Femi Awoniyi is the publisher of the Germany-based magazine, The African Courier. He speaks with DAPO FALADE on various political issues as they affect Nigeria and Ekiti State, where he hails from. Excerpts:
What is your assessment of politics in Nigeria?
Instead of democracy bringing about greater peace in the country, we have been running from one crisis to the other since 1999. I believe that the confusion that characterises the political landscape today is inevitable; it is the product of a dysfunctional system that we operate. I’m of the firm conviction that we still need a grand constitutional conference to build a system that will enable us to make real progress and become a peaceful, united and strong nation.
What should that conference look like?
It should provide for a very decentralised federal system, where the centre will not wield much powers and where the states and regions have the most responsibilities and control most of the resources. We also need to develop a non-acrimonious system of competition for political power at the centre that is consistent with the need to build sustainable peace and stability in the country, without which we can never really develop.
What do you think Nigeria can learn from the Germans in terms governance?
The people should imbibe the idea that the government belongs to them. Germans believe that everybody should be part of the governance process. So, you must be interested in what policies are made and how they are implemented. This means that if the government fails to do what it should do, the people should challenge the government. I am not happy with our young people. The level of political consciousness is very low and, of course, their level of political participation is also low. I would love to see our young people get actively involved in civil society initiatives that fight for common causes. That is the preparatory ground for their future involvement in politics. In fact, when you talk with young people about politics you get really disappointed and when I compared them with young Europeans, I feel depressed about the future of our land. Our governments should work with clearly-defined objectives and make policies to achieve those objectives, and they should take the people along. Ekiti is a good example of where such a principle has produced good results in Nigeria. Governor Kayode Fayemi’s eight-point agenda will go down in history as one of the most thoughtful documents of governance ever formulated in the country.
But, Fayemi’s opponents say he has not done well in office?
Anybody, who claims that Fayemi has not done well, should not be taken seriously. I know the state very well and I regularly travel there. I am amazed at the tremendous impact his government has made on the lives of the people within such a short period of time in office. Ekiti roads are in a far better condition than they had ever been. Never before in its history, are so many towns and villages of Ekiti connected by well-tarred roads.
Take education as another example; the renovation of schools and the supply of 76, 000 laptops to pupils in secondary schools and their teachers are a major achievement of the Fayemi administration. This is in addition to the improvements in the condition of service of teachers in the state. Look at the phenomenal improvement of the performance of Ekiti’s secondary school leavers in the past three years; from a woeful 27 per cent pass rate in 2010 to more than 70 per cent last year! And on top of that, the Overall Best Male Student in 2013 was also from the state. That is for me, the outcome of purposeful governance.
Should I also mention the state’s Social Security Scheme for the Elderly and the Food Bank and Soup Kitchen initiatives that are meant to alleviate abject poverty in the state? I can go on and on...
But, his critics are saying these are media hype...
The achievements that I just mentioned are not hype. Are the township roads in Ado-Ekiti hype? Are the newly-constructed roads such as the Ikogosi-Ipole-Efon hype? Is the Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort hype? I know how that place looked like just four years ago; my hometown, Ipole Iloro-Ekiti is just five kilometres from Ikogosi. The huge work done by the Fayemi administration is visible to all. Ikogosi has become one of the most beautiful holiday resorts of its kind in Africa. We should be careful about how we do politics in Nigeria so that we don’t inculcate destructive cynicism in our people.
Are you saying that the criticisms are unfair?
I have observed in the ongoing politicking for the governorship election in the state that most of the candidates avoid the issues that matter to the people, but dwell on irrelevant matters. One of the candidates said his wife saw a vision that he would be governor again and he believes so much in that vision. In a recent newspaper interview, the man continued to harp on the vision of his wife without bothering to tell the readers what he would do for Ekiti people when he becomes governor. Imagine in a full length newspaper interview; he did not talk about policies, not for once. And yet you want to become governor.
Another candidate mentioned how student unions are not allowed to operate freely in the state as one of his grievances. Will you stand before Ekiti people and tell them that the reason you believe you will make a better governor is because of student unions? It is so trivial, so ridiculous that you don’t know what to say.
There is nothing wrong with anybody having political ambition but it has to be pursued with intelligence. You have to offer the people a better alternative; you have to tell them what you will do better than the incumbent or whoever your rival is. However, you have to acknowledge what has been done otherwise you will be taking the people for granted. Politicians should respect the intelligence of Ekiti people. The impression some aspirants make is that they’re doing politics for self-aggrandisement, instead of doing politics for the people.
You are talking as if Ekiti were a completed project...
I don’t claim that Ekiti is a finished job. No, not at all; too many of our young people still don’t have jobs. However, if there is any state governor that has done the most to create jobs for young people, it is Fayemi. Look at his agricultural projects, such as the rehabilitation of the cocoa and oil palm plantations. Take the Cassava initiative as another example. Ekiti has now become the state with the highest production output of cassava in Nigeria. This will attract processing companies to the state; in fact, it is already doing that.
If the state’s Youth Commercial Agricultural Development Programme is pursued diligently for four more years, Fayemi would have created a new class of young commercial agriculture entrepreneurs in Ekiti. He would have then broken the jinx of young educated people not taking interest in agriculture. These are no accidental achievements, but the outcome of visionary thinking, good policies and their proper implementation. It is this unique style of governance that is attracting international institutions and foreign companies to the state.
Another Ekiti project that I believe will have a lasting impact on the development of the state is its industrial park that is presently under construction. It will have its own power and water plants and the roads to and within the estate will be tarred. This means that you can site your factory there without bothering about power or water supply. This is a revolutionary development as it will enable companies to bypass problems such as inadequate power supply when setting up shop which is the main stumbling block to industrial production in the country. I believe Fayemi’s continuation in office will consolidate his many lofty programmes such that will create a basis for a self-sustaining economic development in the state. There is no better antidote to unemployment than that.
What is your view on the forthcoming election in the state?
The most important task is to ensure a peaceful and credible election. Under no condition must the Anambra-type fiasco be allowed to repeat itself in Ekiti. I have no doubt that Ekiti people will overwhelmingly return Kayode Fayemi to office.
No comments:
Post a Comment