By Dayo Benson & Happiness Owolabi

On MKO Abiola’s death

We decided to send a delegation to convey our condolences to the family of Chief M.K.O Abiola and to participate actively in the funeral ceremony.
“We suspend judgement as regards the cause of death pending the outcome of the autopsy. We consider it rash and improper for anyone to pronounce on the ‘natural’ cause of death before the outcome of the autopsy.
“We will address the political issues after the burial and mourning period for Chief Abiola.”

On NADECO and GNU

“We have not authorised any leader of NADECO-Abroad to return to Nigeria to take part in any government of national unity. We can also confirm that no leader has returned to Nigeria to participate in any government.”

On fuel subsidy

“I think it is absurd for an oil-rich country which has no social security, no unemployment benefits, no full employment, no public transportation system, no health care service, no comprehensive free education, to quibble over subsidised fuel price, especially when all the country’s oil resources are appropriated, inequitably apportioned and manipulated as they are by the central authority.”

On fundamental human right

Enahoro.

“Nobody should have the power to deprive Nigerians of their fundamental human right to aggregate and freely form political parties, and nobody should rob law-abiding Nigerians of their right to contest election on any platform they prefer, including as independent candidate.”

On accountability in governance

“The abuse of power and lack of accountability which government leaders and functionaries exercise and enjoy under the presidential system would be impossible under the parliamentary system.”

On military and Nigeria’s problems

“This problem is not just to go away, it can only get worse. The more people we are educated, the more our problems will get worse, until some agreement on all the issues involved on which way things should run. It can’t go away.
“When we got the military on the run, we shouldn’t have let them go on their own term.”

On Government National Unity

“We are paying the penalty now. Our position was well known, a Government of a National Unity, GNU, registration of parties, agreed constitution, agreed electoral laws and so on.
“I think it is about time the country began to look at these things. People should explain. Some say they participate to ease the departure of the military. But the military was going already. What they did was that they were trying to make sure that those who succeeded them will not threaten the position which they achieved.”

On peoples constitution

“I belong to the school of thought that rejects one man, one vote, except in one nationality. Where there is multi-nationalities, the big ones emasculate the small ones.
“Ethics issues affect nationalism and democracy. Without addressing them, you are not likely to have democracy in a multi-ethnic nationality.

“All the constitutional development that took place between 1947 and the time of independence were negotiated by the political leaders and the British.
“A constitution which the people do not feel that they own will not have their loyalty and therefore not be worth more than the paper on which it has been printed.”

On independent candidatecy

“If you want to be an independent candidate, because all your interest is your locality, so what? So be it.
“What is so peculiar about us? What are we afraid of? I do not know what we should be afraid of. What is so peculiar about Nigeria that we are afraid that the government need to control them? There are too many controls.”

On Nigerian’s co-existence

“There ought to be federal laws guaranteeing that you can live in any part of the country without being compelled to live under different laws.
“I have discussed with several Northern elders who said it is not our own problem if that is the way they choose to live and that those who do not like it are free to go to their own states.”

On youth in politics

“If you the youth sit down and expect that things will be better without actions, you are wasting your time.”

On poverty in Nigeria

I would call it “developing” rather than “reviving”. We are importing too much of our food, and exporting too little to other African countries. We have no justification for being a “poor-rich “ country, given our abundance of raw materials and our production potential.

On PRONACO

“It is a vital aspect of the PRONACO approach that the options should be explained to the public, and that decisions of the conference should be submitted to a popular referendum, for a free choice by the people.

On parliamentary system of government

“In those days, a nationalist newspaper was a monitor of wrong doings by the colonial government of the day, and the newspaper was an advocate and promoter of the termination of colonial rule. Our newspapers were advocates of democracy and social advancement.

“I will be very happy if the country can go back to parliamentary system of government. I  am very much in  support of the system as against the presidential system we are operating. Indeed, you will be very correct to say I strongly favour parliamentary system. Look at the legislature now, how does the average young man get there, who is going to finance him? It costs millions just to be a member of the House.

And having somehow found means of getting the money he has to get back to his sponsors. The presidential system only came as a consequence of military rule. The submission here is that the military know no other way to rule than to give orders.