STATE OF THE NATION: Okorocha speaks to BBC Hausa

  

WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH IPOB IN THE SOUTH EAST?

What’s happening with IPOB it is something we took like a child’s play.

Like young men’s and women who have no jobs and are acting to be recognized but now it has become something worrisome but the truth. I cannot say that there is any leader or any important person in politics that is inciting these youths.

These youth are our children and most of them are hawkers, street traders, taxi drivers. Initially we took them as agitators but we never believe it would come to this level.

WHY ARE THE LEADERS NOT CONDEMNING ALL THESE ATROCITIES?

What you must know is that these children have never fought battles before. Some of them were not born when the war took place. The truth is that there is no leader that is behind this in the whole of Igbo land. The issue of Biafra doesn’t really come up. Biafra has become an old story. We are thinking of how to build a strong Nigeria, a United Nigeria.

What is there to be divided? Is it bread or salt? No one can say let’s divide a country.

For instance; I, Rochas who has schools in the northern part of this country in Socoto, Bauchi, Zariya, Yola, Jos,kano, Bauchi

The children are up to 15,000 where will I take them to? Why would I want to divide the country.

For me I stand for Nigeria and for the unity of Nigeria!

WHY DIDN’T WE HEAR FROM THE LEADERS CONDEMNING THIS ISSUE?

The reason. Is because people are afraid when they speak out they might go and kill members of their family. That’s the major problem but the leaders are talking.

We have problem with our leaders all over the country. The careless talk they make, the children take it very serious. Leaders will say Igbos don’t like Hausa, Hausas don’t like yorubas, yorubas don’t like Igbos and so on…. these kids are hearing it & sometimes when politicians want to be voted they also tell their youth that this tribe doesn’t like that tribe so they can gain cheap popularity.

SOME OF THE LEADERS IN THE NORTH ARE BACKING THE ISSUE OF DIVISION, WHAT DO YOU SAY?

Whoever says this doesn’t love the country. Some leaders want people to clap for them when they say their backing the Hausa or Muslims so they can gain the support of their people.

Where will that take us to as a nation? Nobody’s should talk in this way if we can come together as people it will be better for us.

WHAT WILL BRING THE END TO THIS CRISIS IN THE LAND?

In the first place, you should ask what is the problem of our country

Our problem is poverty and injustice and deceit that accompanies politics… that is our problem.

If we don’t do anything concerning this. You have not started. If you buy all the war equipment in the world and fill Nigeria it will not work unless you solve the issue of hunger and injustice. These young men are full of energy and all young men are full of energy if they don’t dispose it positively they will dispose it negatively.

WHAT WILL YOU SAY ABOUT APC IN NIGERIA?

There is no problem with APC if it’s by going with the name APC but there is a problem with the people in APC. APC is just a name like any other party. You can change the name to PPC and TPC.

The problem we have now is that APC never believed they can have this kind of problem. Our major challenge now is that the issue of Boko haram which did not start today – it has been a problem that we neglected over 40 years ago; where children are not going to school and they turn around to become Boko haram members – But now we have over 13.4 million children not going to school and nothing is being done about it. In the next 20 years, if nothing is done it will become a major problem for the president

That’s why I’m saying to Nigeria. Make hay while the sun shines.

Where this is not done we might have challenges in future. Let us carry along traditional rulers in the affairs of our nation because every young man comes from a community and the traditional ruler has the capacity to dictate and identify a good or bad youth in his community.

Attached is the Facebook link to the video:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1115365412288990