The immediate past Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of National Inland Waterways Authority, George Moghalu, recently declared his ambition to run for the 2025 governorship election in Anambra State under the platform of the Labour Party. In this interview, Moghalu, who was a former chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, speaks on his governorship aspiration, why he left the APC, his plea for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the implications of the appointment of Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu as the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, among other issues. Excerpts:
What informed your decision to contest the next Anambra State governorship?
I want to offer myself to serve our people from an entirely different perspective from what is happening now.
Everybody knows I have what it takes to offer good governance. We need to redeem Anambra fast because Soludo has failed the people. There is a dearth of infrastructure in the state, and security has collapsed.
Anambra will not tolerate Prof. Soludo any further. What he could not do in four years, he will never be able to do in eight years.
In October this year, you officially defected to the Labour Party in preparation for the election. As a founding member of the APC, what made you dump the party?
For every political contestation, two factors are very critical. The two factors are the person and the platform.
For the person, it is about you, your family and what you are. But for the platform, it requires broad consultations among party faithful, friends, relations, members of your campaign structure and whatever.
Before I joined the Labour Party, I consulted my wife and children, my followers, friends, associates and I was convinced that the Labour Party is the party that aligns with my person, and the best suited platform to realize my ambition. I consulted widely within my political groups and associates, and we came to the conclusion that the most viable platform for me to use this time is the Labour Party.
Many people would have suggested that joining LP, which is currently in crisis, is not the best for you?
I don’t really want to agree that the LP is in crisis compared to what we are seeing in every other party.
Political parties are human organisations, and like in any human organization, issues like this will always come up because a lot of interests will clash, and ambitions will also clash. So, in the course of this clash, there is certainly going to be some level of disagreement; but they are all resolvable because they are all part of human evolution.
So, for me, it is not a big issue. I also believe strongly that the issues they have, just like in all other political parties, will be resolved.
Insecurity is a major threat to life and business in Anambra State. In what way do you think Governor Soludo is not getting it right, and how would you improve on security should you become governor?
From what is happening in Anambra State now, it does appear that the incumbent governor is doing practically nothing in that regard; because, the level of insecurity in the state presently is alarming. No day passes without the state recording one crime related report or the other, including kidnapping, ‘unknown’ gunmen, cult-related killings etc. This is not acceptable.
For me, one can comfortably describe Anambra State as a theatre of the absurd. I will release my manifesto in a matter of days, and Anambra people will see what I intend to do in that area; because, I know that provision of security is a primary responsibility of the government. When a government fails in this regard, such a government is a total failure.
“We need to redeem Anambra fast because Soludo has failed the people. There is a dearth of infrastructure in the state, security has collapsed. Anambra will not tolerate Prof. Soludo any further. What he could not do in four years, he will never be able to do in eight years”
What plans do you have in the areas of commerce, industry and agriculture?
Commerce and industry, and of course, agriculture go hand in hand. If Anambra people give me the opportunity to govern them, I’m going to address the issue of agriculture. Agriculture is very critical, because, apart from boosting the economy, it has the potential to check urban/rural migration and provide employment opportunities. This is because; we’re not going to be only producers of agricultural raw materials, but will also go a step further into production and agricultural development.
Agriculture will not only provide food for us to feed ourselves but will also provide resources for us to develop our state. My government will invest aggressively in agriculture, because its potentials are enormous. We can’t wait to go back to the drawing board to invest in this sector of the economy that has the potential to turn many things around.
Which aspect of Soludo’s administration interests you, and which areas would you want him to improve upon?
I am not impressed with any area of Governor Charles Soludo’s administration. Critical areas like security, is a fundamental issue; because, you cannot talk about getting any investment in an insecure environment. There is total infrastructural decay in Anambra State, and the economy is not doing well. So, what else are you talking about? For me, Governor Soludo is not doing well at all. When I release my manifesto and programme, you will see what we intend to do. This is because; we cannot criticize the policies of the government without providing alternatives.
By the time I release my programme and manifesto, you will see that whenever I say the governor is not doing well in this area, I will say what should be done to get it right.
