In an interview, the consultant of Oshodi – Isolo Federal Constituency of Lagos State, Barr Okey -Joe Onuakalusi, tells our Nationwide Meeting Correspondents, ABBANOBI- EKU ONYEKACHI, JONATHAN LOIS and BAYO OBISESAN that each one the agitations in Nigeria may be resolved via kinetic and non-kinetic method, at the same time as he provides that true federalism and state police will curb insecurity within the nation. Excerpts.
Because the chairman, Nigerian Taiwan – Parliamentary Pleasant Group, what can we anticipate from the committee?
It’s a friendship parliamentary committee between Nigeria and Taiwan. To throw lights on it, there was a movement by the International Affairs Committee on the Killings, Manhandling Nigerians within the Diaspora and it raised very topical points, as a result of Nigerians within the Diaspora aren’t being handled nicely by their host international locations. Many a occasions, Nigeria’s inexperienced passport is attended with issues, opposite to traditional observe as a result of each nation owes different nations the accountability to respect their residents of their host international locations, however we found that in Nigeria’s personal, that respect according to Geneva conference on diplomatic relationships will not be there.
Nevertheless, we should perceive that whereas international locations have their embassies in different international locations, they oversee the affairs of their residents in these international locations. Now one of many main motions we heard at this time was on the risk to lifetime of Nigerians outdoors Nigeria and it was resolved that curiosity or peculiarities of Nigerians within the Diaspora should be revered, so it’s equally on the agenda seven of legislative agenda of the tenth Meeting on the difficulty of selling and defending Nigerians within the Diaspora and being that as it might, makes it crucial that the tenth Meeting has what is named legislative agenda, which is a working doc of the tenth Nationwide Meeting and that legislative agenda in article seven, stipulates on the promotion of Nigeria’s curiosity according to part 19 of the 1999 Structure which says: promotion of Nigeria’s curiosity globally must be the first accountability of the federal government of Nigeria and the international affairs.
Now on the committee degree, why committees work in that regard is that every one, like now, I’m a member of the Public Petition and I need to let you know within the final six months, we’ve been in a position to resolve issues that appear intactible amongst Nigerians and challenges. The way it works is that, when you’ve got a problem in opposition to any governmental organisation, we current a petition via the speaker, who will now refer the petition to Committee on Public Petition and your prayers there, all events concerned will likely be invited and state their very own case.
We resolved petition written by Professor Monday Igwe, a medical director of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu. He was terminated of his appointment with out following civil service guidelines. When he was invited by the everlasting secretary of Ministry of Well being and member demanded why the medical director’s appointment was terminated. He mentioned it was accomplished on gross allegation, which we demanded to know and if it have been accomplished according to the Federal Civil Service Guidelines (FCSR)
The FCSR, states that, to terminate a public servant’s appointment, it’s essential to give him three months and that one which issues professor Monday Igwe, they gave him just one month and terminated his appointment and we puzzled what was his crime, which was that he got here into the hospital and found that there have been loopholes and he blocked them and began bringing internally generated income from N1 million and to N25 million, so the forces which can be perpetrating curruption didn’t like his face, so that they collaborated with the individuals on the ministry of well being and gave him a question for querying a subordinate who’s working opposite to the foundations of his appointment and the federal ministry of well being arrange an appointment committee they usually exonerated him they usually wrote categorically clear that Professor Igwe’s solely infraction was giving question to a subordinate with out following due means of the FCSR. We then reinstated him.
However the next day, they obtained his job terminated. So when he got here to public petition, the chairman, Mike Eteba and found that the everlasting secretary who appeared didn’t adopted the FCSR; So on the finish of the day, the general public petition resolved that Professor Monday Igwe must be reinstated as a medical director of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Enugu State and these are varied ways in which the committees work to resolve conflicts in Nigeria.
Just lately, there was a case from Umuagu Obiagu in Enugu State in opposition to police intimidation and land – dragging, which was learn for third time and your chairman wiped off the case. On the second listening to, the chairman first mentioned it was dismissed, earlier than some individuals demanded truthful listening to and somebody was despatched to Enugu from the authorized division. Don’t you assume that the committee is biased and what’s your take within the matter?
The tenth Meeting has resolved over 200 instances and with justice and I don’t know the actual fact of this case. Once you current a matter earlier than a decide, the decide can solely adjudicate based mostly on the actual fact earlier than him and I’m a constant member and attend listening to not less than a few times weekly. As a lawyer and a human proper activist, I drew consideration of the committee on the 2 pillars of justice for truthful listening to and skill to provide the opposite celebration truthful listening to.
The best way you current a matter determines its judgement and if he felt that he was unjustly handled, he nonetheless has alternative to come back again. On the finish of each matter, we write our experiences and current to the home, so should you make your enquiry as a journalist, they should have given you the variety of instances that we’ve dealt with .
There was a blackout in Abo Mbise, when Benin chiefs
got here and alleged injustice concerning the minister representing them; that a lot of the initiatives offered in 2024 funds got here from the north whereas the oil producing elements of Benin weren’t a part of it. There have been cops who have been unjustly sacked and we reinstated them and their compensations paid.
An Igbo from the Labour Get together (LP), representing a constituency within the APC dominated Yoruba land, how has it been going and your plan come 2027?
I received’t go into 2027, however we intend to carry democracy dividends, get jobs in our constituency. We’ve got promoted payments: on institution of ability acquisition in Oshodi -Isolo; to determine 20 governance events; to open vocational abilities; to current little one proper act; on medicine; on institution of orphanage and; on company social accountability; on institution of e-library within the 774 LGAs. Most of our payments have handed 1st studying, some 2nd, however you understand that we’re being naturalistic in our method with the thoughts that each politics is native, so we’re going to do our greatest to contribute to the welfare my constituents and Lagos on the whole.
As an Igbo, how have you ever been relating with the Yorubas?
We’ve got had hand shakes throughout the Niger and many people have lived there for nearly 80/90 % of our lives, so we’ve buddies throughout board, infact, my greatest pal, Agboola and I’ve been contesting elections since 2011. So we’re transferring on, by the mercy of God. I’ve drawn authorities consideration to ecological challenges in Oshodi – Isolo and accomplished the design and submitted on the ecological information park. So we’re going to enhance on roads, colleges, IC centres, hospitals and sports activities. I share the identical philosophy with Zik, who mentioned: The greatness off any nation is to revive the dignity of man and my motor is to point out the sunshine that individuals may even see
How can insecurity and insurgency be curbed in Nigeria?
They’re changing into a nationwide difficulty which may be curbed by true federalism, which is, when no matter a state is producing, the state is ready to acceptable and prospect it for the greatness and pay tax to the centre. That’s returning again to what we had within the Nineteen Sixties. Thirdly, most significantly is that, Nigerians ought to see themselves as neighbours and brothers, with that we’ll have a greater Nigeria. Just lately we handed a invoice on state police, which has gone via second studying and now on the committee degree. With every state having its personal police, then it is going to return to the safety of the state by the state; that’s the restructuring we’re speaking about. We’ve got Boko Haram, Cattle Rustling; within the east we’ve agitation for self dedication. The reply to all these is true federalism and have an entire construction producing unit, then that may handle it. What is occurring within the south -east is a mirrored image of what Nigerians need; Nigerians need true federalism.
The issue within the south -east and different core elements of Nigeria, you understand we’ve kinetic and non kinetic method to safety. The issue of all these agitations may be solved via non kinetic method of a political resolution.
…. to be continued
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