PAGE 12— SUNDAY VANGUARD, AUGUST 18, 2019 How I would have assigned portfolios — Onovo, ex-NCP presidential candidate By Chinwoke Akoma Chief Martin Onovo, the presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party, NCP, the party founded by the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, in the 2019 general elections, speaks on how he would have shared portfolios to ministers-designate were he to be in the shoes of President Muhammadu Buhari. Ministerial list: what do you think of it? We must first ask ourselves whether Gen. Buhari was legitimately elected before he can make ministerial nominations legitimately. In our opinion, falsification of election results is treasonable as it is an <strong>over</strong>throw of the s<strong>over</strong>eignty of the people. While we wait for the tribunal to determine that, we have followed events at the tribunal and we have seen the contradictions of the positions of Gen. Buhari and INEC on the certificate issue and the election results as collated manually and on the INEC server. We also have the reports of election observers like the EU Observer Mission, the US International Republican Institute and the US National Democratic Institute. It is clear that the “stolen mandate” of 2019 is worse than the “annulment” of June 12, 1993. The ministerial list has many people battling corruption allegations and many old and recycled people. This confirms our claim that the anti-corruption fight is deceitful. The number of ministers is also unwieldy and the list is dominated by Muslims, consistent with the perceived Islamization agenda in Nigeria. With our move for restructuring, the federating regions in a restructured Nigeria will have their own regional police Do you think the list should have come earlier? We expect that in a legitimate g<strong>over</strong>nment, the list should come much earlier but even in President Buhari’s first tenure, the <strong>Ministers</strong> were sworn-in <strong>over</strong> five months after he had been inaugurated. So while we expect that the list should come earlier, we also know that Buhari lacks a sense of urgency on serious national issues. What is your take on the return of old faces in the cabinet? That was predictable. Buhari insisted publicly on nominating people he knows instead of people that can serve better. This can be interpreted as placing his personal interest above national interest. The old faces reappointed had failed previously but apparently for Buhari’s personal interest, he prefers to reappoint them against national interest. Was Gen. Buhari right in not indicating the ministries of his nominees at the Senate screening? We think that it would have been better if their ministries were indicated so that the Senate screening will be more effective with more specific questions on the challenges in the particular ministries. How do you rate the screening of the <strong>Ministers</strong> by the Senate? Very poorly! It seemed as if the leadership of the Senate was desperate to confirm our allegation that they are puppets of the executive. The Senate screening subverted the objectives of that very important national undertaking. What are the factors you think can be applied to determine the ministries of the •Martin Onovo nominees? Regular human resource management factors of education, experience, energy, competence, federal character, public priorities and, most importantly, integrity. What do you think of the ‘state of the nation’ especially with respect to insecurity and the economy? The ‘state of the nation’ is very painful with respect to the economy and insecurity. On the economy, we have the highest unemployment level ever, the highest total public debt ever, highest price inflation ever, a deeply devalued Naira and the highest number of people living in extreme p<strong>over</strong>ty worldwide. All these catastrophic economic indices were recorded during the tenure of Buhari. The economy has been clearly ruined by the Buhari g<strong>over</strong>nment. On insecurity, the situation has continuously deteriorated throughout Nigeria since Buhari was sworn-in. According to the Shehu of Borno, “nobody can dare move out of Maiduguri by 10 kilometers without being attacked by Boko Haram”. According to Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, “a large area of Borno State is still not accessible to health care workers because of the activities of Boko Haram”. Since the reported g<strong>over</strong>nment payment of a ransom of two million Euros to Boko Haram for the release of some kidnap victims, Boko Haram has resurged, killed thousands of Nigerian soldiers and <strong>over</strong>ran so many military bases including Gajiram, Mainok, Rann, Geidam, Sasawa, Magumeri, Malam Fatori, Gashigha, Kanama, Mafa, Gamboru-Ngala, Damasak, Gudumbali, Garunda, Kunduga, Kareto, Jili, Arge, Zari, Arege, Metele, BuniGari, etc. In addition to Boko Haram that operates majorly in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, we have the terrorist herdsmen that operate in almost all states of Nigeria and have killed more Nigerians than Boko Haram in the last 12 months. G<strong>over</strong>nment has failed catastrophically on security of lives and property and in managing the economy. Paradoxically, security and economy are two of the three priority areas of the g<strong>over</strong>nment. What is your advice to Buhari on fixing Nigeria? Our advice to Buhari on fixing Nigeria is that he lacks the vision, vigor and competence required to fix Nigeria. Also, since he knows that he did not win the 2019 election, he should confess and step out of Aso Rock for the authentic choice of Nigerians to lead. Otherwise, he can support the restructuring of the country as demanded by a clear majority of Nigerians. What is your perspective on RUGA? The RUGA policy is Islamization and fulanization. It is unlawful and undemocratic. It is simply abusing g<strong>over</strong>nment authority to steal the lands of indigenous people and give them to terrorist herdsmen as a camp to further their attacks on innocent Nigerians and Islamize and fulanize the entire Nigeria. Let us remind you of Buhari’s declaration that “I will continue to show openly and inside me the total commitment to the Sharia movement that is sweeping all <strong>over</strong> Nigeria”. RUGA is a violation of the Constitution of Nigeria. We will resist RUGA by all means, moral, legal, political and strategic. What