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Chief Matthew A. Osochukwu, the Ọchị na nwata
In this exclusive interview with Apex News Exclusive, a Bauchi State-based Igbo leader and political analyst, Chief Matthew A. Osochukwu popularly identified by his traditional title, “Ọchị na nwata” speaks of his concerns on the state of the Nation in the light of insecurity, governance and many others. Excerpts:
By Ude Ogbonnaya Israel, Bauchi
How do you rate President Buhari’s Administration from the time he assumed office till date?
Honestly, I cannot say that he has performed so excellently and not so poor, in the sense that there are a lot of issues even before he became the President of Nigeria mainly the security challenges. But, in any case, I believe that some of us that voted him, let me put it that way, think that he can do better especially with his position as a former General in the Army. But, from the way things are going, things are getting out of hand.
Does it mean you have lost hope for the less than two years he has to leave office?
Well, hence there is life there is hope. There is no way I can say I have lost hope entirely. In as much as all of us are praying for betterment of this nation. Nigeria is our own country; we don’t have another. But I have a suggestion if Mr. President can give a listening ear to some of these things happening today. I am talking about the incessant killings, today you hear that people die here, tomorrow people are killed there. Herdsmen killing farmers, people agitating for separation, all these things. This issue of killings, I believe if Mr President will set up a powerful unbiased committee to wade into it in a different manner. You know such things has been going on even before the coming of this administration, but there are things that Mr. President should call a challenge. I want Mr. President of this country to see this issue of killings as a big challenge because any leader that does not protect lives and properties of his people is just wasting time. So, because of that I will advise Mr. President to kindly set up a power-packed committee. If he himself will chair the committee, better for us, or the Vice President not any of the governors. We are talking of national issues. So, somebody who knows the value of this administration and the promises he made should come out and know that this is part of what he promised to save Nigeria from deteriorating.
What should this committee look out for those others may have not considered in solving this problem?
The committee will have to dig deep to find out details about why should Mr A is comfortable in killing Mr. B. Find out the remote causes of these crises here and there. This thing now is making Nigeria a laughing stock to other African countries. I don’t know why a whole Nigeria these kinds of things will be happening. The governors honestly were not living up to expectations including those places there are agitation for separation are going on. When this started happening, you as a Governor is the Chief security officer in your state. Being the Governor is not all about appointing commissioners, you have to live by example.
Everything is not all about Mr. President, you have to control your state, then when you have tried and everybody see that you have, then you involve the national. Most of these governors were so reluctant when this thing came up in the first place. The governors did not do their assignment very well. If they have, in what ways, what efforts have they really put in place when the whole thing started earlier.
Do you think this administration style of appointment in any way pushed some into this separation agitation?
Really, there are some areas some of them feel marginalized in appointment. Let me give you an example. When Mr. President gave General Buratai, Chief of Army staff, everybody knew that he did it because Buratai is from North-East and Boko Haram is happening in those areas and he understands where or how to go about it. I believe he thought about all these things before even giving him the appointment. So, this time around, the way things are going it is not just about which part of the country you came from, rather the issue is who is more competent to handle the problem we are having in Nigeria.
Let us just balance the issue of appointment and go for people who are competent enough to do it. The issue of ministerial appointments, that one is on the basis of Federal character and there are ways it should be done. They can’t deny the 36 states their rights because every state has her quota. But other kitchen appointments, let Mr. President remember Federal character so that if anybody is agitating, the Federal Government can call the zone and ask what the problem us then things will just go as expected and most of these things will not be there.
Ahead of 2023, what are your expectations?
Well, everybody is now focusing on 2023.The 2019 election that has kept us where we are today, what have we achieve? All these accumulated problems. How far have we gone with them? We should be thinking of How these problems will not multiple by 2023. So, we have to at least start doing something. Even if it is APC that will come back, they will inherit problems. If it is another party, they also inherit problem. Let us be our brother’s keeper. Do your best when you are there, then whosoever that come in will continue.
If I remember what the former President Goodluck Jonathan did by introducing card reader, I use to hail him for the way and manner he handled election of 2015 knowing what politics is all about. This time around people are proposing the use of electronic transmission. If Mr President can please remember 2003, 2007 and 2011, he will now say I don’t want what happened to me to happen to anybody, I want peace to reign in this country. I want free and fair election. Mr. President will adopt this issue of electronic transmission because it will give us exactly what we want because from the polling units nobody will change any figure. So that is another way I want Mr. President to at least as he is leaving office in 2023, let him leave legacy that he did this without trying to favour anyone as Nigeria is one. Whoever wins should be allowed to rule.
Is there a party or candidate you have in mind, or think can take Nigeria out of her current mess or problem?
Well, I cannot tell you that I have Mr. A or Mr. B. What I am pleading for the authority is to give room for free and fair election. We are all Nigerians. When the people that are going to contest come out, then we will now check who is better than the other. For now, we are just looking at the whole thing. Our concern now us not even individual candidate but we are talking about the way to handle the election to make it free and fair and give us exactly what we need. We want to practice democracy. Let me tell you one thing, I am not for zoning because the issue of zoning does not promote democracy.
Zoning can be the mechanism they use to convince members of the party, but the real democracy itself does not have any room for zoning. People can come out, people can still choose who they want in as much as they are capable and qualified. I am from South East anyway but what we want is somebody who has this nation at heart. We have them in South East, we have them in North East, we have them in South West, we have them everywhere.
On insecurity, just like the latest killings in Plateau State, why did it seem to be getting worse on daily basis?
If the governors of states had been checkmating all these problem of incessant killings in their areas, earlier before now, Mr. President could be able to see how he can assist. Although, he has been assisting. The governors have not been able to do things right, mainly this Plateau. They have been pockets of killings. What have they been doing to stop such killings? Is it just to come and imposed curfew, tomorrow they say we have taken care of that? It is not enough. Find out the remote causes of the killings they have been having in that area.
Then this issue of herdsmen and farmers, let Mr. President set up a powerful committee at the national level to check what is the real problem. Both of them are very important for Nigerians. If you do away with the entire farmers, then what do we eat? Herdsmen are rearing cattle, supplying us with meat, milk and other things. Both are supposed to be working hand in hand instead of clashing. So, setting up an unbiased national committee will be of great value to solving this problem.
On Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho’s clamour for secession, how do you see these issue and how the government can handle it?
This issue of agitation, I am blaming the governors of where Nnamdi Kanu or Sunday Igboho came from. They did not do their internal work properly. The governors are honestly to be blamed if you ask me, from the way they are handling it. What have they really done to control this thing at the early stage before it escalated to this point? After all these things, tomorrow now one of them will come and say he want to vie for the Presidency of this country. You could not be able to control the problem that escalate from your place and now you are coming to tell me that you want to rule this country. What will you give or tell us? I am just looking at them for anyone to come from either South West or South East that he is contesting. Whether, you are a governor or you are a stakeholder there, you will tell us how far you have gone with all thus problem. If the agitation is in order, how have you addressed it.
All these things I don’t see how you have not done your homework and you are coming out to tell the whole nation that you are qualified to be the father of the whole nation. It’s a lie. But, for the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, I am not a lawyer, but if Nigeria met all the requirements of arresting somebody from outside country, fine and good. Also, if the trial they are giving to him is based on constitutional provision that is also fine and good, because in this country, we have a constitution and anything they are going to do, let the government do it according to the Constitution of our country. That is the only thing I can say about that for now but I am still blaming the governors and the stakeholders from the zones. They should share the major blame because they did not do their homework properly.
