ANY REGION CAN SECEDE BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE PEACEFULLY… EBHO ABURE

Engr. Ebho Abure is the Chairman/Managing Director, Baseline Energy Services Limited. Recently in Lagos, he bared his mind exclusively in an interview, on some topical issues affecting Nigeria. He spoke with Inemesit Ebu and Emmanuel Ukpong. Excerpts …

EACH TIME THERE IS FUEL SCARCITY IN NIGERIA, THE SITUATION COMES WITH UNTOLD HARDSHIP ON THE CITIZENS. WHY DOES THIS PROBLEM SURFACE FROM TIME TO TIME?

It is very typical because we have the problem that has been there and no single government has opted to fix the unruly situation once and for all. It is shameful that we have four (4) refineries, but none is working to produce enough products for the local market not to talk of exporting. Hopefully the Dangote refinery will come on stream and change the situation, but I still don’t think the situation will change because I don’t know their capacity or what they can produce. It is most likely going to be diesel and not PMS that will be the predominant product, but it is something that any sane society should have solved by now. Since 1956 when oil was first discovered in commercial quantities, we should have taken steps such that by now we should have been exporting and not importing petroleum products.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT THEY’RE NOT DOING TO SALVAGE THIS SITUATION?

I think one of the solutions is to make it easy for private institutions or individuals to build refineries and operate them. If I was in government with the authority, I would have sold the four (4) refineries owned by the government at this time and allow the private companies to run the refineries and do so profitably. Government’s role should be limited to providing some regulatory guidelines. Before, we thought Nigerians couldn’t run Oil and Gas producing companies, until government started giving marginal fields to people like Niger Delta, Seplapt, Dubri oil, etc. Nigerians have now shown that they can operate oil and gas companies in the upstream and within international standards of safety and quality. So, I think that what is still missing is the will to take the right decisions.

AS A STAKEHOLDER IN THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY, HAVE YOU FOR ONCE ADVISED THOSE IN GOVT. ON THE APPROPRIATE & EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT OF THAT CRITICAL SECTOR OF THE NATION ECONOMY? 

Your question reminds me of the question I was once asked when I appeared in an AIT programme. It is the same answer I gave them that I will still give you today. It is not that our leaders do not know what to do to get the oil & gas sector working perfectly but I think it is essentially the problems of most African leaders who often do not want to do the right thing. People in government don’t lack advice; it is not that they don’t know what should be done. The decision makers often lack the political will to implement those policies considered germane to the development of the oil and gas industry. I am sure our leaders in the presidency, NNPC, PPPRO, the Petroleum industry are aware of what is needed to get that sector on stream but they may have decided to do otherwise for their selfish interest.

THERE IS SERIOUS AGITATION BY THE SOUTH EASTERNERS (IGBOS) OF NIGERIA STRUGGLING FOR A SEPARATE COUNTRY, CALLED BIAFRA. WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON THIS?

Any region can secede but it has to be done peacefully, and in accordance with the constitution which is the sovereign law of the land. You cannot take up arms against a sitting President and not expect a reaction. So, if the Biafrans want to separate from Nigeria, they have to find a way to do it constitutionally. It is also important that they go on their own and not try to take the minorities with them. I am one of the so-called minority and I will hate to be a Biafran just as I would hate to be an Oduduwan. I don’t want to be an Ododuwan or a Biafran because I am very comfortable being a Nigerian. Even though Nigeria has problems, I believe these problems can be addressed peacefully and methodically.

The Biafrans should apply a peaceful approach to the issue. Firstly, define what is meant by Biafra, and not what that miscreant Nnamdi Kanu’s definition of Biafra is; a Biafra that includes Edo Sate or that includes the South-South States. I don’t think Akwa Ibom, Edo or any South-South States want to be part of Biafra. If they define Biafra and they say they want to be on their own then they should submit it to the National Assembly; but if you take arms against a sitting government, it is only a weakling that will not respond. In my view, you can agitate for a sovereign state but find a way to do it peacefully and don’t define who should join you. Let others choose where they want to belong.

DO YOU THINK THE REASONS THAT NECESSITATED THE NIGERIA- BIAFRAN WAR HAS BEEN ADDRESSED GOING BY THE MISGIVINGS AMONG THE CONTENDING ETHNIC GROUPS IN NIGERIA? 

The civil war, you may recall started immediately after a revenge coup in 1967. It was the recalcitrance of Ojukwu after the peace accord that started the war. To me Gowon was very reluctant to fight a war even though the Federal side was stronger militarily and otherwise, and he magnanimous enough towards Ojukwu in the course of their round table discussion for a way out of the crisis.

