You are relatively unknown, yet you are gunning for the highest political office in the land. Why?
All over the world, politics is the one profession where there is no class to start from. You are a teacher today and tomorrow you declare yourself a politician. Wherever you have the ability to begin from, you do that. I believe I have the ability to run for the presidency and do a great job of it. I am eminently qualified by age, education, knowledge of the issues, preparation and exposure. Nigeria needs someone with the temperament, outlook and tools of the 21st century to tackle the problems of the 21st century. By way of preparation, I have over the last seven years put together a 70-page document, my Manifesto, titled ‘Happy days are Coming’ where I raised 35 issues that need to be tackled and proferred solutions. You can read my manifesto on my blogsite at—www.moop2015.blogspot.com Nigeria can prosper in the right hands.
For now, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Party (APC) are the two major parties gunning for the position. Are you running under any of these platforms?
My slogan is that we the people of Nigeria need to build a third force and I want to be the arrowhead of that force. For fifteen years, we have had the PDP and the APC by their different names. 15 years is enough time to transform a country and set it on a path. The only pathway we see now is the pathway of greed. Both parties are united in greed but they divide us, the people. Are you better off now than you were 15 years ago? If you cannot answer ‘Yes’ to this question, then, why do we need any of these two parties? I am running on the platform of the Citizens Popular Party (CPP). It is one of the smaller parties right now, but with the support of Nigerians, we can build it into a force that can compete for elections next year. We need to move away from the era of godfatherism, which is government of the few, by the few, for the few. If we want change, we have to be prepared to make the necessary sacrifice. There are no good hospitals. Last year, I lost a dear friend who went to India for treatment and they brought his corpse back to this country. We want to build a Nigeria that will work for all of us and not just for a few people. That is what I represent. Our leaders travel abroad routinely for medical treatment. For 15 years, at both Federal and State levels, they could not build schools and hospitals that they and their children can attend. Imagine if President Obama had to travel to Mexico for medical attention, do you think the American people would allow his plane to land at Andrews Airforce base?
In Nigerian politics, we are familiar with the big names and faces. How do you intend to navigate and still find a strong footing. It is like a war between David and Goliath...
You got that right. Remember that the little guy won. I know the APC and the PDP are behemoths. I am not unaware of their size and what they represent. I also know of the arsenal they have in their armory. But there is something I have always believed and that is the fact that the people of Nigeria are bigger than any individual or group of people that go by any name. If Nigerians are ready for a change, they should be ready to stand up against those that have enslaved them for 54 years. If you ask me if I am a David, I would not know, because I cannot over estimate my abilities. But with the people of Nigeria standing beside me, I am more than a David. The PDP and APC have nothing to sell to us but rotten tomatoes. We are not better off after 15 years of being governed by the PDP and APC. Can I take them on? Yes, I can with the Nigerian people behind me. I am prepared to take them on. I am not going to allow my fears paralyze me from taking action.
What are you really bringing to the table that we do not have already?
I am bringing a basket of ideas to the table on how to change this country in a unique way. Let us take education for example. I do not see how any country can move forward without a sound educational system. Our education has gone down. At about the same time I started school in 1965, a country like South Korea was behind Nigeria in per capita income, GDP and education with 95% illiteracy. They were not in any better shape than us. They invested massively in education. Look at the result today. They produce the best electronic products in the world. Their schools are better than American schools and their teachers are some of the best paid in the world. We need to build the best schools in the world in Nigeria. Education from Kindergarten to SS3 must be qualitative and free. Those that want to go to the university will have access to students' loan from an Education Bank which I will establish. They will have 20 years to pay back. When these people come out of school, where will they work? That is why we must focus on job creation and agriculture offers that opportunity. Agriculture is a veritable way to create jobs and eradicate poverty in this country. Thailand has cured unemployment successfully and so can we. Unemployment rate in Thailand is 0.062 percent. Let us take Rice for example: Nigeria imports 6.2 million tonnes of Rice annually and we spend over $5 Billion. We only need to cultivate 1 million hectares to achieve food sufficiency in Rice. I plan to establish Agricultural cities with modern amenities. We will move everything in the city that young people want to these new communities and make Agric funky. One hectare of rice cultivation gives you 15 jobs and One million hectares will give you 15 million jobs down the value chain. Unemployment is a national security issue and must be treated as such. It is far cheaper to build Agricultural communities than buy Tanks and Guns to kill our own people when they get angry. We spend $15 Billion on food imports for a country with 83 million hectares of land and great weather. This is prodigal economics. We can save all that money and invest in our schools and in infrastructure to grow our employment pool and tax base.
You talk about education so passionately. But you know there are some people on certain parts of the country who have refused to embrace western education. How would you tackle this menace?
We have to look at the genesis of the problem. It is a problem that feeds on itself. Because we did not educate them when we were supposed to, we made them a fertile ground for terrorism. It is difficult to make an educated person a terrorist. The problem we are facing today is not new. Many countries have experienced the same thing. There was a time the United Kingdom had the IRA separatist problem. But today, they have solved the problem through negotiations and have employed technology to fight terrorism. Today, United Kingdom is safe. I would like to declare a state of emergency on education in the north by establishing a Northern Nigeria Emergency Education Fund and in 6 to 10 years we can cure the entire area of illiteracy by investing heavily in education both for the young and old. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, (Arthur Fletcher). We have wasted too many minds in Northern Nigeria and it makes my heart to bleed. Many of the boys pushing Wheel barrows and selling on the highway may have higher IQs than you and I but they never got a chance. The problem of educational backwardness in the North is a national security issue. As long as the status quo remains, the insecurity will remain as well. If Nigeria hurts anywhere, Nigeria hurts everywhere.
