Charles C. Anike is the National President Eastern UNION (EU), a civil society group that protects the interests of the old Eastern Nigeria.
In this interview with our Correspondent, in Abuja, he bared his mind on Nigeria’s journey into nationhood and other sundry national issues.
Excerpts is presented below.
Question: Nigeria recently celebrated its 65th Independence anniversary. How far would you say the Country has fared so far?.
Nigeria at 65 and cannot stand, but still crawling. What is there to celebrate for an old man or woman at the age of 65years but can’t stand but still crawling?.
What are we celebrating that at 65 years of Independence, we cannot feed ourselves?. Nigeria at 65 years is still depending on China and other small Countries to be able to produce smallest daily household items.
Nigeria and Nigerians at 65 years are not faring well at all. Histories of colonial days were more glorious, except the psychology of being ruled by people from other race.
Nigeria is so much endowed with abundant natural resources that it supposed to be the envy of the whole World, but unfortunately the Country is so much cursed that only animals in human bodies has always emerged as its leader.
Democracy everywhere in the world provides an opportunity for the best to rule the rest, but in Africa it’s the other way round. That’s why at 65 Nigeria’s President was more occupied and committed on how he can grant pardon to well known deadly and condemned criminals.
This he did just to score cheap political points irrespective of the consequences. The President is hardly perturbed over the scary and monumental problems that has befail lawful Citizens.
At this time at 65 Nigerians are rather mourning instead of celebrating. Nevertheless we are hopeful that the liberation wind has started blowing from some African countries and spreading gradually, therefore there is no doubt that Nigerians will one day wake up from slumber to take care charge of their own destinies.
Question: Would you say that those issues that led to the Nigeria civil war had well been resolved?
The issues that led to the Nigerian civil war has even multiplied and has become more complicated.
The primary causes of the civil war were uncontrolled envies, mistrust, misguided discrimination, blackmail and unwarranted gang up. Take or leave it, those things are more evident now and even worst than in the pre-war Nigerian society.
So for us the civil war was fought prematurely. This is actually the right time we need to fight a Civil War to ensure justice and equity in Nigeria. Regrettably, in the 21st century Nigeria, the height of discrimination, victimization, intimidation, blackmail, stereotypes, name it against the Igbos in particular and Easterners at large, has gotten to a where the people indeed need to damn any consequences and fight for their survival like the Israelis.
Just imagine the madness going on in Lagos state. Why on earth would anybody think he or she would eat his cake and still have it back?.
That after you have sold your land and use the proceeds to host elaborate ‘owambe’ parties and marry many wives, then turn around to plot to reclaim the lands using flimsy excuses.
The truth is that if things continue the way they are today in Nigeria, one day we will wake up and not find this Country anymore in the World map. This is because nobody has the monopoly of anything on earth.
Let everyone advise himself or herself because we can only know how it starts, but nobody can easily predict when and how it will end if…
Question: Gen. Yakubu Gowon at the end of the civil war declared that there was No victor, No vanquished, and proclaimed the 3Rs for Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation. Going by happenings since after the war, would you say that Gowon’s declarations had been well executed?. To what extent has the 3Rs been achieved?
Everything Gowon said were deceitful and lies. They were mere political statements that held no water. At the back of his mind there were no intention to execute any. Those statements were heights of hypothetical declaration from a very unsympathetic heart.
The truth is that the Nigerian civil war has a victor and a vanquished victims of genocide. This is why we have highlighted that the level of gang ups and evil collaboration will never augur well for the Country.
Who and who did Gowon reconciled?. And where and where did he reconstruct?. And who and who did he rehabilitate?.
The history is very clear that Ndigbo lost everything they laboured for all their lives during the war. Was the 3Rs meant embezzlement of Igbo peoples’ hard earned money deposited in the Nigerian banks?.
It is on records that Gowon’s government embezzled Igbo peoples’ monies and every depositor was given twenty pounds (#20) irrespective of how many millions he or she has in their accounts.
Or is the 3Rs the seizures of Igbo properties across the Country, in the name of abandoned properties?
Nor the inhuman blackmail and discriminations in the civil services empowerment and award of contracts also part of 3Rs?.
The truth is that nobody can easily cheat nature, it is impossible, because what Gowon and his cohorts sowed, God has blessed him with longevity so that he can reap it. Before his very eyes his own people are being constantly attacked and killed innocently in likewise manner he supervised and watched innocent Igbos killed across the Country. Today his own people are being killed innocently too and survivours scattered around in IDP camps.
It is unfortunate for the innocent victims but that’s how the law of Karma works. We have at several times advised Gen. Gowon as a gallant soldier to also show gallantly by taking advantage of his God given rare opportunity of longevity, to go to Igbo land to make restitution over his atrocities against even the unborn Igbo Children.
Question: Do you think the dreams of the country’s founding fathers for a one indivisible entity have not been aborted?
Well we don’t really know what their dreams were but the truth remains that Nigeria was built on a faulty foundation. And the Bible says that: when the foundation is destroyed, what can the righteous do?.
Historically and naturally there are remarkable evidences that we are not meant to be together in bondage. Otherwise if we are meant to be, the level of hatred, and discriminations we see today would not have been in existence.
Nigeria is not the only country in the World that is composed of multi ethnic nationalities, but the level of hatred our political leaders has injected into the citizens shows that things has fallen apart, and of course the centre will definitely not hold.
Question: Going by the attitude and actions of present day political leaders, do you think Nigerians are truly reaping the benefits of nationhood?
