We'll Never Join PDP, Says Lagos AD Leader
There have been speculations that ahead of the 2007 elections, one of the issues on top of the agenda of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Lagos state is how to re-align with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). There are also speculations that some members of the party in the state elected into the National Assembly are already making plans to decamp from AD. Prince Kayode Olowu, one of the leaders of the party in the state, in this interview with Sheriff Balogun speaks on these speculations and several other issues
Five years into Obasanjo's government, most of the issues which have dominated national discourse are still unresolved. Take for instance the issue of fuel and the series of strikes we have had. Are you not concerned about all these? Yes I am concerned. I said it more than four years ago and it was published in the newspapers that Obasanjo and Oshiomhole are birds of the same feathers. Look at how many fuel crises we have had so far. The latest one even beats one's imagination because it was reported in the papers that President Obasanjo was on leave. That was when the ultimatum was issued by NLC that pump prices of fuel should be reverted. Nothing was done until the ultimatum expired and the strike began. Must the nation go on leave because the President was on leave? If he had been addressing the issue, he could have averted the strike by calling labour and the civil society to a round and tell them that this is why we are increasing the prices, this is what we will do with the money and this is what is going to happen. He should have addressed the nation and tell them what and what he will do to address the pains that would be caused by the increase. But the President was just not talking. Maybe because they said he was on leave. We don't have a petroleum minister. It is the president who is the petroleum minister. If we had petroleum minister, we would have called for his removal for failing to address the fuel crisis. Should we now call for the resignation of the President? Now he is now talking on how to cushion the effect of the strike. What was he doing when the ultimatum was issued. He waited until the strike began before coming up with what he called palliative measures. What the government ought to have done was to put in place, measures that would cushion the effects of the fuel increase even before they effect the increase. Even labour did not come up with suggestion on how to cushion the effect of the increase in the price of fuel. Why must they start the strike before the government come up with palliative measures? We are not facing the issues. It is the common man that will suffer. Even some of those that have their personal cars may not suffer because they may still be able to buy fuel at that rate. But the common man who does not have a car would be subjected to high cost of transportation. Government has not made provisions to protect him. Those that have personal cars are able to buy fuel that is why their vehicles are still on the road. But if they are unable to afford the price and they put their vehicles aside, will government be ready for the kind of transportation problems that this would create? Even Oshiomhole that was at the meeting with them in Aso Rock could not tell them to tell Nigerians what exactly would be done to cushion the effect of the price increase on the people since he has joined the committee. He now came out of the meeting to tell us that the strike continues. Who are those that will suffer? Is it those in the presidency or the governors? Is it not the common man? We don't need to say that in all occasion. Government must know that prices of fuel cannot just be increased at will until the sufferings of the people are reduced to minimal bearable level because they have tightened their belts to reasonable and unreasonable length. The strike lasted for four days. Four days in the life of a nation is not a joke. Look at Kupolokun, he said that salaries of NNPC worker would not be paid if price of fuel is not increased. Is that one tenable? And he is still on that seat. Well, it may be because we are still calling the President commander in chief, so he thinks he is the all knowing or everybody must obey him. Look at when Dikibo was killed, he was the first to announce to us that it was armed robbers that killed him even before Police came up with preliminary report. Is it that there is no IG again, no commissioner of police in that state, no AIG to speak. I listened to the American Presidential debate, there was no time anybody referred to Bush as commander in chief. He was simply addressed as Mr. President. Why are we still doing that here.
What do you think is the way forward since labour is still preparing for another round of showdown?
What we need is dialogue, it is not only strike that will solve the problem. You are dealing with a man who doesn't care even if heaven falls. It is not him that will suffer if there is strike. It is the common man. But must we allow them to be suffering? That is why I said that what we need is constructive dialogue with the government and all concerned groups talking sincerely and let all Nigerians know that they are talking and not something that will be done behind close door.
I think the issue is that, Nigerians are known for their ability to persevere once they are assured of better days ahead. But over the last five years, we have seen several increment in the prices of fuel and there is nothing on ground to justify these hikes.
Infact, we are yet to resolve the case of the last increase in court before another one was added and I agree that there is nothing on ground to justify any attempt to further hike the price of fuel. What I am saying is that government must sit down with labour and other concerned groups to discuss the problem of the country. Obasanjo must come down from his Olympian height to the level of the common man. Imagine, he just set up a committee without consulting with stakeholders and put Mantu there. Somebody from Plateau. who cannot address the crisis in his state. He is now giving him such a critical responsibility. If he had lived up to expectations, Ali would not be in Plateau, because the crisis in the state would have been resolved or averted. Mantu is not only a member of the senate but also the Senate deputy President and the institution where he is serving in a leadership capacity has not been able to resolve the fuel crisis, you are now picking him to head the fuel committee. Look at a place like LUTH, imagine such a place to be paralyzed by strike. Can you see that our government has lost direction. When other civilised countries who have the interest of their people at heart are ensuring that the health sector is made to be the best, we are playing politics with our own. Why won't there be brain drain in the sector?