But do you think that Soludo’s administrative format is truly tilting towards the Dubai/Taiwan State he promised?
I’ve not seen the Dubai/Taiwan state he promised. We are yet to see it, and I don’t know when it will come. I am contesting to become governor so as to address the insecurity, unemployment and other socio-economic challenges currently facing the state under Chukwuma Soludo’s administration. The current governor has failed the people, hence, the need to vote him out in next year’s governorship election.
Anambra people may be afraid that when you go into office, you will like to serve two tenures, thereby thwarting the already existing zoning arrangement. What is your take on that?
If elected into office in 2025, I will serve only one term. A good governor can show visible development in four years. It must not be eight years.
Since the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance came into being in Anambra, it has been difficult to vote the party out. Do you consider this factor?
Yes, I have considered the challenges, and I can tell you that my chances are very high. The realities are more than having a party like APGA as a tradition in the state. The situation is a case of people having a wrong assumption.
Yes, APGA has been in power in Anambra for a long time now, and that is a fact we must acknowledge, but the truth about it is, what is the situation on ground? Are the people happy with the government? I can tell you that the answer is no.
You can do an independent investigation; you can talk to as many people as possible, that the feelings of APGA being on the ground may not be there anymore. It is about who the people want. The Anambra State political elite are going to consider the persons involved, weigh them according to their merits and their demerits, check who will be better for Anambra State, and then give the person an opportunity.
Voters always complain that the outcome of elections held at different times in Nigeria do not reflect their aspirations.What in your opinion could be done to put the Independent National Electoral Commission on its toes?
This is a cause for serious concern. I will address the question from the perspective of an appeal. I will appeal to INEC, and security agencies, who are involved in the management of elections in the country, to please, bear in mind that they have the responsibilities to the people. That they should do everything possible to restore the confidence of the people in the electoral processes. They must let the votes count, and allow the people’s wish to prevail.
In a democracy, it is not politicians that put themselves into elective offices. It is the people that have the responsibility to do so. It is the people that decide who they want to lead them at various levels. So, the institutions that have the responsibilities to organise these elections must help to make sure that the right things are done for the benefit of the nation, and for the development of our democracy.
Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has remained in the custody of the DSS for over three years, despite orders from courts of competent jurisdiction to the contrary. Do you think that South East governors have done enough to negotiate his release, and if in their shoes, what would you do differently?
What I want to do here is to lend my voice to the voices that have spoken, appealing to the Federal Government to look at other political solutions to resolve the issue as it pertains to Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB. I am not bothered about what the governors have done or what they have not done. Let all of us in the South East put our efforts together, and add our voices together to appeal to the Federal Government. There must be a political solution to the lingering issue revolving on Nnamdi Kanu. Nnamdi Kanu should regain his freedom, join us and contribute his own quota to the stability and development of the South East.
You were a major stakeholder in President Muhammadu Buhari’s government when Nnamdi Kanu was renditioned and detained. What did you and other Igbo people in Buhari’s government do to resolve the issue then?
I am not bothered about what other people did. What I did at that time was to do what I am still doing today. I have been appealing that the Federal Government should find a political solution to the issue. I have been making this appeal; I am still making it now, and I will continue to make the appeal until such a time when Nnamdi Kanu is released.
When Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, wife of your brother and Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, was appointed Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, people said that her appointment would facilitate Nnamdi Kanu’s release. Do you believe so?
I will only congratulate Her Excellency, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, for her appointment as minister under President Tinubu’s government. I am excited because I believe she has all it takes to serve the country under that capacity. I believe very strongly that she will impact positively in her office, and that she will discharge her duties creditably.
Do you also believe that Mrs. Ojukwu’s appointment will boost the fortunes of the APC in the South East in future elections?
The major and important thing about her appointment is that she is eminently qualified to occupy the office she is appointed to occupy. I will not answer questions on people’s insinuation, which has no facts to back it up. I believe very strongly that she was appointed into that very position on the ground of her credibility and her ability to deliver results.
