‘North should allow Jonathan in 2015’
In this interview, policy analyst and development economist Odilim Enwegbara speaks on recent political developments in Nigeria and what they portend for the 2015 general elections. Excerpts:
has not been respecting the president of Nigeria as he is supposed to do, knowing that while he is the governor of Rivers State, President Jonathan is our president, including his president. So respecting him is respecting that office and of course respecting the millions of Nigerians who he is their president. That is why I advise that one of the efforts to be made by Amaechi so that peace could return to Rivers is to stop ridiculing the President. Besides Amaechi, Tinubu, Obasanjo and others insulting the president in the name of politics should desist from that. Whether they like it or not disregarding him is disregarding the office of the President.
Rather than stay out there attacking and attacking the president, I think if the opposition truly wants to take over power, it should spend more of its time strategizing on tested policies and development programs that when implemented will truly transform the economy into an industrial giant and not the present IMF/World Bank products Okonjo-Iweala is marketing to Nigerians.
Nigerians are increasingly looking for a way out of the country’s economic malaise, and if I were APC, that is where it should focus all its energy and win the hearts and souls of Nigerians, not on crude attack on the president.
That is why I am not comfortable with how APC is currently composed, and the eagerness of the North to have the presidency return to the north at all cost.
Do you support the agitation for power to shift to the North in 2015?
I will use this opportunity to tell my northern brothers and sisters the truth, and should they see reasons in my opinion, they should act carefully in an effort to keep this our cherished giant nation intact.
Being the most politically wise in this country, I was expecting northern political establishments to have done its homework by now to recognize that it is only a question of another four years of patience, power will return to north and I am praying that when that happens it is going to be the turn of North East.
Rather than frontally attacking and ridiculing Jonathan, I think it will benefit the north more if its power brokers work closely together with Jonathan and ensure that that trust is there so that he too will work toward smooth return of power to the north based on who the north chooses.
A very political forward looking North should have by now known why Obasanjo and Tinubu are working together, or should I have to explain it here? Such a marriage can only trigger another marriage, which I believe will be among South East, South-South, and religious and ethnic minorities across the nation, particularly the middle-belt, who are not truly comfortable with how they are not being carried along by their neighbouring ethnic and religious majorities.