NIGERIA IN THE EYES OF AN INDEPENDENCE YEAR child: No force can break Nigeria – Orokpo

By ABUTU AGADA

He is in the league of Nigerians like the former CBN governor, Charles Chukwuma Soludo and Nuhu Ribadu who were born the same year Nigeria got her independence. Mr Job Orokpo, a retired police officer, who was born on January 27, 1960, in this interview says in spite of crises here and there, Nigeria would not break up. Excerpts:

You were born the same year Nigeria got her independence. How does that make you feel?

I am happy we got our political identity as a nation then and I am  proud to be connected to that identity in this way. However, as someone who has been privileged to watch the trend of things in our national life I see no reason in celebrating our independence.

What are we celebrating? Are we celebrating hunger, are we celebrating fear and insecurity, are we celebrating workers’ strike? The present crop of politicians have marred the good job of our past leaders and nationalist that resulted to the achievement of our independence. You can see that today, our nationhood is under serious security threats and lapses. Nigerians are serving God under fear and insecurity. We should pray instead of celebrating.

 What do you think of the journey so far?

The country has gone through a lot including a civil war and religious crisis and we have since recovered from the civil war. We have come a long way and we will still go far. Talking about the present state of Nigeria, what I think is that the leadership problems we have been having have been the greatest of our problems.

According to the United Nations, the life expectancy of a male Nigerian citizen is 48 years while a female is 49. You have lived three years above that age. This implies you that you are living on borrowed time. How do you react to that putting in perspective the socio-economic status of the Nigerians?

Yes, you are talking of longevity. Let me tell you something, I have never believed that life expectancy stuff. Our forefathers were living for long and we have people that live above those years set by the world body. It is a matter of an individual’s style of living. If you live a very rough life, drinking, indulging in promiscuous lifestyle, you can hardly live long. I am 52 years old now but I tell you, I feel like 32 or less. Like I said earlier, it all depends on an individual’s lifestyle.

I don’t have eyes on women, I don’t abuse alcohol. One can choose to live longer than hundred, it’s a matter of choice too. It is just like a car; somebody buys a car 10 years ago and takes good care of it while another buys his car two years ago, uses it carelessly and does not take care of it. We see that the latter will have a shorter life span as its owner did not take good care of it.

As an ex-security operative, could you comment on the Boko Haram insurgency in the country?

When you talk of the Boko Haram, you are talking of a few Nigerians that connive with foreigners to destroy this great nation.

To me, it is a simple matter our security operatives, especially the police, who are vested with the constitutional powers to ensure the internal security of the country, should handle. I think our police are capable of handling these security problems, whatever you call it. But the fact is the police do not have the right motivation.

You don’t ask a hungry man to provide security for you. The average policeman on the street is underpaid. These are people who have families who they take care of. If this kind of person is not assured that upon his death or injury, his family will be cared for, if he is not well paid, how does he pay the school fees of his children and feed them, how do you expect him to brave bullets from armed robbers, Boko Haram insurgents and so on?

That is why we see some of them collecting money illegally from drivers. This is his natural response to survival. The government should ensure these people are well paid, adequate accommodation is provided for them and they get vehicles and good weapons and equipment to work with. This way, you will get the best of the police force.

The CIA has predicted that there will be no entity called Nigeria after 2015 Do you envisage any future for this country beyond 2015, especially after the general elections? Our police have gone out several times for international duties and they have given good account of the country. If they can do it out there; why not here?

The Nigerian government should tackle the issue of security via the police by providing good logistics and welfare packages for them. Let me properly address the issue of what we call insecurity. We don’t have insecurity, we have leadership insecurity. It is true, Nigerians are very law abiding. We always look up to the leadership. It is where the leadership leads that the followers follow.

We have problem with the leadership. Our leaders to me don’t mean well for the country, they are not sincere. Sincerity matters a lot in our national life. For any nation to prosper, the leadership has to be sincere. Nigeria possesses the potential to be greater than it is.

I don’t envisage that Nigeria will break after the general elections in 2015. The only problem we have is leadership. I see no force capable of breaking up this country.

If she went through these rough 52 years without breaking up, after a civil war and several ethnic and religious problems, I don’t see it breaking in 2015. You see these people (leaders) cannot pay the average Nigerian the minimum wage of N18,000 and they have their under aged children driving expensive cars on the streets. People are not happy. The moment these fundamental issues of provision of necessary social amenities most of our problems will be solved.

What do you think can be done to salvage the image of the country?

I think so far, Nigeria as a nation has been able to actually have a national identity. The issue of image of this country can only be protected by the leadership. I foresee Nigeria  making waves in international politics. Nigeria has made an indelible mark in the provision of international peacekeeping and I think our impact security wise is okay. Our police force is adjudged one of the best in Africa.

Could you react  suspended plan to restructure the naira and the introduction of N5000 note?

What are we doing with the N5000 note? Permit me to say that this is fraudulent. I don’t think those responsible for the (planned) introduction of the N5000 note mean well for this great country. This is another style of corruption. Our major problem in this country has always being corruption and I think it is a deliberate and calculated attempt to further destroy the already ailing economy. Our economy has being destroyed by the political class. This is a simple way of effortlessly siphoning our money out of the country. People are stealing money every day and looting the treasury with reckless abandon.

A single Nigerian will carry a small suitcase, filled with billions of naira, imagine. I think that is what they want to do but I commend the president so far for suspending the move. I think that is a good step in the right direction. Nigerians are happy. For him to heed the call of the people, I take him as a very good leader.

As a retired police officer, what do you think about the clamour for state police?

For state police, speaking as a retired police officer, I don’t think we have need for state police. It will further compound the security lapses we have in this country.