|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Anglican Bishop of Calabar Diocese, Tunde Adeleye, in this interview with MIKE ABANG, spoke on a the level of unemployment in the country which according to him is pushing the youth into all manner of crimes; the dastardly acts of Fulani herdsmen across the country; the fight against corruption, which he alleged was lopsided and a range of other national issues. Excerpts:
Nigeria is presently plagued by myriads of socio–economic and political problems; how do you think the country can get over these problems?
It is still my considered opinion that the main solution to all the socio-political and economic problems in this country is still true federalism. This system allows for division of power between two or more levels of government with equal status. Both the national and state governments would have power to make laws and both governments would have autonomy from each other. This means that states should be given autonomous authority to manage some local concerns affecting them such as police, schools, hospitals, road maintenance, mineral resources, and a level of judiciary and so on. Under this arrangement, the Federal Government will be expected to manage other affairs such as the army, diplomatic/consular issues, citizenship, railways, Airways, foreign affairs, certain aspects of banking policy and judiciary.
Until and unless the Federal Government of Nigeria becomes less powerful than it is now, we shall continue to have the existing clashes that have become so prevalent and obvious in the country. Powers should be shared between the federal and states to the extent that centre will be less lucrative than it is now. What we have in Nigeria now is purely unitary system where authority rests with the national government and the state is only able to exercise those authorities handed down to them by the national government. Nigeria is an already individual cultural/ traditional nation. Which is why they should be grouped together along the lines of traditional lineages, for meaningful governance, that is true federalism?
What is your opinion on the resolve by the Federal Government to use brute force against the Niger Delta Youths destroying pipelines?
I am calling on the Federal Government to please tread a little softly on the determination to deal with the Niger Delta militants with heavy display and use of the army’s might and weapons. It is not useful to kill a fly with a gun. We also plead with the avengers and other militant groups in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, to please stop the attack and bombings of oil facilities in the Niger Delta area. Consequent upon their actions, we are told, production of oil and gas has been brought to its lowest level in 20 years. Two wrongs cannot make a right. The current attack by the Air force, navy, and soldiers will negatively affect the people’s livelihood and the environment. Many of them who are not directly involved in the matter may end up being killed and wiped off. This will not be the best, historically, for a particular part of this country. I will suggest that political leaders from the Delta area should look into the matter before it turns to a full blown war. The option of dialogue should also be explored. The amnesty programme started by the Yar’ Adua/Jonathan administration with a view to engaging the militants will be handy and helpful now. The recent deployment of troops to that area with a plan to deal with them like Boko Haram is not, in my considered opinion, going to give a lasting solution to the matter at stake. This is not a war time.
Even as the agitations by various militant groups in the Niger Delta are raging, the Fulani herdsmen are also killing and maiming innocent Nigerians. In view of this, some Nigerians are of the opinion that grazing lands should be created for these herdsmen; what do you think about such opinion?
Nigerians seem to be waiting for definite action by the Federal Government against Fulani herdsmen who have wreaked havoc against many communities in the country. There are reports of sieges by these herdsmen against many communities in Benue, Ekiti, Lagos, Imo and others. It is now common to see a Fulani herdsmen moving around with sophisticated guns with their cows. Human beings are being killed so that cows may feed. Yet, the government does not seem to be keen on doing anything. The herdsmen have continued to clash with farming communities. People cannot get food to eat because their means of livelihood have been used for feeding cows. They are not able to send their children to school because there is no money. It is because of this that I highly commend the Governor of Ekiti State for seizing cows reported to be wandering around. Even now, we understand that the Fulani Cattle rearers are asking for grazing land for their cows within people’s communities. I think that the request for grazing lands in the country is wicked and selfish, to the advantage of some people to the exclusion of others. If a personal business has become the Federal Government’s responsibility for a particular set of people in Nigeria, such benefits and opportunities should be extended to every other part of the country for other people and their businesses. The fishermen, the farmers should be provided with lands for nomadic farming. What is good for the goose is also relevant and good for the gander. My submission is that the herdsmen should be restricted to the north. This will stop them from always having conflicts with farmers. Where necessary, states can also enact laws to prevent them from encroaching on other people’s land, such as Ekiti State.
Kidnapping seems to be on the increase in the country. In recent times even Calabar that was reputed to be the most peaceful city has been taken over by kidnappers and other criminals. How would you react to this?
This is a major problem in Nigeria. Kidnappers now take away both adults and children. The federal and state governments should immediately take steps to stop this. Some parts of this country which were earlier adjudged to be safe are no longer safe at all. Socio- economic problems such as unemployment, poverty, absence of economic plans, display of affluence by the rich, lack of care for the youths, corruption, socio-political grievances, ostentatious lifestyle are the major causes of kidnapping in Nigeria. My suggestion is that state and federal laws should be amended to punish offenders. There should be employment for all able-bodied men in Nigeria. Some holders of even Master’s Degree in very lucrative professions in Nigeria are still jobless. Nigerians should also be taught to live moderate lives and not indulge in unnecessary display of wealth and people should be more safety-conscious. Government should not wait for a case of kidnapping of important people in the society before acting. Security efforts should be continuous.
How do you see the ongoing anti-corruption war of the Buhari administration?
Corruption, in Nigeria, is a cankerworm. We cannot but talk about it. It is a perversion of integrity. President Muhammadu Buhari once described it as the greatest form of human deprivation. To some people, it is misuse of official funds. Many people have argued that corruption has continued to succeed in Nigeria because of the rise in the cost of public administration and the discovery of oil and natural gas in Nigeria. We commend the Federal Government for the fight against corruption. But the battle against corruption looks one sided. It is as if members of some particular political groups are very corrupt while those in the other political groups are not. Even those who left the corrupt political party and joined the holy party are now automatically no more corrupt. It looks as if membership of that political party is synonymous with holiness. We all know that this is not true.
