa and the entire black race of the world. It was also the envy of even the Western countries contrary to our youths’ rush to for better life in other lands. It is a sad situation today that small neighboring countries no longer have respect for our country and leaders to the extent that some are now demanding the expulsions of Nigerians from their countries. This hurts me so deep!
Could this justify the move by the Coalition Group seeking to get President Tinubu out of power in 2027?
Preposterous, if this is one of the reasons they present to Nigerians in order to seek their supports against Mr. President. Were they not of same political party and in governments at various times before now? What did they do then to fix the problem and what improvements are they bringing now? Nigerians cannot always be deceived.
You are aware of the accusation against President Tinubu by this Coalition Group that he is destroying the existing multi-party system and frustrating them in order for him to retain power come 2027. They also accuse him of using state apparatus and EFCC to intimidate, hunt, arrest and detain them as was the recent case of the arrest of former Governor Aminu Tambuwa by the EFCC. What is your take on this?
Going by the constitution of Nigeria, and International Conventions on Freedom of Association that Nigeria is a signatory to, our country operates a multi-party political system. No President can unilaterally change it. Never! Moreover, President Tinubu whom they now accuse was at different times since the 1990s, the leader and sponsor of many opposition groups against undemocratic tendency by any President or Military Head of State. So, how then will he be the same person wanting to destroy the same patriotic struggle he risked his life for? I see this accusation against him as their admission that they can’t get the supports of Nigerian voters to unseat him in 2027. They know that he is their master in this game of Politics.
But are you pleased with his performance so far given that millions of Nigerians are sliding daily into abject poverty and the cost of living is above the earning power of Nigerians? Are you satisfied that pump prices of petroleum products have been hiked by his government by over 1000 per cent as against the prices he led opposition groups to oppose during the days of former Presidents Obasanjo and Jonathan when the prices were not more than N87/L for Petrol?
Certainly I am not pleased about the economic hardship in our country that also bites me. Even President Tinubu has on many occasions expressed his unhappiness about the situation which has also resulted to many manufacturing companies shut down or relocated to other neighboring countries from where they produce at far cheaper cost and in more secure environment and in turn export their products to Nigeria and sell at very high prices that majority of us can’t afford. This situation has sadly made our country, a consuming rather than a producing and exporting nation. It is unacceptable and has to change urgently with all patriotic Nigerians brought on board to help irrespective of the political parties we belong. Call it forming a unity government if you like. It is about saving our country first in order to save us from extinction due to hunger and starvation.
And we also know the effect of hunger on security of a nation. But I also blame many state Governors who despite now receiving increased monthly allocations from the federation since President Tinubu ended the payment of fuel subsidy and multiple exchange rates, have failed woefully to use such funds to improve the economic situation in their states. Some few Governors have done well in utilisation of these funds and the people are living better lives. Mr. President should help and lead Nigerians to demand regular accountability from their Governors and Governors be impeached and removed from office if they can’t account for such funds.
Yes, you are correct to say that the pump prices have been hiked by over 1000% of the N87/L we had during former President Goodluck Jonathan which Tinubu led oppositions against as being too high and unreasonable. The question to ask me now is: does this President wishes these current prices? My answer is: certainly not. I am sure he wishes to have the prices lower than the N87/L of the past. It is the reason he took that patriotic courageous decision on May 29, 2023 to declare an end to massive fraud called payments of fuel subsidies. He appointed some top management staff of international oil companies as his Special Advisers on Oil and Gas and retained the leadership of NNPCL and the Petroleum Regulatory Commission and Agency (NUPRC and NMDPRA) appointed by late President Buhari hoping to get them to help him restore sanity in the sector to boost our nation’s revenue base.
