As Leader of the Country, Buhari’s Speech should not have painted sectional interest and bias-Ejiofor

Barrister Mike Ejiofor is a former Director, Department of State security. In this interview with Channels Television, he looks at President Muhammadu Buhari’s 57^th Independence Anniversary speech as well as other issues of National importance.

Talking about cooperation, you’ll see that in the President’s speech, some states got special mention in terms of how they have been cooperating with the federal government.

States of Ondo, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Benue, Imo, Ogun, Kaduna and Plateau state, got special mention for their support for the Presidential initiative for palm oil, rubber, cashew, cassava, potatoes and other crops.

One cheering news I got from Mr. President because usually I’m one of the beneficiaries from this agric law, you know we have to diversify; people have to go out to farm.

I’ve been a farmer, I’ve never had the opportunity but like previously people will collect money and go and marry many wives, travel with girlfriends abroad but this one you’re not given cash, you’re given your farm implements.

For instance we have over 120, 000 fish in our farm, they’ll give you the fish, give you everything. So by the time you diversify, a lot of people will get involved in this thing there’s market for it because at the end, the central bank will also come and buy up the products.

But what we need is management. By the time you go into fishery, farm prodding, look at other areas, you generate money and not the issue of saying we want to export pencil.

Question-Shameful importation of things as little as pencil. I noticed all our pencils were made in china, isn’t it disgraceful?

Ejiofor-Yes, very ridiculous. That’s why we must look inwards. Like Mr. President mentioned, look at Kebbi, they diversify. They are bagging rice and the importation of rice has reduced.

Question-For you, You listened to Mr. President’s speech on October 1, were you motivated, would you also say that it increased your pride?

Ejiofor- We have been seeing different reactions to it. Some people think it was a very good speech, some think no Mr. President you shouldn’t have mentioned certain things that are in that speech. But that is perception. You know he talked mainly on economy, politics, and security.

The key areas.

Ejiofor-For security, I want to use this opportunity to commend our military; they’ve been doing very well under intense pressure. Especially the Chief of Army Staff. He’s been doing very well. You see him going to the front, yesterday to follow it up. Mr. President also went to Maiduguri to boost the morale of the soldiers, that’s on security.

 We have so many fronts we are fighting. We have Niger Delta, we have the North East, we having kidnapping, Fulani herdsmen so much problem. So it’s neither here nor there. They will continue to strive.

The politics, you know most of the things generate conflict in this country. It’s either religion or politics. A general statement condemning a whole set of people in the south east as if all the community leaders were in support of what IPOB was doing, that was not consolatory.

The people who write the speech for Mr. President should say those things that bring us together than those things that separate us. That aspect and the media is the template we use to monitor people’s reaction.

We see reactions on the papers, people picked on that one particularly, that the president shouldn’t have said that.

Question-But some people will say, isn’t that also saying the truth? In some areas he talked about the Niger Delta, he commended the elders in the Niger Delta

Ejiofor-That is divisive. You commend the people of Niger Delta then you condemn the people of the south east

Qusetion-It doesn’t say that you can learn an example of how this has been handled

You can learn, I’m not saying you cannot learn but as a leader, he’s the father of all. He’s the president of the federal republic of Nigeria. How would you feel if the president had said, we will use this independence celebration to appeal to leaders of the south east or the agitators to talk or counsel their words to be better than condemning the entire leadership, I don’t think that is right. Nigeria is a project we all believe in.

Like I always say and I continue to maintain it, I’ve spent 35 years serving this country, I retired in 2010. I have no other place to go, all my life has been in government, so I must do everything possible to ensure that there is stability, there is peace in the country because if we don’t have peace, there is no way we can have development.

Question-But isn’t that what he’s also saying, I’m reading his speech here.

‘As a young army officer, I took part from the beginning to the end in the tragic civil war costing about 2milllion lives, resulting in untold suffering. Those who are agitating for a rerun were not born in 1967 and have no idea of the horrendous consequences of the civil conflict which we went through.

I am very disappointed that responsible leaders of these communities do not warn their hotheaded youths what the country went through.

Ejiofor – That is where I have problem. First of all, nobody wants war. I personally don’t want war because I believe in Nigeria, but we need a country that is equitable to justice and fairness, I think that would bring peace.

Question-He mentioned it, he definitely acknowledged that much

Ejiofor-No, that is a general statement, that’s where I quarrel with it, but I told you, you’ve read it. To use your position to the community leaders to counsel their words

Question-You talk about perception, isn’t the president also entitled to his own perception

Ejiofor-He is entitled to his perception, but his perception matters a great deal; he is a leader of all.

END