Chief Don Etiebet, former Minister of Petroleum and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), believes lack of good leadership and focus are the reasons Nigeria is still backward in the comity of nations.He says the change Nigeria needs has started with the election of President Muhammadu Buhari.
BY GBENGA OKE
Nigeria at 55, what will you say this country has achieved and what are the things you think have dragged us backward over the years?
Politically, I will say the country has achieved unity and remains one indivisible united country. Even though poor leadership, lack of focus and knowledge of governance have dragged us backwards over the years capped by the military rule of about 30 of the 55 years. However, I know and I believe that the Nigeria of my dream at 55 years of independence has not been achieved.
Politically, I will say the country has achieved unity and remains one indivisible united country. Even though poor leadership, lack of focus and knowledge of governance have dragged us backwards over the years capped by the military rule of about 30 of the 55 years. However, I know and I believe that the Nigeria of my dream at 55 years of independence has not been achieved.
At 55, what change do you think Nigeria needs?
The change Nigeria needs is when Nigerians voted out an incumbent President and voted for President Muhammadu Buhari. I believe that change occurred on May 29, 2015 when President Buhari was sworn in.
The change Nigeria needs is when Nigerians voted out an incumbent President and voted for President Muhammadu Buhari. I believe that change occurred on May 29, 2015 when President Buhari was sworn in.
Many Nigerians are of the belief that Nigeria needs a rebirth, putting in mind that we are not where we are supposed to be in the comity of nations. What are the things you feel our leaders need to do to put Nigeria back on the path of rebirth?
The things leaders of this country can do to put Nigeria back on the path of rebirth are countless but I will mention a few here. Some of those things include restoration of the Rule of Law; to make law not a respecter of any person; uncompromising fight against corruption and indiscipline in all the facets of our lives and activities; to invest heavily and methodically in both native and mechanized farming.
We also have to invest heavily in the development of solid minerals to compliment crude oil in foreign exchange earnings, concerted action on more power generation, transmission and distribution, more investments in roads, railways and other transportation infrastructure.
Don Etiebet
Also, we need intensive work and consideration for import substitution industries, research and development on such products, development of indigenous expertise in Construction, ICT and manufacturing as well as continued efforts on developing small and medium scale businesses.
We also have to ensure continuous and prudent management of foreign exchange to cater for indigenous industrial production and services rather than promoting imports and we have to put in mind that “Necessity is the mother of invention”.
We also have to ensure continuous and prudent management of foreign exchange to cater for indigenous industrial production and services rather than promoting imports and we have to put in mind that “Necessity is the mother of invention”.
Very importantly, we have to guarantee continuity in the CHANGE mantra by putting in place the practice of free and fair election always, building on the Card Reader technologies extended to electronic voting and there is urgent need to develop a culture of ardent internal democracy across all the political parties to elect true representatives of the people. INEC could be empowered, charged and made responsible for this.
On the trial of the Senate President by the CCT, many political observers said it is politically motivated. Do you agree with that?
We have identified above and rightly that the lack of Rule of Law, improper law administration, where the law has started obeying people instead of the reverse, are the bane of our backwardness over these 55 years. So, I believe the law should take its course in the trial of the Senate President.
We have identified above and rightly that the lack of Rule of Law, improper law administration, where the law has started obeying people instead of the reverse, are the bane of our backwardness over these 55 years. So, I believe the law should take its course in the trial of the Senate President.
On issue of the Election Petition Tribunal in your State, Akwa-Ibom.
I believe the PDP is just making noise, accusing everybody and everything to mask their failures at the tribunals, where they could not controvert any point or fact that there were no elections conducted in the state according to the Electoral Law, INEC guidelines and regulations. When they promised to bring thousands of witnesses to support their assertions, they failed to produce them at the tribunals as most of the witnesses chickened out to avoid embarrassment, shame and the fear of perjury, having seen what happened to the few that appeared before them (about 23 out of the thousands the three respondents proposed to bring as witnesses). And as they see the outcome going against them, they are back home to indulge in flagrant and invidious accusations of government agencies in doing their jobs since they can no longer apply their tactics of “what money cannot do, more money can do.”
On the Single Treasury Account policy of the President.
It is constitutional and it is a good directive by the Presidency to bring about proper guidelines on spending and payments to guard against profligacy. On the Naira/Dollar/JP Morgan imbroglio, I think some investors are worried that there will not be enough dollars available to cash their Bonds when they mature and earn their 15 per cent or so interest on borrowed dollars at less than 1% or so. I advise that they should not panic as Government and Central Bank have continued to assure them of dollar liquidity at any time to cash their Bonds.
It is constitutional and it is a good directive by the Presidency to bring about proper guidelines on spending and payments to guard against profligacy. On the Naira/Dollar/JP Morgan imbroglio, I think some investors are worried that there will not be enough dollars available to cash their Bonds when they mature and earn their 15 per cent or so interest on borrowed dollars at less than 1% or so. I advise that they should not panic as Government and Central Bank have continued to assure them of dollar liquidity at any time to cash their Bonds.
On Boko-Haram
President Muhammudu Buhari has achieved positive results in containing the menace since he came into office. We must commend him and the Service Chiefs who are at the front lines engaging them.
President Muhammudu Buhari has achieved positive results in containing the menace since he came into office. We must commend him and the Service Chiefs who are at the front lines engaging them.
On President being Baba go slow
No, he is not. I said before in an interview with you in June that the President is a very meticulous person with his own objective in his mind. And he knows what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. As the President in a presidential system, the buck stops on his table and all others are aides, advisers and implementers. I believe he is preparing the grounds for a smooth take off. In fact, his achievement in repositioning the psych of the people for a great Nigeria in these three months far outweigh what has been seen in the past eight years. Let’s pray for him to move Nigeria out of the doldrums.
No, he is not. I said before in an interview with you in June that the President is a very meticulous person with his own objective in his mind. And he knows what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. As the President in a presidential system, the buck stops on his table and all others are aides, advisers and implementers. I believe he is preparing the grounds for a smooth take off. In fact, his achievement in repositioning the psych of the people for a great Nigeria in these three months far outweigh what has been seen in the past eight years. Let’s pray for him to move Nigeria out of the doldrums.
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