The present day political leaders irrespective of party affiliation across the Country are like band of vultures that are feeling on the carcass of their fellow citizens.
From inception, after independence our political leaders has always displayed lack of capacity at all levels. The biggest problem that has bedeviled this entity called Nigeria has been political leadership.
The level of unbridled greed and Satanism among the present day political leaders in Nigeria has crossed the red line. With these crop of leaders we have today, there is no hope for a better tomorrow for the country.
The present crop of leaders are rather cursed to perfect evil. We can tell you for free that the prayer of many Nigerians is that God should execute divine judgment and sentence the political leaders to untimely deaths, so that citizens can regain their freedoms again.
The so called leaders are nothing but an assemblage of mentally lazy good for nothing opportunists, who feeds on the poor masses consciencelessnessly. They lack capacity to initiate and sustain good legacies.
Question: Looking at the state of the nation currently, would you say the current administration is on the path of restoring the lost hope of Nigerians?
The current administration is an administration of renewed hopelessness and the climax of cluelessness leadership known in Nigeria history. It is a government of gangsterism.
A government of very few individuals whose focus is on how to retain power perpetually; even if every citizens of the country dies.
They are composition of unproductive and directionless leadership ever, whose only idea of fund generation is foreign borrowing and heaping tax burden on the poor.
It is an administration that derives extra joy in the suffering of the masses. It’s also a government that thrives on propaganda, illegality and deception. A government that has om weaponized poverty and hardships to legitimacy.
It is a government that always plots darkly for the downfall of the lawful Citizens but rewards and celebrates criminals. They are an assemblage of political bandits, monsters, election riggers and certificates forgers.
Question: Do you think those trying to lure former President, Goodluck Jonathan into the 2027 Presidential election are doing him any good?. Do you think he should accept it?
Those who are rooting for Ex President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2027 race are largely evil men from a particular section of the country, though they have their selfish reasons.
They are the same set of people that sabotaged and betrayed his re-election in 2015, but now believe that he can come serve one term, so that power returns to them.
If you check very well, you will discover to your chagrin that it is the same set of political bandits who has now stayed out of power for sometime now and are desperately seeking an opportunity to return to power by all means.
They do not mean well for Jonathan because they have never meant well for the country; all they plot is to satisfy their greed for power.
Well if Ex-president Jonathan have good and selfless advisers and genuine friends, they will advise him wisely, because it is in his best interest to distance himself from anything 2027 contest to retain the respect he has earned to himself as a very respected stateman.
And he should realize that there is a new sheriff in town who is very undemocratic and that does not believe in free, fair and credible elections. His believe is ‘go for it, grab it and run with it’.
The APC need stronger forces to dismantle, for which Jonathan is too gentle to handle.
Question: Going by the pains being experienced by Nigerians since the advent of the APC administration, do you still think that Nigerians should give President Bola Tinubu and the party another chance come 2027?
Please what do you mean by give him another chance to do what?. Of course that would be the most stupid thing to ever imagine or think about in our collective struggle to reclaim our Country and regain our freedom from political bandits and political terrorists.
Mind you Nigerians never voted Tinubu and his APC, they took over power through electoral coup de tat, midwifed by the INEC and legitimized by fantastically corrupt judiciary.
Let me tell you that even if it will be possible for the APC leadership of the Country to terminate before 2027, Nigerians will certainly celebrate the exit of APC come 2027.
The APC successive regimes are curses on Nigerians and did not deserve further chance, else we will all perish.
Buhari like the Biblical Solomon chastised Nigerians with horse whips but Tinubu like Jeroboam is now using scorpions (rod of iron) to chastise Nigerians.
It is only due to lack of conscience, empathy and morally bankruptcy that Tpain, his APC cohorts and associates in PD-APC will be plotting to rig themselves back to power, to continue the inhuman leadership of the country.
Question: What is your take on the ongoing case of the DSS against the AAC national leader, Omoyele Sowore? Do you agree that there are plans by government to silence him and stop him from taking part in the 2027 presidential election?
The DSS under the APC government have become tools and agency for oppression and suppression of peoples’ rights and freedom.
Their only usefulness at the moment, is that they are standby, willing tools and always available for their masters’ use.
The agency hardly files any reasonable case, talk more of following up cases to logical conclusions against criminals and terrorists that have gradually legitimized their activities to become celebrities, living comfortable and peaceful, while law abiding citizens.
However, the case with Omoyele Sowore is just like a case of dog eating dog. We can tell you for free that the pay masters of the DSS were and may still be on the same page with Sowore before things fail apart along the line.
We still believe that they’re working together, so they definitely know what they are doing but just deceiving the masses that are largely ignorant.
I bet you that most of the things Sowore is doing is to create content to increase his followership both on social media. And sometimes some of his activities are to distract and deceive the ignorant and unsuspecting public.
Most times we cannot predict the politicians, especially those that had at one time or the other have affliction with Tinubu’s political dreams.
The DSS cannot silence Sowore or stop him from participating in the 2027 presidential election because his participation is not a threat and will not reduce anything from the APC rigging plans.
Nigerians will later be shocked to discover that Sowore and Tinubu are working hand in hand. They are rather just using him to cause distractions from Tinubu corrupt activities. And believe it or not, it not only Sowore they have employed for the same purposes.
But they all disguised as human rights activists and defenders of the poor. We advise every Nigerian to sit back and take time to study this man in Aso Rock Villa, he is a political grand master. He knew that he has been messing up, and so has been developing different strategies to still ‘go for it, grab it and run with it’ in 2027, but God forbid!.