Despite the ongoing economic and security challenges facing Nigeria, a former presidential aspirant under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Stanley Osifo, has given President Bola Tinubu a pass mark as he approaches two years in office by May 2025. In this interview with OLADIPUPO AWOJOBI, Osifo discussed the state of the nation’s economy, issues of security, the call for state police, and why he supports President Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State. Excerpts:
What will be your assessment of the first two years of President Bola Tinubu’s administration?
The administration has done its best generally giving the situation on ground. You cannot compare what is happening in the United States of America with what is happening in Nigeria. We have to look at the economic situation globally and the major economic activities in the world. To a large extent, we will say that Nigerian economy has been managed very well under President Bola Tinubu, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has ensured that the value of the naira does not go beyond what it is now. The situation in the country is improving though people complain based on the prices of goods and services. The government has ensured that the level of inflation does not go higher and a lot of infrastructure are being put in place.
The Lagos-Calabar Highway is under construction, some parts have been completed and others are being done. The construction of Calabar-Abuja Highway was recently inaugurated. A lot of things are happening such that with time we will see the impacts, after all Rome was not built in a day. We will start feeling the impact of the policies of this government very soon as it will be two years in office next month. During the period under review, the govt has been able to put a lot of things place.
Everybody was clamouring for the removal of fuel subsidy, but the impact was not what they expected because they thought it was all about the corruption, stealing and the way some people cornered the resources of the country and stole our fuel and other petroleum products. Since those areas have been blocked, I feel that we now have a correct value of the petroleum products. Since the removal of fuel subsidy, allocations to the states and local governments have increased. I think we should ask our governors what they are doing with the increased allocations, we should also ask the local governments chairmen what they do with the money they are getting from the Federal Government.
We should question people from bottom to the top. It’s not fair that we only focus on the Federal Government. We have a federal system, where we have three tiers of government. We have the federal, states and the local governments. We should ask them questions. I think some state governments are trying in terms of providing those things that are needed to provide welfare and ameliorate the sufferings of the people.
Some of the areas where many people fault the current government is increment in electricity tariff, telecommunications tariff and even digital television tariff, people feel that all these affect their incomes, what would you have expected the federal government to do?
Those things you mentioned are not within the purview. of the federal, state and local governments. These are private enterprises owned by private individuals that fix their prices based on factors of production and operational costs. It is painful because we are all Nigerians. We all feel the brunt and the pains that are associated with these things.
They are not the only ones, are you going to talk about cement, water, food, transportation and others, whose prices have increased. Many things are affected and the government has tried to see how these are reduced. I always say that we should talk to our people too.
Government is not what is not known; it comprises you, myself and every Nigerian. We all have a responsibility to ourselves, to the government and to the nation to ensure that the things we complain about, we all come together to resolve them. I don’t think the government will dictate to those companies. Democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people. Let us stop complaining, let us look at how we can get solutions to the problems that we have right now.
People expected that in two years of President Tinubu the killings in Benue, Plateau, Zamfara and other states would have been reduced considerably; even in Borno State, the Governor complained that Boko Haram members are taking over, don’t you think the government should have done more?
When we talk about security, some of us look at those who are the people responsible for insecurity, killings and kidnappings all over the country, and who are those sponsoring the perpetrators. A majority of them are Nigerians. I just want to appeal to the minds of Nigerians, especially those who are not happy with the government and are taking up arms, to think about the sufferings of the people and the pains people go through. We need to live together as one nation, and one entity, we don’t need to kill ourselves. The government would do their best, but we are the ones that can determine that we don’t want these things again.
Let us stop killing ourselves, let us stop destroying lives and properties, let us sit down and address those issues that affect us. Let us do it in a way that it would not affect lives and properties. The government can decide to do some things to stop all these, but if we decide that the efforts of the government would not amount to anything, truly they would not amount to anything. Let us see how we can address these issues and if that is done the issue of insecurity will be handled effectively. Let all the Governors and local governments chairmen come together and let us see how we can talk to our people to embrace peace.
Insecurity does not do anybody any good. Since we have been killing ourselves, we have not achieved anything good with it. Let us all come together and see how we can stop this menace that is taking the lives of our people.
But people would have expected President Tinubu to have sent a bill to the National Assembly on state police, do you have any advice for him on this?
When you talk about state police, it has been mentioned and recommended and the process is still on. If it is not completed, you cannot jump into it. I think it has got to the third reading in the National Assembly. But whether state police or not, let us talk to ourselves and let us have the conscience that killing ourselves, our brothers and sisters is not the best way to go.
President Tinubu has been criticised for removing Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State through the declaration of a state of emergency in the state, they said it’s as if he is supporting former governor Nyesom Wike against Fubara, do you agree with them?
The President explained why he took that decision in his broadcast to the nation on the state of emergency in Rivers State. The issue between former governor Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara has not been made public, so one cannot really say that this one is right or wrong. Many things happened in the state and national assets were being destroyed, the President felt that it was better a state of emergency was declared in the state. What the President did is constitutional and so he did the right thing.
Which area would you want the President to emphasise in the remaining two years of his first term?
All areas are important, so we cannot say this one is more important or not. What we should talk about is that the President should have enough resources to work with to do everything that he wants to do.
