Those calling for restructuring are opportunist -Ogunleye

Martin Ogunleye, a lawyer is the immediate past chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) , Lagos branch. In this interview with INIOBONG IWOK, Ogunleye says the President, Muhammadu Buhari was slow in declaring IPOB a terrorist group, he also dismissed the call for restructuring of the country, among other issues.

What is your view of the current agitation by IPOB and government’s reaction to it?
The late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwi was born in Zugeru in the North. That means our people have been living together for a long time. So for anybody to be calling for secession now, the person does not know what he is talking about.

But, I think the Nigerian government did not handle the agitation well: they should have called them, talk to them and educate them on what they should do and not do. Tell them the red line that should not be crossed.

The other day it was on the social media, everywhere that Nnamdi Kanu launched a militia group, the government should have picked them up immediately and charged them, where did you get the license for this thing?

But they did not, and we allowed it to escalate and get out of hand. And they are now launching superior force to deal with the issue, that would not have been left to escalate.

Is it constitutional for the group to be declared a terrorist group?
We have a law against terrorism in this country, that law says that if anybody or group act against the Federal Government; they can bring application to the court and it would be determined and the court would give a declaration.

I know alot of people have said how can the court determine this? But the court just said bring an application on the letter head of the Attorney General of the Federation.

An example of the IPOB scenario is the Catalonia case in Spain, who are also advocating for secession, did you see them carry arms, or set up their army? So how justifiable is the actions of IPOB?

The Igbos are not represented in the National Assembly by someone from Gombe or Kano, it is their people, if they have genuine agitations let them channel their grievance through them? We are in a modern world, were everything should be done in a civilised way.

It is long overdue for IPOB to be named a terrorist group. Their activities affect public peace, and it is similar to the herdsmen and Boko Haram in the North. To me they are all terrorist groups.

You don’t need to burn down people’s properties; there are legitimate ways of handling agitations. I have been to the East three times this year and I have seen these group’s activities.

When you block road and say people should not go out it is a violation of freedom of movement and you don’t expect a responsible government to fold its hands and watch you.

How do you react to the call for the restructuring of the country?
It is a personal thing. I am compelled to agree with Mr. President; restructuring means different things to different people.

I think we should work within the ambit of our laws, let’s work within the ambit of this constitution. Personally, I think what is actually needed is to practice true federalism.

Most of the people calling for restructuring are opportunist. I don’t understand when people say we want restructuring, what I know is that we want true federalism.

Federalism means different things to different people, I really don’t understand what they are talking about, I think we should adhere to the Principles of true Federalism.

Now what we have is a system where the state governors are behaving anyhow, they are so powerful, they divert local government funds, they abuse it and give peanut to the councils.

What we should be asking is how are the states run? Most of the states are owing salaries, the governors are living exorbitant life style, when they get bailout they would not complain, it is only after that they would begin to shout for restructuring.

We must go back to the constitution and if we need to change the constitution there has to be a referendum. Personal I think the future lies in true Federalism.

Whoever have grievance there, let them present it to their lawmakers to get their agitation felt that is the only way out. If they don’t agree we would continue to lobby, that is the kind of marriage this country has given us.

But the Yoruba’s are fully in support of it they met in Ibadan some weeks back to speak on that?
The people who went to Ibadan did not have my consent, they were self appointed leaders, if they are serious about restructuring the country, let them call the presidential aspirants and tell them:

if you don’t restructure we would not support you in the 2019 election, or else this debate would continue.

We have to continue to lobby the members the of National Assembly till the necessary change is made, the President cannot implement the recommendations of the Confab without approval of the National Assembly.

Look at the example in the judiciary: when it was reformed in Lagos by the Tinubu administration and judges welfare were being taken care of, there were agitation in other states and that necessitated the need for this and they came up and created the NJC, but the truth is that in a federal system we would have different standard by the states.

But the NJC as it is presently is cumbersome, the issue is one person is the one heading four positions, the Chief Justice, so that is the problem with this system, what we have now, is that the AGF is a political appointee and of course that affects this case.

But there have been suspicion about some funny judgements lately form some judges?
You see the judiciary is a total package, after Nigerians have poisoned the judiciary they want them to perform.

But the issue is that when there is an issue Nigerians have already given their own comments without knowing how it is done. People judge cases based on personality, this is what is happening.

That is why when the army declared IPOB a terrorist group, and people came out to say this and that, the Federal Government went to get interpretation in the court.

How do you access Buhari’s administration?
The administration has done fairly: but I think it is time he reshuffles his cabinet, some of his ministers don’t have business being in this administration.

Has the anti graft war failed?
The anti corruption war in my opinion is not about cases in court: It starts with you in the church, mosque, Nigerians should check their lifestyle.

Before they were saying the judges are corrupt, but there was a protest from lawyers, but when the President sent DSS to raid their homes, there was outcry from everyone, if the President does not do it who would do it? Buhari would spend his time and go, it is our country and it is left for us to fight corruption.

The biggest problem we have in this country, is that we are too passive, we don’t take important issues concerning us serious.

You saw the recent local government election in Lagos, the voters refused to come out and vote, these are people that would represent us in the next four years in the council.

The President has the right to seek re-election, but I think we need to look for alternative. But the names that are coming up are nothing to write home about.

The biggest problems in this country is that we are too passive, if we had a vibrant Civil Society they would assess the aspirant but we don’t have.

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I am compelled to agree with Mr. President; restructuring means different things to different people. I think we should work within the ambit of our laws, let’s work within the ambit of this constitution. Personally, I think what is actually needed is to practice true federalism. Most of the people calling for restructuring are opportunist. I don’t understand when people say we want restructuring, what I know is that we want true federalism.