But I can tell you authoritatively from my knowledge and experience as a Petroleum Engineer with many years working in field production of Total Energies EP Nig. Ltd, that they failed him and the reason we have continued instabilities in Upstream Petroleum Sector and these unjustified prices. They could not bring back our four refineries to operations despite billions of dollars released for Turn Around Maintenance TAM. They should be replaced with other knowledgeable and experienced Nigerians in the Upstream and Downstream Petroleum Companies with proven records on incorruptibility, courage and patriotism. These are people who will help Mr President improve revenue from petroleum sector needed to actualize his Renewed Hope Agenda. We should know that the petroleum sector of any oil producing country like Nigeria is often its treasure base and to a very large extent, determines its economic, political and security stabilities and progress. Don’t we know that pump prices of petroleum products in the US and other Western Countries often determine the results of their elections? We have seen cases where hike in prices of these products caused incumbent Presidents to be voted out of office during elections. If these high prices continue unaddressed it will again reflect negatively against Mr President in 2027 elections and this I don’t want to see happen to him because I remain his staunch supporter till 2031.
Now that you have talked about the performances of some of his appointees. As an Engineer who constructed and rehabilitated many roads in Delta state when you were the Director General of Delta State Direct Labour Agency (DLA) in charge of construction and rehabilitation of roads, I will love to have your assessment of the performance of the Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi, giving the bad states of many federal highways that have made transportation of good and persons so difficult, expensive and risky. Many have lost their lives on these bad roads.
No doubt, the Minister is a well-trained, experienced and competent Civil Engineer particularly in the area of road construction and rehabilitation. But my daily worry is why he is not deploying his expertise rightly to get these roads fixed and at optimal Cost? Is there any obstacle against him? Truth be told, he has performed poorly and honestly, he is one Minister who should be replaced or be restricted only to the Lagos Coastal road project. The advice he gave President Tinubu on the use of Reinforced Concrete Pavement on almost all of our federal highway is wrong and condemned by me. How on earth would an expert like him advise and insist that reinforced concrete pavement be used in areas where nature has blessed us with very solid and stable laterite Soil? How does he justify wasting our nation’s resources in using reinforced concrete pavements on highways like Abuja to Kaduna, to other parts of Northern Nigeria and even in some parts of southern Nigeria where laterite soil exists? What business have we using reinforced concrete on roads like Benin City to Warri, Benin City to Asaba, or Warri to Port Harcourt or many sections of the Eastern and Western parts of Nigeria?
He makes Nigeria waste hundreds of millions of dollars importing reinforced bars (iron rods) and also buy tons of Cements. He claim that using reinforced concrete will make our roads last for over 50 years and eliminate cost of rehabilitation if we use asphalt pavement is not right in all cases. We have some roads constructed in the 1970s and 80s without use of reinforced concrete and they are still firmly stable except for the asphalt layers on them that require regular overlay once at most 15 years and regular preventative maintenance of isolated small failed sections of the asphalt layers to prevent them deteriorating to large failures.
This aspect of routine road maintenance is mainly what FERMA is established to undertake but sadly this Agency has over the years also performed below expectation due to political interferences in the appointments of people into the board and the management of the Agency. FERMA has become more a contract awarding agency instead of a Direct Labour Agency with its own workers and equipment like other road construction companies. I bet you, if mandated, I will rehabilitate or reconstruct many of these federal roads in maximum of two years without use of reinforced concrete pavement and at far lower costs. Some of the roads I constructed or rehabilitated almost 13 years ago in Delta state are still firm as if they were done few months ago. I am prepared to assist Mr President fix many of these roads without demanding a kobo as salary or allowance. All I care about is good, durable and safe roads for Nigerians at optimal cost. This is the only country I have.
As the politics of the 2027 general elections builds up with heightened anxiety across the country, what is your take on Nigeria presently?
Let me condemn many state Governors for their very poor performances and utilisation of the increased huge monthly allocations they now get as a result of President Tinubu’s decision to halt the continued payment of fuel subsidy and operation of multiple exchange rates both of which hitherto denied state governments more funds. In addition, President Tinubu should urgently rejig his cabinet to replace some Ministers and Senior Political Appointees who have failed in the discharge of their duties. The President should replace many members of his political team in charge of advising, monitoring and management of the petroleum sector due to their poor performances and their inability to restore sanity in the critical sector that remains the Treasure Base of the nation and critical to actualising the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.