FG should use more of dialogue rather than force in dealing with most security challenges -Anike

Charles Anike is the president Eastern Union, he has spoken severally on what the government needs to do to move the nation forward. In this interview Anike speaks on why the government should use of more of dialogue rather than the military in dealing with some challenges across the country, he also speaks on the recent withdrawal of quit notice issued by the Arewa Youths to the Igbo in the North among other national issues. PATRICK OKOHUE reports

There was this protest by a pressure group that asked President Muhammadu Buhari to resume or resign, which seemed to pay off as he resumed soon after; do you think that was a right step?
Sure, that protest was a right step in the right direction, because without such civil protest, this President would have still remained in London, after he had exceeded the 90 days allowed by the constitution.

It is really a shame in the 21st century, we are still in a country where highly placed individuals who should show leadership undermined the constitutional provisions and some sycophants still clap hands and they are paid to carryout counter protest.

I can tell you that the events of the recent past have shown that we don’t have genuine human rights activist in Nigeria, otherwise where is Pastor Tunde Bakare and his Save Nigeria Group and also the likes of Femi Falana when the President exceeded 90 days?

We can see that they only show up on the stage when any issue affects their personal interests and ambitions. We give kudos to Charles Oputa popularly known as Charlie boy and his group.

The Aso Rock cabals mobilised miscreants against them but couldn’t do same against the Nigerians that continued the protest in London; hence they hurriedly flew down our ailing President back home, so the protesters achieved the goal.

The United Nations had demanded that the leader of the Arewa Youths be arrested and tried, but up till now government has not shown any sign that they will do so, do you see this as a tacit support for the group?
That is one of the short comings of this government, which is pretext and hypocrisy. The Kaduna State governor was the first to start the hypocritical game, when he issued an empty threat by ordering for the arrest of the youths, while the declaration was made under his nose.

Sometimes we wonder if they think that other Nigerians are daft, or if they think that their being in power makes them more intelligent than us, the so called Arewa Youths are merely acting on instruction of some Northern leaders who planned to use the quit notice to merely blackmail and force the Igbo to denounce their Biafra agitations.

But it’s already a bad market for them. So these are the reasons the leaders of the youth groups are moving freely and even enjoying government coverage and protection after committing such crime.

The withdrawal of the threat to Igbo to leave the North is seen by many as a withdrawal too late, do you support the Igbo to still stay in the North?
Well as we had noted earlier, the intention was just to blackmail the Igbo but it turned out a bad market to both youths and their mentors hence the belated withdrawal.

However, it is a good omen and warning to Ndigbo in particular and all the Easterners in general, to begin the process of repatriating their hard earned wealth, that have been attracting hatred and envy from their hosts.

For us the withdrawal is more or less like what our people will term ‘a medicine after death’, because consciously or unconsciously, they have out of confusion and frustration let the cat out of the bag.

So our candid advice is that our people should gradually move down home until there are clear evidences of safety for them.

This government cannot be trusted at all, especially with human lives, otherwise what measures have they deployed to check the activities of the murderous Fulani herdsmen. Has it not been lips services all the while?

Do you consider the quit notice as a declaration of war?
Of course the quit notice is a breach of fundamental human rights of Ndigbo and the constitution, therefore it is q treasonable offence.

And the inability of the government to arrest the leader of the youths, further exposes the weakness of the APC led Federal Government. Nigerians are watching and the world is watching and God also is watching them.

President Buhari in his last broadcast to the nation spoke mainly on security threat, do you see this as a failure on the part of government to provide the needed security in the country?
Most of the statements of the President in the last broadcast to the nation seem to portray him as someone that has yet imbibed the democratic culture, even after two years in office as a civilian President.

In an ideal democracy, a leader is expected to think and talk more of dialogue and negotiations than military operations. Reason being that more lasting peace is usually achieved through dialogue than military crushing.

The example of what we mean is that by dialogue, the government through the Vice President who engaged the Niger-Delta militants in dialogue, made us to enjoy relative peace in the region than the result we are getting in the North East where Military operations are in full force.

The truth is that this government lacks the capacity to manage democratic environment. Leadership and human management everywhere requires high level of diplomatic relations and flexibility than threatening and blackmailing.

The government has made injustice and abuse of court rulings a law and that is why Nigerians are now left with no other choice than to activate resistance as a duty. The APC is a prisoner of their own actions against the previous regimes, quote me.

So the things that are happening today in the polity is good and will serve as a lesson to people who will go to any length to capture power you can see lack of coordination because they are strange bird fellows. These days evil that men do lives with them and not after them.

The South West leaders have not only called for restructuring of the country but have also come out in strong terms to say that without it no election in 2019, what do you make out of this?
The only option left for Nigeria leaders is to harken to the voice of reason and then restructure the country. That was why we said last time that the only thing that can guarantee the unity of Nigeria even before and after 2019 is total and undiluted restructuring of the country.

