IT IS UNCIVILISED TO INSULT THE PRESIDENT, SAYS ONOJA

Former Military Governor of Plateau State and Chairman, Strategic Mobilisation Committee of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Major General Lawrence Onoja spoke to journalists on current political developments in the country. Shola Oyeyipo was there. Excerpts:

You were out of PDP for some time and now you are back in the PDP, why did you come back?

On the issue of the party, as of today, I have not officially decamped from APC to PDP yet. But technically, I am almost in PDP now because I am working for the second term of Mr. President and obviously he would want me to be in the same party with him. But the actual ceremony of receiving me in the PDP has not been done. So as at today, I am still a member of the APC. Because of my position as president of the Alumni Association of the National Institute, I am not allowed to be very visible in political parties but as a citizen, I have a right to belong to a political party. But I cannot contest any election as long as I am president of the institute.

Looking at the crises rocking PDP, do you think you will be comfortable there?
The point is I was one of the original founders of PDP. I started activities in G34. I was sympathetic to their cause that time even when I was in uniform and later it became PDP. So I can comfortably say I am an original member of the party. What is happening in PDP today is not new. It has happened to many political parties. But I believe that the party has got very eminent personalities and respected Nigerians that are willing to ensure that all the mechanisms provided in the party is effective enough to settle all the crises in the party.

But you left the PDP at a point over some allegations of undemocratic practices within the party.
I think that a couple of Nigerians were happy that we are having what is looking like an opposition because in democracy, you cannot enjoy it without a true opposition. There have to be an opposition for the game to be interesting. What APC now represents in the eyes of many Nigerians is that at least an opposition that may likely be formidable is being formed in Nigeria to compete with the PDP; whether it would match the might of the PDP as a viable political opposition- that is too early to predict. And I think it probably could in the future if it does certain things right. One, the approach of name calling and insulting Mr. President instead of presenting themselves as a viable opposition to Nigerians, by saying we can do better in education, economy. That is what Nigerians want to hear, not insulting the person of Mr. President. I believe that is unfortunate. And If they continue to do that, they would lose the peoples sympathy. So I believe what they should do is let Nigerians know their manifesto, what they would do for Nigerians in terms of poverty alleviation, what they intend to do with the security situation. Do they intend to do better than what Mr. President has done. Even if you are going to criticise the president let it not be like a personal insult, like one of them said he is a kindergarten leader. That is a personal insult. It shouldn’t be that way. Remember the office of the President will outlive all of us. Any of them can find themselves there tomorrow. You don’t insult the person occupying the office, so I believe that approach is what I am not pleased with.

One other issue in the PDP is power shift to the North. Do you think this is the right time for that?
Every group has a right to ask for power but I believe power is not given that way. You work for it. I want to let you know categorically here that it is not yet time for power to shift to the North. Mr. President has not done his second term. All the other Presidents were given the opportunity to do their second terms and Mr. President by virtue of the fact that he is a minority like me, it would be unfair and injustice to stop him from doing his second term. If he finishes his second term in 2019, then other areas or blocks can now begin to agitate for power shift. I think it is only fair to allow Mr. President do his second term.

Why do you say that Jonathan deserves a second term?
I believe Mr. President is doing well. This is my own opinion. Anybody has right to express his or her own opinion. I believe Mr. President is doing well. The President is rehabilitating the railway system which everybody is yearning for and they are very grateful. The power situation has improved. Look at the steps he took to restore security in some parts of the North. Those steps are welcomed by me and they are very adequate now. While the military are doing what they are trained for, there is a committee on amnesty trying to appeal to those who are belligerent in the North. With time I am sure these things will yield peace and peace is already coming back to the North.

Agitators for power shift to the North are pinning down Mr. President to an alleged agreement which says he is going to run for one term. They also claimed that when he went to Ethiopia, he said he was going to do one term.
I am not privy to any agreement. I do not know if any agreement was signed. And I don’t think Mr. President signed any agreement with anybody. This is politics. Why there is unpredictability in political events always is because you have the mind as an individual to change your mind if you do anything depending on the situation. All I am saying is that he should be allowed to do his second term before any group can lay claims to power. I am not privy to any agreement he had with anybody.

A number of Northern leaders, Arewa Consultative Forum, Northern Elders Forum and Professor Ango Abdullahi, had spoken for the North on this issue of power shift, and they seem to be united that it is time for power to shift to the North. What are your views on this?
There could be anger in certain parts of the North. But there is no anger against Jonathan in my own middle belt part of the North. We support Jonathan for his second term. Every group has the fundamental right to agitate for power. The groups that are talking, the Northern Elders, Arewa, they are not political parties. They are socio-political cum cultural associations. So they probably cannot install a president. At best they are talking of supporting a candidate from the North. You don’t blame me for saying that my own people support Jonathan. This is because assuming the power comes to the North today, would you tell them to concede power to the Idoma people where I come from because I am a minority in the North and Jonathan is a minority form South-south. Why don’t you allow him finish his second term then after that any other group can now begin to agitate for power?

Are you saying Professor Abdullahi is not speaking for the grassroots of the North?
May be he is speaking for the grassroots of the core North. But not grass root of the people of the middle belt where I come from. Where I come from in the middle belt, we want Jonathan to do his second term.

A Thisday Interview