We need sovereign national conference now —Princewill

Posted by admin Headlines, Rivers, State News Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

Prince Tonye Princewill was the Rivers State governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria in 2007. He has however defected to the Peoples Democratic Party. In this interview with journalists, Princewill speaks about the country’s security challenges among other issues. OLUSOLA FABIYI reports

Some believe that the situation in the country is as a result of loss of power by a certain section. They are also of the opinion that if power returns to that section, we are likely to witness a reduction, or a total stoppage of bombings. What’s your take on this?

I have to be honest with you, there is merit in this statement you have made. I will like us to dig a little deeper. Why do I say that? It is human nature to want to simplify, but I want us to desist from taking that path. I want us to look at the problems and be a bit more detailed. I think the issue of bombings and so on seem to be multi-faceted, I believe that there is a political element to it. I believe there is a religious element to it and that there is an ethnic element to it. But I don’t want to rule out the fact that there is a global element to it.

Now, if I look at each of these elements, independently, and exclude the others, I simplify it. In fact, just put it down to politics, religion, and people having a grouse based on ethnic divide. Don’t forget that there are other issues associated with it.

I will give you a typical example. In the United Kingdom, we had bombings under the banner, or guise of Irish Republican Army. It had a political dimension; what people saw as the political wing of the IRA, Sinn Fein, was denied what you can call political right. Was that the cause of the bombings? May be, but again, you simplify it.

There was a religious component to it as well, the Catholic versus the Protestants. But is that the cause of the bombings? Again, you simplify it. There was an ethnic problem of the Irish versus the English. Is that the cause of the problem? Again, yes, but you simplify it.

So, we must refrain from the temptation to box our problems.

Is it not likely, therefore, that if President Jonathan doesn’t contest the presidency in 2015 and the North for instance does, isn’t there a greater likelihood that we would see the return of normalcy?

Well, I cannot predict, but I do know that, if we want to avoid it, we can. There is a common phrase that, if you want to keep getting what you are getting, keep doing what you are doing. And so, if we want to keep on getting this tit for tat ethno-religious violence, then we should recognise that where we have come from has produced the current circumstances. Recently, a new political movement has started to resurface, the Peoples Democratic Movement, the foundation structure of PDP. Now, if PDM will ultimately meet to think on how to address the question: PDM, the foundation structure of PDP, what ideology did they promote?

I remember in the days of the National Republican Convention and the Social Democratic Party, there was an ideology; the ideology was this party represented this set of ideology, this other party represented this set of ideology; which one did you want to belong to? So, in the choice of political party, we had a message; we had an idea; what do they want? Is it free education? If it is free education, what exactly does it mean? Is it free education as per tuition, or free education, as per free uniform, free sandals as we are doing in Rivers State? Is it free education at primary, secondary or university level? What does it mean? So, political parties would need to identify an ideology. Now, what I am saying is that we have to ask ourselves in the country, where are we going. We should start to define what our ideals are. If you remember Martin Luther King dream speech, he was talking about dreams of their founding fathers. If you look at our pledge, the labour of our heroes past. What did these people labour for? What were the dreams of our founding fathers? I am afraid of the generation coming behind me, who would recite the pledge and sing the national anthem?

What do you think is the way out?

We need to sit down and ask ourselves, some basic fundamental questions, some core truths. I believe that this sovereign national conference discussion is one that we need to have. I don’t know, if the word, sovereign should apply, because I don’t expect anybody to give up its sovereignty, but there is a need for a national discourse, where we can sit down and talk about our ideals: where are we going? What do we want to achieve as a country? What do we stand for on issue of zoning or no zoning? Aren’t we advanced enough to start to worry about what somebody’s merit is, as opposed to where the person comes from? Where does the person want to take off?

You are in support of sovereign national conference, should there be no-go areas?

No, I am not saying there should be no-go areas, but unfortunately in the past three months I have heard my northern brothers say, if we want to separate, let us separate. I have heard a lot of my northern brothers echo that sentiment. I believe strongly that unless we can provide all these sentiments good reasons, to do otherwise, this sentiment will continue and maybe even strengthened. I believe, with my experience that people who are next door to you aren’t necessarily people who love you. So, if you have some disagreements with people who live across that doesn’t mean that we should separate. I believe that the country can work, but I believe that people need to sit around the table and have a discussion.

You were Action Congress of Nigeria governorship candidate in 2007; now, you are aiming for governorship in 2015. Why this fixation on governorship seat?

First of all, I haven’t formally declared any interest in governorship race. Like I said, in 2015, I will be there or thereabouts. I could potentially be a presidential candidate. So, I think it is too soon, or too early to make any public pronouncement on any elective position.

But when you ask about the fixation, my fixation isn’t so much on my personal ambition, but an ambition for my people. The constituency is Rivers State, or some metamorphosis of it, because we are talking about state creation. That could be my constituency; my constituency could be Nigeria. But what I am fed up with is a dangerous ambition and I am not comfortable analysing the problems. I am a product of analysis. I write a column every Friday and I am tired of talking about the problems. So, I want to do something about them. I want to make a difference. People who really mean to make a difference must be frustrated, by having to continually talk about the problems. I am not interested in that, I want to make a difference.

You struggle to convince me that I should go and join the band of senators or House of Representatives members, to continue to get around the issues, but I want to make a difference. I want to make a change and I am afraid that being there as a senator will be somewhere near impossible.

From the way you spoke, you are disenchanted with the system.

God has blessed this nation well. If you are sitting or standing, you can talk of resources that can literarily transform the continent. You have a large number of people who expect very little from government, you have little or no natural disasters.

-Punchwp_posts