 Welcome back to the breakfast. It's been 22 years since Nigeria's return to democracy and a lot has happened. The good, the bad and of course the ugly. The liberalization of the telecommunications sector brought boundless opportunities which is one thing that we can record as a good thing. But Nigeria is yet to ensure adequate power supply. Inflation is hitting record levels and there is insecurity in many parts of the country. Those are obviously bad. An ugly trend that has also trailed us from independence is ethnic division. This has led to accusations of marginalization and even interethnic battles. Joining us this morning to look at the state of the nation is the National Publicity Secretary of Ones Ndibu worldwide, Mr. Alex Obunaya. Good morning and thank you very much for joining us. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Great to have you on the program. It's a very critical time in Nigeria's history this period and of course also conversations on Igbo presidency, conversation on IPOB attacks in the southeast. There's so much that seems to be going on at the same time. We're also dealing with the very, very strainer's economy, health care, education, all of it in the same conversation. But what would you describe from your perspective as the current state of our nation? So, any Nigerian patriots, the world is going on in the country is very, very painful. It's very painful because, especially when people are aging, we reflect on the future of our children, the future of our grandchildren. If the trend continues like this, our audience likely to be in the future will be very bleak. I passed out after a second miss when I just turned five, almost three months after I got employed and within all persons within our own age mates, it was like that. And but now people will graduate from university but will not have work. Even when you have work, what do you pay is not enough to take care of your basic needs. If at all you get the job. So, and this is part of the reason why you have rising security all over the past of Nigeria. It's painful and what are the things I've set out to do is to suggest solutions to some of these problems that are becoming endemic in Nigeria. If you listen to the pleasure of an agent lead by Professor and Ambassador Giorgio Giorso is there and through the week, you will discover that you have prepared these solutions. So, I need to stand as an institution that we have to provide solutions to some of the problems that are in this country. All right. Thank you. Would you share with us some of these solutions? We're going to go back into talking about other issues, but share with us some of the solutions one or two that Professor Giorgio Giorso has mentioned. Ambassador, I beg your pardon. Yeah, part of the solution is that Nigeria is yearning for creative leadership. Nigeria is yearning for creative leadership. Nigeria yearning for justice. Nigeria yearning for proper treatment work. So, these are the kind of things we look at. If you look at Nigeria from the point of justice, you see that justice somewhere is, injustice somewhere is injustice everywhere. And if you are going to equity, you go with clear hands. I've never seen a system where injustice has ever helped for any group of people to grow. So, like what is happening in the South East, let a lot of our boys are very angry. The agitation from the injustice of the South East in various forms. So, we have been asking the presidency and the federal government to address the injustice in the South East or to the people of the South East. It is believed that when they begin to address some of these injustices, then a lot of youth will no longer be angry at the level of the potential we reduce. Okay. Talking about these agitations, you know, yesterday we saw Barrister Augustine Amici, the president of our NAZI in Igbo, of the 19 northern states and the FCT, saying that an Igbo president is the solution to agitations in Nigeria. Please, how is this so? Yeah, I didn't listen to him. I didn't listen to him, but I'm sure that all Nigeria are on one page about Igbo's responsibility, Igbo's creativity, Igbo's ingenuity, Igbo's tenacity, and Igbo's capacity to change nothing to something. So, I think one of the ideas I agree on that. So, we are looking at, I assume, by 2023 and Igbo takes up the leadership of this country. This is, you see prosperity, you see transformation, you see a person will be joyful, and all these complaints we have about agitations here and there, we drastically reduce. So, I think that's what I'm going to be talking about. I'm sure that is new to every Nigeria. The problem is that they know the truth, they don't want to apply it. So, it is very clear. Every Igbo person, talking to them, because Nigeria has also made. So, just like a while ago, sometime in Gawatu, Igbo PDP came up on their meeting and said that there will be plenty of people from many parts of the country, there's no zoning, there's no rotation. But they know that the truth and agreed in 1998 is that there will be rotation of what the people want and decide. It was PDP that we got to understand there. You know, now that it's almost the time for the South is taken about no zoning again, no rotation, and energy can come from, and the president can talk to any part of the country. Isn't it just the example of PDP? And we have sacrificed all the efforts for PDP in the past and even in