Former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party and one-time military administrator of Ondo State, Chief Olabode George, says that tribalism, if not checked, will ultimately split Nigeria. The elder statesman, in this interview with KAYODE FASUA and ADELEKE ADESANYA, also declares that he will quit politics if the leadership tussle in the PDP finally favours Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. Excerpts:
Lagos State just celebrated its 50th anniversary, which would have cost a fortune. What is your take on the land- mark event?
Well, I don’t know how much they have spent but even as humans, we know that 50 years is golden, which is known as golden jubilee. I feel it is worth celebrating. I was a young man just entering University of Lagos in 1967 when the state was created. General Mobolaji Johnson was the governor then; he got married to my cousin. So for a long time, Lagos was under the control of the Federal Government. We used to have ministers from the Federal Government, for Lagos affairs. Lagos then was Lagos Island, Apapa, Victoria Island and Mainland to Yaba. Idi Oro was the boundary of Western Region…Fadeyi and others like that.
But what can you say is missing in today’s governance in Lagos State?
Let me share this experience with you. When Lagos State was just created in 1967, I and my five friends got up one morning as engineering students when we heard that the Western Government was giving scholarship to their students, and decided to go to Lagos Government House. We went to the Military Government and we were not scared. The military guards then asked us who we wanted to see and we told him the Governor and they said, “From where?” We said, “The university.” They then asked if we had papers there and we said, “No.” We expected them to drive us away but they went inside to report us and our names were demanded and we gave to them. Instead of driving us away, we were told to come in. Adeyemi Bello was present, Justice Williams, Baba Bankole Oni, the attorney general then.
We were asked why we wanted to see the Governor, and we told them that the Western Region just gave out scholarship and now that as students of Lagos State we also want scholarship. On that day, we got transport fare from them and we left since they had heard us.
After three months, they set up the first Lagos State Scholarship Board and we were given the scholarship. That was 50 years ago. The leadership council would have driven us away but it didn’t.
General Johnson is still alive and the impact is still felt. But today, who gives anybody scholarship again? Who cares whether you can pay or not? Nobody! I am now a septuagenarian celebrating my 72nd anniversary and I look back and I feel so sorry for the new generation.
The worst was what happened in Falomo, Ikoyi, where students who just completed their programme celebrated by going to rape innocent children. Imagine what our society has turned to. You see, I want to appeal to the Governor who said they would jail them that they shouldn’t; they should beat them with 100 lashes of canes on their buttocks in the public. Forever they will remember the mark. I am saying this because, once they go to prison, they would never be anything anymore because of the rottenness in our prisons. Of course, I understand some people have been parading themselves over the case, giving human rights excuse, but what about the rights of those children? What will they grow up to become?
You see, if we are to hit the nail on the head, the rottenness in our society cannot be blamed on government alone, but also on those into private businesses who do not have impact on the youths.
For instance, look at Glo and others sponsoring things all over the world, what have they sponsored here? I am sure these people can sponsor the establishment of private schools and improve the lives of youths in the society. I think there is the need for a big rethink for every stakeholder in this country.
Recently, we celebrated two years of the on-going administration. How will you access the administration so far? What are we celebrating?
The Independence Day was celebrated and also Democracy Day. Are we going back or forward? Yes, we should celebrate it, but it should be a period of introspection. What are the things inhibiting the progress of our country? Let’s not see ourselves like a Yoruba man or Igbo, but as one Nigeria; these are the things hindering our progress. One other thing I stumbled upon was on the Television, a Supreme Court justice sitting in the dock of a criminal offence; nowhere in the world would they have done that.
There are three equal branches, as they call them, no matter the offence of the person. If they consider the conviction worthy to persecute, then he should not be in the open court. Where is the respect for the sanctity of the judiciary?
Remember Richard Nixon’s case when he was convicted, he resigned, no breach of justice. The next President, Gerald Ford, decided to pardon him and that was because they respect the sanctity of the President. People seem to forget respect, it’s like you grab an Oba (Yoruba traditional ruler) who is a symbol for a village and you throw him into detention, that’s an evil sign. I am justifying this because of what is going on in this country. Let’s give respect to whom it is due. The Supreme Court Justice is a Nigerian and for him to have risen to that level, he can still be handled by the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the disciplinary body of judges.
This is the 18th year of democracy and the country has been faced with all kinds of challenges with some Nigerians seeming to be calling for a return of the military. Is the worst democracy better than the best military administration?
