Laoye Sesan || The Igbos are ready for the Presidency and working towards achieving that, the Ezendigbo Ibadan and Oyo state, Dr. Alex Anozie has said.
Dr. Anozie in an exclusive interview with our reporter said that although zoning of the presidency is not in the constitution, the zoning of political offices has come to stay in the country because virtually all the political parties as imbibed it in their arrangement for power shift for a zone to have it for a minimum period of 4 years and maximum of 8 years.
‘’By the grace of God, if the health permits, President Muhammadu Buhari would want to have a second term son that his zone would have its 8 years in office. As far as I am concerned the Igbos are ready and what is just and right is for the Igbos to be president of the country. If Buhari spends another four years, all expectations should be that the Presidency moves to the East before any other zone in the country’’
He said this is one of the things that would minimize the agitations for power by all the ethnic groups because at this stage of the nation’s development and level of enlightenment no zone should dominate the other as far as political positions are concerned.
He argued that elections should not be that the winners would take all, what was expected of whoever wins an election either as chairman, Governor or president was to realize that all the constituencies voted for him. As for the president, he should realize that the entire Nigeria voted for him and not a section of the country. Where he did not win, he should realize that no matter what, there are people who voted for him.
As a result of this, there should be equity and fairness in the sharing of positions and the positions should not be concentrated in one place. According to him, Nigeria is looking towards when a leader that would spring a surprise to all the six geo-political zones would emerge. ‘’When the country gets a charismatic leader, the difference would be clear. Buhari is trying and our prayer should be that God should give him good health to do more. The problem which his administration is facing now is that there are agitations all over the country. To me, it is the devil that is at work and I have a strong conviction that the whole thing would soon be over’’.
On the way forward for Nigeria, the Eze advocated politics without bitterness, tribalism, adequate security, work for the people especially the youths. He also called on the government to provide good infrastructure as roads, water, and most importantly, power to drive the economy.’’
He described Nigeria as a better country to live in saying that what is happening all over could be likened to transfer of aggression by the people who are not happy and who believed that they are not getting justice and are being maginalised. I must confess to you, corruption is killing Nigeria, the treasury is being looted with impunity, Nigerians are wallowing in poverty, why there is plenty and the resources are carted away by view individuals who are selfish and care less about the rest of the people.
He was of the opinion that restructuring of the country would solve most of the things causing agitations as he advocated for a president with six vice presidents from the six geo-political zones. Each zone, he said, should be at liberty to use it resources and agree on the percentage that would go to the centre from each zone.’’ I think if we adopt this method of governance, development would move faster all over the country while the zones would develop their own pace.’’
As an ophthalmologist, who deals with eye problem on daily basis, Dr. Anozie condemned the allocation being given to health in the budget at both the federal and state levels saying that it has always been too small for the population of the country. He also condemned the facilities in the hospitals which according to him is not adequate and up to date. He argued that some of the countries where Nigerians go for treatment are not blessed with the kind of medical personnel in Nigeria arguing that the problem in Nigeria derives from poorly funding of hospitals, ‘’If we have the kind of equipment which are being used abroad in each of the geo-political zones, there would be nobody travelling abroad for treatment. In Nigeria, we lack planning. We have all it takes and our leaders should show leadership by example and stop going abroad for treatment.’’
On the youths in the south-east agitating for the state of Biafra, the EzeNdigbo said, the agitation is rather unfortunate because the youths of these days don’t understand what war means. When the Biafran war took place many of them were not yet born but because they believed that they have not been fairly treated with the situation they met in the country, they are forced to want to demand their rights and but fighting a war cannot solve their agitations. ‘’ I as much as they have the right under the constitution to demand their rights, I think this should be done in a more polite manner. They have their own way of thinking. We saw war and we don’t want war. The youths are bitter because they felt that they are being marginalized, no jobs, the crime rate is at the highest level, there are kidnapping, Militancy, and Bokoharam due to lack of employment for the youths. As a result of all these vices, they think that if they have a place of their own they would be better placed and have better opportunities ‘’
He went further to say that, since the entire country believed in restructuring; this could be achieved without violence. We have to sit together on a round table to discuss the way out and sort things out amicably. We must as well make the best use of our human resources and ensure that the country is industrialized because if we have industries, there would be jobs and restiveness would stop. ‘’