The first executive governor of Edo State and former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), His Excellency, Chief John Evboyeomwan Kenneth Odigie-Oyegun, has taken a holistic look into the issues promoting clamour for the breakup of Nigeria and concluded that proper restructuring of the Nigerian federation is the potent solution. According to the retired Federal Super Permanent Secretary and political strategist, proper restructuring will adequately empower the states to properly take charge of the affairs of their states, thereby reducing the frustrations and disaffection in the society, noting if you take away some of the frustrations and disaffection in the society, secession will disappear. This is a great reason while restructuring is inevitable, if we are to save our nation. He also expressed his mind on the progress so far made in Edo State since it’s creation in 1991.
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Sir, you were the pioneer governor when Edo State was created in 1991, how do you see the state today? Is it progressing or retrogressive?
It is progressive by and large. At least in the last 15 or 16 years, there has been remarkably improvements in the physical development of the state. The kind of structures we have all over the state, particularly to the area of the relaxation sector is very great. Yes, we could have done a lot better but thank God for what we have achieved.
Also, the roads are better now but in the area of the economy, I still have my doubt because there are few industries we can count in the state, outside churches and hotels. Hotels are everywhere in the state especially inside the GRA where hotels and entertainment centres are almost in half of the GRA.
Not a few people are of the opinion that the state has not done much in the area of human capital development. What is your take on this?
If we talk of human capital development, the present governor is doing a lot. Developing human capital isn’t as dramatic as building a house or structure or new roads. But the present governor is preparing our youths for a meaningful future, and providing training in technologies, modernizing the civil service, also providing training, recruitment policy and trying to put square pegs in square holes.
Indeed, a lot is going on there in terms of preparing our youths for the new technologies not only for our country but as such that they will fit into the new technologies all over the world. Like I said, it isn’t as dramatic as most people will expect but that’s the basis for a meaningful future both for the individual and the state.
How do you envision Edo State within the next 10 years?
Everything now depends on continuity, if the state is lucky to have somebody or people; let’s say in the next four, eight, twelve or sixteen years that will consistently follow the kind of path that is being laid down by the present government in the state, then the state will be better for it. But if we are unlucky to have governors who are always begining again, then the state will be on the reverse gear. But the state will progress if will have leaders who can continue to build on what is on ground and add to what met on ground. If we have been doing that, we will not have been where we are today.
Your Excellency, what makes it difficult for new governments to execute the policies or projects started by their predecessors?
It’s partially corruption, partially ego, wanting to do things that the people will say “he or she is the one that responsible for the project.”
It could also be that the new government or leader feels that there is nothing for him or them in the project that was either abandoned or uncompleted by the previous government. The new government may think that completing a multi-billion naira project started by the previous government, may end up giving credit to the past government. The mentality of the new leader’s thinking the past leader has eaten all the money in an abandoned or uncompleted project is very sad.
On the cheering sides are that, the Obaseki- led government at the state level and the Buhari-led government at the national level are doing very well by continuing with some of the projects left behind by their predecessors. For example, Obaseki continued with the new hospital, the storm water project and doing excellently well with roads construction, opening up new areas. President Buhari on the other hand, has continued with the transport sector especially in railway lines started by the immediate past government, even on a massive scale. Eventually, if there is continuity in that direction, many other states including Edo State are going to be beneficiaries of the totality of the railway network.
I just hope the culture of continuity will continue and spread to other states for the benefit of all.
Sir, many Nigerians are of the opinion that the agitations for secession in some areas in Nigeria would be taken care of with proper restructuring and embracing confederation system of government?
Confederation; absolutely not. That is totally different from a federation. We do not have a federation. That is the problem that we will have to deal with. In a federation, states should be stronger than they are now. You won’t have a state house of assembly with 20 or 24 members, that can easily be pocketed and made a productivity of a state governor. In a federation, you won’t have a federation government in which everybody in the country looks up to as a source of their fortune or misfortune. In a proper Nigerian federation, you have 37 development notes, meaning the federal government and the various state governments and the state governments will be made strong to be able to bring about development and the people will be in a better position to bring them to account for the progress they have made or have not made.
And so, nobody in the country will hold only the federal or central government responsible for whatever happens or does not happen. This is the reason, I’m a very strong pro-restructuring. There is need for the states to be properly equipped to such an extent that they become deliverable development centres with capabilities to facilitate development. As at the moment, the states do not have enough freedom to develop or drive industries to their domains to generate the needed resources. States should be given enough resources to create meaningful development base for their areas. What I am saying here is not a restructuring to become a confederation. No. But a restructuring to become a true meaningful federation. This is what you have in some developed countries, including the United States.
Sir, do you sincerely believe that a proper federation will stop the various agitations threatening the breakup of Nigeria?
I think so. But a lot has gone wrong. This secession thing has its real backbone in the East and it has historically been hinged on marginalisation. This, I cannot understand because the people of South-East, if I should say, are the major beneficiaries of the Nigerian Federation because they are everywhere. There are trades that are monopolized by them everywhere in the country. In Abuja for instance, about three-quarters of the hotels and other choicest facilities are owned by people from that region.
In economic terms, in population terms, whatever you want to say, they are now a force to be reckoned with. Both a force in politics, and a force in the economic life of the country. So, what is marginalisation? What does it mean and how? The south-West clamour for secession is a product of insecurity, a product of disaffection, a product of feeing as if they are not in control of their lives. If things are going bad for them, they are not able to do anything about it. So, that’s a cry for help. To them, unless things can be made better, they are tired. Thank God that it still a marginal group that is saying that. This whole thing is coming out of frustration and disaffection as well as lack of hope that things can be made better and that somebody cares enough to be making things better for them. So, isn’t that genuine, hard boiled, entrenched cry for secession.
You notice that in the South-East, the majority are acting out of fear. The vast majority, I believe are not thinking or supporting secession but a situation and atmosphere of fear has now taken over.
This again is the result of inadequate governance. The communication between the people and government is virtually breaking down. This is why I said proper federation is the solutions to these problems because as it is now, the state governments do not have the capacity to take control, trying to put in order what is happening in their states. So, the states are caught in between the federal security agencies and the so-called cries for secession and the violence with which the agitators are going about it. If you take away some of the frustrations in the society, secession will disappear. This is a great reason while restructuring is inevitable, if we are to save our nation.
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