22032021 - Govs, APC, PDP, othersrally against attack on Ortom

42 — Vanguard, MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021
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STATE OF THE NATION:
Buhari’s 8 years may end up
wasted unless ... — Unagha
*Hold northern leaders responsible for worsening insecurity
*Nigeria at war with itself
*Delta State yet to honour its founding fathers
Alhaji Mumakai-Unagha was a presidential aspirant in the 2019 general election
on the plank of the ruling All Progressives Congress <strong>APC</strong>. In this interview,
the legal practitioner expressed fear that President Muhammadu
Buhari’s eight years may end up a monumental waste unless he acts fast.
He also spoke on how to develop Delta State.
C
M
Y
K
By Clifford Ndujihe
YOU seem critical of this
government your party
controls. Why is it so?
Most politicians are bootlickers,
they do not have the courage to
face reality which some of us don’t
have the shocks to absorb. Take it
or leave it. If you see the enthusiasm
and zeal with which we embraced
Buhari when he came, it
was as if he was the messiah but
the expectation of the masses was
not only turned down, but also buried.
I couldn’t have imagined that an
army general, known for fighting
wars would not be able to address
security challenges. As party faithful,
we welcomed his economic
and development policy, but the
policy was like a beautiful bride,
well dressed without character. To
give it a better narrative, the government
took off well with high
expectations but the reverse has
been the case now.
The integrity of Mr. President we
know him for has fast gone down.
In 2014, some of us almost sold our
houses and cars to prosecute the
election because of the love we
have for him. It has been so painful
considering the present state of
the country.
This is a party where the president
does not know the foundation
members or those who stick out
their neck for the party. He did not
know if members are dying of hunger
to the exclusion of a few, all in
the name of integrity. Boards and
parasatals he constituted since
2016 are still there. Worst, non performing
ministers are also still
there doing nothing.
Those who asked Mr. President
to re-contest for second term may
be regretting by now. They saw his
shortcoming but compelled him to
contest for their selfish interest. I
can tell you, Buhari was not prepared
for the second term of office.
Some of us, his faithful, who can
trek from Badagry to Maiduguri
for the love we have for him, cannot
even do so from the Eagle
square to the gate of Aso Villa.
In the first tenure of Mr. President,
his eye glass, Agbada even
his cap was a threat to corrupt Politicians,
making them to flee the
country. Sooner or later, all went
down the drain. The Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, became the centre of corruption
where officers were on pay
list of those who stole the country
blind. Power play took the centrestage
over who controls the soul of
these agencies. However, Mr. President
still has the opportunity to
redeem his image.
On how to tackle insecurity in
the country.
I have said it times without number
that northern leaders, past and
present, are responsible for the current
security challenges and they
should be held responsible. I know
they will challenge this position
but that is the true situation and I
stand to be corrected or challenged.
The borders in the North are so
porous giving room to all kinds of
people to move in freely. The military
should conduct internal investigation
on itself; they will discover
that most of the personnel are
either from Chad or Niger Republic.
As a matter of fact, they constitute
20 per cent of the voting
strength in the North. The killing
going in the North, no true Muslim
will carry out such heinous
crime, let alone killing his brother.
The security agencies should
purge themselves and genuinely
carry out search light into their
activities.
In all the para-military agencies
in the country, there are so many
people from Chad and Niger recruited
unknowingly. They claim
that they are from the North. Nigeria
is at war with itself. The
North that used to be safe haven
for all has turned hell fire. I, therefore,
appeal to Mr. President to
bring back the dignity and
hounour brought by the Sadauna
of Sokoto, the Prime Minister of
Nigeria, Abubakar Tafawa Balawa.
Unless that is done the eight years
administration of President Muhammadu
Buhari will be a waste.
How do you see the development
recorded in Delta since the
state was created in 1991?
Not satisfied compared to the allocations
coming to the state.
Twenty nine years after the creation,
we are still battling with the
problem of socio-political and economic
development. I did not expect
or believe that the state will
still be foot-dragging. Major cities
which by now ought to have been
transformed to El-dorado are still
slums. Take a drive trough Warri,
Sapele, Ughelli, Agbor as well as
the state capital; they are still tales
of woe of under development. The
social lives of the people are nothing
to write home about.
There is a gradual but steady erosion
and corrosion of the people’s
psyche. This was not what we anticipated
when we were clamouring
for the state to be created. It is
sad to note that the state parades a
high social economic profile and
despite its enormous and sophisticated
oil sector, the economy of
the state reflects an extreme disparity
and depression. Our youths
are more frustrated as there is no
hope of things getting better. The
number of our youths roaming the
streets is so alarming that the state
is pregnant. Delta State seems
conquered by the ruling class.
What we see every day in our national
dailies are all praise singers,
traceable to hunger. Political
sycophancy has become the order
of the day. If you doubt, go through
some of the villages in the state, it
is an exercise in a
pathetic sightseeing
of hungry
looking
children and
old parents afflicted
with
malnutrition.
