TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE (National Mirror)
Lekan Balogun, a Third Republic senator and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) believes that revolution is the only solution to the various problems of Nigeria. In this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, he said Nigeria would not grow until there is a major departure from the existing pattern of doing things. Excerpts:
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| Senator Lekan Balogun |
How do you see the ongoing trial of some former governors and the efforts of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in bringing some former public office holders to book for alleged corrupt practices?
EFCC's indictment is not conviction and since the matter is still in court, it is unlawful to comment on it. There are many alle- gations against the former governors; they arebeingarraignedatdifferentcourtsand we should leave the EFCC to do their job. There is no point commenting on the matter until we are sure of our facts.
EFCC's indictment is not conviction and since the matter is still in court, it is unlawful to comment on it. There are many alle- gations against the former governors; they arebeingarraignedatdifferentcourtsand we should leave the EFCC to do their job. There is no point commenting on the matter until we are sure of our facts.
But at present many people seem to be worried that their cases might be swept under the carpet as it had been the case in the past. The act of arresting and arraigning is part of their job but for me as a lay man, I cannot judge them until l lay my hands on the fact. Nigerians are mutually suspicious of one another and nobody believes that EFCC means well.
At a stage nobody believes that some of the former governors would be arrested and now they have been arrested and are being arraigned at different courts. We should all wait for the decision of the court before judging anybody.
Corruption seem to have contributed immensely to bad governance in Nigeria because many of the resources meant to provide basic amenities for the masses are being diverted by some public office holders for personal use. Are you not worried about this trend?
I am very worried and I think the country is at the verge of a revolution. Definitely, we can't carry on like this. Corruption is not limited to EFCC arrest and arraignment of some people alone; it is endemic in Nigeria and everybody is involved. Corrup- tion has eaten deep into the fabrics of the Nigerian system and it will require major surgical operation to correct.
Corruption seem to have contributed immensely to bad governance in Nigeria because many of the resources meant to provide basic amenities for the masses are being diverted by some public office holders for personal use. Are you not worried about this trend?
I am very worried and I think the country is at the verge of a revolution. Definitely, we can't carry on like this. Corruption is not limited to EFCC arrest and arraignment of some people alone; it is endemic in Nigeria and everybody is involved. Corrup- tion has eaten deep into the fabrics of the Nigerian system and it will require major surgical operation to correct.
What do you mean by revolution?
It means a major departure from the existing pattern of doing things. By that, I mean when a country no longer wants to beledtheoldwayorgovernintheoldway. The obvious thing is to fight for change. We are ready for revolution and we are ready for change.
It means a major departure from the existing pattern of doing things. By that, I mean when a country no longer wants to beledtheoldwayorgovernintheoldway. The obvious thing is to fight for change. We are ready for revolution and we are ready for change.
We just can't carry on like this. The president is talking about transformation agenda and we don't know what it is all about and he hasn't told us the content of the transformation agenda. He is talking about building refinery in Singapore, what happens to the job generation agenda? He is announcing one objectives and he is acting contrary to it. We have to prepare our mind for revolution.
Can we now say the state of insecuri- tyinthecountry,especiallythemenace of the Boko Haram is a preparatory ground for revolution?
Boko Haram to me is a political, ethnic, religious and international problem. It is not well defined and we don't have all the data. The Police are not forthcoming about what Boko Haram is all about. Initially, they said it was an ethnic affair and later they said it is a religious problem and later Nigeria went to recognise the new government in Libya and consequent upon that was the bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja. Is Boko Haram an international problem or an extension of the Libya crisis?
Some Boko Haram leaders have in- dicated interest in negotiating with the government for peace to reign. Do you think the government should sit at the round table with the dreadful Islamic sect?
Why should we be negotiating with criminals? If I take to the street now and started shooting people, will you arrest me and start negotiating with me? Many things are wrong in the country and we cannot continue to carry on like this. I be- lieve something must give way very soon.
Despite the various problems in the country, President Goodluck Jonathan recently sent a bill to the National As- sembly seeking for a six year single ten- ure for president and governors. What is your take on this?
