Comrade Onyinye-Ghandi Chukwunyere, a lawyer, is the presidential spokesperson for the African Action Congress (AAC). In this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU, he speaks on crucial issues of national importance. Excerpt:
Following increase in kidnapping and other crimes, the Afenifere recently suggested a multi-level policing for the country. Do you think this will yield positive results considering the current structure of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF)?
The escalation in violent crimes in the country is not just a function of our failed security architecture and compromised agencies. It is largely a byproduct of the worsening socioeconomic situation. As a security strategy, policing and guns are merely supplementary. The fundamental strategy to secure any population is to improve the conditions of their existence and enable their socioeconomic ascendancy. Moreover, it is never a good thing to over-police people. Multi-level policing may sound reassuring, but in reality, under the present socioeconomic conditions, you’ll only succeed in creating multiple layers of the corrupt, abusive, underpaid, and poorly trained police system we already have, and consequently subject the people to insecurity at the hands of the police. We in the African Action Congress (AAC) have drawn up a comprehensive strategy that seeks to tackle insecurity by eliminating its socioeconomic foundations, and improving the system and standard of policing as a supplement. There’s always a limit to the logic of force as a solution to social problems. Most times the force of logic yields a better outcome, and that’s our approach. I’m sure the Afenifere leaders are well-meaning, and I’ll urge them to support the AAC and our agenda to liberate the Nigerian people.
Eminent Nigerians like former APC National Chairman, Bisi Akande; former President Ibrahim Babangida and Ohanaeze helmsman, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu have renewed calls for restructuring. To what extent do you agree with them?
The call for restructuring has been a major plank of elite agitation for power in Nigeria for quite some time. Only a few among the proponents understand and mean what they’re talking about. Ironically, Mr. Tinubu was a vocal proponent of restructuring until his APC got to power. Now he is in charge and arguably possesses the strings to pull off the project if he truly believes in it, but we’re yet to see any indication that he’ll walk his talk, and that’s not a surprise. We in the AAC believe the country should be fundamentally restructured, and we have developed a blueprint for achieving that. Unlike the APC and PDP power hustlers, we do not see restructuring as a power-sharing gimmick. We conceive restructuring as a necessary reordering of the political and economic pillars of our country in order to build a secure, united, and prosperous nation. Our blueprint will truly democratize political and economic power, and firmly place the Nigerian people in a position of control and ownership. We’ll deconstruct the structure of Nigerian politics to eliminate the perverse monetary incentives and ensure that only the country’s finest are drawn to public service. We’ll restructure the economy in a way that maximises the welfare and dignity of our people. Greater details of our plan are still in our manifesto which is available to the public. So, we do not disagree with the proponents of restructuring, but we conceive the idea fundamentally differently.
Looking at the body language of the Tinubu administration, do you think it can muster the political will to restructure the country?
We expect nothing transcendental from the Tinubu government. In fact, we believe it will end up worse than the catastrophic Buhari experiment because fixing Nigeria requires the courage and capacity to tinker with the foundational faults of the country. So far, there has been no indication that Tinubu and his crew possess what it takes to do the required tinkering. And that is a real shame given that much of their entire political career was built on the agitation for restructuring. Restructuring the country is an absolute necessity. The amazing diversity of our people, which should ordinarily be a source of strength, has become a manipulative button for unscrupulous politicians to seek power by division. Uniting the Nigerian people around a common idea of dignified nationhood is only possible when the current structural contraption is dismantled. That is our objective for restructuring. We do not believe Tinubu and his APC are willing to dismantle the corrupt system that has served them so well. However, we’re open to surprises. We’ll welcome all genuine efforts to restructure the country along the lines proposed by the AAC Manifesto. For us, it is not about persons, but the best interests of the Nigerian people.
With the recent revelations and ongoing investigation of Betta Edu and the probe of her predecessor, would you say the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has been a conduit for looting of funds?
Almost every department of the APC government, whether headed by Buhari or Tinubu, is dedicated to the large-scale looting of the resources of the Nigerian people. The mess in the so-called Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is a drop in the bucket when compared with what is going on across other ministries and agencies of the APC government. These people see politics as a fast way to fix their personal financial problems. The politicians and civil servants have constructed a perverse system to service their greed at the expense of the Nigerian people. And given the near absence of punishment for corruption in the country, it has become the criminals’ paradise. The CBN and the NNPC are the central cash houses of the looters of Nigeria. Here we’re talking of shadowy elements literally sharing national revenue among themselves on a treasonous scale. It is not sustainable, but they don’t care as long as the Nigerian people are bearing the brunt. Every thinking head knows that something drastic is needed. That is why the AAC proposes a swift and comprehensive deconstruction of the current system and a holistic reconstruction of the country around the ideas that unite our people, prioritise their welfare, punish criminals, and protect the common purse.
