S’East needs 2023 presidential aspirant regardless of party –Ezeife

Former governor of the old Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, in this interview with TOBI AWORINDE, critiques the treatment of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, by Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), among other problems.

You seem to be keeping a low profile these days. What is the reason for this?

No, I haven’t been out of the public eye. I have been giving interviews. But anybody who has been very active would find it difficult to continue being active because when you keep talking and it doesn’t seem to make any difference, it doesn’t count and whatever you say doesn’t mean anything. I think many people would give up, but some of us refuse to give up.

At the time former President Goodluck Jonathan’s term ended, many Nigerians were unhappy about the state of the country, yet he predicted that he would be praised after leaving office. Do you think that prophecy has come true?

Compared with (President Muhammadu) Buhari, of course, Jonathan was an angel, so the prediction came true. Also, if we even knew how he was struggling with Boko Haram and we happened to know those who were sponsoring Boko Haram, then we could understand that the campaign against him arose from somewhere.

Do you think Jonathan’s challenges with insecurity are different from the issues the country is currently dealing with?

No, we have never had it so bad! What insecurity did we have under Jonathan? It was Boko Haram and not too many other things. Today, everywhere is in trouble.

Some believe that the Buhari regime is fighting Boko Haram decisively, compared to his predecessor. Do you think he deserves commendation for that?

Buhari promised us $1 would be N1. He promised us lower prices for petroleum (products). He promised us many things. He promised us greater security. It (Buhari’s regime) has been a comprehensive failure in every direction. He seems to have a particular focus and nothing else seems to count. Heavy Islamisation and Fulanisation are the cardinal points and nothing else matters, as far as our President is concerned. This impression may be wrong.

But some might argue that Buhari has been able to fight corruption and Boko Haram. Do you agree with that school of thought?

I don’t understand your questions because you ask the opposite of what is true.

Buhari’s supporters make these claims and the Presidency has said this on a number of occasions…

The Presidency can say anything because it is defending itself against failure in every direction. We, as Nigerians, just have to kneel down and pray to Almighty God. The hearts of kings are in the hands of God. God can change Buhari; anybody from the South-East who understands what is going on will not want to answer your questions because they come from a negative direction. We are suffering more now than before and that seems to be the case with every Nigerian. Indeed, popular opinion tells me that we are misunderstanding things because nobody is spared by Buhari.

Currently, the economy under Buhari is characterised by a 40 per cent poverty rate, 33.3 unemployment rate and the naira is trading at 505 to the dollar. Do you think that is a reflection of the policies of the regime?

When things collapse, they collapse totally and we cannot feed ourselves. I’m in a position to know. Many men and women, thinking that we are better off, come to beg for money and it is not just a matter of coming to say, ‘Give me money to buy clothes.’ It’s a matter of ‘give me money to buy garri, so that my children who have not eaten for four days can taste food.’ This is the kind of thing we have now in the country. The price of everything is higher, from our own locally produced things to imported things.

What does this hardship translate to for the average Nigerian?

If you cannot take care of your children, what can be worse? If you cannot eat, what can be worse? If you have no hope in a society, what can be worse? If you are not sure of yourself, what can be worse? When I say ‘comprehensive failure,’ I mean failure in every dimension.

The country’s refineries have reportedly suffered a 13-month loss of N104.3bn, despite refining nothing. How do you feel about this?

It is not just Buhari. Under (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo and Jonathan, I cried for us to be producing refined products and drastically reduce the price of petroleum products, so that we can use petroleum, which we have to boost industry, which we don’t have. So, we have not adopted the right policies and it doesn’t appear that anybody listens. Let me tell you, a new Nigeria is knocking on the door, so those who are thinking of giving up should not give up. We should just restructure this country and adopt an idea of justice and fairness for everybody and then, you will see a superpower country. Nigeria is designed by God to be a superpower and to raise the dignity and respect before blacks on earth, and we are failing. The new Nigeria will make it possible, and we will be proud again.

How will the ‘new Nigeria’ be achieved?

All power belongs to God. All we need to do is to pray. There is nothing we don’t have, we have material resources, good climate, many good people and many talents from many tribes. God designed us for unmatched greatness. Man is messing up God’s design and because God doesn’t make mistakes, I think God’s will will eventually triumph; God’s plan for Nigeria will dominate man’s mess.

There have been some rumours that Jonathan might be considering running for President again in 2023. Do you welcome the idea?

Nobody from the South-East and not many people from the South-South will welcome that idea. It is a matter of some people trying to scatter us. Some people who think they are better organised and think they are born to rule are trying to drive a wedge between those of us in the South. It is not well intended. Some people are saying he should spend another four years and the North will take over. I think the earlier we face the truth and justice, and stop deceit, the better for us.

Are those who are sowing the seed of discord from the South or the North?

It is clear that some northern people who happen to be in power in the political system are manipulating things to tear the South apart and further the interest of the North.

Some believe that an Igbo presidency remains a pipe dream, considering the argument by some northern leaders that the South has led the country for 14 out of the last 22 years since the country’s return to democracy. Is this a valid position?

You know the answer. When did we begin counting? Since 1966, the North has been dominant, and let me tell you something, it is not just a matter of dominating the political space. What has been the contribution to the economy? Our people talk about justice, equity and fairness, but it is not just that. I’m sure, and God knows it, that a president of South-East extraction will change Nigeria, fix Nigeria, remove inequality from Nigeria, and stop Almajiris. People will be given the ability to run their homes. There will be no question about people migrating from one house to the other to have breakfast or lunch.

Some people who don’t want equality or egalitarianism and those who don’t want anybody to stand up and answer his father’s name are the people that are against a president of South-East origin. Some people like to see others poorer and weaker than themselves, begging them instead of providing enough for themselves. For such people, the South-East and South-South Nigeria have a system of egalitarianism—equality of people. Those who don’t want progress, economic excellence and explosive growth for Nigeria are opposing a president of South-East extraction.

Do you think an Igbo presidency will likely put the Biafra agitations to bed once and for all?

That is the end of it, if you restructure this country. And if you don’t restructure it before an Igbo president emerges, it will be restructured soon after.

The moment you restructure the country and hand over power to a president of South-East extraction for eight years, not forever, you will be begging that they continue forever. Who doesn’t enjoy happiness, progress, justice and fairness? The reason I say God has approved a president of Igbo extraction for Nigeria is because God has approved the coming of a new Nigeria and all we have to do, as those campaigning for it, is to be humble and know how to lobby, plead and beg all other parts of Nigeria. All the groups in Nigeria stand to gain (a lot) but people don’t always know that they stand to gain (a lot).

We have to let it be understood that every group in Nigeria stands to gain (a lot) with the presidency of South-East extraction. Just look at them! The people of South-East Nigeria have voted with their feet for one Nigeria. They are everywhere, they make Nigeria look like a nation. Anywhere you go, if you remove the indigenes, the largest population is from the South-East. So, these people have already sworn to develop Nigeria and their philosophy of life is consistent with what they are doing. As they say in their own language, ‘E be onye bi ga, ona awa chi(where a person lives, he develops, he mends).’ So, if you live in Yorubaland, you behave as if you are a Yoruba and develop the land. If you live in Hausa land, the same thing—and it is not theory, look around.

What they do, they do in the open. They trade in the open and therefore other people emulate them. Anything economic they are doing, they do in the open and other people will emulate and the entire Nigeria will explode in economic development.