I would advise the military constituency to steer clear of politics because it is very mucky and uncharted. When we came into government of course, we left the military for politics…and the essence of military, the togetherness and the love you have for your comrade didn’t matter to you. When you are on an assignment, your neighbours, friends, no matter what, will come and take good care of your family. There is nothing like tribalism. When I joined navy as a young officer, my best friend, my brother, a lieutenant commander, is Admiral Nyako. One day, when I was waiting at the bus stop to get a ride and this my brother just came with his car and asked, saying ‘officer, where are you going and I said to the base, then he said jump in and I will go with him.
When we got to the base, I found out that we were going on the same ship and he was the second in command of our ship. From that day, despite that he is a Fulani man, I would walk up to his house and we would drink ‘Fura’ and ‘Akara’ together in the morning before we go straight down to the base.
He is still my best friend till today. When he was away on course and his son was sick, his wife called me and I rushed there to take him to the hospital where I also gave my blood to save his life. This was the service you render being a brothers’ keeper. But the moment we drifted to the uncharted water because of politics, things are not the same again because there are too many ‘politrickcians’.
For me, all that camaraderie is the reason for a military man’s existence. You share love like no other place. You are not concerned about tribe. You are always with various tribes with one goal of saving and serving your nation. During war, you don’t look at it as if this Hausa man is dead; you must carry your comrade. Love is what matters in military. What I will just tell the military is that don’t let any politician come and trick you. The world is not vested in any “I” anymore; but “we”.
Yes, we are still small in development. America is over 200 years old and Nigeria is not up to that. We are not yet adults, we are bound to make mistakes but when you make mistakes, you must learn to correct them.
It is believed that a section of the coun- try that does not want a repeat of the Yar’Adua era’s episode, in view of the illhealth of the President, is particularly looking at a military take-over as the worst case scenario…
You see, we have been together since 1914 and some of them are thinking of themselves, the North, the South. If we still think this way, then something is wrong with us. The head of state is not too well but he is still alive and people are still trying to play God. I, as a Christian, was taught by the letter of (Apostle) Paul to the Romans: whosoever is coming to authority, pray for them so that when they come up with their policies and others, it should be things that will alleviate your suffering and uplift you.
Who knows tomorrow? Talking about Baba Awolowo, he was charged trying to overthrow Tafawa Balewa’s government. When Baba was charged to court also, he made an allocutos, saying, “Blessed be the judgement you would pass over me, but my regret is this, a lot of programme for the people would not be executed because the country is passing through darkness and after the darkness comes a glorious dawn.”
Let our people be careful, General Gowon tried, at the end of the civil war, he made a proclamation, “no victor no vanquished” but that was in his mind-set. The three terms he brought, we have not executed them.
The constitution is clear, no matter whom the vice president is…I want to beg all my friends. God has really blessed this nation not only with crude oil. I have traversed every nook and cranny of this nation, if you don’t have mineral resources, you will have solid minerals. So why the jealousy? Is it the man we put there?
How will you assess the administration of Governor Ambode in Lagos state?
Well, that young boy in Lagos State…I mean the Governor, I have not met him before but I would say he has done what Fashola and Bola (Tinubu) could not do in 16 years. I am not bribing him neither do I want to join APC. I would rather go to my house and sleep rather than joining APC, never!
Bola was there for eight years, he didn’t do anything. Fashola, yes, he is from Surulere and all the road networks to Surulere are perfect. There are 20 local governments in this state, so are we going to wait for everyone to be governor? This young man is not only doing his own village, Epe; he also touched every place. But even at that, they should go and prepare for 2019 because we, PDP, will come with a better candidate and defeat them like never before in their lives.
On the PDP crisis, if Sheriff wins at the Supreme Court, do you see PDP still standing as a party?
What we are fighting for is a constitutional issue and the rule of law in our party. In this rule, there are things you can do and things you can’t and if someone flaunts it, what do you do? If it goes on and I can’t go by the tenets, I’ll call you guys and I’ll resign and that will be the end of my politicking. When you take your binoculars and you see darkness-I am a sailor-when you see a storm gathering, you don’t enter that storm, even if your ship is large. For me, it is a decision; we want to build the system and some people are not ready to allow us build it. Then, I’ll pack my things and go back to my house. I will retire, my children are grown and I am a grandfather already. I will remove the PDP flag in front of my house and shut my doors against PDP activities, and retire from politics. I will never be part of sheriff’s scheme.
