Ambassador ADE BABALOLA is the President, Nigeria’s Peoples Voice (NPV). In this interview with Isaac Taiwo, he expresses his organisation’s concern for good governance, the state of the nation as well as Buhari’s administration.
When was NPV formed?
It was formed about six or seven years ago. We did the launching on December 15, 2018 in Lagos State at the premises of our National Grand Patron then, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande (CON) of the blessed memory when he was alive. Lagos State Chapter was formed in his house.
What inspired its formation?
First and foremost, NPV is not a political party but coming together of people of like minds who became concerned about the way and manner political parties and their office holders were syphoning money, without fulfilling their promises to the electorate. So, the organisation was formed to be a kind of watchdog to correct erring ones. Part of our activities includes playing advisory role to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). For example, when we saw the registration of 91 political parties, we advised and recommended to INEC to prune the numbers down by enforcing criteria to register a party. We recommended that if a party cannot have 10 counselors, elected local government chairman, state legislators or representatives, such parties should not be registered. We thank God that INEC reduced the number in line with our recommendation.
Our other aims and objectives include the commitment to change the social ills in the country. We want a government that would address the problem of employment, provide adequate houses, healthcare facilities and fight corruption.
NPV is a non-profit organisation, a social-political movement formed against the backdrop of apathy, passivity and the subjugation of the Nigerians electorate and the urgent need to robustly challenge the prevailing sub-human existence of majority of Nigerians and the inability of the ruling class to take decisive steps to change the status quo. NPV is committed to publicly say ‘no’ to the culture of impunity by public office holders who have no regard for due process, rule of law and pervasive lack of accountability in various national institutions.
What is your geographical spread?
We have our members in all the 36 states of the federation made up of people of like minds.
What do you think about the new naira policy of the Federal Government, which has brought severe pains upon Nigerians?
We know that President Muhammadu Buhari has good plans. He started well and our prayer for him is to end well. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spent 16 years and we could not point to any good thing done by them. In 1999-2007, during the presidency of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the budget given to Works and Housing alone was N30 billion under the late Chief Tony Anenih and we did not see any road work completed. Lagos-Ibadan expressway could not be completed. Money given to Wale Babalakin and others went down the drain. It was within the eight years of Buhari government that we witnessed the completion of many networks of roads in Nigeria. There is no state in Nigeria that Buhari’s hand was not felt, unless we want to lie. For example, Lagos to Ibadan; Ibadan – Osun; Osun – Ondo and Osun – Ekiti. From there to Kwara, Kogi, Second Niger Bridge, Onitsha, Ore road, Lagos-Badagry way, Ebonyi State, Calabar area, Imo State, Abia State, Rivers State, Akwa-Ibom State and Northern parts of Nigeria. These achievements cannot be compared with 16 years spent by the previous PDP government.
We in NPV never regretted our endorsement of Buhari for the second term.
However, the nation is not pleased and are unhappy about what is going on concerning the change of new naira notes. Nigerians do not have access to their own money. As a leader and Commander in Chief, he has the power to normalise things. Both the old and new currencies are still Nigeria’s money. Nothing stops Buhari to say that for peace to reign, both the old and the new notes should exist simultaneously until the old ones are phased out. This is the only area we find loophole in his government. PDP in its 16 years of governance abandoned the refinery, only to get the crude for exportation, while fuel is brought back to the country at a high price. However, within the six months of Buhari, he was able to commence the turn around maintenance of the refinery, which was hampered by the militants. That was why the project was stopped.
How would you score Buhari in the area of security?
President Buhari tried his best. The Boko Haram is an inherited problem from PDP government. Of course, aside the abduction of Chibok girls that happened during the PDP era, he was able to rescue Dapchi schoolgirls that were also abducted by Boko Haram except Leah Sharibu, who refused to deny her Christian faith despite his promise to rescue her. He failed to deliver the girl out of the hands of Boko Haram enclave who was eventually forcefully married to one of them. What a harrowing pain inflicted on the girl and her parents?
About the bandits and kidnappers, the enemies of Buhari could employ all sorts of terrorists to pull down his government because of his stand against corruption. About the herdsmen that have invaded every part of the South causing mayhem, the incoming President can send them back to their home states. They should get letter of authority from their local governments to come back. In the olden days, herdsmen came with sticks, but today, they come with arrow and AK 47. There should be a law that would restrict their movement, and as many that commit any atrocity should be made to face the wrath of the law. That should settle the case of herdsmen.
A lot of evils happening today in Buhari’s government are the handiwork of his enemies who do not want him to succeed and I believe the next President would deal with them.
Chief Obasanjo paid Nigeria’s debt and left surplus in the account, while Buhari is leaving with a humongous debt for the nation. What is your take on this?
I am not Buhari’s defender. He is in a better position to defend himself. However, there were other things that were glaring. During the period of Obasanjo, his Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku was made the chairman of privatisation. He privatised Nigeria Airways to the tune of about N4 billion. The building, 1004 was sold for N120 million, an amount that cannot buy two plots of land at Maroko. Who bought it? Federal Secretariat at Ikoyi was to be bought by who? They privatised a lot of infrastructure we inherited from our forefathers for themselves.
They only shared money and people were seeing money everywhere. It is only those of us in Lagos that are being cheated by this government. Obasanjo, for example, neglected Lagos-Abeokuta road while he focused on the North having the notion that the South did not vote him into power. We shall appreciate if Buhari’s government can rehabilitate Lagos-Abeokuta road, Idiroko- Yewa Owode road that are Federal roads, which were abandoned by PDP government. We saw what he borrowed money for. The only area we have been advising him is the undue money being paid to legislators, local, state and the federal, including the governors and the President. These humongous amounts should be drastically reduced. Politicians see politics as next to cocaine business.
How would you compare military government to that of civilian?
General Yakubu Gowon’s military administration was the best military administration.
However, most of the present civilian governments are only in government to syphone money. A lot of people come into governance for what they can benefit and not for good things they will offer. This is the basic truth.