Since President Tinubu suspended Better Edu as minister, do you see his action as an indication that his administration is serious in the war against corruption?
The Tinubu administration is a product of corruption. It is a contraption birthed from the most mind-boggling electoral heist in recent Nigerian history. It carries a stubborn moral stench which has significantly impaired its ability to fight corruption in any meaningful way. Betta Edu and other itchy fingers in the administration are bottom feeders. The major looters are the ones running the show, and you can’t seriously expect them to fight themselves. So, we don’t expect any serious anti-corruption campaign from the Tinubu administration. Betta Edu and others will quietly disappear with their loot and nothing will happen. That’s the way the current system is designed to function, especially now that it is headed by some of the most crooked characters in the country. Nigerians should embrace the AAC’s proposal for a transformative change. We propose an approach with zero tolerance for corruption, and we’ll reconfigure the architecture of the government to weed out thieves and prevent the stealing of public resources. We must also go back to our cultural tradition of shaming thieves whether in government or on the streets. We must stop the shameful practice of hailing common criminals who have stolen from us to build fickle empires of patronage.
The FCT, Abuja, and parts of North and South are witnessing increased terrorist activities. How could security agencies check this upsurge?
My first explanation on tackling insecurity applies nationwide. There cannot be security in the FCT as long as the Nigerian people are insecure in other parts of the country. Mr. Wike who launched a brutish, but myopic attack on the sources of livelihood of many Nigerians in Abuja by destroying okadas and poor settlements clearly doesn’t understand the connection between poverty and crime. Having lived off public resources for much of his adult life, he’s quick to attack hard working Nigerians. Unfortunately for him and his ilk, there is no hiding place for anyone. Even if they militarise every square inch of the FCT, they still cannot save themselves from the socioeconomic consequences of their attacks on the welfare and dignity of the Nigerian people. Massive social investments, especially in education, healthcare, and workers’ welfare are the fastest way to build a productive economy which is your surest guarantee against criminality. Once you eliminate poverty-induced criminality, the rest can be handled with smart policing. There are no shortcuts. You must invest in the people if you want to end insecurity.
Do you agree that the coming of the US Secretary of State was evidence of the success of Tinubu’s search for foreign investments?
The U.S. Secretary of State visited Nigeria and other countries in the sub-region to reinforce his county’s strategy against expanding Russian and Chinese influence. He didn’t visit you to improve your plight, but to advance the interest of his country, and rightfully so. The only public officials who do not understand their duty to their country are those in Nigeria. There’s a total lack of strategic thinking in their international engagements on behalf of Nigeria. In fact, Mr. Tinubu still goes to France for medical and tourist visits. The country yearns for a generation of leaders with a historical understanding of their mission to reposition the country and advance the interests of its people. The AAC offers such leadership. Our plan to transform Nigeria necessarily integrates the consciousness that the destiny of Africa is tied to Nigeria’s success. We propose to build a country where leaders are self-respecting and proud enough to seek medication and tourism in our homeland. We will not play second fiddle to anyone. We’ll unapologetically advance the interest of our people while seeking friendship with all nations. Mr. Tinubu’s globe-trotting is unnecessary if he does right by our people. And he should start by immediately ending his periodic pilgrimage to France. Foreign investment is good, but you must demonstrate confidence in your country, and your people before investors can take you seriously.
How would the current Naira slide be stopped to improve the economy and reduce high cost of living?
There are two immediate solutions. First is to aggressively crack down on public corruption. The collapse of the Naira is corruption-driven. After looting billions of Naira, politicians and their bureaucratic friends hastily convert their loot to the U.S dollar for storage in local or foreign accounts. This intensifies the demand for the dollar which naturally drives its value up against the disfavoured Naira. The rapid collapse you’re witnessing is a reflection of the scale of theft perpetrated under the Buhari government and the treasonous efforts by the crooks in that government to hoard their loot in dollars. This was exacerbated by the Tinubu government’s move to float the Naira without undergirding it with the requisite mass production and export as counter-measures. Aggressively attack corruption, recover the stolen loot, return them to the public coffers in Naira and watch the bleeding stop. The second solution is to build a productive economy. You earn foreign exchange when you produce and export your products. Unleashing the creative and productive powers of the Nigerian people through the provision of enabling infrastructure will strengthen demand for the Naira as we increase trade with other countries. However, taking the above steps requires an iron-clad will to do right by the Nigerian people. Only the AAC has demonstrated such will. Our commitment to building a secure and prosperous nation is unflinching. We urge the Nigerian people to support the AAC and take back their country.
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