Nigerians Are Now More Divided Than Before, Lagos Lawmaker, Idimogu

 

Hon. Jude Emeka Idimogu, representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2 in the Lagos State House of Assembly believes that Nigerians are more divided now than before.

The lawmaker, who was speaking about the nation's 61st independence anniversary recently, frowns at the North/South dischotomy in the country and lamented that the nation is beregt of good leaders.

He speaks more on these and insists that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has what it takes to be the next president of Nigeria.

As Nigeria is celebrating 61st independence anniversary, do you think we have cause to celebrate?

The truth is that we thank God that we are still together, but some people would say partially. But we have not done well considering what a normal 61 year old man ought to have achieved. However, some 61 year old men have not achieved. We are far below how some other nations rate us on achievements. Yes, in terms of population we are there, but economically and security wise we are not there yet. We lack a lot that befit us as a nation. The only good thing is that we are still called Nigeria in words, but in our hearts we are not one. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) wants Igbo nation, Sunday Igboho and others are calling for Yoruba nation, while the north is on their own. So we are polarised. In the history of Nigeria, we now have Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp, which never happened about 10 years ago. People are now homeless in their own country and villages and this had never happened before. We used to read them about other nations. I cannot travel to my state in Imo now, for instance, even if I go by air I would still travel by road within the town, I cannot hang in the air. We should use the independence anniversary to reflect on our past and future.

 People were thinking that things would have changed 21 years after we got democratic government, what is happening?

The problem we have has to do with leadership. You cannot just brush the other one, leadership comes from the followers, they are Nigerians too. They were followers before they got there. The problem is that we don't love our country, we are not committed to the problem of the country. If we are committed to the well being of the country, we will not be like this. Good citizens lay their lives for the country, how many of our leaders can do that. Look at someone like the late Babatunde Idiagbon, he was one of the leaders I know loved the country. I don't think any other leader has his quality. He was committed to the well being of the nation. When they overthrew him, he was abroad and they told him not to come back to the country and he said he had no other place and he came back and he was arrested at the airport. How many of our leaders can do that, they have more of their resources abroad, they would have stayed back.

What is the solution to all these, we had a constitutional conference and we did not implement the reports

... Which conference, that is the problem we have in this country. We lie to ourselves. We don't tell ourselves the truth. Have you seen the report of the 2014 national constitutional conference. What stops the present government from saying that the report should be scrutinised by a committee and then publish it.

What is the solution, should we have another constitutional conference?

Why, who will implement it, is it when the government must have gone. There are a lot of reports, what of Justice Chukwudi Oputa reports. We are not truthful to ourselves, we don't love ourselves. There is corruption, they take Nigerian money abroad and run there later. How many people come here from abroad even for medical check-up. 

Do we then blame the political class because they have been around since 1999?

I will not say the politicians are free, but it is not all of them that are guilty. How long have they stayed in office, 21 years. What does a 21-year-old child know. Has he reached marriageable age, it is when you get to 30 or more that you can start thinking of marriage. But our learning process is slow. Until we decide to be truthful to ourselves or we decide to be one things might not get better. We are polarised, look at the issue of choosing presidential candidates for the 2023 general elections, there is fight between the South and the North over it. Does it really matter, they are now talking about constitution. When they were doing there own in 2014, was it in the constitution that we should choose a northerner then? Whoever says there is no zoning in Nigeria is lying, why do we have federal character? We have it from day one, so it matters. How can a particular zone or family say they want to be ruling. Is it not federal character that brought about quota system, but now that it is zoning to the South, they are rejecting it. That is the problem, insincerity. Why can't we tell ourselves the truth. APC would have had a northerner as president for eight years in two years to come now, why can't they support the South now for the 2023 elections? It is not fair, they should not say rotational presidency is unconstitutional. The youths are watching us. If there is no quota system or zoning, then they should remove it everywhere. We need a leader that is strong and forthright to lead us. I don't know why they are afraid of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is a resourceful person. He is experienced, human beings builder and a nation builder. He is well experienced based on where he has worked. For Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to have worked in Mobile Producing, an international organization then it measn he is very good. You cannot use man knows man there. For you to work there, you must have performed, they must have tested you. So what are we saying? We need someone like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023. He knows what to do, you don't need to tell him anything. I know he must have had a blueprint of what to do for Nigeria now. He has friends locally and internationally. He is willing to help the country, he would bring experts and work with them. The current President Muhammadu Buhari attempted to be President on three occasions and he failed until Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu supported him and he won in 2015. Former president Goodluck Jonathan would have won a second term if not that Tinubu turned his back to him. Why are we not being truthful to ourselves, what are we afraid of. If he is willing and he is ready, let us give him the chance. We are far behind, look at insecurity, they have started kidnapping in Lagos now. We need people that are sincere and ready, the country is dying now. Look at the prices of bread, sachet and table water. There is hunger in the land, Nigerians are suffering. If the situation does not change I wonder what would happen next year.