Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie is the President of the Nigerian Political Science Association. In this interview with TOPE SUNDAY, he bears his mind on some of national issues as Nigerians go to polls in 2019.
Much is not known about your association. What are the factors responsible for this?
Well, we have been in existence for long, more than two decades. But we all know in this country that people like passing the baton to the person very close to them. How do I mean? I am saying that people who had in one way or the other piloted the affairs of this great association have been giving power to the old people.
However, we have to thank them for their efforts at bringing all political scientists under one umbrella in this country. It is until recent that young people are being given the chance to pilot the affairs of the association. Also, I want to thank General Ibrahim Babangida, who, as the Head of State, gave us the opportunity to come to the limelight. Under his regime, political scientists were allowed to contribute their quotas to the development of the country.
Ahead of the 2019 elections and coupled with the endorsement of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, the Presidential candidate of the PDP by the Ohaneze, the umbrella body of all Igbos. Does that mean that South-easterners have taken a stand?
No. The endorsement has been denied and also countered by some politicians from the region. Despite this, let me tell you, nobody can dictate to us as regards to which candidate we should vote for or not. The Igbo nation knows who to vote for when the time comes.
They would vote for the candidate who shows love and identifies with them. They would vote for a candidate who shares their aspiration, and reject the candidate that has proven to them that he doesn’t have anything to do with them. When the time comes, every Ndigbo knows who deserves his vote.
But it seems that the Igbo nation has sympathy for Atiku because of the choice of his running mate, Mr Peter Obi?
Well, like I said earlier, nobody can and will dictate for the Ndigbo as regards the choice of the candidate to vote for the in the next year election. However, I believe that as humans, we show love to those who have identified with us. Nevertheless, it is too close to call for now because a lot of factors are still there for consideration.
Recently, the President Buhari and his close rival in the 2019 presidential election launched their policy documents
ahead of the poll. What is your assessment of the two documents?
I have seen the two documents. President Buhari called his document ‘The Next Level’; and Alhaji Atiku called his: ‘Let’s get Nigeria working again”. Going by the contexts of the two documents, they have hinted on what they intend to do if elected. But to me, the two of them are full of promissory notes.
First, how far has Buhari gone in the discharge of his duties in the last three and half years or so? How committed and sincere is he? And what assurance is he giving that he will discharge on all those promises he is making now? The achievements of President Buhari meant different things to different people and it depends on who is assessing him.
To his supporters and allies, he has done well and he should be re-elected. But for his opponents, he has failed. Also, my take on Atiku is that he may mean well but it seems he is promising what may not be realistic. How realistic is his promise to great 12 million jobs? What parameter will he use for this?
But do you see Atiku taking over come 2019?
Well, going by what people are saying that there is hunger in the land, anything may happen. But the trust is this; Atiku had had the opportunity of the being the President long term ago. Prior to the 2003 elections, everything seemed to be working for his ascension to the presidency, but all of a sudden, he allowed distraction and backed down for Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to complete his tenure.
What happened there after? He was victimized and since then, he has been longing to rule the country. This time around, if it is his time, he will rule because he is qualified and has the experience.
How would you assess President Buhari’s government?
In my opinion this government hasn’t done anything spectacular in the fight against corruption. People are saying that he is fighting corruption, yes he is. But in what manner? Corruption witnessed during the PDP era was monumental, but under the APC it is now scientific. Corruption does not only limit to embezzlement and collection of gratifications. Unfair treatment and lopsided appointments are also corruption.
What do we have under this government? We have seen in the last three and years that major appointments made by this government were given to the northerners. Is this not a form of corruption? On the security front, we should give it to this government because he has confronted the Boko Haram frontally and dislodged their base.
However, its achievement on security is not complete because of the wanton killings being perpetrated by the herders across the country. This is a major problem and President Buhari should demonstrate the will to tackle the problem.
