Thank you George. First and foremost, I am a political scientist and my perception of politics may be quite different from what you’ve heard before. To me politics is service.. and I believe that is the most important thing. It is about who gets what, when and how? Politics is a platform that stimulates development for the general good of all. Even though developments in recent times has not been very encouraging, it does not change the fact that politics is a vehicle for development. We have the new breed politicians. Some them have good intentions. But others think that politics is an instrument for them to amass wealth through illegal means. You saw the shameful act of James Ibori. How could he possibly enjoy such ill gotten wealth when his people are languishing in poverty. It's a shame. We all know where it landed him. My advice is that politicians should resist the temptation of steal. People like Sardauna, Balewa Nnamdi Azikiwe etc, played transparent politics. The only reason they wanted power was to advance the cause of their people. These are role models and we should emulate them. Our upbringing has a lot to contribute to how we play politics. In my own case, I was brought up by a village teacher.. Mr Obochi.. he built my morale character. stealing was a taboo.. it is still a taboo to me.
Since you’ve been in politics for this long, at what point did politics started losing its core values?
The greater proportion of corruption came into the country through the military. After they seized power, no body could question their authority. So they just plundered the economy and did whatever they wanted. Since they stayed for so long, the civilians became infected and corruption became a culture. But I know that president Jonathan is trying his best to ensure that this great country is back on its track of growing into a greater nation. That is why the president has reiterated his commitment to fight these anomalies.
But some people are complaining that the president pace is too slow to make any meaningful impact?
The president is not slow at all. Nigeria is a big country with complex problems. Of what use is speed if you will move into slippery ground and fall. Mr president needs to consolidate his efforts so that by the time the gains starts to roll out, the people of Nigeria will be better of for it. You don't jump to conclusion over issues, especially, the complex ones. Mr president is taking calculated steps toward getting Nigeria out of the woods. Even the Boko Haram issue and all its threat to the security of this nation will be cone a thing of the past eventually. We need to rally round our president and encourage him. That is the only way we can march on.
How has the new leadership at the Revenue Mobilization Commission affected its operations?
I must be frank with you here. We are under a seasoned capable leader. He knows what to do a all times and we all have confidence in him. He operates an open policy. He create the opportunity for us to debate on critical national issues. He allows everybody to air their views. That way he carries every one along. That has enhanced the working relationship between the commission and other agencies of government. Only recently, we were with the NNPC, they told us their problem, and in turn, we told them what they should be doing. all these are the fruits that the new leadership has attracted. Every month, we do what we call post mortem. If any thing is going wrong in term distribution of funds, we ask questions and ensure that right thing is done immediately.
How efficient is your commission?
We have been acclaimed for our integrity. All of us have actually attained a level where we are no longer looking for money. The issue of corruption is completely out of the scene. we speak out as soon as any thing is going wrong. Well recently, we decided to look into the diversification of the economy. We are doing what you could call workshop. We have done one in Minna, we have done one in the southwest... all the geopolitical zones. We are telling Nigerians that we cannot continue to rely on oil to propel our economy. We should exploit other sources to drive our economy. We have agriculture, solid minerals tourism etc. We are passing a strong message to the entire country.
What should Nigerians expect from your agency?
Under the new leadership at the Revenue Mobilization and physical Commission, we shall come up with a revenue formula that’ll be accepted to all./
Thank you very much
You are welcome
