Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos


Comrade Peter Esele, a former President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), in this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, speaks on issues in the polity such as ministerial list, planned establishment of Ruga settlements across the country, and the political situation in Edo state. Excerpts:

What is your take on the controversy over plans by the Federal Government to create Ruga settlements in some parts of the country?

I think the bottom-line is that we need to understand the fact that we are running a federation. If we are running a federation, then the Federal Government cannot just decide an issue on a state without seeking the opinions of stakeholders in that state. If we do so, then we are not running a federal government. My expectation is that whatever it is should be negotiated. Everybody must be carried along. If it is acceptable to some states, then it should be done. If it is not acceptable to other states, then the wishes of those states must be respected.

Some Nigerians have claimed the Federal Government is giving undue attention to Fulani herdsmen above others in the country. Do you share that view?

What I don’t understand is why our preference is on cattle alone. There are other challenges we are having in our country that requires the urgent attention of the government. Anybody that is running business is running his own business. Those running the business of cattle or herdsmen, that is their private business.

So, if they are running their private businesses and the federal government is doing all of these for them to run their businesses, then that is no longer a private enterprise. Because the way the federal government is going about it is also making people feel there is favouritism for a particular people. But I believe that the federal government must handle this issue with care before it snowballs into an avoidable crisis.

Are you worried over the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute his cabinet over a month after he was inaugurated for second term?

From what I heard from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, he said the list will be ready by July. So, July starts from tomorrow. Let’s just wait and see what they come up with. So since they have promised us July, we will know before July comes to an end.

Do you think some of the Ministers who served under him in the last administration should be reappointed?

I don’t think anyone should come back. I believe that if you really run an administration, after four years, you must have done enough and there is need for a fresh mind to come on board. I think this job is even more difficult for a Minister than the President because Ministers work every day while the President can get advice from every corner. So, the bottomline again is, is there anything new that happened in the last four years? Is there any Minister that did something spectacular that we have never seen before in the last four years? The answer is no. During former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure, we can see some Ministers like Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, Oby Ezekwesili, Nasir El- Rufai all did something new. During former President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure, we all saw that Akinwunmi Adesina, the Minister of Agriculture clearly stood out. So, who will I say really stand out in the Buhari administration? I really can’t put my hands on any. In other parts of the world, we don’t even see anybody wanting to be in office for eight years as Minister. In the United States, you can never see anybody that is Secretary of States for two terms.

Even when the President appealed to them to remain for another term, they will decline saying they are tired. These people should go back and do something else with their lives and not just come and depend on government forever. The way we are doing things now cannot take us to the next level. We need new set of Ministers with brilliant ideas that can take this country to the next level.

As a prominent son of Edo state, what is your take on the political crisis rocking the state?

On the issue of the political situation in Edo state, one thing is very clear. Initially, they said Governor Godwin Obaseki is the best thing to happen to Edo state. The same people who brought him now are the ones now saying he should go. I want to see disagreements among politicians to be based on ideas.

This disagreement in Edo state, is it about healthcare for the people? No. Is it about education? No. Is it about infrastructure? No. The disagreement is all about ego; who gets what. That is the sad fact. My advice to Edolites is that they should open their eyes very well, ask questions and not just tag along. I will be interested to see politicians quarrel or disagree on issues that affect the common man, and not issue of ego or playing to the gallery.

How do you think the logjam in the Edo State House of Assembly can be resolved?

It is a political issue and they have to resolve it. One thing is very clear, if anything is wrong with that inauguration, the best place to resolve it is in the court. If a matter suits you, you will interpret it in a way that everybody thinks that it is a crime. Why don’t we ask ourselves this question? The House was inaugurated and a letter was transmitted to the Clerk of the House of Assembly, so what is next? What we should ask ourselves is was the inauguration wrong? If it is wrong, we go to court. If the court then says that act is illegal, then we start all over again. Period! Everything we do must be based on the rule of law. This is democracy. We can disagree and argue over issues and that is why we have the judiciary as the arbiter that interprets the law. I am not saying what is done is wrong but it is the court that will determine that. It is not for anybody to interpret it the way we want.

The party even doesn’t even have the power. The same thing happened in the National Assembly when the party says they must remove the leadership of the national assembly. It didn’t work because the party is the government. Before they are elected, they are party members. When they are elected, they are now in government and the only way you resolve issue that has to do with government is to also use the instrumentality of governance which are the judiciary, the executive and the legislature. So, now that the issue is in the legislative arm, then we go to the judiciary to help us resolve it. Anybody that feels aggrieved, even if it is the national leadership of the party should go to court.
https://www.independent.ng/our-present-way-of-doing-things-cant-take-nigeria-to-next-level-esele/

Shut up ....who are you?

Absolute truth. What is taking him so many months to appoint ordinary ministers?

he is also APC chieftain

Blackfire:
Shut up ....who are you?

hisexcellency34:
Absolute truth. What is taking him so many months to appoint ordinary ministers?

And you think appointing ministers is the solution to our numerous problems abi? you think a cabinet of wise men being led by a dullard will yield anything?

shatap there. Can't he learn from Ramaphosa and other world leaders who appointed cabinet immediately? APC apologist

simonlee:

And you think appointing ministers is the solution to our numerous problems abi? you think a cabinet of wise men being led by a dullard will yield anything?

hisexcellency34:
shatap there. Can't he learn from Ramaphosa and other world leaders who appointed cabinet immediately? APC apologist

i would have bashed you for calling me an APC apologist but i'm in a good mood today. MTN customer care picked up my call in less than 10seconds and rectified my complaint before i even dropped the call and even sent me an SMS apologizing. this gives me hope for Nigeria!

hisexcellency34:
he is also APC chieftain

A PDP mole...