Tokunbo Ajasin, the scion of the iconic nationalist, late Chief Adekunle Ajasin, is the leader of a pan-Yoruba organisation, Atayese. In this interview with KUNLE ODEREMI, he bares his mind on the card reader technology issue, fiscal federalism, devolution of power, among other issues.
What are those things all stakeholders in the Nigerian project need to do in relation to the coming elections, so as to place Nigeria on a better and sharper pedestal this time?
We need a free, fair and credible election; a poll that everybody will believe is free and fair. Not the one that will be characterised by complaints capable of ridiculing the country in the comity of nations.
Before the elections were rescheduled, some had alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not actually prepare well for the conduct of the polls. Do you think the commission has used the opportunity of the extension of the date for the election to hit the ground running?
I believe so because the percentage of those that have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), it well beyond the low collection rate. That is fair enough because we can’t wait for everybody as some people might not even want to vote if you wait till eternity. They might not care about collecting their PVCs. We can’t achieve 100 per cent rate but if we have a relatively high figure, I think that is fair enough.
There were some complaints when the Commission did a test run with the card reader machine. How do you see the development against the agitation against the use of the machine.
There is no other way or thing that can guarantee a free, fair and credible election at this point in time than the card reader. This is because the INEC has built into the card reader a way of authenticating the PCV and those registered to vote. To kick against such a mechanism can only obliterate the gains of democracy or create more serious challenges. If there are problems, people use electronic gadgets and experience some hiccups and INEC has made provision against possible unforeseen circumstances.
What should be the real issues as far as the election is concerned?
For my group, Atayese, the core issue is still the restructuring of the country, in which case we need a new constitution. The military handed us the current Constitution. I had thought that by the time the civilians came in, they would have looked at it to either change it or make a new one that suits the wishes, aspirations and intents of the ethnic nationalities that make the country or organise a sovereign national conference to produce an acceptable constitution for the country. But, they have carried on by continuing to operate on the basis of the military constitution, which to me, is a misnomer as the military can’t give a democratic government a constitution. It is totally an aberration. Besides, they were lies and all sorts of falsehoods in the constitution. It starts with ‘we, the people.’ Which people? Does the military constitute Nigeria? No! The case was taken to court but it failed to hear the case because they know what we are saying is the truth. So, what I expect those in power since 1999 to have done was to initiate a process to produce a new constitution. The real thing we need is restructuring Nigeria into true federation and with that, other things will fall in place.
But, is the problem not really with the operators of the constitution in view of the relative progress in terms of development and economic growth some states have been able to record even with the present structure?
We need to do the first thing first. When you have the right structure on the ground, then you can ask if the operators are doing the right thing. But, when you start with a fundamentally flawed process or structure, you cannot blame the operators because the whole process is built on a faulty foundation. If the foundation is wrong, no matter what you put on top is bound to crumble. That’s the situation we are into.
Why should restructuring be germane at this time of a general election, especially to the ordinary man in the street, who seem to be suffering in the midst of plenty and abundance?
It should be germane as poverty is a product of the flawed constitution and defects on the existing federal arrangement; a situation where everything is centralised. Let every state move at their individual pace. We need to correct the idea that everybody should behave the same way. Every area has its own peculiarities. Some prefer education, others infrastructure, let it be.
Shouldn’t Nigeria have overcome most of the existing challenges in the area of infrastructure after 16 years of civil rule?
Very much so. As far as I am concerned, the over-centralisation of everything is still an issue. Let us restructure the country in such a way that it can easily be managed. We should not centralise everything, such that everything is subjected to one man’s whims and caprices. We had the regions in the past when things were working smoothly and people were happy living together as a country. We should return to the regional arrangement and we have consistently advocated it since the inception of Ateyese. We have held conferences and it was one of the things that was adopted by the Yoruba caucus before delegates went to the national conference held in 2014 in Abuja.
The presidential system is wasteful. The president has to go round the country campaign and spend so much money. In terms of democratic rating, the presidential system appears good because the president has to be voted for by everybody. But, we need a system that is simple and less cumbersome; a system that is straightforward like the parliamentary system. The Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Fulani have their own organised systems, which all we need do, is to harmonise them. Let’s combine all those values that have been the source of our strength in diversity as a country and race. It is better that we know we are an ethnic-based society. That is the way nature has created us. So, restructuring is key in the election because it will go a long way in addressing most of the challenges that have been militating against the progress and development as well as stability of the country.
