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| H.E. Prince Frank Ukonga |
Breaking News: Liberty Radio & TV interview of His
Excellency Prince Frank Onaivi Ukonga .Presidential Aspirant of the Nigerian
Federation 2015 Polls, & chairman Edo SDP in Abuja on the 13th
January 2014. The Reporter of Liberty Radio& TV interviewed Prince Frank
Ukonga on the state of the Nation and on his views about the coming 2015 polls
of the Nigerian federations.
By Ace Reporter .S.Babangida.
Preambles: The Reporter of Liberty Radio & TV interview
Prince Frank Ukonga on the state of the Nation and on his views about the
coming 2015 polls of the Nigerian federations.
Liberty Radio & TV: His Excellency, How are you and
whatz happening in the polity?
Frank Ukonga; We thank God that we are surviving, As regards
the polity it is gradually getting ready for the 2015 polls but then there is lots
of distrust and public apathy due to the fact that in general the contemporary
political dispensation that started in 1999 had not delivered the dividends of
democracy to the teaming masses of Nigerians despite the huge receipts from
export earnings in the past 14 years.
Liberty Radio & TV: how exactly do you mean as regards
the Public apathy, what are the causes and how can it be improved?
Frank Ukonga: Frankly speaking there is poverty & hunger
in the land, many graduates and youth and women are roaming the streets without
jobs and nothing concretely is been done to empower them, The number of
Almanjiri are swelling daily from the projected estimate of the former head of
state Abdulsalami Abubakar as at 10 million army strong of children roaming the
streets without care nor education the number today is higher. Last week the
governor of Oyo state His Excellency Senator Ajimobi called all the youth of
Ibadan particularly the Area boys and admonish them to go and get themselves engaged…the
issue of area boys of more than 15 million youth roaming the streets of the
south west and other parts of the country without jobs..in total Malam Sanisi
Lamido the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, said above 60 million
Nigeria youth, women and able graduates are currently unemployed…while the govt
employ ,less than 5% of the total population..The satiation is despicable as
many see it as a time bomb…
Liberty Radio &TV; what are the causes and what panacea
do you advocate?
Frank Ukonga: Corruption is one of the major problems,
looting of public and private treasuries are another, lack of serious commitments
is another; poor planning and management of the country and the economy is
another. Insecurity is another factor that scares away prospective investors
and many factories are closing shops and relocating to other Africa states to
produce and dump in the Nigeria market. Epileptic electricity generation and
distribution is another factor, shabby privatization exercise since 1999 is
another factor… what we advocate at Edo SDP is that Nigeria can still make it
if we rededicate ourselves to working harder, if our leaders show serious
commitments with good pragmatic policy thrust to industrialize Nigeria overnight
most of the Problems will ameliorate…whence our problem is leadership adulterated
with tribal sentimentality..
Liberty Radio &TV: Are you contesting in the 2015 polls?
Frank Ukonga; Yes I shall contest the 2015 Presidential polls,
but remember that I have to go for the primaries elections of my party and if I
win the primaries then I will become the flag bearer of the party, but if I lose
in the primaries I will support whoever wins.
Liberty Radio: Do you think there will be an election in
2015 judging from the public apathy that you have mentioned in the context of
people coming out to vote…?
Frank Ukonga; we are in a democracy and this current
situation are experiences which later will become investment in the making of a
strong democratic Nigeria. Certainly there will be an election in 2015 and remember
that the political climate is becoming more balanced as regards the scales of
the power of opposition which has seen improvement in current times and soon we
shall have bipolar political structure of two strong political parties, and
with a few smaller parties in the polity and this will encourage choice,
service delivery, commitment, mutual respect and detente…
Liberty Radio & TV: Judging from the recent Anambra
governorship polls which many believe was shoddily done; do you think INEC can
deliver credible polls in 2015?
Frank Ukonga: INEC has come out boldly to tell the public
that some bad eggs in INEC caused the problems and they are currently being
prosecuted to serve as deterrence to other officials. Remember there are bad
eggs in every eco system. I think all INEC has to do now is to do more to weed
out the bad eggs and they still have time to do this. Otherwise I believe
Professor Atahiru Jega is a sincere person. I have met him on several occasions
and I believe he can be trusted to deliver on promise of credible polls come
2015 polls of the Nigeria federation. But I must emphasize that it take the cooperation
of the entire polity to achieve credible polls, both the candidates, the electorate,
the stakeholders, the fifth realm of the Etat, the officials and the security
operatives must work together to achieve credible polls of international standard
practice…it does not depend on INEC alone..This lesson we also saw from the
Anambra polls..
Liberty Radio & tv: We thank you for sparing some of your
time off your busy schedule to reaching our listeners and audience and we wish
you the best of luck.
Frank Ukonga: We are highly elated at Edo SDP that you on
your own discretion found us worthy for such an epoch making interview and we
pray that you and your broadcasting media shall continuously be found worthy among
all men of subsequent creation, the Angels and God. We appreciate you and will
continue to cherish this occasion till the end of time…thanks.
