Insecurity causing economic instability–Agu
By Dickson Okafor
Peter Agu, National President, Coalition for Forever One Nigeria Initiative (FONI) and CEO, MaxiRock Intl Ltd, said the war against insecurity and insurgency embarked upon by past and present administrations is the cause of economic instability in the country.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to promote national unity through equal appointments which he said, will reposition the country for economic growth and development.
In this interview, he spoke on various issues
The economy has continued to get worse whenever there is a change of government, what would you say is the reason for economic instability in the country?
The standard of living in the country is not low because the nation is not blessed, rather, Nigeria is endowed with both human and mineral resources. However, because we have lost our values because of the chase for ethnic, tribe and religious superiority forgetting our tradition and cultural coronation which made Nigeria the greatest black nation not only in Africa, but in the world.
Before and after we gained independence in 1960, the people that constituted the three main tribes in Nigeria, Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba respected one another even with regards to our tradition and culture. That was why Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir. Tafawa Balewa and Chief Obafemi Awolowo were able to work together and convince our colonial masters that Nigeria was ripe for independence.
They didnt fight separately to earn independence for each of these tribes, but they fought for one indivisible Nigeria which we are enjoying today. But after they left, their successors introduced tribal, ethnic and religious politics in Nigeria which degenerated to, “it is our turn to rule or produce the next president” which got us to the level we find ourselves today as a nation. If our leaders had continued with the laudable, inseparable and selfless service of our founding fathers towards nation building before and after independence, the economy wont have degenerated to the present sorry state.
There wont have been tribal and selfish politics that brought about poor and bad administrations we have over the years. Because the slogan, “it is our turn” doesnt allow Nigerians to choose competent and experienced people that could fix the nations economy and lead the nation. And that is why the economy is getting from bad to worst. Today, nobody is fighting to reposition the country for economic growth and development rather, what Nigerians are after is what comes to their tribe and ethnic group from the national cake.
The only leader who tried to restore the independence spirit and belief of our founding fathers and pursued economic recovery was former President Goodluck Jonathan who was forced to relinquish power, and accepted the result announced by INEC during the 2015 Presidential election. And that decision is what has sustained Nigerias democracy. So, the economy will get better if Nigerians embrace one Nigeria and forget about, “it is our turn” and respect each others value; we will have a vibrant economy and a better country.
But Nigerias founding father started tribal politics because three of them formed three major political parties which were deeply rooted in their respective tribes, isnt that what is been replicated today?
That was why none of them could win the Parliamentary election of 1960 and that was why none of them could form government, hence, Tafawa Balewa and Nnamdi Azikiwe merged to form the government. Balewa became the Prime Minister and Azikiwe became the Ceremonial President. It was so because Nigerians did not vote according to tribe, but they voted for credible people to take over from the colonial masters.
If the 1966 coup did not take place, Nigerias political space would have been detribalized. We wont be practising rotation of presidency between the South and North which shows that Nigeria is not a united country. Even though Herbert Macaulay and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe formed the NCNC, Chief Obafemi Awolowo formed Action Group and Sir. Tafawa Balewa formed Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), but when it became crucial that there must be compromise for the British colonial masters to hand power to us, Zik had to step down for Balewa to assume the leadership of Nigeria.
That is the spirit our present leaders lack and that is what has kept us divided. In 1979, Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP), led by Zik and the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) led by Shehu Shagari formed an Accord which enabled NPN to form government and Shehu Shagari became the President of Nigeria in 1979 to 1983. It is no longer the case now because we have reduced our democracy to turn by turn not on popular demand of a competent individual whose antecedents prove that he can fix the country if elected President.
Could what you said be the reason the northern leaders expressed regret for voting for Tinubu in 2023 and vowed not to reelect him in 2027?
Im objective in this things and my interest is for the President to do something that will benefit Nigerians irrespective of where you come from. And for you to move a country forward, everybody must be united. Therefore, Im not surprised when some Northern Elders expressed regret for voting for President Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu in 2023.
Also, recently you hear another group of northern leaders warning the Labour Party Presidential candidate in last year Presidential election, Peter Obi to stop commissioning substandard bore holes in the North. So, they have a sequence which is anyone who is doing anything in their favour is for them.
Meanwhile, if the North wants to stop Tinubu from being reelected in 2027, they have an option which is to vote Peter Obi. Since they believe and agree that the presidency is turn-by-turn between the North and South. Because former President Muhammadu Buhari completed his 8 years tenure and that was why the North voted for Tinubu who is from the South in 2023. So, from all indication, Peter Obi can complete Tinubus 8 years if they decide to vote for him in 2027 for equity and justice. Yes, it was the turn of South-East to produce the President in 2023 because the southwest had governed under former President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007.
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And power shifted to the North under late President Umaru YarAdua and later to South south under former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2009 to 2015. But in 2023, the North refused to vote for Peter Obi and they massively voted for Tinibu whom they now say they regret voting for. The only alternative they have is to vote for someone from the South-East in 2027.
