A rights activist, Chief Ifeanyichukwu Okonkwo, recently announced his membership of the United Progressive Party (UPP). In this interview with select journalists, he gives reasons for joining the party, among other issues. RAPHAEL EDE, reports
Recently you joined the United Progressive Party (UPP), instead of bigger parties like PDP, APC or even APGA. What informed your choice?
First of all, UPP is a party that has a constitution and a manifesto; and for you to choose a political party, you should be able to read and write, and make good judgment. I chose UPP because I have read its manifesto and its constitution and I saw that it gives a platform upon which the people of my constituency can realize their interest in politics, if not for anything that we can have a say in agenda setting.
UPP in the last election in Anambra state did not make much impact and after the election the party went into oblivion. What are you bringing to the party to rejuvenate it?
A political party as a platform for agenda setting gives opportunity to look for two kinds of politicians. First, is political bureaucrats, the second is the political risk carrier. They are the people that you require to go and market and seek membership expansion. I am bringing my intellectual contributions as an activist to mobilize membership for UPP and also to educate most of the people who do not understand what politics is all about- that politics is a collective activity; that politics is nothing other than you can stand with your people and realize your aspirations & interest. It is not for personal agenda, so most people who are thinking otherwise may not have been able to find the real reason for being a member of a political party. I have been able to find it.
I am going out using my brand to now repackage that UPP platform that has been leading the most critical issue in modern Nigerian contemporary politics which is restructuring of Nigeria political system and most probably if we can turn back to parliamentary system of government. I found it in UPP, I have embraced it and I am selling it to people who will care to listen to me.
If you look at the Nigerian politics you see that an average Nigerian looks at the financial benefit he or she will gain from a political party and in Nigeria since 1999 it has been money politics. Does the UPP have the financial muscle to change the tradition?
I will tell you that so many people do not understand that Nigeria is a constitutional democracy. I have told you that I have the intellectual brand, this is my greatest assets and Nigeria is not run on money, is run on a constitution.
There is an electoral act that governs election. I will use my intellectual sagacity to discipline those people who feel that it is all comers’ game. Let me emphasize that there is an electoral act and I understand the constitution. I know how it works and I believe in how the court works so it is not a question of money; I want to see those people who feel they have money and can come in to corrupt the system. I will put them before the law.
So, our politics is not about intimidation, it is a market place of ideas, identifying the sentiments and problems of the people, ways to resolve it, we are able to put on the table before the public, that is politics. Politics is not about money, you require human element I have the credentials, I have the sagacity to stop any body in Anambra state that is under 70 years that feels that money will be the measure for leadership in Anambra state. I have stayed away for too long, for 26 years, but now I am back in full swing.
One of the reasons why you joined UPP is that ‘Nigerian change has not come yet’. Do you think the UPP will bring the needed change?
I told you leadership is about character and ability to sell your credentials is one of the most potent forces in leadership, which is trust; ability to understand the problem and ability to do it by building other leaders. Tell me, among leaders in other political parties, that are building new leaders, it is the same old people; no young leadership standard that has been set. Where is the manifestos of these parties that have been in power, so, I haven’t seen the change in the leadership in Nigeria. They do not have the intellectual capacity to manage some of the brilliant proposals and ideas in this country that seek to do business in different way.
They are not giving me option, all is intimidation and that is one of those things that we need to fight against, that intimidation is not an instrument of democracy.
And if all the Igbo leaders are in one party they have a stronger will. In Nigeria, like you said they have a better negotiating power because they will be seen as a block. But in Igbo land, many don’t believe in this unity in terms of politics, you can belong to any party of your choice.
How do you convince old politicians from the zone to understand this message you are sending out?
The message I am giving out is simple, have your eyes on the ball, I will give you a scenario. You are playing football you don’t have good attackers, the first thing you do is to organize your defence. Nigeria is a country where the constitution itself is working against the citizen. We Igbos cannot as a people in our number with our strength, our economic power be talking about marginalization. We have not played good politics we need a robust system to engage Nigeria, more so intellectually and then use filibustering to stop any body that wants to stop us. We have not been able to do that, it is not by embrace your enemy but to engage your enemy.
The system requires an intellectual way of mobilizing your people to realize where there strength is. We have not been able to identify our strength, we always point out at our weakness, one of the greatest thing that we have is that we can walkout from the pit to the top and we have not been able to use it so we have been boxed in.
Fulanis in this country is not up to 10 million but they are manipulating the system, they refused for us to have order. The people in the west have been eating and crying and we don’t seem to understand where the ball is; so what we now need to do is to reorganize our defence and use robust filibustering to check mate this issues that people neglect Igbos.
We cannot continue to condemn each other, we need to find better minds put them in politics to engage Nigeria and make sure that education, things that we don’t control that we know how it is been though to our children and then find a way to stop this erosion of our culture that money, money, money has not given us any comfort. I am not here to advance any economic policy but I am only advancing political engagement system and that is why I joined UPP.
When you said that UPP is the best option for Igbo politicians to engage on the re-negotiation of a new Nigeria are you talking about restructuring of Nigeria, what exactly you mean?
Nigeria since 1966, have been going down, down and down because of the conspiracy theory of the northern military establishment that are the architect of modern Nigeria. Nigeria is not progressing and we need to change this system if we must progress.
What is the way out?
The way out I have told you, is to join a political party that best serve the interest of your constituency. As an activist I have joined political party of my choice to mobilize and sale the manifesto and constitution of that party to my friends and it will help us to engage in negotiating Nigeria.
Since 12yrs now APGA has been in power in your state Anambra. Are you satisfied with the level of development in the state?
If I am satisfied with the level of development in Anambra I would have joined those people who have been in power in those years you are talking about. Check and see in Anambra, we have vibrant political elements more than 200 of them none of them are friends how do you do politics, if we do not change that directive we are not going anywhere.
Considering the number of political bigwigs in Anambra state joining APGA, PDP and APC that want to rule Anambra together with the money politics in Nigeria are you not going to be intimidated?
Without sounding immodest, may be you do not know me. There is nobody in Anambra state that is under 70 years that had made money before me, and that has my intellectual level. I have done more things, you know in Igbo Land if you want to test a native doctor you ask him how many people he has killed and how many he has saved. They should be afraid not me I am the prefect.
Is UPP presenting a presidential candidate?
I would not know I am just a member.
Don’t you think because you contested for governor in the old Anambra state, people will say you are joining UPP to context Anambra governor?
I contested for governorship in the old Anambra state 26 years ago and there is no body in Anambra state that has made that feat is a plus for UPP.
What message do you give to Ndi-Igbo?
I have only one message to my people and that is ‘surrender the me in you for the we’.