the present. You know, we didn't, when the party was going for the election, remember that almost South East people voted PDP. I cannot support that need to PDP. For them to even describe the idea of that when we come to Nigeria, it's a great sense of injustice to people of South East Nigeria. Okay. It is a source of agitation. Are you then saying that? So, Gunai, are you then saying that, you know, if the APC presents the possibility of, you know, an Igbo presidency, the Ones and Igbo might, you know, encourage South Easterners to vote in the APC in the next elections? Oh, and sincerely speaking, Ones and Igbo doesn't work eloquently about political parties. I had my foundation PDP, but right now I don't belong to any political party. So, we are interested in any party that addressed the need of Igbo. Igbo's rejoined that party. I think that the APC zones are present on the party. Evidently, 99% of Igbo will embrace the PDP and support APC. And not only in Igbo land, all over Nigeria and all over the world. Because it's like, it's in the light at the end of the short tunnel. It's becoming clear that Igbo needs transformative leadership, visionary leadership, creative leadership. And more importantly, since they turn around the economy and give it a positive direction and momentum, that's what Nigerians are looking for. And they know that Igbo, they have, Igbo has people with all the, with the expected credentials that will put them around Nigeria. All right. So, Mr. Agunaya, if at the end of the day, both the ruling and opposition parties do not zone the presidential ticket to the southeast, what next? Well, what next? It will hurt the position of Ones and Igbo so much. It will hurt us so much. It will hurt us so much. It will hurt us because they, our youth, we will asking them to hold on. We are asking them to accept pressure. We will asking them that we shall beware. We are asking them that, you know, with negotiation and discussion on the table, bargaining on the table, that we will achieve some of these Igbo needs. So, if by 2023 they don't zone it up, they will rise against all of us. It will be very much an opportunity for some of us who are going to hold on. It will appear that they have the right to hold on over and that with the others are going wrong. It will create more problems in the southeast. I'm telling you, that's the problem. It's like in Tunisia. The agitation will increase. The successions will increase in activities. You know, whatever you call it, security will increase. Not just the south, but all of what I do. Okay. That brings me to my next question, Mr. Wunaya. If you're saying that, you know, if at the end of the day, by 2023, no political parties zone to the southeast, you know, agitations will increase. Sessionists will increase and all of that. Let's look at the activities of some southeast groups like, you know, Massab, iPob, you know, all the activities, you know, clamoring for, you know, a separate Biafran nation. How do you think, you know, these agitations, might hurt or impact, you know, the desire of the southeast fund, Igbo Presidency? The answer is simple. The point of that convergence between the iPob, Massab, on one hand, and on the other, the point of convergence, or rather the points of convergence, has very much more than the very point of divergence. The point of convergence that we are all Igbo, the point of convergence that we are all agitating for justice. We all are agitating that the industry is being made out of what is too much. We all are agitating that our children should find job opportunities, and that should be up for treatment here, level, level, level playing field that we have to manifest in various ways. Mr. Agbon Naya, I wanted to clarify my question actually. I understand you. It's also done. So that's the point of convergence. So the very point of divergence is the approach by our youth. That is the point of divergence, the approach by the youth. So that is divergence. Now we come closer and become a point of convergence and by the time the Nigeria says no, they are putting us into this case of people, we are not giving them the presentation. I hope you understand from the nation, because every part there will be tribulation along, and whatever you hear about type of Massab and so on, to be there for us to manage them, and to be surprised at all these things will end. So any place who does this things is because it is beyond the point of agitation and that is why I will tell you now that we are foolish to believe that the person is giving to us. So but if at all days we get it, we discover that we have more reason to compare them to stop whatever they are doing against them. So you think that the Massab, you know, iPod agitations for a separate Biafra nation, it automatically ends once there's an Igbo president in power? It's what is important to the Southeast people, call them, iPod call them, Massab call them, whatever, whatever nomenclature you use, is that people should find food on the table, not just in Igbo land, but in Nigeria. Not just in Igbo land, but the whole Nigeria. Go to Alaba, go to Osho, the go to everywhere. You find poor people that are unemployed youths. The only thing that these other people have said, no, this must change. A lot of people talking about restructuring and so on. So what we are saying is that if the economy changes, if the dynamic changes, that is what