Why is the system so prone to corruption, especailly among public officials?
The existing system is responsible for the disgusting experience. If I have my way, the idea of federal allocation will be stopped. It is a ridiculous system. I do not know why it is so. From what I know of other climes, a state depends on taxation. The revenue accruing to the state should come from taxation. When you tax the people, then you have the duty and responsibility as state to do something for them by way of proving the basic things of life, creating enabling environment for the people to actualise their dreams and aspirations, as well as encourage investments needed to engineer and fast-track economic growth and development in all ramifications. We must dump the current system of monkey de work, baboon they chop, or robbing Peter to pay Paul. That is why everybody wants to become governor. There is free fund every 30 days and I have a friend holding an exalted public elective who would exclaim and rejoice, the largesse is here again, each time his administration got its share of federal allocation.
I will propose that whoever gets there (power)should start to restructure Nigeria, and not wait until the general election is around the corner to turn it into a campaign issue. We want resource control, regionalism, fiscal federalism, and so on. Most people agitating for new stats are doing so because of the free fund. Most of those wanting to be governors will remain in their bedrooms if there is no free fund called federal allocation again. The campaign is more vicious because the stakes are very high. The people there now don’t want to leave because of the pot of honey that they have been in control for about 16 years. But, those who want to come in are saying the ones in power have had enough of the action; that they want to have a feel of it too. So, everybody is throwing brickbats at each other. But unfortunately, I wished it was more of a campaign of what they want to do for the country and indeed the people. The campaigns are not issues-based. For instance, I employ people based on their capability. He has to prove himself. I did not use a certificate when I got a job abroad. Your skill is your certificate. It is never the main thing. The issues here are about shelter, food on the table of all Nigerians; infrastructure, poverty, corruption, insecurity, and so on.
There are so many groups now speaking for the Yoruba nation. What can you make of the situation?
Some things have gone wrong. One of them is that people are beginning to undermine prime Yoruba customs and tradition. Everybody is taking decisions on their own issues that require a collective voice and action. We are very democratic from the beginning. For example, in a town, there are usually different quarters and when you want to take a decision about the oba, chiefs, you have to call or get everybody together to express their views and eventually, you will come up with a decision that will be seen as generally acceptable and representing the position of the community. So, it is binding on all and sundry. You don’t come as an individual to claim you are representing or speaking for the people without their mandate.
That is not the way of our culture in Yoruba land and nation. It teaches us that you consult widely everybody and I like the way my father used to do things when he was alive. He is someone who I built my life after in terms of democracy, how things must be made to work. As the leader of afenifere, he never took a decision singlehandedly.
He always called all the leaders for a meeting for them to discuss and take a collective decision and position on issues as they affect the Yoruba nation and the country. It is the same I operate in ateyese. So, in this election, the Yoruba must not allow themselves to be deceived again. We have allowed ourselves to deceived three times. The first deceit was in 1999 when athe trhen Head of State, General Abubakar Abdusalami told the Yoruba not to worry about the controversial military constitution; that the incoming administration of Obasanjo will give the opportunity for Nigerians to come up with appropriate constitution, So, handed over the 1994 Abacha constitution to the Obasanjo administration. It became a fait accomplish!
In 2003, Obasanjo deceived the AD` governors by rigging them out after agreeing to certain terms. Before you could say Jack Robinson, he had eased them out of political power. In the first one, it was afenifere which committeed the blunder. so, this time we must allow those behind that constituted themselves into a group claiming to be speaking on behalf of the Yoruba and negotiated those deals to deceive us again. I remember we debated whether we should participate or not and we proposed a two-phase conference”: ethnic nationality level and then you pick the people to go and negotiate among the central one, where every nationality will be represented. We even said at the time that the conference, we want a new constitution and in achieving this, if it is necessary to even prolong the tenure of the government, were all for it. That was our position. We also wanted a sovereign national conference. we went along with it.
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