We fought so
hard to get the
state created;
one would have
thought the
state would be
witnessing rapid
growth.
How would
you describe
Northern leaders,
past and present,
are responsible for
the current security
challenges and they
should be held
responsible
the performance
of the
urban development committees
set up by the State Government
sometime ago?
I don’t see the existence of any
committee, as they have failed. If
there is such committee, it is either
the committee has gone into comatose
or oblivion. For example, the
various urban cities are slums, dirt
everywhere. I want to particularly
make reference to Warri and its environment,
it is a sorrow state.
There is no city we can be proud
off. Keke NAPEP has taken over
the cities making them look unkempt.
I am of the view that the
state government should wake up
these committees or replace them
with more vibrant members. Delta
State is yearning for development.
You said successive governments
in Delta State have not been fair
to you and others, how do you
mean?
Emphatically yes, they are unfair
to some of us. During the
movement for the state creation, I
was a member of the committee,
nominated by the Former President
General of the Urhobo
Progress Union, UPU, late Dr. Fredrick
Esiri. We were five members
that represented Urhobo in the
committee- Late Benjami Okumagba
who later became the Orosue
of Okere Urhobo Kingdom;
Chief Smith Okwarume; Chief Akpedeye;
Chief Cassidy of Ughelli,
and I.
On the side of the Itsekiri were
late O.P Edodo, late Chief Begho
and Chief Jemide. The Ijaw were
represented by Chief Oki of Patani
*Alhaji Mumakai-Unagha
and others. There was a super permanent
secretary, late Orewa from
Agbor, Chief Onyeobi and others.
The representatives from the Delta
North opted for lower Niger
state as <strong>against</strong> the overwhelmingly
wishes of Deltans.
The Delta North delegates came
with a formula that for them to key
in, the headquarter should be cited
in Ughelli or Orerokpe, the
name of the state should be Lower
Niger State. This did not receive
the blessing of other ethnic nationalities.
During consultations tour,
we visited all the nooks and crannies
of the state to seek the support
of Deltans. Our Delta North
representatives gave us assurance
that they had connection to the
then head of state, General Ibrahim
Babangida. We prepared a
joint memorandum with headquarter
at Ughelli. Unknowingly to
those of us in Delta Central and
South, Delta North delegates prepared
their separate memorandum
with Delta State and Asaba as
Headquarter. We went home to rest
hoping that the state would be created
as generally agreed with
headquarter at Ughelli.
I rushed to Abuja in anticipation
of its creation with the capital at
Ughelli. I was in my hotel room
when the state was announced with
Headquarters at Asaba. I fell sick
for a whole week. I never anticipated
that the state headquarters
will be far away. During the consultation
tour of the area, there was
no loss of lives but hectic as a section
does not want to be part of the
proposed state. I headed the media
committee which I did perfectly,
and to God be the glory, it was
created. Since the state was created
no successive government considered
it worthy to honor those
who laboured for it, instead they
have been busy acquiring wealth
for themselves, their family and
those yet unborn. If government
can honour athletes that did the
state proud, I see no reason those
of us that laboured for the state to
be created should not be honoured.
On how to address the security
challenges facing Delta State
Just as Nigerians are calling for
a change in the security architecture
in the country, so also it is in
Delta State. The state security apparatus
should be overhauled immediately.
Delta State has not witnessed
this high rate of robbery,
banditry and kidnapping in recent
time. No day passes that there is
no report of killing, armed robbery,
kidnapping and communal crisis.
If you see the character of people
trooping into the state, you will be
worried and weep for the state.
They are penetrating very fast
which the state governments
should take note.
Recently, the state governor
through the instrumentality of the
Delta State Independent Electoral
Commission created 34 additional
wards in the state. Of the 34
wards, none was given to Delta
Central on the excuse that he
wants to balance the number of
wards in the three senatorial districts.
He also upgraded three tertiary
institutions into full-fledged universities,
what is your position?
The Governor is unfair to the
Urhobo Nation; it seems he has
scores to settle with the Urhobo.
The reason he gave that he wanted
to balance the wards is not tenable,
and not in consonance with
the basic facts. The Governor
needs to be reminded that states,
local governments and wards are
created based on geographical
size, population and economic
derivation. If the reason or reasons
given is anything to go bye,
with due respect to him, he should
work hard to balance the Northern
and Southern dichotomy
where the North have more states
than the South. The population
demographic and size of Ughelli
North, Uvwie, Sapele, Abraka,
Udu are equivalent to some states
in Nigeria. Delta Central deserves
more wards more than any
Local Government in the state
because of the size and population.
While the dust of the new
wards is yet to settle down, he upgraded
three territory institutions
to university status for Delta North
and South senatorial districts. This
is an open challenge and declaration
of dispute between the people
and his government.