we are calling cost and effect. So what is happening today is the effect of the problem. So the moment the dynamic, the paradigm changes, the effect will also change, agitation will change. What you call iPod, Massab and all these other political parties in Igbo will also change. It is very clear. It is very mathematical. Well, we would see how that plays out. You would also see the possibilities of any of these major political parties picking us, President of the Southeast, to be their running candidate in 2023. But I want us to stay in the Southeast and talk about political leadership of the Southeast. For a long time, they've been criticized for the ways that they have run their affairs of the Southeast. And I'm talking now of traditional rulers, the governors, and of course, even members of the National Assembly, the whole Igbo political leadership. Do you think that they currently have one house and speak with one voice with regards to 2023? Do you think that they are all on the same page? There's also been issues with APGA in Anambra State and the need for Igbo's to have one political umbrella that covers all of them. So how would you rate the political leadership of the Southeast and where it currently stands? Well, the page of Ones and Igbo addresses this year about two days ago, that when the people talk about talking with one voice, there's never one voice in India, even in heaven. Even among the edges, when the edges were there, they had, they didn't have one voice. That's why I haven't given them my key, then they say I'm beautiful. In the paradise of our Lord, you know, we still have Ibera and King. What do you call it? Jacob and his God himself. There are never been, there are never been one voice anywhere. You know, but what is happening? Among the cacophony of voices, the God has given us the rational and the sensible mind to identify what we want for people to make use of their reasoning, to know what they want at any given time. So in the Southeast, there might be cacophony of voices, but the greater majority, what I may call 80% or more, we're always aligned with the one that is more political. Well, it is not easy to achieve one voice. No, no, no. It has no even Southwest, not West, not Central. There's no one voice anywhere. Okay. But what is important is that by the time to practice, let us do it in various ways. We, the other, we still have a place to harmonize it towards the common interests of people. All right. So we don't really have any problem in Southeast Nigeria. The weight of, if you go to any place, you can also go to anywhere. You see that there's no community. You don't have people having what we call meeting. Time, you know, meeting and so on and so forth. There's no group in Nigeria that are united as equal people. But when you look at them from outside, they think we're not divided. Okay. So Mr. Abu Nayyad, in that light. In that light, Mr. Abu Nayyad. But I don't want to say the future is everywhere. Mr. Abu Nayyad. It's human nature. All right, Mr. Abu Nayyad. Apologies to button. Apologies to button at this time, but really you mentioned that, you know, you can never have one voice. There's always a divergence of voices, but that we need to focus on the positives. So let's look at the positives now. While we talk about Igbo presidency, Igbo presidency, we need to be talking about the characters, the political figures involved. You know, so which political figures, which names would you say, you know, should be in the forefront, you know, running for presidency come 2023? I hope you are. I hope you are. You are. I hope you are. There's no Nigerian. No Nigerian without the capacity of Igbo. To present to you 100 people that have the profile, the leadership of the country, within even the shortest possible time. It is not in doubt. The first version of it was of Igbo, and Nigerian was Igbo. And Igbo is Igbo, that's right. But if you look at Igbo, we have people that are very enormous in intelligence, in capacity, in industry, in whatever, in politics, to put that dynamic, and have service companies, but also capacity. So which of them can you name? We are people to begin to name them. But because we know, you know, there are so many. So when the chiefs are done, you will see them. But what is important is, we have, as we have about 10 political parties, Igbo and Igbo parties, nominees that can be from the party, then we sit together to harmonize among them that is the best, of course, of the, and the support that has been to win. Okay. That's the issue. All right. Would like to you to also share your views on moving away from the Southeast now. Let's look at the Nigerian state. How the current administration, President Mahmoud Abouari, and the government has run the affairs of the country in the last six years. Would you say that, you know, they have done well so far? But of course 2023 can be better. Or would you say that it has, you know, not been as well as you expected? Well, I don't want to sound negative all the while. First of all, let me start with Second Niger Bridge. I was here at Onesha to see the Second Niger Bridge where that we commanded to present over that. I was there to see the upliftment of Akanuibahit-Nesha Airport. We commanded to present over that. I've passed through Enugu to Porakot about last week. I'll commend to present over that. Enugu Onesha has given attention. I commend to present over