Comrade James Erebuoye is President, Concerned Nigerians in Diaspora. In this interview with IBRAHIM RAMALAN, he explains why many Nigerians are disappointed in Jonathan and why the Diapora organisation is yet to decide on whether to endorse Jonathan or Buhari in the forthcoming elections
Can we meet you?
I am Comrade James Erebuoye, President, Concerned Nigerians in Diaspora, a human right activist and also member of the International Anti- corruption Forum.
What is your take on the ongoing decampments in the Nigerian political parties?
You call them decampees, but they are what I call a bunch of failures and it’s for this reason they are involved with defections.
I say this because they lack any tangible reason for the defections. Let us take the PDP for example. Are they decamping because the PDP is corrupt or they are decamping because the government is corrupt? Most of them have handled various offices in the same PDP or the same government brought about by the PDP for many years.
Some have been in office for eight years, twelve years and could not bring about any positive change. So, why wait until now, when they are being fenced out in the system that they are turning around to say that PDP has failed? What this tells me is that the PDP has failed eight years ago, and not after they have decided to abandon the party. What I mean is that these bunch of failed politicians are part and parcel of whatever misfortune has befallen the party, yesterday and today.
So you don’t share the view that the PDP government has failed?
Not at all. You see, the PDP is getting better. As a matter of fact, the PDP we knew twelve years ago is not the same PDP that we have today; the difference is clear. The PDP of today holds promises for a brighter future; a better tomorrow. The PDP is doing their best to bring in the youths into the system. I donot mean members and leaders of the party are totallu unblemished, because there is no perfect man in Nigeria as far as we are concerned.
I have said this many times and people don’t understand, as long as Nigeria is concerned, nobody is perfect. The country is reaping from what it has sown in the past: they have sown difficulty for the youths, and today the youths are struggling to survive. And that is the problem. The only advice I can give to them now, is to share their riches with the poor before the poor decide to share their poverty with them(laughter)
Given the recent mudslinging in the name of campaign, between the PDP and APC, do you think the Peace Accord is working?
If I may ask you who are the agitators? Who are the initiators? We have to be sincere. I expect Nigerians to be wiser by now, to understand that Nigeria is a great country that is beyond every individual. Nigeria is bigger than any individual whether we like it or not. You see, it is because country is not owned by anybody. I dare say that everybody is a visitor to Nigeria.
So I don’t expect people to come and sign any peace pact; are we kids? A country that had its independence since 1960, why are they signing a peace pact by now? Or accord on non-violent election? The problem is that people who are vying for elective offices are greedy and selfish, they are not there to protect people’s interest; they are there for their own personal interest and that of their families. Many of them in the race today have done nothing for the masses, whose votes they need to win the elections.
Let me just tell you, nobody is working to protect the interest of Nigeria today, most of them are just after their personal interest; determined to satisfy their ego, which is now consuming the blood of Nigerians. If only they can stop and reason, the country wouldn’t have come to this disturbing scenario. Yet nobody cares; everybody is saying Jonathan this, Jonathan that.
It’s not Jonathan, let us tell ourselves the truth. By the way, is Jonathan God? The answer is no. We all have to get our acts together as Nigerians, if we want to move forward. So, I expect all Nigerians to exercise their freedom, their civic rights appropriately. If, in their judgement the President has done well, they should vote him in And if he has not, then they could vote him out. But if he has been performing, there is no harm voting him in again.
Nigerians have been divided about whether or not he deserves another tenure of office. Which side of the divide do you belong?
You see, As the President of Concerned Nigerians in the Diaspora, I know we have millions of Nigerians in the Diaspora; we have at least 3 million loyalists to this organization. I have not only been able to create this organisation but have been keeping records. I fought for Nigeria’s freedom. I went too far and served jail terms in many prisons. In the process, I discovered that some Nigerians are in underground prisons in different countries in Europe. I secured the freedom of a number of people I could render such assistance to. Many of them suffered; no insurance. I gave insurance to the people I could. Look, if they say Jonathan has not done well or does not deserve second term in office is something that depends on your judgement. What barometer are you using to make your conclusions? You see these are things that count a lot in assessments.
To be frank with you, we have not endorsed any president for Nigeria yet, Jonathan or Buhari. A lot of other people have gone silent; I am not silent, am just watching because I don’t want to mislead my people. If we are going to endorse Goodluck Jonathan from now to the next ten days, if we are going to endorse Buhari, from now till the next ten days, you will know all these.
I can say that I don’t belong to any political party, because I support any party that is doing well. But as far as I’m concerned, if you want to talk about any individual, President Jonathan is one of the best presidents Nigeria has ever had. I’m saying this because of what I have seen so far.
Don’t forget, we activists out there, that have lived abroad for many years. We know when there is a relief to Nigerians. How many Nigerians abroad still send money back home like before? In the past, Nigerians abroad are like a money-making machine; your entire family usually relied on you because you have to send money to them for survival.
But today there is a relief because Jonathan’s transformation agenda has created roads, infrastructures. If Obasanjo had done what Jonathan has done throughout his eight years, I don’t think Nigerians will be suffering.
Nigerians are disappointed in Jonathan not because Jonathan is not working, but because Jonathan failed to stand and jail those people who have looted the national treasury dry. He failed to jail them; that is the only area Nigerians are disappointed in Jonathan.
If it’s in the area of infrastructures and all other things, Nigerians are very proud of Jonathan to tell you the truth. But that does not mean that concerned Nigerian Network in Diaspora wants to endorse Jonathan or Buhari . We don’t want to endorse anybody. Mark it and take it from me, Nigerians will not welcome any interim government or whatsoever.