On the complain of non compensation to the people of the defunct south eastern region, I strongly differ on non compensation by Gowon because he did not compensate people in Lagos, Kaduna and other major cities that were adversely affected by the war. But in the case of the Igbos and others in the Eastern Region, how could they have been compensated for the Biafran currency that was not recognized by the Nigerian government or the international Community?

On the issue of agitation for a separate country by the Igbos, anyone can secede willingly from a Union but that should be done peacefully and in accordance with the international norms. It is wrong to carry arms against a sovereign state by a certain group on the pretext for secession as their current actions seems to suggest. They have also refused to take into account the minorities’ concerns in the proposed Biafra.

I advise that they should carry out a thorough and peaceful referendum to define who should be part of the new country. The minorities, to me should form the integral part of those deciding the shape and form of the proposed country and the manner they all will be governed.

THE SOUTH EASTERNERS FEEL THEY HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RULE NIGERIA, SO THEY THINK IT IS THEIR TURN TO CHOOSE A PRESIDENT OF THE IGBO EXTRACT, COME 2023. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THIS?

That’s the silliest idea I have ever heard because in democracy, you don’t say it is turn by turn. Nigeria is not being ruled on a tribal basis. No tribe has ever said it is our turn even when we had the agitation for the annulment of the June 12 elections. The Yoruba never said it was the turn of the Yoruba man so why will an Igbo man now say it is the turn of the Igbos? Let anybody contest and if an Igbo man wins then good luck to him but if he doesn’t win, let him go back to his drawing board, do his homework, and take the necessary steps to win next time but you cannot have a president of your tribe by threats or by resorting to emotional sentiments. I don’t even know where they got that idea from but as far as I am concerned, it is a very foolish idea.

THE ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES, ASUU HAS BEEN ON FREQUENT STRIKES WHICH ARE AFFECTING NIGERIAN STUDENTS ACADEMICALLY AND OTHERWISE. WHAT, IN YOUR VIEW, ARE THE PROBLEMS AND WHAT SOLUTIONS COULD BE ADOPTED TO END THE RECURRENT SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY?

I schooled in America so when I look at this problem, I see it as a structural problem. For example, I don’t know how a strike in University of Lagos concerns the University of Sokoto that would also make them go on a strike in solidarity with the other State University. Why should somebody, for instance, in Imo State University cause another in Edo state university to go on strike? There is a structural problem, but ASUU is also a problem. They seem to think that the way to resolve any problem with the federal government is to go on a strike. And the federal government has not helped matters either in the sense that when they reached an agreement, they should stick to that agreement and implement it to the letter.

WHY IS THE LEVEL OF INEPTITUDE ON THE PART OF OUR LEADERS PECULIAR TO NIGERIA?

No, it is not peculiar to our country. It is an African problem. Sometimes, we do not like to do the right thing, but rather allow parochial considerations to overshadow our national interest, doing things that will only benefit our tribes, our region rather than what will benefit the country, the citizens and ultimately the generations yet unborn.

For me, it not lack of knowledge or the absence of advice on the part of our leaders. After all, most of us are international citizens that have traveled to so many countries of the world and have seen what are being done in those climes. So, why can’t we replicate same here? We see how the oil and gas industry is working and efficiently managed in such countries as Brazil, Venezuela etc.

It is basically some entrenched interests that have caused this ineptitude on the part of our leaders and managers of the nation’s oil & gas industry and other natural resources. Hopefully, I am happy that it is being gradually addressed as NNPC is being unbundled and made a limited liability company.

SIR, DO YOU THINK WITH THE RECENT DECISION BY THE FEDERAL PARLIAMENT TO APPROVE FINANCIAL AUTONOMY TO THE LOCAL GOVTS AND THE JUDICIARY WILL IMPROVE ON THEIR PERFORMANCES? 

I was listening to Professor Itse Sagay submission recently on the same issue which was very interesting. To me, local government administration should not be a federal government issue at all. Whether you grant it autonomy or what have you is irrelevant but the fundamental issue is the possibility of States to create Local Governments and fund them. As you are aware, the issues of Local Government Areas have been a contentious issue for sometimes now, especially as the military regimes were the ones that created a number of local governments before 1999. I will say that whether they grant the local government autonomy or not, the issue of fiscal federalism which is fundamental to the autonomy has not been addressed.