Let's move away from fuel issue. Let us look at party politics in the country. Presently virtually all the major parties are in crises. As somebody that participated actively in previous republics, what does this portend for the country?
Who are those in the parties? Are they not those that are in the corridor of power? They are the ones messing up everything. If they could mess up the country, how much more political parties.
Just imagine the kind of people in all the parties, look at some of those in PDP, are they not the looters of our treasury? Look at the Senate, look at the people there. Senators slapping themselves because of money. Is that not outrageous. They are from the party ruling Nigeria. Can you see why we are in this mess?
There are fears that the country may be heading for a one-party state and that some people may be working to ensure that the President have another term?
The nation is not drifting anywhere. You cannot decide the fate of those you did not create. God is in charge of everything. Abacha wanted to be there for life. What happened? I do not know, but he is no more. Only God knows tomorrow.
The face-off between Governor Tinubu and the Minister of Works, Ogunlewe is still on. As a party leader in Lagos state, are you not worried that two prominent indigenes of the state are engaged in this kind of battle?
Both of them are brothers, I don't discuss my brothers outside. I am talking to them privately. I have been sending messages to them. But I will say that we should be very careful because it is only today that we know, we don't know what will happen tomorrow. They should see this opportunity as an avenue to help better the lots of the people of Lagos. Ogunlewe should know that he has to work with Tinubu in the interest of Lagos. Because it is what they do that they will be remembered for. He is the minister of works today, another person will be there tomorrow, Lagosians would want to know what he did with the position when he was there. Remember Dosunmu too was minister of works before. It only happens once in a blue moon and since it has happened now. He should remember that he has to do everything possible to assist the state, which was once the federal capital. The opportunity he has now is just for a period of time, it is what he can achieve with it that he will be remembered for. Let him work with his brother, Tinubu in the interest of Lagos. I want them to resolve in their minds that during their own time, when they both have the opportunity, they will develop Lagos beyond expectations. Because question would be asked later during your time what did you do. Even the federal government can learn several things from Lagos through this partnership. Take the Judiciary for instance. The federal government should emulate the programmes of Lagos state which gives due recognition to the welfare of judges and other judicial officers through enhanced pay package and conditions of service, promotions, good working environment, and information technology.
2007 is about three years away but the preparation to either capture power or remain in power is on among politicians. Are you not disturbed at the rate these preparations are being carried out?
What I think we should do now is to go to the table and discuss the future of this country. There are so many contradictions. Starting with the Igbo. It baffles me that they say they want to leave this country and at the same time they are calling for Igbo presidency. You can't eat your cake and have. Is either you want to stay in Nigeria and be part of everything or you want to go and leave us. I will also say that government created the ground for this kind of agitation. Sincere efforts must be made to fully re-integrate these people into national life. Igbo must not be treated as second class citizens. We must listen to their agitation and give them their dues. There must also be dialogue among all the ethnic nationalities in the country. On their own part, they should insist on the presidency if that is what they want, instead of saying they want to go, because it will further worsen their case because nobody will trust them with power. The Yoruba do not have the moral right to ask for the presidency after Obasanjo's tenure in 2007. But if you look at it again from another angle, you will discover that the North spent about 30 years in power, so why should the Yoruba not spend sixteen years in power. It is still less than the 30 years they spent in power. The North are calling for power to shift to them so that they can spend another eight years to make it about forty years. Is that justice? Is that Equality? Is that equity?. Must one tribe decide where power goes? Must the North dictate to the whole country? It is PDP that is zoning it is not the other parties. The only way out of the various agitation is for us to dialogue, for the whole country to convoke a conference and we will come up with resolutions on issues affecting the country include where power should go.
We heard that there are moves to bring Tinubu into the 2007 presidential race. Would you support him if he decides to run?
Tinubu is eminently qualified to be President. But I can tell you that he is too intelligent than you may know. He will never enter the race unless his people tells him to join.
There are speculations that you AD members in Lagos state are already working on a plan to join PDP. How true is this?
Never. We can never join PDP. For what. PDP that will explode latest by the second quarter of next year. PDP that is sitting on a keg of gunpowder. A party that has credibility crisis. A party which has Been inflicting pains on Nigerians through its anti-masses policies. Is it that party that AD members will now go to? That is why we are putting our House in order because we know that anytime from the end of second quarter of next year, we will be receiving decampees from PDP. In fact our doors are already opened. They don't need to fill any form because we are already prepared to receive them once the keg of gunpowder they are sitting on explodes. I can assure you that PDP will not survive its convention next year. And we in AD are ready to receive decampees from PDP. AD is the party of the future and it will continue to be strong.
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