By Ogbonnaya Ndukwe, Aba
A prominent traditional ruler in Abia State and former member of Ime Obi, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Eze Nzenwata Mbakwe, has challenged the stand of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, that Nigeria was not ripe for state police. He said the police chief’s idea was a negative and outdated approach to secure the country from bandits, kidnappers and terrorists.
According to the royal father, the present-day governors were disciplined enough to work towards securing their administrative territories as against using state police to hound their perceived political opponents.
The Old Bende Traditional Rulers’ Council Chairman, advised Abia governor, Alex Otti, to go after contractors who abandoned development projects awarded by previous administrations in the state, recover the tax payers’ monies paid out to them, as that would not amount to witch-hunting.
In a recent public hearing of the House of Representatives on state policing, two former heads of state, Gen Abdusalam Abubakar (rtd) and Dr Goodluck Jonathan, advocated for state police, but the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said the country was not ripe for such establishment. His reason was that governor’s will abuse it, use it against their political opponents. You were among the first Nigerians that advocated for state police, what do you think of the arguments for and against it now?
State policing to me is the best thing that can bring peace across the length and breadth of the country in the present circumstances we find ourselves. State Police should be established to work hand in hand with their federal counterparts at the regional levels. I don’t think our governors at this time like criminal activities in their states as they are presently. I believe that if they are given charge in that area, they will make well to finance and control such organs, act immediately in accordance with the situations on ground instead of waiting for permission from the federal authorities in Abuja before taking action. State police will reduce, if not wipe crimes like kidnapping. No governor will allow his area to be used as a den of kidnappers. There will be competition among the 36 governors to keep their territories safe for their citizens and incoming investors.
I don’t agree with the Inspector General of Police that the governors will use it against their political opponents. The present crop of governors, to me, have morals, so, there’ll be sanity in areas of management in the states. It seems the IGP’s federal police still wants to have authority over the states on security issues. Let’s decide on bringing in the states and allow them work together. You see, at the moment, the situation is overwhelming the national apparatus, so let’s bring in the states. They (the governors and their people) own the local territories, communities. They know who resides where and behaves how. It will be in the right stance for the people led by their governor, to monitor and ensure peace within the localities.
In Abia, you’ve seen administrations come and go. So, if asked to assess the current administration led by Alex Otti, which will clock one year on May 29th, what will you say it has done well?
In its eleven months in office, I will say that the administration has achieved what its predecessors didn’t do in their first three years in governance. In being sympathetic with him, I don’t know how he is sourcing the funds for much of the work he is doing. Gov. Otti has a style that I admire so much. On giving out a contract, the governor goes out monitoring the progress of work, ensuring that they are done to specification. Look at what he has done on the Ossa Ibeku entrance into the state capital. I was the one that lamented that Umuahia, the state capital was like a glorified village when he took over, that he should try to change the aesthetics. Now, look at what he is doing, awarding contracts here and there – Umuahia/Ohuhu, Umuahia/Uzuakoki/Isuikwuato/Abiriba/Ohafia, Ozuabam/Ndi Okereke Arochukwu roads. Isuikwuato Council Area roads. He promised to handle Abia end of Ogbor Hill/Onicha Ngwa axis of Ikot Ekpene Road, Ohanku road because of the massive population of Aba residents in the area. If he does all these after finishing Port Harcourt Road, he would have saved Abia. To me, he is doing well and we, Abia residents, ought to support his administration by paying our taxes promptly.
There are allegations by the governor’s detractors, especially the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that he has been spending so much money to administer the state, not making the contract fees public, yet witch-hunting his opponents, accusing them of stealing government funds during the past regime through award of non-existent contracts. What is your take on this?
I see governance as a continuum. Otti is supposed to have taken over from where his predecessor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration stopped. There ought to have been handover documents, with evidence of what had been done, those still being done and vice versa. If there are projects awarded by the past administration that are not being executed or have been abandoned, those contractors to who they were awarded should be made to account for them. The civil servants that worked with past political office holders to negotiate the contracts with the awardees should help in fishing them out to come and answer if there are questions about the jobs. This is not witch-hunting. It involves the tax payers’ money. It belongs to Abians, so if there were contracts awarded in which the contractors didn’t perform, government should go for them. The money should be refunded irrespective of those involved. I say it again, it is not witch-hunting. If I’m given contract and didn’t execute it, the government should hold me responsible. If government properties are illegally acquired by individuals just because they had access to serve, government should go after them.
People have criticized Otti for continuing with transition committees as managers of local governments, instead of holding elections to elect chairmen and councillors. He had during the electioneering, criticized the appointment of party faithful into that position, now he is doing it. Though, not speaking for the governor, which do you prefer between elected or appointed council?
I have had cause to interact with those in the government and was informed that the transition committees were for a while; that local government council elections will soon be held in Abia. However, let’s look at it this way. The governor appointed known successful career men and women into managing the council areas as Mayors, to take charge in an interim basis. He will soon ask the authorities in charge to conduct local government council elections. What we are into presently is a starting point. The calibre of men and women add to the dream of having a virile administration at that level. He didn’t pick hungry people or beginners for the position.
So, I think that they are doing well because we have not heard or seen disturbances in the council areas due to poor handling of the affairs of the people there. As chairman of Old Bende traditional rulers, Abia South zone, we alongside the Consultative Assembly, will soon visit the governor, to express our support and confidence in his style of reaching out to develop all parts of the state by his administration. There’s no area he has not launched government-initiated project in Abia. Communities that were forgotten, thought to be non-existent are beginning to benefit. That is what we are looking at.
There seems to be a renewed programme by the Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu-led Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide to reunite the Igbo at home and in the diaspora. Are they on the right track or need inputs from other domains?
Having been an insider in Ohanaeze, I believe Chief Iwuanyanwu is on track and I call on Igbo leaders worldwide to support his administration. He has been working assiduously to see that all hands are on deck for the development and good of Igboland. It is not a one man show. So, let the five state governors in the Southeast be open to one another and work with Ohanaeze to realise improved development in the region. A lot of disturbing developments has been witnessed in Igboland. We have been losing our very reliable Igbo brothers and leaders, recently, such as first civilian governor of Abia State, and former Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu. It is our wish for our son, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to be freed. His non release is affecting the economy of the geopolitical zone. These days people sit at home out of their own volition. We can’t quantify the cost of sitting at home, the losses being incurred. We are appealing to President Bola Tinubu to use his good office to direct his release. If possible, let him be given conditions to adhere to. We appeal that he should be released for peace to reign.