is your perspective on state police? We opposed state police for many reasons. Many states owe salaries. They do not pay their teachers. How will they fund and pay their state police? The risk of unpaid teachers is not the same as the risk of unpaid armed police personnel. The risk is too high. We have seen the abuse of state institutions and we know that state police will be abused against political opponents. There is also a high risk of clashes between the police of different states, say in boundary disputes, etc. We have seen the killing of Nigerian policemen by Nigerian soldiers. However, with our move for restructuring, the federating regions in a restructured Nigeria will have their own regional police. This will reduce the risk of abuse and the risk of unpaid policemen. What is your perspective on the anticorruption war? Do not be deceived. There is no anticorruption war. What we have is a procorruption scheme that is concealed with very elaborate anti-corruption rhetoric. It is clear that this is the most corrupt g<strong>over</strong>nment ever in Nigeria. Everything about this g<strong>over</strong>nment is corrupt, with nepotism, sectionalism, fake certificates, false affidavits, false propaganda, falsified election results, unprecedented looting of national resources, etc. This g<strong>over</strong>nment deliberately promotes corruption in many ways like, the appointment of corruption suspects, shielding corruption suspects that support the ruling party from the law, political deals with corruption suspects to be freed in exchange for political support, blackmail, intimidation and harassment of politicians that oppose the ruling party, etc. For discerning citizens, this is the most corrupt g<strong>over</strong>nment ever. This g<strong>over</strong>nment has spent nearly N30trillion belonging to Nigerians since May 2015 till date. Yet, no new power station, no new refinery, no significant maintenance of the existing refineries, no new Niger bridge, only the false propaganda of a ‘completed’ Ogwashi-uku dam. Send your correspondent to Ogwashi-uku to see the empty site <strong>over</strong>grown with weeds. International agencies like Transparency International and the US Department of State have exposed the “massive corruption” in this g<strong>over</strong>nment. My reappointment for the good of Delta, Ugborodo—Pirah By Abel Kolawole ommissioner for Special Duties in CDelta State and Public Relations Officer, PRO, of Ugborodo Community Trust, Mr. Mofe Pirah, in this interview, speaks on his reappointment by G<strong>over</strong>nor Ifeanyi Okowa and how to achieve lasting peace in the community. How do you feel being reappointed? Let me first thank the g<strong>over</strong>nor graciously for reconsidering me to be part of his g<strong>over</strong>nment. It shows he wants me to be part of his g<strong>over</strong>nment for eight years. It is not that I am the best, but I am a consistent and stable character. I understand and believe in the vision and mission of the g<strong>over</strong>nor. Maybe he saw that I supported him a lot. I am the only Commissioner, who is going doing a third consecutive term in the Delta State Executive Council. I was first appointed by ex-g<strong>over</strong>nor Emmanuel Uduaghan. Surprisingly, your latest appointment came against wrangling and allegations against you, especially from dissenting voices in Ogidigben where you hail from. Why the disconnect between you and your people? I don’t have a disconnect with my Ogidigben brothers and sisters. Social media is a place where big boys hire little boys to blackmail people. If you watched, when the propaganda came that I was given a road contract and embezzled the funds, I never said a word. They went further by saying that I was lobbying to be reappointed. They even said that heads must roll. I still didn’t glorify the blackmailers with any response. They are political detractors. I won’t mention names, but people know who is sponsoring them and what reward they derive from that. Just before the g<strong>over</strong>nor reappointed you, your name had been listed, particularly as PRO, among a new Ugborodo Community Trust. Is it still ideal you occupy both offices? Some people will say that Mofe Pirah went to lobby. Some said I stooped low by accepting to be the PRO of Ugborodo Community. First, I never lobbied for any position. My community (Ogidigben) came to me to discuss the critical issue. They said that while Ugborodo Interim Management Committee, UIMC, lasted, Ogidigben was shortchanged in all their activities. As a result, the community needed a representative who can match the caliber of people at the executive level of the Trust to be constituted. I didn’t see my reappointment as commissioner coming. What is the job of a Public Relations Officer in an organisation? I am not the Secretary or chairman. How about looking at it from the point of conflict of interests? If Ugborodo Community is coming to deal with the Delta State G<strong>over</strong>nment where I am commissioner, I can excuse them, but mainly, they are going to be dealing with Chevron, NDDC, Shell, Agip, NNPC, Niger I never lobbied for any position; my community (Ogidigben) came to me to discuss the critical issue; they said that while Ugborodo Interim Management Committee, UIMC, lasted, Ogidigben was shortchanged Delta Ministry and sundry stakeholders. The community needs people like us with a good pedigree to be in meetings to interact with these critical organisations. The community needs people in my caliber to introduce ourselves in such meetings. Talking of credibility, how credible is the new Community Trust? If I say that I am satisfied with the way the new Trust was constituted, I am deceiving you, but remember, the Olu of Warri has visited the G<strong>over</strong>nor of Delta State to inform him that a new Ugborodo Community Trust •Pirah has been constituted. Who am I to challenge what the Olu endorsed? I have no such powers. I dare say, however, that the new Trust Chairman, who was also UIMC chairman must consult critically with key stakeholders and determine, how we can get out of the imbroglio. That is when some of us would offer suggestions on the way forward. I don’t want to see Ugborodo going back to the trenches anymore. It is a disgrace that the previous management committee chaired by Austin Oborogbeyi mislead the community.
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