The National Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure speaks with OSARETIN OSADEBAMWEN, on the role Nigerian workers will play in the election of a new president and how his party plan to rescue the country from its current ruling class in 2023.
Looking back at the seven years of this administration, would you as chairman of Labour party say it has brought prosperity or famine to Nigerians?
It is most convenient to start by looking at the provisions of the constitution, which provides that security of life, property and welfare of the people shall be the principal purpose of government.
You cannot talk about welfare and wellbeing of the people without security of lives and property. You cannot be talking about a better life; you cannot be talking about power: you cannot talkabout the economy: you cannot talk about growth and development of the country without first considering security of life and property.It is who is living, the person that is secured that will be talking about healthcare, education and all others. And this is the point of view from which I want to anchor your question.
It is very clear that the principal purpose of government shall be to provide security and welfare for the citizens. If we take it from the first point, which is the security of life and property, you will know the answer yourself that as we speak today, no one is secured even in the Federal Capital Territory. You cannot travel from Abuja to Lokoja or from Abuja to Kaduna. You cannot travel from Abuja to Nasarawa state. In the South-East, people are being killed on a daily basis. As we speak. People are driven away from their homes; others have, on their own, deserted their homes. Same story goes to the West, the North-Central, North-East and North-West. So across the country, you will find that there is no security of lives and property. While you can say that in the North-East, perhaps North-West or North-Central, you can say Boko Haram in the South-East and even in the South generally. It is the activities of unknown gunmen. How has this improved the lives of Nigerians?
You have made a diagnosis of the problem. Are you sayingthe solutions to the problem would have bettered the lots of Nigerians?
Essentially, today if the government has failed in protecting life and property, you will look after yourself. I do not know why a government cannot provide security for our citizens, which is the basic minimum, like the constitution provided that the principal purpose of government, if you cannot even do anything, if you cannot give welfare to your citizens, if you must be able to provide the minimum provision of security and if we cannot secure lives, that is a very clear indication that the government has failed!
Nigerians are not even talking about welfare in terms of healthcare, provision of education, safety net for the vulnerable in society like the old people, children and women and other vulnerable groups in society. Nigerians are not even asking for that. We are saying secure lives, which ought to be our inalienable right. So a government that has failed to provide the basic minimum, you know that such government has failed.
Welfare includes education. If you go to the North, the high level of out-of-school children is alarming. It is even more exacerbated now due to the security in the North, because children are kidnapped from their schools. Teachers are kidnapped. Proprietors of schools are forced to shut down their schools and therefore we are not even talking about it. Is it the economy, which cannot thrive in an environment that is unsafe. You cannot talk about foreign direct investment (FDI) without talking about security. If there is no security, no investor will invest. Even the indigenous investment has been destroyed. Owing to failure of security of lives and property. An investor looks out for the security of his investment, but Nigeria is very volatile and prone to crisis, crime and criminality. And that is why at the end of the day, nobody wants to risk his or her investments in the country.
What is the basis to measure the success of an economy? You look at the higher rate of inflation today. As we speak, the high level of inflation has destroyed and increased the high level of poverty. Today, there is hunger, poverty and high rate of unemployment. And these are the indicators that will tell you whether an economy is doing well or not. Today, inflation is double digits. And when this happens, it means that those who are on basic salaries will have their purchasing power eroded. And that is why poverty has increased, because the take home pay of workers of peasants of artisans can no longer take them home. And what is the end result? The end result is continued poverty and hunger.
What measures would you prescribe for a change of this narrative of failure?
Work on these. Surmount the challenges using justice and fairness. And then grow the economy. In our party, we have always maintained that we believe in Nigeria and harnessing of her potential for development. We must admit that the high rates of crime and criminality is a by-product of poverty and unemployment. A country that is able to provide jobs for its people will obviously have served less crime and criminality in the country. Let us even go to the issue of electricity power. Power is another bedrock of any development and a country that wants to develop should provide it as it is the basis of industrialization and manufacturing. But sadly in Nigeria today, the level of megawatts produced is same as in the pre-Obasanjo era, in spite of the huge resources poured at electricity power generation; we are still where we are. You will agree with me that there’s no power anywhere. What is the end result? Poverty, hunger and unemployment? All these the Labour Party would address squarely.The cost of production has increased even for the peasants and artisans. So what is the result of it all the way from beginning to the end?
Would you rather describe the last few years under the government of the APC as one of missed opportunities?
How do you measure with the opportunities that we have or that may be available, have been well utilised, for instance, a bag of rice before 2015 was sold at N8000 today a bag of rice N35,000, the naira to the dollar never exceeded 116 in 2015; today, it’s N620. So if you asked me what opportunity have we created for ourselves?
There was said to be massive investment in agriculture, particularly rice; we saw the rice pyramid in Abuja, how do you describe that?
The massive investment in agriculture you said? If there is any, I have not seen it, because if there is actually massive investment in these areas, the end product would have been that we will have more rice to consume, and the tendency will be that the prices will reduce.
The reverse is the case. That is why I said, I have not seen any opportunity that the government has created for the people. That is why if you follow my previous analysis, I have said this is poverty all the way. It is the spread of poverty from 2015 to now, we have witnessed continued deterioration of the economy.
The standard of living of Nigeria’s and all facets of our lives. So, I have not seen the opportunity that this government has created. And that’s why we want to take power in 2023, so that we can create an enabling environment for development or growth for better life.
The party is known to be rather quiet, do you think we have the quality of aspirant that can change this narrative. Who do you have in mind?
Power resides with the people and they own power and I want to say clearly that the people are disenchanted; the people are tired of poverty; the people are tired of unemployment; then you are tired of hunger and we are relying on people to make a change, and we believe that Nigerians in 2023, will make that change.
Take it from me, the arrowhead of the 2023 election will be the people queuing behind the Labour Party. Essentially, it is the people that will drive the process and be able to sack the present crop of leaders that have not been able to better their lives. And our party, the LP will bring out its programmesand its ideologies. We are going to provide a solid alternative to the people and I am very sure that they will embrace the option we will give them for the desired change.
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