If I were him, six year single tenure will not be my priority. There is a high rate of unemployment, poverty, insecurity of life and property and many urgent problems in the country, which he needs to attend to. It is true that a lot of tension usually arise from two terms. I believe that must have been his concern but at the same time that should not be his priority. It is bad enough to have bad governance for four years; the worst is to have six years.
If we have a democracy that respect so the peoples rights, we can even talk of a 10-year single tenure but right now six-year single term is not the priority. It is terrible for us to endure four years of bad government and it will be worse for us if we have six years of bad governance.
Can we now say the state of insecuri- tyinthecountry,especiallythemenace of the Boko Haram is a preparatory ground for revolution?
Boko Haram to me is a political, ethnic, religious and international problem. It is not well defined and we don't have all the data. The Police are not forthcoming about what Boko Haram is all about. Initially, they said it was an ethnic affair and later they said it is a religious problem and later Nigeria went to recognise the new government in Libya and consequent upon that was the bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja. Is Boko Haram an international problem or an extension of the Libya crisis?
Some Boko Haram leaders have in- dicated interest in negotiating with the government for peace to reign. Do you think the government should sit at the round table with the dreadful Islamic sect?
Why should we be negotiating with criminals? If I take to the street now and started shooting people, will you arrest me and start negotiating with me? Many things are wrong in the country and we cannot continue to carry on like this. I be- lieve something must give way very soon.
Despite the various problems in the country, President Goodluck Jonathan recently sent a bill to the National As- sembly seeking for a six year single ten- ure for president and governors. What is your take on this?
If I were him, six year single tenure will not be my priority. There is a high rate of unemployment, poverty, insecurity of life and property and many urgent problems in the country, which he needs to attend to. It is true that a lot of tension usually arise from two terms. I believe that must have been his concern but at the same time that should not be his priority. It is bad enough to have bad governance for four years; the worst is to have six years.
If we have a democracy that respect so the peoples rights, we can even talk of a 10-year single tenure but right now six-year single term is not the priority. It is terrible for us to endure four years of bad government and it will be worse for us if we have six years of bad governance.
As a former member of the Senate, what advice do you have for the present members of the National Assembly on various issues and matters pending on the floor of the House?
I read about a bill, which Bukola Saraki was planning to sponsor on the oil subsidy. It is a major bill like the one I sponsored when I was in the Senate, which I called Security Bill.
According to the bill I spon- sored, the government is supposed to pro- vide for the aged, the children, the people living with disabilities and the unemployed but it never saw the light of the day. I hope thisonewillseethelightofthedaybecause it is a major bill. It talks about fuel subsidy but much more about the management of the fuel subsidy; the transparency that is absent in the management of the oil subsidy and so on and so forth. The proposed withdrawal of fuel subsidy will create a lot of hardship. We faced a lot of problem with the subsidy and there would be double problem if the subsidy is removed.
I read about a bill, which Bukola Saraki was planning to sponsor on the oil subsidy. It is a major bill like the one I sponsored when I was in the Senate, which I called Security Bill.
According to the bill I spon- sored, the government is supposed to pro- vide for the aged, the children, the people living with disabilities and the unemployed but it never saw the light of the day. I hope thisonewillseethelightofthedaybecause it is a major bill. It talks about fuel subsidy but much more about the management of the fuel subsidy; the transparency that is absent in the management of the oil subsidy and so on and so forth. The proposed withdrawal of fuel subsidy will create a lot of hardship. We faced a lot of problem with the subsidy and there would be double problem if the subsidy is removed.
So, my advice is that they should do their work very seriously and take their oversight function very seriously. They should challenge basic norms about the right of min- isters to do as they like. A lot of the atroci- ties that are committed are committed by ministers who are not accountable to the National Assembly. They should be made to be accountable to the National Assembly.
At present, PDP in many states, es- pecially in South-West, seems to have crumbled as reflected by the outcome of the last general elections. Are you not worried about the status of the PDP?
Our problem is as a result of bad leader- ship in South-West. We all know the foun- dation of the problem and if we correct it, everything will fall in place. Bad leadership isthebaneofthePDP.
Why did you blame bad leadership for PDP's woes?