So, Northern Elders should not make comments that will further disunite the country by saying they regret voting for Tinubu in 2023 and vow they wont reelect him in 2027. They should know that it was former President Buhari who set the template Tinubu is trying to overcome.
Dont you think splitting 8 years between Southwest and South-East in 2027 may be a repetition of the political quagmire that occurred between North and South south following the demise of President Umaru YarAdua and the entire politicians in the North formed APC and ousted President Goodluck Jonathan from office in 2015?
That is why I told you earlier that lack of trust and loss of value in our tradition and culture that is the bane of governance in Nigeria. Another angle to the splitting of 8 years between Southwest and Southeast is, it could be an avenue to divide both regions so that power can go back to the North in 2027. If we are sincere to ourselves, it wont lead to political problem for equity and balance of power.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan agreed in 2011 to do one term after the introduction of doctrine of necessity which enabled him complete YarAduas first term. During the 2011 Presidential election, the North voted for Jonathan massively with the hope that he would not seek reelection in 2015, but he wanted to continue and that was the reason for the gang up against his ambition by northern political heavyweights that brought Buhari. So, I think northern leaders will not take such risk again in 2027.
What is your take on President Tinubus declaration that he wont pay ransom to bandits to free those they kidnap anymore?
The decision of President Tinubu not to pay ransom to kidnappers in order to free those they hold captive is a welcome development. Because insecurity in the North looks like a racket, hence, the reason every attempt made by past and present administration to end the menace has proved abortive. Like I said earlier, the war against insecurity and insurgency is the cause of economic instability in the country since 2014.
How can a particular set of bandits and terrorists continue over 11 years to kidnap, kill and maim innocent citizens and they cannot be arrested or decimated by the military? If we put together the amount Nigeria has spent in the fight against insecurity and ransom paid to bandits, it will be enough to revamp the nations economy.
The leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was picked up in Kenya, so what stops our security agents from picking up leaders of Boko Haram, bandits and kidnappers in the North? Im in full support of the President Tinubus decision. Let the governor of any state where kidnapping took place go and rescue the victims or pay the ransom because they collect N2 billion security vote every month.
Recently, parents of the 91 remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls have written to the First Lady, Her Excellency, Oluremi Tinubu seeking her intervention, what is your take?
It is very unfortunate to know that 91 out of 247 Chibok schoolgirls that were abducted from the school hostel are still in captivity. And that is why their parents have renewed moves for rescue of their daughters by drawing the attention of the First Lady, Her Excellency, Oluremi Tinubu to intervene as a mother. That is why I said insecurity in the North is like a racket because it is unbelievable that 91 abducted Chibok schoolgirls are still in captivity since 2014 within the country. And you want Nigerians especially those in the South to agree that our security operatives could not rescue them. In the letter the parents wrote to Oluremi Tinubu signed by Yana Galang and Mallam Zanna on behalf of Chibok Parents Association and those whose children were yet to return, he noted that while the world might have moved on, for them, the pain remains raw and wounds refuse to heal.
Because they are haunted by the memories of losing their children to hoodlums, but they have not lost hope that their children will come back, hence, the reason they came to seek the First Ladys intervention. It is a challenge to the northern governors that these girls are being held since 2014 by Boko Haram till today within the North and they could not do anything to rescue them. So, I call on the northern governors to intensify effort to bring back the remaining 91 Chibok schoolgirls who are still in captivity.
Which way out of the economic hardship Nigerians are facing since the inception of this administration?
It is too late to cry when the head is off. Nigerians knew what brought about economic hardship in the country. Corruption remains the bane of the country which APC promised to eliminate in 2015. Even though the economy was not blissful then, but under the watch of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the economy and corruption became worst. If government can end insecurity and farmers go back to their farms, there will be enough and affordable food for Nigerians to eat.
Because bandits and Boko Haram were and are still killing farmers and that is why they ran away from their farms. As I said, the war against insecurity is the major cause of economic instability. Look at how the immediate past Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele siphoned our commonwealth and stacked them in different banks overseas.
Again, we were all watching when Buhari closed all the nations land borders to prevent bandits and Boko Haram members from entering the country. Some stable foods and items that come through the neighbouring countries stopped and standard of living began to go down. In fact, before the closing of land borders, the Buhari administration promised that Nigeria would start producing rice and because of that reason, he banned over 43 items from being imported into the country.
And until Buhari left office, Nigeria could not produce rice and because of these economic decisions, food items soared as a bag of rice that was N8, 000 and N10, 000 rose to N38, 000 and N43, 000. From then, we began to experience economic hardship. Unfortunately, instead of insecurity to reduce under Buhari, as a retired General and former Head of state, it became worst. So, the present economic hardship becomes slightly worse because of fuel subsidy removal by this administration.
The war against insecurity and insurgency embarked upon by past and present administrations is the cause of economic instability in the country and this has driven the citizens into economic pains. Meanwhile, only a new constitution that guarantees regional autonomy is the answer and this can be possible through restructuring. My advice to Nigerians is to be patient with the government because from the look of things, very soon, economic hardship will be a thing of the past. You can see that exchange rate of dollar is depreciating and Naira is gradually gaining strength.