that. There are a lot of pluses you can think about. I commend to present over that. But in fact, all the commendations, you know, what is the work of our Naira today? What is unemployment today? What is the future of the country today? What is the violence level in country to be? And what is the poverty index of the country to be? You know, so having commanded to present, these are things that are safe evidence. I don't really want my comment because he says he has seen them. I hope you understand. Oh, yeah, I guess that we do. And, you know, we're looking forward to what the next two years brings and seeing what happens next. I quickly also share your thoughts. The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed has come against the United Kingdom government in the conversation of granting asylum to IPOB and Masab members. He has described it as derailing the fight against terrorism. What does our Onesha and Dibu say about this? Yeah, Onesha and Dibu's position is very clear. The federal government is talking about meeting the Boko Haram to discuss with them, talking about Amnesty, talking about the children and the members of Nigeria. We are reaching an understanding. We banned it. The batteries of all kinds. The federal government is inclined to that. Then we are saying, if we are not in that type of, I know the basis of the agitation. So that's the position of Onesha. We have made it known that all these who are our children, very soon I will say, break my existence. I feel all the people who are our children, they are all our boys and our children. So we cannot, we have been advising them not to leave themselves and Ibo in their ham's way. But that doesn't mean that we are not their fathers. So whatever the death of Amnesty and Dibu face me, face all of us, I have to understand. So they are our children. And you know, what I want to call in the society, what we call the pen times. The pen times is like when somebody changes their lifestyle and they bring the order. You know, what we are only looking for in Ibo means, no, please come to us, talk with us. Let us all hear you. Professor, be also told that the answer is beyond you. So if you are one of us, come to us. That's the only point we have. So as a father, I told them, they don't come. But that's the only thing we are asking for. We are able to have the means of understanding. But you can see, they are called to do this. The governors are doing this. They also are busy with the embezzlement, with the murder and this and that. These are the areas where we do the repents and maybe come for us to reach out to have the common understanding. They are pennies of pay. And so that's my response to that. All right. Lastly, if you can do this in 30 seconds, what exactly would you describe as what's going on in the Southeast with the constant attacks on security facilities? The police stations have been attacked. The prison was broken into. And even yesterday or two days ago, we spoke once again of another assault at the police station. What would you say is going on? Is this from the IPOB? Is this from the ESN? Or are there certain groups in the Southeast that the government may not be aware of? Okay. Now, with answer to the question before, let me see if you can clarify it. This is where they came or called anywhere. The first thing is to examine the nature of the crime. And possibly, you know, look at the various persons or group that may have or suspect, you know, persons or group that they can conduct suspect. Then begin to eliminate as much as we refer to the capacity of the persons or groups to carry out such crimes. So the government to advise which one can come evade the police station. This armed everybody. He overwhelmed them and has burned, move on and the police station to prison, for example, open the prison gate and there will be jailbreak. That is sophisticated form of crime. I hope you understand. It's complicated terrorism. Who are the people? Do I know which group has the capacity to carry out such terrorist act? Is it the Guilante? Is it the I-POP? Is it the Masov? Is it Boko Haram? Is it the Wu? So this thing requires investigation before we conclude. The information of the general police is I-POP. I-POP says we are not the people. I hope you understand. So we say it's why the government. I want you to look at the capacity of a group to overwhelm a police station. And also burn that. It's not easy. You know, I believe in anybody and I have police central police, anybody with police headquarters. You think of a group of people that will come there and be able to overcome all of them. You know, it must have the suffocation to be able to do it. So that's what we are looking at. Even if it's a source of worry. But I'm asking for detailed investigation before we come to conclusion. I thought I denied it. Yes, and I denied it. And we think we must investigate for that. Thank you very much. Because before then, about three months ago, that is what the most secure part of the zone in Nigeria. All right. Alex Bounaya, thank you very much for speaking with us this morning. And just to quickly note that we are also going to be having similar conversations with publicity secretaries of other groups across Nigeria. But thanks for your time this morning, Mr Bounaya. Yes, have a great day. All right. Okay, so April is a sexual assault awareness month. We'll be speaking about that after this break.