“Tompolo Should Come Out To Face The Government Eye Ball To Eye Ball” Frank Kokori Urges

According to a material available to societynowng.com

Former Secretary-General of the Petroleum Energy and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASAN, Chief Frank Kokori, is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Delta State. In this interview with Vanguard, he spoke on sundry national issues bothering Nigerians. Excerpts: By Godwin Oghre
Que..How will you react to the ongoing agitation in parts of eastern Nigeria calling for the secession of Biafra?

Ans…Biafra is a belated issue and it should not come into public discourse. Those agitating for it are merely seeking attention and self aggrandizement, there is no ideological backing for it. They are just trying to trivialise Ojukwu’s interest. There was purpose and reason why Ojukwu fought to actualise Biafra and some us then sympathise with him. That purpose and reason has since been overtaken by events and the passage of time. The Igbo have benefited economically and politically. Kanu and Nwazuruike are pretenders. I will join others to call on the Federal government to release him on political reasons, even though he could be charged for treason. Thereafter the Igbo should warm him not to distract this government anymore and he should be allowed to go. The case is the same with Ogoni people. They cannot secede with 3 or 4 local governments, even though Ken Sarowiwa had made their agitation an international issue. Igbo have gotten everything and every position in this country since independence. They are in control of all merchandize and all sensitive positions in the nation’s economy.
Que..Do you think the Urhobo people are in a position to get their own state in Delta?

Ans, Frank-Kokori With the Irikefe commission in the 1970s, the Urhobo should have gotten their state when the country was operating 12 states. Again in 1990, Urhobo should have gotten it but the rivalry between Urhobo and Itsekiri necessitated Babangida to put the capital in Asaba to please his wife. Now the issue of an Urhobo State is belated. Nigeria does not need more states. I will even urge Nigeria to go back to Gowon’s time of 12 states. What we have now are banana states. It costs huge sums of money to run these banana states. The country now has over

blotted budget annually. The country should concentrate on how it will satisfy the yearnings of its citizenry than running huge and bureaucratic government expenditure. Even the thirty six ministers are too many. It is only good to the extent that it satisfies the federal character and for the sake of the geopolitical zones. Also at the state levels, the ministries are too many. They should be reduced so that government can plough more money into infrastructure and welfare of her citizenry. The 36 state structure is superfluous, too big and the burden of running them is too much. The bicameral legislature is also superfluous. We need a unicameral legislature in Nigeria.
Que The Urhobos are crying of been marginalized in the scheme of things in this country, is that true?
Ans The Urhobo have been in opposition since 1999. They have been marginalised because they have always miscalculated. Again, greed and selfishness by their leaders in the course of time have caused serious problems for the Urhobo. This is just as ‘The one man one vote’ mantra has never taken root in Delta State. Rigging is on the rise in Delta. In the West and North elections have reached 85 per cent credibility, and 70 per cent in the East. But in the South South, elections have generally been marred by INEC, judiciary and armed forces in favour of the ruling party.

Que, What is your comment on renewed militancy in the Niger Delta?
Ans, Originally, militants were not criminals. They were actually freedom fighters. These days hoodlums have come into it. The present day militants are criminal because they blow up pipelines, rob and maim. Scooping petroleum products and vandalizing pipelines and sabotaging the economy are treasonable offences and anybody found guilty of them, is on his own.

Que? Stamping out criminal militancy

Ans, Tompolo should come out to face the government eye ball to eye ball. Nobody should loot the economy. PDP was careless for 16 years in power. It could not stamp out criminal militancy or Boko Haram – who are beasts of no gender. They are evil. The Talibans and Al-Qaeda are better than them. Jonathan could not drive them away in his time.

Que, What is your reaction to the scarcity of petrol even with the increase in price?

Ans, Petroleum products’ scarcity is a recurring decimal. Some crooks in the downstream of the sector are conniving with some government parastatals to sabotage government efforts in making them available. Again, the marketers are hoarding them. I know that after some time it will stabilize and we shall overcome it. Honestly I will not blame the present government for that. The nation was in abysmal state for 16 years and that could not be solved in 7 months of this government. Corrupt leaders should be jailed. The people now being arrested over corruption are the same people in power for 16 years. The Judiciary and senior lawyers are also sabotaging the efforts of this government and the anti-corruption agencies across the country. Here in my Ovu community, Ethiope East Local Government Area, we have no light for about two years now, yet DISCO is tasking this community.

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