Hon Eddy Ogbomo, JP, is the National Publicity Secretary of the Elderly People Association of Nigeria. (EPA)In this interview with Francis Ogbuagu, he bares his mind on the neglect of elders in Nigeria and other national issues. Excepts.
What is the Elderly Persons Association of Nigeria(EPA) all about?
We are a nongovernmental organization that carter for the wellbeing of the elderly in Nigeria. The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari some days ago approved the Senior Citizens Centre in Abuja. It is for elderly people and senior citizens in Nigeria who have worked meritoriously and have retired from service, some are praying that their pension and gratuity to be released. The elderly people have been treated unjustly in Nigeria, after working for 30 or 35 years in Nigeria, Somebody will still come and queue- up for pension and gratuity. Some senior citizens have died in the queue while waiting for their pension or gratuity. Many of the senior citizens are sick at home, have no money for medical care, some have died as a result of hunger. Go to some states, some retirees are owed pension sometimes running into years. Some people retired up to ten years ago, yet they have not gotten their gratuity till now, the elderly people have been treated with disdain.No elderly people’s home.No care whatsoever from the Federal Government of Nigeria. I am praying for those in authority that they too will grow old and maybe face the same music. I mean reap their reward. The country has not been fair to the elderly from every point of view.
Go to public places like the bank, you will see a very old man or woman in a queue with young people, the same thing applies in the hospital and other public places. The young people should understand that it is a blessing to grow old, everybody prays to grow old.
What is your view on the current economic and security situation in Nigeria today?
Nigeria, we see today is not the same country we know, nor the country we anticipate. Things have fallen apart. We all live in fear, even you, the journalist that is asking the question, we all live in fear, not knowing what will happen the next minute. I went to the Petrol Station this morning and they said fuel is #185 per liter, kerosene almost #450 per liter here. Is this the Nigeria we are expecting? I told them during the 1st of October Independent day anniversary that we are celebrating nothing, but our lives, we celebrate our lives, not independence. Else, nothing about Nigeria is worth celebrating. Are you celebrating going to Abuja, when you cannot go on the road? Is it that farmers cannot go to their farms for fear of kidnapping, rape, and what have you? We are praying that the Almighty God will hear our cry and come and save us. Nigeria is not at peace at all.
Look, Boko Haram is fighting and killingour people, the military in the north, but they are busy fighting IPOB, Kanu, and Igbogho, while those who are killing people, nothing is happening to them, they are going after those that portends no danger, while Fulani herdsmen carry AK 47 rifle and are killing people, committing all manner of crime and nobody has arrested anybody.
A simple analogy about those agitations is, if you are married to a woman and she suddenly says that she doesn’t want you again, will you kill her? You should let her go, simple, not to hold her against her wish.
I, even suggest that those of us that are African Traditional Believers should form a forum and use It to fight those who are working against the overall well-being of this nation. I have never prayed that Nigeria should disintegrate. But some persons have refused to allow us to live in peace. If we cannot live together, let go of our separate ways in peace.
The north has failed us in this country. Look at all the appointments in Buhari’s cabinet, everything has gone the north, there is a lopsided appointment in every sector.
What are your expectations on the 2023 general election?
I expect that by 2023, a new crop of leaders should emerge, we expect youths with vibrancy to emerge as leaders. How do you expect a man of over 70 years to still be serving as a minister, while there are young ones? We need a well brought up youth as a leader in 2023. I expect a new leadership to emerge in 2023. A lot of young people have misplaced priority, but the youth we need should be a well brought up youth. Somebody that can carry everybody along.
Recently, Ohaneze Ndigbo met the President in Abuja appealing that the President release Nnamdi Kanu. Do you see the President releasing the IPOB leader?
For me, the President should realize Kanu. What did Kanu do? Where Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen are killing people all over the place. Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen should be the ones to be arrested, how many of the killer Fulani herders have been arrested? It is because of the difficult situations that made other ethnic nationalities agitate for independent states in Nigeria. It is the maltreatment of the Igbos that made them want to leave Nigeria. They should treat the Igbos well or allow them to go.
Ahead of the 2023 general election, do you see a third force coming up to stage an upset.?
The way I see events playing out, before 2023, a strong third party will emerge. The aggrieved members of PDP and APC may come together to forge a third force. They are likely going to cause an upset as people are tired of the PDP and APC. The aggrieved members of the two leprous fingers (PDP and APC) are more in number than those who are happy. We are hoping that a third party should come and take over.
