HRH, Eze Ike Obasi is the Ezuruezu 11 and Traditional Ruler (TR) of Ezimba Autonomous Community, Ihite Uboma local government area of Imo state.
In this interview with OUR SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, ABBANOBI -EKU ONYEKACHI, in his office over the weekend, the royal father who doubles as the MD/CEO Ignobis Hotels Limited, Kubwa, Abuja calls for slashing of senators’ pays/allowances, to accommodate Nigerian workers. He also says that salary and allowance of a senator can pay about 1,000 workers, even as he suggests local government autonomy. Here are excerpts:
Qtn: Traditional Rulers’ (TR) views go a long way in the national discourse. Recently, President Ahmed Tinubu’s one year in office was marked, followed by Democracy Day (DD) celebration. What is your view and assessment of President Ahmed Tinubu’s one year in office, and the DD celebration?
Ans: It is too early to assess or judge him, because of the problems he inherited from his predecessor, former President Muhammad Buhari. So it will take another year to see his performance and it shouldn’t stop him from marking this one year in office.
However, I think the Democracy Day celebration would have been complete, if the man who was brave enough to conduct the freest and fairest elections, ever had in Nigeria, irrespective of all odds, Prof Humphrey Nwosu is being recognized. The then military head of state, Gen Ibrahim Babangida ordered that the election be stopped, but Nwosu went ahead to count the results and publicized them. I think that he played a very giant and vital role in the June 12 election, and deserves recognition.
Qtn: How do you see the roles and performance of the 10th Senate in Nigeria?
Ans: I think that Nigerian senators are the ones killing Nigeria, because some of them were governors before and as governors they packed all the money in the states they ruled to contest and become senators This, the former governors did in order to continue to have an immunity to cover themselves and for this, they force themselves into the senate and remain there for over 12 years, to acquire more wealths, without allowing a change of ideas and views by any other person.
Qtn: Don’t you think that theirs is a selfless service to the people and should be hailed for that?
Ans: Selfless service indeed. The monthly salary of a senator and his maintenance will pay the salary of about 1,000 workers in a month and they neither establish industries, nor companies for employment generations and yet they say they are representing the masses, while they are actually the ones killing the masses.
They collect the money meant for infrastructural development in their districts without doing anything. Let the number of senators and members house of representatives be reduced or have their pays slashed. On the other hand it will be good to replace them with governors and state assemblies. With that, the greed for political offices will reduce. To me, what the workers are demanding are justifiable, to be compared with the pays of legislators, heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Special or ordinary Advisers, among others. Another thing I want is full autonomy for local government councils in the country. It will enhance grassroots development.
Qtn: What is your take on the suggestions by some that the TRs be made an arm of the government at the centre?
Ans: You know that I called for the scrapping of the federal legislators or have their numbers reduced and their pays slashed, but if it can’t be done, making traditional rulers an arm of the government is very necessary and will go a long way to address many issues, as they concern tradition and it will stop to the barest minimum, the excesses of the federal legislators. When a state wants to send a message across to the community, they usually invite the TR, give him the message and he in turn would take the message down to his people.
You know that the governor doesn’t know the rural dwellers, but the TRs do, and as I am speaking to you now I know who is who in my community, Ezimba. When the government wants to bring palliatives, scholarships, among others, it is through the TRs that those things get to the right people, because I as a TR knows how to reach the right people, like the less privileged in the society. So if the TRs are made an arm of the government, it will be very helpful and bring government very close to the rural dwellers.
Qtn: If that is the case, don’t you think that the position of a PG isn’t necessary?
Ans: No! It is necessary, because the PG is like the messenger in a community. He helps in organising meetings, among others for the community, although the governors respect and recognize the TRs more than the PGs, due to the roles they play in the communities.
