Breaches: Buhari’s Government Short Of Announcing Suspension Of Constitution – Anietie Okon

Senator Anietie Okon, a chieftain of people Democratic Party, pioneer National Publicity secretary and member of the National caucus speaks on some salient issues trending in the Nation and Niger Delta region in particular in his interview with our team.
EXCERPTS
In your candid view, do you think that the nation’s income as currently distributed is equitable and fair?
The military messed up the country, there was before now an understanding that 50% of revenues from natural resources collected be held back by regions, the federal Government has no business collecting revenues but today they are busy collecting all sorts of revenues that are accruable in the country. However it is worrisome that they yet to set up the system to collect revenues from the mining of Gold and the massive Agricultural produce in the North. Let them inform us what makes up the redistributable income in the country. We are waiting quietly because those who understand the issues surrounding the restructuring are worried. I don’t think the present leadership in the country understands what they are doing. It may get to a point we may have to keep our resources and ask federal Government to bring their bills for settlement.
Niger Delta region has been on 13% Deviation for quit a while which is not much compared to her contributions, do you think they should agitate for more?
The law says not less than 13% which means we have an opportunity to demand for more or increment of the derivation. However it is unfortunate that over the years nobody has bothered to take action in that direction and this reinforces our earlier call that the country can only survive if we embark on true restructuring of the governance.
Do you have a figure in mind.
It could be 25% tomorrow, the figure was initially12.5percent before. But those of us who were in that special committee knew how we arrived at 13%. I and others felt that 12.5% is becoming a notorious figure in Nigeria, if you can recall the Shagari’s era.
The policy in which the National Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) ensures direct allocation to local government councils as against the Joint accounts with states have started in earnest what is your take?
That is obvious breach of the constitution. The issue of the NFIU is one of the least areas of concerns in the ongoing breach of the constitution of the country. It has become serial and a number of us know that this government is doing a lot of things illegally. There are short of announcing that the constitution has been suspended. The present head and his cabal is yet to discard his well known dictatorial tendencies. But since we are in democracy, he has no such power, we have catalog of his constitutional breaches but wish him luck. However before now there are real local governments but the military in their roguish manners inserted more local governments that can only be identified with mere post of the town. What I will tell you is that the current practice by NFIU is a complete beach of the constitution.
The xenophobia attacks in South Africa claimed several lives of Africa especially Nigerians and property worth billions of naira, are you okay with the response from federal Government so far?
The federal Government approach could best be described as lame. That shows the attitude of the federal Government to Nigerians at home and in Diaspora in challenging times. They are confused on how to react to the sequence of events in South Africa which is completely beyond them. It exposes their clear ineptitude and lacks in creativity. Their actions showed they have failed. We should just pray for the return of sanity to South Africa because most of their actions were born out of envy.
Until Nigerians expose them to certain skills, most of south Africans don’t know the value of owing a workshop, a small business and other maintenance and servicing outlets. The alleged that Nigerians are drug dealers perhaps because of one isolated case forgetting that we have several Nigerians as Medical doctors, Engineers, and many other in different professional fields legitimately contributing to the growth and Economy of the South Africa. Nigerians should learn to stay and develop their country. It is sad that just a little opportunity Nigerian will dash out to South Africa, Dubai and other countries, I see it as an element of inferiority. I have never been to South Africa and don’t intend to go. About a year and half ago when the Xenophobia roared its ugly head the first time, I quickly discarded my MTN number. it is on record that most of my friends who have that number no longer reach me on it. What does it take us to deal with the people and attract the attention to the world too? What does it take to evacuate our citizens from that country.Is either South Africans have short memories. Could it be that they have knocked off what they went through during Apartheid and those who rescued them from their curriculum. I can still remember vividly our contributions to save South Africa from Apartheid. Even as a secondary school student, I can still remember the contributions we made to stop Apartheid in south Africa. The contributions came from virtually every secondary school student I know then. We were Compeled by the school Authorities to do so. We equally have several South Africans as school mates on scholarship even in my own class. What is happening in South Africa is sad.
Akwa Ibom is 32 years. In your candid opinion, do you think the state has done well.
Giving the situation on ground, Akwa Ibom has done very well as a state even though we have had leaders without genuine intents. You should understand what I mean by that.
However I am happy that today we have a leader who has strive hard to develop our people. Governor Udom Emmanuel is a clear embodiment of what Akwa Ibom needs to tap into the opportunities and possibilities that lies ahead. He is a visionary leader who has a clear direction of where he is taking the state to in the near future.
As a stake holder in the Akwa Ibom project, is there any direction of what the post Emmanuel’s era will look like in terms of his successor.
Why embarking on such luxury now, can you even guarantee your life till tomorrow as a human being talk less of 2023.
Almost all the major federal roads linking Akwa Ibom to Abia, Rivers, Cross River etc are in terrible state, does it bother our leaders to find solutions to this challenges.
That is failure on the part of federal government but the government of Akwa ibom state has been so worried prompting the interventions you witnessed from time to time to ensure people are still plying those roads. Most times given the climate, such interventions don’t last beyond reasonable time.
However if you said it doesn’t bother the leaders, what do you want them to do, they have shouted to high heavens before now. You can testify that the internal roads are in near perfect order. What have we not talked about, is the continuation of East-West road that have been perennially uncompleted and the president told us recently that the road have been completed which to me is fraudulent. It defines incapacity, incapability and ineptitude of leadership of this country.