We won’t change our position on Buhari – Afenifere

Arogbofa

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Seinde Arogbofa, the Secretary of pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, in this interview with ADE AKANBI, speaks on the National Assembly and President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration

afenifere did not support President Muhammadu Buhari in the last election, and now that he has won the election, has the group realigned itself with him?

No, that is not possible. We in Afenifere, we are what we are always are; we are always focused and principled. It is not that we are unbending but we are quite prepared to look at things from a better perspective. Our philosophy has always been education for all, better health for all, integrated rural economy which has something to do with our agricultural lives and gainful employment for our teeming youths. These had been the major problem of the country. These are what we believe in and what we want any government in power to do and will keep on talking about them; impressing it on anybody in power as to why these things should be, more so when most people know these are the areas we need to tackle for a better Nigeria. Better health, better education, and gainful employment and integrated rural development.

Have successive governments been listening to you?

Every government in this country has always been listening to us when we talk as a body. They see us as the conscience of the nation; they see us as a serious body and they take us seriously because we don’t beg or ask anybody for money. We speak for the masses and we speak to make things better for everyone in the country. Our voice is often respected. Anytime we speak, the people listen to us because they know we are always talking reasonably.

There is an insinuation that the current administration in the country may not implement the reports of the last confab. As one of the delegates at the conference, how will you feel if the report is jettisoned?

That will be very unfortunate. The past government of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan initiated the confab and the issues surrounding the confab are the problems facing the country since independence: The issues of true federalism, state and local governments; peace, security, education and parity are what over 500 Nigerians of different categories — old and young, powerful and non-powerful , knowledgeable people across the country , ex-governors, ex-senators, university heads and even the physically challenged — discussed at the confab. We were all there for about six months racking our brains on how things could be better for this country. The then government also agreed that these issues must be resolved once and for all. We must remember that about six confabs had been set up previously in this country and nothing really had come out of them. Therefore, if this government did not make use of the confab report, that would be very unfortunate for the country and the citizens. Rather, this Muhamadu Buhari-led government should be advised to implement the report of the confab because this is the report that the representatives of all Nigerians gathered to put together and need to make our country move forward.

In some quarters, President Buhari is perceived as being slow in decision making, especially as he has yet to constitute his cabinet. What is you take on this?

That is a mixed feeling. In the first instance, let’s allow him to do some serious homework but he has to make haste, no longer slowly. Things appear to be getting a little bit delayed. He should have studied enough before now to come out and act. I know the situation in the National Assembly may be part of the factors causing the delay, but he should quickly do something. When people are complaining, he should know that the voice of the people is the voice of God. When people start to complain of issues, leaders have to be careful and have to been seen as being sensitive.

Do you think it is right for the Federal Government to release over N7billion as bailout for states owing workers salaries?

It is necessary for the President to do that if only to save the suffering workers. Imagine a state owing workers up to seven months salaries. That is almost a year. How do they want the workers to survive or perform? If there is a bailout for them, no problem. But we must go back to the basis. First, how did these states get bankrupt? How did they spend the workers’ money? This must be investigated.

I am happy about what is happening now. Some past governors are facing the music of their alleged misdemeanor. One of them was locked up in Kano, two or three (of them) have been granted bail but what is important to us all is that these are people who formerly felt they were above the law. You can now see that the law is above them. Whether the current governors will take a cue or not is another thing, but we will like the law enforcement agents to carry this matter to a very logical conclusion so that they can serve as deterrent to others.

Secondly, we have always said that no state has any reason to depend on the Federal Government for money. Every state should be independent and self-sufficient. Part of what every state has should be sent to the Federal Government. Every state in this country has natural endowment (resources) that God has created in it. How did (Chief Obafemi)Awolowo make history, was is not from what we had in Western Region? How did (Dr. Nnamdi) Azikwe make his mark, was it not from what he was able to do at his region? How did (Sir) Ahmadu Bello achieve what he achieved at his domain? Every state should look inwards. I know that the Federal Government has too much money now; let it give the states some money to be able to explore their natural endowment to bring what they have to the limelight to make their economies grow. Every state governor should stop going to Abuja to beg for money every month. It is very wrong. If they are very resourceful, they will make it. This bailout thing is improper.

As a member of the Political Restructuring and Forms of Government Committee at the confab, what are the issues discussed about the National Assembly?

We were radical and revolutionary about the National Assembly. In our committee, we said the Senate should be scrapped because it has been the greatest source of wastage in this country. We said we should have unicameral legislature. What we said in our committee was that there should be a unicameral legislature whose membership shall be full-time and the membership should be 50 per cent based on equality of states and 50 per cent base on population. We did this because it has been very wasteful; how can a senator be entitled to N250million per annum? This is a country where people die of hunger. We said it (Senate) should be scrapped. But you know Nigerians; at the plenary, our decision was jettisoned. We were not surprised because some ex-legislators were also members of the confab.

How about the call by some people that the legislature be made part-time and less attractive financially?

Yes, I do support it. As members of Political Restructuring and Forms of Government Committee of the confab, we raised it at the committee level but we were defeated at the plenary level. Though it is too late now to say that the legislature should be part-time because elections have been held. Maybe that can work in the next election. But for now, it is not possible again. Again, I support the drastic reduction of money being spent on our legislators I was reading in the dailies recently that what they received as allowances is nine times their salaries. This is too outrageous. How can they be taking such amount of money? I know that we Nigerians also contribute to this mess because these legislators spend a lot of money on electioneering. But if people are now aware that you don’t need to sell your houses to be elected, I think there will be sanity.