As for the South West leaders, we can’t really rely so much on them, because if the likes of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the vice President can turn and deny the very trade mark that brought them to limelight then who can be trusted in the South West?

We will only believe them when we see them put their words to action, if not then forget the noise because these days word is cheap. Otherwise, the Yoruba as a very sophisticated tribe, well educated and well exposed should champion total restructuring, but over the years they allowed and condoned too many sycophants in their midst and they act as their spokes persons.

Why is the North afraid of restructuring because many prominent Northern leaders said that the North is opposed to such moves?
Well, the North can be opposing restructuring as a result of ignorance and the fear of the unknown, just like some Ndigbo are opposed to having Biafra.

Another reason is due to selfishness and greed on the part of the Northern leaders, who are used to free money. But in the face of all that, we can authoritatively tell you the truth that the North stands to benefit more if the country is restructured.

The reason is that restructuring will help and enable the North to rediscover itself and then develop their potentials and enormous resources lining waste untapped.

Restructuring will help them to look inwards and then encourage them to harness treasures in the Northern soil, which are wasting as a result of the present unitary system that have disadvantaged them a lot but unknown to them.

A well restructured and true Federal System will surely remove the veil from the eyes of the Northern youths (Arewa Youth) that have been flaunting because that will remove the ignorance and will enable them to ask pertinent questions from their so called leaders who have over the period imprisoned their minds and intellect.

Their leaders perpetrate themselves and family in power for their selfish interest. And merely use and maintain an army of hungry and ferocious youths, always available and ready to be used as tools for attacks. However, it’s not the entire North that is opposing restructuring, but only the North-West.

The IPOB said there will be no election in Anambra come November, do you see this as an empty threat or a sign post for anarchy?
That will be a grave injustice on the good people of Anambra State. There are different types of agitations across the country, but that should not warrant any lawlessness from any quarter.

And we are optimistic that the elders of Anambra will not seat back and watch that happen. They cannot allow anybody or group to interfere or try to truncate the democratic processes in the state.

The elders must ensure that they dialogue and prevail on IPOB not to stir-up any form anarchy or lawlessness during and after the election and the security agencies must also be on a red alert to ensure that law and order are maintained.

There are plans to arrest Nnamdi Kanu again, what would you say will happen if he is arrested?
Such plan will be very disastrous and counterproductive because it will further heat up the polity. This time, if at all there will arrest, it should start with the leaders of Arewa Youths, if not some people will be seen as sacred cows and that will be resisted.

Nnamdi Kanu ever since his agitations had maintained a non violence approach. And that is what is obtainable everywhere in the world. So he has committed less crime when compared to the Kaduna declaration by the Arewa Youths.

How would you rate the performance of the Federal Government in the last two years?
The Buhari led Federal Government has performed very poorly and far below expectations in the last two years. This is because the APC government is surely reaping what it sowed in the Nigerian polity.

The renewed agitations and threats here and there across the country are in line with the natural law of sowing and reaping.

The hate speeches as they call it, that we are witnessing today is also a continuation of the series of hate speeches invoked by the leaders of the ruling party, during the days of their desperate moves to capture power at all cost and by all means.

Recall that Chief Bisi Akande on many occasions referred to the former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as a “Kindergarten President”.

Just imagine such a foul language from a supposed elder statesman. And so many of other such careless statements by the leaders of the APC. So what exactly are they talking about or referring to as hate speeches?

Therefore whatever that is happening today is the result of the uncontrolled quest for power. They must understand that the only thing you cannot cheat or maneuver is natural justice; the retributive law of sowing and reaping.

The government rode on the wing of hate speeches propaganda to get to power, so people must understand that lies have a very short life sperm. Okay just look at the Aso Rock Rat theory.

The entire media team of the APC and especially the media handlers of the President are main problem of this administration.

These media team have so ran out of ideas and have exhausted their bags of lies that now the only option left for them is to silence reasonable voices of the ordinary citizens by labeling any legitimate criticism of their incompetence and weaknesses as hate speeches.

The media team of APC deserves to be quarantined until an anointed man of God lays both hands and legs on them, as to deliver them from lying spirit.

In the East, it is a heinous crime and a dreadful transgression for the elderly to lie, “But that is what we are seeing in APC government, that constitutes 90 percent of elderly men.

The Federal Government claimed that the economy has improved, do you agree?
Which economy has improved? They should tell that to the fools. In which area has it improved? Is it that the exchange rate has returned to what it was before APC came to power? Or has the prices of essential commodities fallen back to what it was?

A bag of rice is still about N20, 000 or less and so is every other thing. The standard of living is falling daily and hunger all over the land. If the economy improves we are to say so, and not the government that have continued to maintain luxury lifestyle.

Quote
A leader is expected to think and talk more of dialogue and negotiations than military operations. Reason being that more lasting peace is usually achieved through dialogue than military crushing. The example of what we mean is that by dialogue, the government through the Vice President who engaged the Niger-Delta militants in dialogue, made us to enjoy relative peace in the region than the result we are getting in the North East where Military operations are in full force.