Dr. Bayo Orire is an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Ekiti State. In this interview with our Editor In Chief, GBENGA SODEINDE, he speaks about insecurity, ban on open grazing, restructuring, agitations for secession and many other National issues. Excerpts:
Are you happy with the people at the helm of affairs? Are you happy the way things are being run now in Nigeria? Are you happy with the state of affairs in Nigeria as a Nation?
Question: Let’s meet you sir?
Answer: I am Dr Bayo Orire, the Proprietor of Orire hospital Complex in Ado Ekiti, an APC stalwart and leader, a clergy man, church founder, an author, a journalist and a man in my own right.
Question:Recently the southern Governors met in Asaba, Delta state where they delebrated on open grazing among other things, how do see this?
Answer: open grazing is something that has been banned legally, supported by legislatures, banned in the courts of laws, banned by almost every State, particularly in the Southern States, now popularized and unified by the recent meeting of the Southern Governors.
But yesterday I still saw cows in the major streets of Ado Ekiti, I still saw cattle between here and Ibadan when I traveled last week, and so it is as if it is still going the same way. You make noise, you make laws, it is not obeyed, it is still the same facade, is still the same stupidity we are running in this country.
A Governor makes a law, gets it legislated in a State, and he can not enforce it, so that is the stupidity, i support it 100% ,but I actually, in disdain, hate the non enforcement.
Question: But the Attorney General of the Federation just came out few days ago to tell the Southern Governors that their action on the open grazing was unlawful, and saying it was as if they were changing the constitution of Nigeria by their decision, what is your take on that?
Answer: That man is a funny man, they should have gone to the court of law to challenge him, the man has no brain, look at his analogy, comparing open grazing with selling of spare parts, is he not a Nigerian?, has he not seen the havoc that these Herders and their castles have wrecked on Nigerians, the economy of the farmers, and the bad names Nigerians is having internationally because of the these herders and their cattle? These are voices I hates to hear, it is an annoying thing from the high quarters, I do not want to say more than that?
Question: Some group of Yorubas led by Senator Banji Akintoye, Chief Sunday Igboho and others calling for secession, and agitating for Yoruba Nation, how do you see their move, or do you see their agitation coming to fruition?
Answer: By the grace of God, I pray it comes to fruition and very fast too. Self determination is a fundamental human rights, for individuals, for a Nation or a state, for Communities, or countries.
Agitation to leave a country or a system where you are killed and maimed to go and live peacefully where you will be protected is rightful and is a fundamental human right. Legally is rightful asking for self determination, you want to be ruled the way you loved to be ruled, it is not politics but a matter of life.
If the Yoruba man is not valued again, if the head of a cow is better than the heads of hundred Yoruba men, why don’t they leave the contraption called a Nation?. Why must a Yoruba community stay where a person who kills you with Ak47 will be roaming about and they will be killing your fathers and your mothers, your siblings and your children and you won’t not be able to talk?.
How does it sound for you to make money in Nigeria Port Authority in Lagos and go to settle with less than 2.5 of it in Abuja?, how does it sound for you to be discriminated against every where and in every facet of your life by a particular tribe in same same country you called your own?.
How does it sound for somebody to be slaughtering you because you are not a Muslim? So I support their agitation, and that is the only thing that could save this country called Nigeria, what do I mean by this, I mean living apart peacefully, it is far far better than staying together, killing each other and hating each other, there is no respect for life, there is no love, there is no law, there is nothing working aright for Nigeria.
I happen to have grown in a good Nigeria, I started with a good Nigeria, non of us could actually phantom what is happening right now. It is awfully woeful, it is very very animalistic , it is brutally wicked. It is just like self suicide staying in this country called Nigeria of 2021 because you went to school, you won’t have a job, and if you have a job you are not rated with equally with your mates, somebody that Is less qualified and less educated than you is ruling you, and you are treated like a second hand citizen.
Above it all people now gets afraid sitting in their homes because people would go into your homes, pick you up and carry you into the bush, if you can not pay ransom quickly, they kill you off, in fact they can still kill you even with the payment of your ransom, what country is that? So it is better we go all separately, let the Northerners go to the North, the Southerners go to the South, the Middle belt goes to the Middle belt, the Easterners goes to the East, and the Southwest goes to the Southwest and we will live peacefully and interact from our domains.
So if it is going to continue like this, I think to your tent oh Israel will be the better way out, instead of just killing every day, maiming., Herders will just come, drive you away from your farm, kill you, maim you, rape your wives and daughters in your presence, and you say you are staying in such a country, I support, hundred percent, the move for self determination of Yoruba Nation, if you call it secession, fine! Secession is for human beings, it is not for animals.
Is not even Yorubas alone that are saying they want to go, the South-South wants to go, the South-East wants to go, the Myetti Allah, are saying they want to go, and so let everybody go! Who is forcing them to stay together when they are actually fighting each other, maiming and killing each other every day.
Let all of us all come to the round table instead of killing ourselves and let’s divide the thing, after all if we fight, we would still come down to a round table to talk to either stay together or live apart, but I think is easier the faster we do it.
Question : it seems you are one of the agitators of Yoruba Nation with the way you speaks? Are you one of them sir.?
Answer: You had better be one of the agitators yourself because I am older than you and you are the ones that are suffering, so you better be an agitator instead of terming me an agitator.