You are from the same State with Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Tom Ikimi and Chief John Oyegun and from the same South-South geopolitical zone with President Goodluck Jonathan. Where does this place you?
I have great respect for Mr. President, Chief Anenih, Chief Tom Ikimi and Chief John Oyegun but they belong to the PDP and APC respectively. I am in the CPP. I believe it is the right of Nigerians to aspire to any office in this land. I do not see any contradiction with Chief Anenih supporting the President and with me, an Esan man running for the same office. When I see him, I will bow down my head and greet him. When I see the president, I will give him his due respect. But the office of the president is not a personal office. It is a job somebody is supposed to do. It must be politics without bitterness and besides, we need to retire them. We, the people must give them a worthy send-off party in 2015. They have done their bit but they must fade away. This century needs new ideas.
In the past, we have seen politicians running campaigns from the boots of their cars and on Election Day, they only secure votes from their family members. If I may ask, do you have the structures on ground to run for the highest office of the land.
My party, the Citizens Popular Party (CPP) has structures in all 36 States down to the ward level. We need people to come and run for every seat, everywhere. I intend to run strong and I plan to go all the way. It may look like a long shot but I will be a Cinderella President. Giants will fall in 2015. They can no longer rig as they used to when they just sit down and write results. Professor Jega has plugged many holes. I will appeal to people and make the argument. As Nigerians, are we ready to fund the change that we desire with our little contributions? We the people are powerful beyond measure. I have lost about five people to bad hospitals in this country. Is this the kind of life we want? We must begin to ask questions and demand for a change. I lost my dad, mum, cousin, friend and niece to poor healthcare.
The people of Nigeria are my structures. It sounds idealistic, but we need to appeal to the problems. People must stand everywhere and say enough is enough. We can have volunteers in every part of Nigeria. We can do it. Nigerians can say I am going to donate my shop in this local government to help this campaign. We the people need to wake up at this point. We do not have the billions that they have. We need to use what we have. I am just an agent; we need the people to stand behind us with their small donations and energy.
It is almost impossible for Nigerians to trust a face they do not know. How would you surmount this challenge?
We have been abused for so long. So, the distrust and cynicism are understandable. But we need to roll that dice. They need to hear me out and ask me questions so that they will know the plans I have for us. For each question you ask, I will provide an answer on what I intend to do. Our leaders have not marshalled out a plan on how to solve our problems. That is where I come in. I am prepared for this job. These are the things I will ride on as a new face on the block. Aso Rock is a house for the people and that is the way it should be.
Electricity is a major problem that has defied solution. What are your plans?
The major problem of electricity is a problem of law. The Electricity Act of 2005 must be repealed to open up the market for our power situation to change. My first act as president would be to repeal the law and open up the market completely. If I live in Surulere, there is no reason for me to be waiting for power from Afam power station in Okoroma, Rivers State or Kainji dam through an obsolete National grid. I need a company to come to Surulere, generate 5MW and run their cable to my house and collect their money from pre-paid meters. Money always follows good laws. In 2000, Germany came up with a policy that they wanted to generate 50% of their energy from Clean Energy sources by 2020. Early this year, they exceeded the target. The private sector invested aggressively and now they generate 210,000MW from Solar and 40,000MW from Wind. Government did not spend one penny. Northern Nigeria has better sun intensity than German skies. Northern States can become rich from solar energy.
Insecurity is on the front burner now. Can you do better?
If what we are doing is not working, then we need to try another way. Nigeria needs a brand new security architecture like Homeland security to co-ordinate activities of all security agencies using modern techniques. We need a nationwide emergency 911 system and we need to deploy electronic surveillance but in the short term, I would beef up our army strength to 250,000. We need a show of strength to negotiate with the enemy. As it is now, there is no reason for the enemy to negotiate if they do not think we can beat them. Security reports that demonize the opposition need to change. The governor is not the state, the President is not the country and the opposition is not the enemy. We are all equal stakeholders who want the good of our country. Nigeria must stop ignoring problems. We ignored the Niger Delta, ignored education in the North, ignored unemployment, ignored Fulani herdsmen. Now, there is a problem we must not ignore---the killing of El Zaky Zaky’s children. We must get to the root of that matter and resolve it before it grows into a monster. As part of Homeland security, we must have Peace advocates just like the Boy Scouts at Ward level to help identify early threats and nip them in the bud.
In the past, we have seen aspirants come out and at the end of the day, throw in the towel after money must have exchanged hands behind closed doors...
For me, there is no towel. Godliness with contentment is great gain. There are some people who cannot be bought with money. 2015 will be an epic battle in a cage. The field is shaping out. General Buhari has declared, Atiku has declared, Kwankwaso has declared and President Jonathan has picked his declaration form. I do not see the APC and PDP as bigger than the Nigerian people. This party is not about me. You know the story of David. When he came out to fight Goliath, the people called him an idiot. But he defeated his opponent. I am like David. I can and will take on PDP and APC. They are two sides of a coin. I am just an instrument of change. What David had in fighting against Goliath were courage and God on his side. I have both and I know that we will surmount this challenge. The war chest I have is the people of Nigeria. I will only go as far as the people of Nigeria send me.
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