Why we can’t stage occupy Nigeria protest now – Odumakin

Mr Yinka Odumakin who is the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, a Pan-Yoruba socio-political group and also a major player in the mobilisation of the massive protest known as Occupy Nigeria Protest, which kicked against the fuel subsidy removal by the former administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. In this interview, he talks about corruption in the country and why the group cannot stage another massive protest against the current administration and other issues.

How would you react to the complete closure of border by the Federal Government?

That policy was not well thought out. We could have increased surveillance of our borders with intense monitoring but to shut the border is clearly against ECOWAS protocol. Secondly, we didn’t think it through in terms of it’s effect on the economy. This has caused inflation on our economy, it has negative impact on our national economy.

To me, this looks like an apartheid arrangement because the borders in the North are partially closed. In fact, when it was demanded that our borders should be shut to stop Fulani Herdsmen from other countries from entering the country, the government said the ECOWAS protocol does not allow the closure of borders. It’s quite unfortunate.

Do you support Igbo presidency in 2023 considering that the South East is the only zone that has not occupied that position?

Clearly, I support that every section of Nigeria has the right to the highest office in the land. The Presidency should not be an exclusive preserve for certain sections of the country. Having said that, the North having had eight years now, the presidency must come to the Southern part of the country not to the North as some are saying that power should remain in the North.

Power must shift from the North to the South. Some of us will not be bothered about where the person comes from if we are certain that it is a proper federal arrangement.

If we remember that in the First Republic, Tafawa Belewa was the president of Nigeria and during that time, the regions had all the powers and the center was more or less a community center but in the situation where we are today, we have where the president determines virtually everything he likes. Today, we have the head of the executive, the head of the judiciary and the head of the National assembly all from the core North. We have also seen the pattern of the appointments and the exclusive use of that power of presidency. We cannot after eight years endure that again. Power should be rotational.

You said power should return to the South, can you be more explicit. Which part of the South?

When I said South, I mean the South East, South-South and South West. I mean South generally. It’s then left for the South to decide for the best foot to put out there. But the main point is that after eight years in the North, power must come back to the South.