Bad leadership led to the absence of transparency in the party; absence of democratic norms and values expected in the party with the way you run the party.
It is bad enough for one man to sit in his bedroom and start picking ministers and anybody he likes. And when that man is happy, we say South-West is happy but we are not happy. One-man's happiness is not the hap piness of millions of Yoruba people across the South-West.
Oyo PDP has been divided due to power tussle. Do you see the possibility of the PDP warring members coming together under one platform?
We are virtually together already. Matters have compelled us to come together andthatishappeningalready. I just pray that sanity would prevail and sanity would return to the party for us to put our heads together and promote a common cause.
At present, PDP in many states, es- pecially in South-West, seems to have crumbled as reflected by the outcome of the last general elections. Are you not worried about the status of the PDP?
Our problem is as a result of bad leader- ship in South-West. We all know the foun- dation of the problem and if we correct it, everything will fall in place. Bad leadership isthebaneofthePDP.
Why did you blame bad leadership for PDP's woes?
Bad leadership led to the absence of transparency in the party; absence of democratic norms and values expected in the party with the way you run the party.
It is bad enough for one man to sit in his bedroom and start picking ministers and anybody he likes. And when that man is happy, we say South-West is happy but we are not happy. One-man's happiness is not the hap piness of millions of Yoruba people across the South-West.
Oyo PDP has been divided due to power tussle. Do you see the possibility of the PDP warring members coming together under one platform?
We are virtually together already. Matters have compelled us to come together andthatishappeningalready. I just pray that sanity would prevail and sanity would return to the party for us to put our heads together and promote a common cause.
Ahead of the PDP national convention, South-West is seriously battling to produce the party's National Secretary. What is your take on this?
We are not battling to get the National Secretary of the party. It is not an adequate compensation for the loss of the Speaker- ship of the House of Representatives. So, how can we be battling for it. I have a lot of friends who are battling for the position of the National Secretary and I wish them good luck.
We are not battling to get the National Secretary of the party. It is not an adequate compensation for the loss of the Speaker- ship of the House of Representatives. So, how can we be battling for it. I have a lot of friends who are battling for the position of the National Secretary and I wish them good luck.
South-West is not battling for the position; we were already marginalised and disadvantage. Out of the geo-political zones in Nigeria we are the only marginalised zone, and giving us the position of the National Secretary will give us nothing; it is not the answer to our problems.
What we are supposed to have is the na- tional chairman of the party and if that is not possible, we must do everything to secure our place in the national politics. But I don't see that happening immediately unless the South-West puts its house in order first. Then other Nigerians would begin to respect them. But the National Vice Chairman (South West) of the PDP at the last zonal meeting of the party in Abeokuta disclosed that the position of the National Secretary is yet to be zoned to South West?
The leader of the meeting in Abeokuta said we should learn to forgive one another and we should not involve in self incrimination.Hesaidweshouldstopabusingone another, but at the event he abused some people calling them different names. He made a law and he was the first person to fall foul of his own law. Is that a good lead- ership? So the meeting achieved nothing at the end of the day. But I think all that will be a thing of the past very soon.
It's either the leadership changed its ways and meth- ods or an alternative leader will emerge in South West. We need leaders that will respect the wishes of the people, party norms and beliefs and give ways for the party to be run democratically. That kind of lead- ership will emerge any moment from now and if it doesn't emerge then the leadership of old must change their ways.
Fifty-one years after Independence, are you satisfied with the present state of Nigeria?
We are very far from it. I used to be angry when I was younger but now I am angrier as an older person about NigeriaÕs situa- tion because nothing is moving and hap- pening. I see revolution as the only answer but it will take time.
We are very far from it. I used to be angry when I was younger but now I am angrier as an older person about NigeriaÕs situa- tion because nothing is moving and hap- pening. I see revolution as the only answer but it will take time.
We need a vanguard organisation that will lead the control of the process of the revolution. It is coming, it is in the pipeline and it has to happen. Education is not free and there is no access to medical and health care; income is in- adequate.
There is poverty in the land and there are many vices; prostitution; armed robbery and now insecurity of lives and property.People don't care living when dying is the better al ternative. We are gradu- ally approaching that stage when you are better off dying than living.
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