My fears for Nigeria—Professor Banji Akintoye

Professor Adebanji Akintoye, is an Afenifere leader, the teacher of teachers, walking encyclopedia and professor of History. In this exclusive interview with OpenLife Staff Writer, Isaac Ngumah, the 2nd Republic Senator expresses  fears about the survival of Nigeria in view of barefaced  misgovernance

What is your take on the state of insecurity in Nigeria?

At the moment, everybody knows insecurity is shacking the foundation of this country. My take on it is that we are going through such a high level of insecurity that if we do not do something about it immediately we could end up losing Nigeria because most people of Nigeria are now showing they cannot take it anymore and people are preparing to defend themselves. So the culture of self defense can only lead to great and greater violence and bloodletting.

What are your comments on  Sowore’s arrest?

It is a pity that the federal government thinks that it has the right to prevent people from expressing themselves. The young men were organizing to demonstration. They told us, in their statement, that it is going to be peaceful demonstration.  I think the young men have a right to demonstrate and express their opinion in the street. It is only if it becomes violent that the law the security forces should move against them but they have not even started when they were attacked, arrested and put in detention. It is a great pity.

Many are saying that the president is behaving like Abacha. Is it true?

Not yet as much as Abacha  but very close.

In some quarters, there are allusion to attempts to Islamize Nigeria. Do you agree?

Islamizing Nigeria has always been there. It is not new. It has become a big venture. I don’t think there is any doubt about that but it is not so much attempt to Islamize Nigeria that is causing the trouble now. It is attempt to Fulanize Nigeria. Let me use General Obasanjo words “attempt to Fulanize Nigeria” to create a situation in which the Fulani will be free all over Nigeria to intimidate people and subdue in the way that Hausa people have been subdued in the Northwest.

Nigeria has over taken India in the poverty index. What is your take?

Not just overtaken India but beyond India as the capital of extreme poverty in the world. We live here. It is our country. We know the poverty level. We know the economy is disintegrating. We know there is infrastructure deficit. We know the quality of school is collapsing. We know that basic facilities like water and electricity are not improving. We started generating pipe borne water in the Southwest as back as 1950. But now we don’t have them anymore. Almost everybody has to dig bore hole to supply water for domestic use.

What ways can governments address the insecurity in Nigeria?

State governments need to take steps as much as possible, under the law, to provide security for the people. Waiting for the federal government will be the equivalent of waiting for godot. Federal government cannot protect the people of Nigeria from the North to the coast and from the coast to the East and West. The government must defend its  people and  the federal government must let State governments take charge of security. The federal government thinks of everything in terms of power and that one will not work. Let the state government protect their people.

What is your assessment of the unity of this country?

Nigerians talk about unity especially when our leaders talk about unity. The leaders talk about unity as if it is an end in itself. Unity is not an end in itself. The unity of a country is not an end in itself. The unity of a country is an end to end. The end is joining hands to develop that area we call our country. But the government of the country is not doing much of that the same government is saying unity of Nigeria is not negotiable. They are talking nonsense. There is no unity that can be sustained among the people who are poor and hungry. There can’t be unity when citizens cannot travel freely in their environments. Some cannot sleep peacefully in their homes or in villages. You cannot sustain unity in that type of situation. If Nigeria continues to disintegrate the way it is disintegrating, if Nigeria continues to retrogress the way it is retrogressing, someday, not far from now, we may have to give up Nigeria or may lose Nigeria.  I think that we may lose Nigeria and that will be a pity.