Chief Emeka Charles Kalu, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, is Director General, Global Initiative for Good Governance. In this interview with Ejikeme Omenazu, he spoke on the ministerial allocation to South East, attack on former Deputy Speaker Ike Ekweremadu by members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in Germany, among other issues. Excerpts:

How do you see the ministerial allocation to South East by President Muhammadu Buhari?

What will I say? Jump up? The constitution prescribes that representatives must come from the 36 states to form the kitchen cabinet that will work with the president. If there were no such laws in Nigeria, I doubt if he would have considered anyone from the South East, considering his open love for the people of this area since 2015.

Also to confirm what I just said now, all the ministers from the South East are junior ministers who are answerable to higher persons. So, what else do we need to prove that South East is shortchanged since 2015? We are used to his methods.

Would you say that those ministers who were reappointed, or retained their positions performed well during their first tenure?

This is a technical question that I will answer with another question so that we can find the answers together. If they all performed well, why did the Senate adopt the awkward method of ‘Take a bow and leave’?

The screening time of would-be ministers is the time Nigerians get the opportunity of assessing these men based on their experiences and past performances and then know where they fit in. We were not just denied that opportunity, we were given names without portfolios attached and we ended up having round pegs in square holes. Someone shielded the old ministers. So, let us agree with them.

What do you think South East should expect from this administration?

I wouldn’t know. But I think, we should accept what we get, even if it is nothing. What did we get during the first term? The highway from Enugu to Port Harcourt that was started under former President Goodluck Jonathan who did one side of the lanes, the other side that was continued by this administration has remained under construction since 2015, and it is yet to reach Aba despite that it is not a straight construction (some areas are left as they’re not too bad). All federal roads in the East are death traps, even my State Abia State is cut off on many sides. What do you expect us to expect?

How could South East present its desire to produce the President in 2023 if it is to be seen as serious by the other zones to warrant their support?

First is that South East is part of this project called ‘Nigeria’. They fought so hard for its independence. So, it is paramount that they are given the opportunity to contribute like others have. The way the South East will achieve this is by building bridges and forming a united front, based on purpose driven target. South East has qualified men and women that can turn the fortunes of the nation around. All they need is to reach out and liaise with other zones for the Presidency dream to materialise.

What is your take on the recent attack on former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, by IPOB members in Germany?

Ekweremadu is my brother and very good friend. I received the news of his attack with a rude shock. In our Igbo culture, we respect elders and have reasonable ways of expressing dissenting opinions. That method was not part of it. For crying out loud, it was this man that stuck his neck out to secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu. It didn’t make sense to me why the same man he saved would order people to attack him. The attack is a national omen that every sane Nigerian should condemn, and have condensed.

Would you say that Nigeria needs a revolution for proper democracy to take its roots? If so, what form should such a revolution take?

I hope you wouldn’t accuse me of calling for an overthrow of government because that word ‘Revolution’ has been misconstrued possibly because of where we are coming from historically. But, I think a revolution is already under way in Nigeria. That was why we supported Atiku as the man with ideas to steer Nigeria aright. Any time Nigeria decides to sit together to discuss and reconcile our differences, forgive each other and decide how to co-exist, our problems will varnish overnight.

Democracy has already taken its foothold. What we need is consolidation and that can only come with dialogue and true sense of patriotism and national consciousness. Nothing more. The people of the world believe that Atiku is coming.

As a supporter of the Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, what is your take on the recent arrest, detention and court bail granted to his son-in-law, Abdullahi Babalele?

I commend the judiciary for the bail granted to Mr Abdullahi Babalele, son-in-law to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former vice president and the party’s presidential candidate in the 2019 election. The detention of Babalele, Finance Director of Atiku’s Group of Companies, has been generating a lot of controversies in the polity. A lot of people, especially in the opposition, believe that Babalele’s arrest and detention was aimed at intimidating and frustrating Atiku, who is at the tribunal with President Muhammad Buhari over the presidential election.

I extol the court for finally granting bail to Babalele, who was arrested by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) based on the proverbial ‘order from above’ in a Gestapo style.

However, I frown at the bail amount of N20 million given to Babalele. I have been wondering what offence he could have committed to warrant such bail condition. I see this as extortion and further attempt to demoralise Atiku through the machinery of the state, whereas the court is supposed to be the last hope of the oppressed and common man. N20 million for a single bail is outrageous and wicked, to say the least.

However, we are thankful that they were considerate enough to know that he deserves his freedom. But, they should also remember that if the fight against corruption continues to sail in this direction, it will become a systemic style of robbing one man (presumed enemy) to enrich another (the ones with integrity to steal), and it does not spell good for the independence and integrity of our esteemed judiciary.

The judiciary should sit up and be independent instead of being controlled by the executive, stressing that that was the only way Nigeria would not slide into total anarchy. The court should stop this extortion being practised against opposition, as well as the unending intimidation and blackmail of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar through trumped up charges and illegal arrests. We are still waiting for the arraignment of Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu whose undisclosed amount was brandished in a bullion vans during the last elections. Does it mean that some people are immune to the law while others are vulnerable?

This intimidation should stop. We are still waiting for the court on the tribunal outcome because to me, this is their last opportunity to redeem their already battered image in the eyes of the public and the international community. Atiku is imminently coming.

https://www.independent.ng/a-revolution-is-already-under-way-in-nigeria-kalu/