Chief Olabode George, the Atona Oodua of Yorubaland was a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, he speaks on the claim by Junaid Mohammed, a Second Republic federal lawmaker that the 2014 national conference was manipulated. He also spoke on insecurity in the country, xenophobic attacks and other issues. Excerpts:

Junaid Mohammed, a delegate to the 2014 national conference said the report was doctored and certain things not agreed during the conference were added to the report through the backdoor. As a delegate to the conference, what is your position on that?

Junaid Mohammed is my friend. I think he studied in Russia as a medical doctor. I want to appeal to him in the interest of the unity of this country. This is not Soviet Union. He schooled in an environment that is totalitarian. Where is the respect for the will of the people? I was a member of the 2014 national conference and Junaid was also there. The chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi, a respected jurist, one of the foremost, highly respected jurists in this country was never rattled by anybody. He was solid like gold and not gold-plated. Every item that was finally adopted was at the full plenary session and it was put to vote. To say that they went behind to add certain things to the report is unfortunate. How will Junaid want to be remembered? Let us tell the truth and fear God. We are driving this nation as if nothing can happen. Why are you distorting history? Is he saying the late Justice Kutigi was dishonourable? To me, the 2014 conference was the best that had ever happened in the history of this country. We debated and discussed all items. Emotions were high but because of the nature and the attitude of the presiding chairman, he calmed all the frayed nerves and everything was put to vote and unanimously adopted. So, what are the things that were added through the backdoor in the final report? Let us do things that will promote the unity of this country. We may say Nigeria is an artificial creation but nothing happens without the consent of the Almighty God. Our size in itself is enough wealth for us. I have traversed the length and breadth of this country and I can boldly say that there is no part of this country that God has not endowed with one mineral, agricultural, human resource or the other. Let’s aggregate them. The closer we are, the stronger we will be. No nation can be a great country without that unity. Don’t deride other people and think they are not important. By so doing, you are ferreting chords of discord that will not assist anybody. How can you say if the presidency doesn’t go to the South- East, they can secede? Imagine if Junaid is on the other side of the flip and someone says that to him, how will he feel? Those are not statements from a statesman. Junaid is my friend but I am very disappointed.

You said the 2014 conference is the best Nigeria ever had, is there any hope for the report to be implemented since President Buhari has refused to implement it and Junaid said the North will remove any President from the South who tries to implement it?

What kind of arrogance is that? A pool of Nigerians comprising of labour union leaders, jurists, politicians, elder statesmen, the intellectuals, professors, in fact, it is the best minds of Nigeria that attended the conference. It was Nigeria at the best. People who were ministers during the First Republic were there to share their experiences. Some even died during the conference. We have never had any constitutional conference set up by a civilian government that got to the end. Go back to our history and confirm. Go back into our history and confirm. Any constitutional change we have had was always during the military regime. One of the pillars of the achievements of Goodluck Jonathan was that he was able to drive that conference from beginning to the end. He never interfered in the discussions. So, how can anybody just singlehandedly rubbish it like that? Yet, you were there throughout the four months but didn’t raise any objection or boycott it. They would have recorded you as somebody who didn’t agree or in absentia. We are at a crossroads now and nobody gets to that level twice. Let us fear God. The consequences of vituperations that are negatively impacted don’t augur well.

Goodluck Jonathan is still alive. He should answer for himself. I also get a little bit concerned why there was delay. I know that the report was delivered to him. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) took it up and adopted it and it was sent to the National Assembly. Nigerians should ask the then Senate President, David Mark and his colleagues why they didn’t take up the report. We don’t expect Jonathan to go and sit on their heads and be telling them to do their jobs.

Are you happy with the way the Federal Government handled the issue of xenophobia attack in South Africa?

When I was in the military as civil servant, they deducted our salaries to assist the liberation of South Africa from apartheid rule. Every civil servant at that time paid something compulsorily in assisting to actualise the end of apartheid. Now, maybe the younger generation of South Africans doesn’t know much about apartheid. In fact, if you go to South Africa, you find some of those young people, when you say ‘apartheid’, they look at you like what is he talking about? Those freedom fighters then are no more. Only very few are still alive. The SOWETO in those days were defined. Most of those who became leaders of the apartheid movement were living in Soweto. Maybe the policy of the government in trying to encourage the younger ones for economic empowerment wasn’t there. God gave us green lands so there should be nothing like hunger anywhere if we manage ourselves properly. It is the lack of management politically and economically that is responsible for lack of jobs for the people. There is no nation that even if you scratch your ground and out something inside, food will always be there. So, why are trying to fight one another on issue of jobs? Though our people go to South Africa mainly for commerce, some of them also misbehave when they get there. For those misbehaving, let the law take its course but not for the people to take law into their hands, killing and destroying properties of foreigners. It is the most irresponsible behavior in any civilized society. It is not acceptable. I believe we should hold the government of South Africa responsible and tell them to wake up to their responsibilities. The current President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa was one of the freedom fighters so he knew the role Nigeria played in the liberation of South Africa from apartheid. Then, all their business people flooded Nigeria. Have you seen us attacking them? Do you think we are fools?
https://www.independent.ng/its-shocking-to-hear-that-governors-are-negotiating-with-bandits-bode-george/

Calculate all the money we spend let them return