Simon Ebegbulem, Benin City
The  Esogban of Benin Kingdom, Chief David Edebiri who marked his eightieth birthday last week, in this interview reviewed Nigeria’s 50 years as independent country and declared that the nation has failed the founding fathers of the nation .

Esogban who worked very closely with the  Nationalists like    Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Obafemi Awolowo, also commented on the political situation in the country and the curse placed on kidnappers in the state by the Oba of Benin.
Excerpts:

As   a man  who worked very closely with the nation’s nationalists, how would you access the nation at 50?

I have been to Abuja severally and as I go along within the city, I have not seen any good street named after Nnamdi Azikiwe, apart from the Airport. I have searched  again for any monument named after Ernest Ikoli.

Ernest Ikoli was the doyen of our profession, journalism. I have been to Asaba no single street or any monument named after Nduka Eze. So many of our colleagues with whom I served as a foot soldier for the liberation of Nigeria , have left for the other world.

I want to confess that many of them died out of frustration because they were not remembered or treated as pioneers in this enterprise of creating a good Nigeria .

So when it pleased the present administration to remember me without canvassing for it, I felt it was necessary to thank God. If I did not live up to this time, I would have joined the rank of those who are today not remembered for their heroic deed.

The event will be coming up here on the 9th of October, 2010. Having said that, I entered into the nationalist battle at the age of 20 after that we went in to politics. I have spent almost 60 years doing politics until 2003 when I said it was time to say good bye to partisan politics.

When I saw that the ballot box is no longer relevant. Voting was no longer the issue. Any body could now be picked by three and he now becomes an honorable member. Besides, many of my colleagues are no longer in the field.

Those young people who are now in the field, I don’t hear their language they do not even hear my own. And if we cannot communicate it will be useless going along. That was why I decided to remain a politician but not a partisan politician.

Chief David Edebiri

In 1999, I heard that we won the final phase of Independent from the military, but unfortunately that democracy did not come down to Edo state in time.

I thank God Almighty that today, things are changing for the better side. Things are changing because we can now see that the money that is due for Edo state is being used for developmental projects.

We thank God for that. last week I was in Akwa Ibom for a retreat in Uyo, when I came down from the plane and drove into the town I shed tears and I asked my self, is this the same Uyo I used to come to see my colleagues?

At that time it was only comparable to Iguobazuwa but today, Uyo is a very clean and modern city. So I felt it that we were in the dark in this part of the country. Before the advent of Oshiomhole’s administration, Edo state was the least developed of all the 36 states of Nigeria . All these are matters of concern to some of us.

I thank God that things are taking shape but our people, especially residents of Benin City , are not cooperating enough with the Governor. They do not seem to appreciate the changing pattern of the city. I talked about Uyo, you cannot find dirt in their drainages.

But here in Benin , with the efforts that are being made, our people have continued to destroy the beauty of the city. Negative activities, especially at the Ring Road. I want to call on the citizens of Edo state to appreciate and give support to the present government effort to bring modern development to the state and not to engage in any negative activity that will in the end destroy all the government is doing now.

What do you make of the extension of election time table by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

When INEC came and announced to the public that they were conducting election in January, I laughed because I knew they were heading for another disaster especially when INEC said it will get another register of voters before the election. I knew it was not practicable.

Now that they have reversed their plans, I am in full support of the extension. But the thing that will come after that is that if they conduct election in April, between April and May, there will be no time for those who are aggrieved to file their cases.

As you know many of the people in various Houses of Assembly especially in Edo state, they are there on technical point. It does not mean they really won the vote but because some people did not file their petitions in time, they are allowed to stay there.

But in the real sense, they are not true representatives of the people. That is my fear. It might lead the government to shift the inauguration date if they want to have a free and fair election. Because in between April and May, which they are talking about, there is no place for any aggrieved candidate to file the paper before the law and if you swear in some body and he goes to the House while the other man is fighting from outside, you have created not  a room for fairness.

That man will be using government money now to fight the one who supposedly won the election. So I agree with the extension but the government should at the same time put in the law that until litigation is over, none of the contending parties should be in the House. The same thing goes to the Local Government council elections otherwise you will be unfair to some people while others get it on a platter of gold.

So are you satisfied with our progress so far as a Nation?
I am not satisfied at all. I put it in my book that is in the works  that this was not the dream of the founders of this nation.

This was not the dream of the youths who sacrificed their lives for Nigeria . People who were extremely brilliant. I wish some of you were able to know people like Raji Abdalah. He was the President General of the Zikist Movement. He was from Okene here.

He was charged with sedition before a white Majesty and he refused to take any plea. He told the white people that you cannot try me. Are you guilty or  not guilty? He kept mute because you are a foreigner; I am not subject to your law. He was jailed. Mokugbu Okoye went before the same court, he refused to make a plea.

We want you people to quit Nigeria that is all. Osita Agwuna, the same thing. This was not the dream of those young men. Papa Nnamdi Azikiwe who fought with all his life, this was not his dream. Obafemi Awolowo, the best political tactician I have ever worked with, this was not his dream. So how can I be happy with the system fifty years after.

The former Deputy Governor of the state Reverend Peter Obadan recently declared that Edo North will retain the governorship in 2012 irrespective of the party, what is your take on that

Well I support it. I think he is talking of 2012. I believe that if Oshiomhole wants to run again that time, he will run. But I have warned modern  politicians  , they have placed  too much emphasis on the PDP zoning and the PDP primaries.

Why should politicians in all the parties concede to PDP that they are the only one who can bring a President? If these  people were not foolish why can’t they all come together to produce a candidate that is capable of defeating the PDP as it was done in Ghana and other places. But every body appears to be thinking of who will win the PDP primaries.

I do not subscribe to that.  Why that one is happening is that politicians no longer sit down to strategize, they do not strategize any more. What they do is to collect enough money from wherever, when the election comes buy as many guns as possible, cart away ballot boxes and that is all. If it were the period when you sit down to strategize, why must you be bothered about who wins in the PDP primaries.

Kidnapping in the state has persisted   despite the curse laid by the Oba of Benin , how do you see this scary situation

The problem is socio economic. It is not spiritual. It is the decadence in the society that has given rise to this type of thing. But it is not going to be permanent, if things improve, if there is a good leadership in government people will think less of going to the bush. The kidnappers also suffer after getting their victim.

The curse laid on the kidnappers and other evil doers has really worked in the sense that it reduced the tempo of what it was at that time. There is a woman who told me a story when she was kidnapped, they asked her in the bush, do you think that the curse placed by the Oba and his Chiefs can kill them.

The woman said I did not hear. One of the kidnappers said the curse cannot kill him because he is not a Bini man.

Their own interpretation is that the curse can only kill Benin people. You will find that when  the curse was issued, the thing has degenerated to village to village kidnapping, especially in Benin areas.

So the curse has really reduced the trend. And  one thing you do not know, when a man who is cursed dies, he cannot come back to say it was the curse that killed him or her.

When a man who was cursed is caught in the act, he will not even know that it was the curse that made him vulnerable. These are spiritual issues. But it will be over; it is not going to be permanent.

But do not make a mistake to think that the Oba’s curse is not working, you will see more signs in the nearest future.