If i am not an agitator, while will I be talking like that, I agitate for a peaceful livelihood for myself, for children, for my children, children, I had contributed so much to Nigeria for Nigerians in Nigeria to actually love Nigeria, we were actually proud of Nigeria, too proud of Nigeria that we didn’t even choose to travel abroad when we had opportunities, now the Nigeria of today is nothing to be proud of , except you want to commit self suicide.
Question: As the security situation in the country continues to deteriorate everyday, what advice do you have for the Federal government?
Answer: There is no advice in the world that I had not given to the federal government, the people at the helm of affair in the country are human beings, they are educated human beings, elites, they know what is right, they know that there is killing and kidnapping everywhere and everyday in the country, they know that the security situation in the country is very woeful. They know that we have very bad rating all over the world in terms of security. So they better do something before is too late that at the end you turn everybody to a killer, because nobody has monopoly of stupidity, wickedness and violence, and everybody has the rights to defend himself or herself.
If you see death facing you, spiritually, you have a rights to defend yourself, legally you gave a right to protect yourself, culturally you have a right to protect yourself. They are turning every community and State to a war zone and if you attack me today, there would be counter attack tomorrow because I would do self defense, when you can not do self defense, even when you are killed, you people would avenge you, so they better do something about security now before it destroys the country. And if they know they can not do it let everybody go his own way. So that everybody could go and defend his own community and his own Nation States.
Question: Bola Tinubu, the National leader of your party is now coming out as the Presidential flag bearer of your party in the next Presidential election, what is your take on this?
Answer: I think people are just pressurizing Tinubu to come and run for Presidency, he has not said it openly. He has not told me, he is somebody
I love but he has not told us that he wants to run, and if he is going to run, he us a very qualified person to run.
Tinubu has laboured so much for this Party and he is a very good politician, a topmost one for that matter so, he has the right to run, but for me, he has not told me he would run, and he has not told this Nation that he would run, but I am aware that hundreds of bodies and groups are working for his candidature. But he has not come out fully to say that he would run, but he may run and if he runs , I know he would have supports.
Question : Come 2023, which part of the country would you want the Presidency to be zoned to, Yes, it is a normal zoning system, North-South, now it is in the North, and naturally it should come to the South.
Question: Covid 19, what further advice do you have for the Federal government on the current situation?
Answer: we are just lucky that we do don’t have a pandemic, because what we have in Nigeria is just endemic and not pandemic, we have very low cases in rating, that is the only luck we have. The State is not doing enough, and the Federal government is not doing enough, and the conditions of our hospitals are very woeful, and we just thank God that we are not hit hard by this Covid pandemic.
You and I know that the states of our hospitals and health care units are very puerile, and hopeless, so they should wake up and do more for the covid 19 issues and all other things in all other parameters of our health care delivery systems.
Question: people are complaining that your party, the APC is not doing well considering insecurity everywhere, economy situation in the country, and with the way people suffering now, dont you think this will affect the chances of your party in the state, or as as an elder in your party, Come 2022, how would you rate the next governorship election in the state ?
Answer: you can not ask me to bury my party before it dies, you are the ears of the government and the ears of the people, you better go and advice us, the government to have rethink and do very well so that our party can win back our state again.
Question: What advice do you have for the people concerning your party, APC?
Answer: Well, even though you advice them, what good does it make?, if they already made up their minds, depending on if they are reasonable, they choose aright, and if they are not reasonable again, they choose because of money, but what I will say now is that they should be reasonable and choose reasonably because of us, because of our children, and they should look out for somebody who would run the State very well, and that is if there is going to be election by then in 2022.
Question: what can you say about the 2023 election sir?
Answer: thank you very much, there may not be elections, looking at what is happening in the South, and what is happening in the East, and even Northern parts of the country, there are indications that there may not be election come even in Ekiti 2022 and 2023 in the the country.
Look at what is happening in the Southeast for instance, where people are burning down INEC offices, Police stations, and Government institutions are being burnt down, going by the agitations of people against the government system of Nigeria, going with what is happening at my level, at your own level and at people’s level , when everybody is complaining of insecurity everywhere, it is better if there is no elections in 2022, and in 2023. We should reposition this country and then start afresh.
Question : Don`t you see that there would be vacuum if this happens?.
Answer: vacuum about what? For your eating or living?
Question: if there are no elections?.
Answer: there would be a situation whereby some people would be running the affairs, there would still be some Governors, there would still be a President, there would still be some people in the legislature, they would still be there until things are resolved. So there would be mo vacuum, and if there would be vacuum, would that stop you from breathing good air? Is there no vacuum now? Are you happy now with what is happening in Nigeria?, are you happy with the people at the helm of affairs? Are you happy the way things are being run now in Nigeria? Are you happy with the state of affairs in Nigeria as a Nation? Are there no vacuum already in the country now, so is better they do what is necessary now, instead of wasting our time and pretending as if things are going on aright.
Question: what are those things you are advising the leaders to do?
Answer: lets everybody stop this stupidity and put on his thinking cap so that we can have a peaceful progressive life, in your home in your communities and in our States and at the National level.
Q: Are you saying as one Nigeria or separately?
Answer: we have said it hundreds of times that the Southwest wants to go, the Middle belt wants to go, the South-south wants to to go, the North also wants to go, and they are together, cutting each other’s throats killing each other, not trusting each other, hating each other, so why don’t they go apart and live as neighbors and peacefully together but as neighbors.