‘Buhari needs to rejig information dissemination apparatus’

Otunba Adejare Rewane Adegbenro is a Lagos-based businessman who was born into two political dynasties. His paternal grandfather, Chief Dauda Soroye Adegbenro (Ogun State) was a late Premier of the defunct Western Region. On the other side, his maternal grandfather, Pa Alfred Rewane (Delta State) was a late pro-democracy crusader and financier of the National […]

Otunba Adejare Rewane Adegbenro is a Lagos-based businessman who was born into two political dynasties. His paternal grandfather, Chief Dauda Soroye Adegbenro (Ogun State) was a late Premier of the defunct Western Region. On the other side, his maternal grandfather, Pa Alfred Rewane (Delta State) was a late pro-democracy crusader and financier of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) that fought the military to a standstill in Nigeria. In this interview, he speaks about the state of the nation and gives President Muhammadu Buhari a pass mark despite the security challenges facing the country.

 

How can you assess the first 100 days of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration?

I think this administration’s first 100 days are cheering. I believe a lot of work is being done that the people are not aware of. I honestly believe that the government has to rejig its information dissemination apparatus properly. A lot of people are not aware of a lot of things being done by this administration. The government at this point in time needs to create more awareness for people to know what it is doing.

What can you say on the issue of the security challenges facing the country?

On the serious matter of security, I believe the government has to be a lot more decisive on what to do. It needs to take a firm stand and make a few examples to put the mind of the populace at ease that we are all safe. No investor would want to invest in Nigeria if he thinks the country is not safe. When there are security challenges that portray the country as unsafe, it scares away investors.

Again, at this point in time, government should have a clear blueprint on where Nigeria is going. Right now, everybody seems to be going in different directions. Everybody seems to be doing whatever they like. I think there has to be a convergence in terms of direction the country is going. If government pays attention to that, it will go a long way to strengthen the trust the people have in this administration as a serious, responsible and responsive administration.

I agree that this new agreement with SIEMENS is a good step in the right direction. But honestly, we have to go way further than that. The world, these days, people are doing a lot of different interesting things. Take Kenya and Ethiopia as examples, they are far away ahead of us in terms of alternative energy so much that we would be better served if we can learn from them.

As a native of Ogun State, are you satisfied with how your Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has started?

Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun as far as I am concerned has started well and is doing very well. That is also the belief of a greater percentage of the people in Ogun State and even beyond.

A lot of what he is doing is having impact on the life of the people directly as against those governments that are doing big projects that are not impacting on the lives of the people. I want to encourage him to continue in that trajectory.

Gov. Abiodun inherited the good work of former Gov. Ibikunle Amosun and he has taken off from there.

I believe the Federal Government can also take a cue from the Governors of Ogun, Oyo and Lagos who are informing their people and taking them along on what they are doing. I believe he has done well in 100 days and I hope he continues along that line.

How would you want the Federal Government to handle the xenophobia problem in South Africa as it affects Nigerian nationals in that country?

The Nigerian government has to be very decisive on the issue because it is a serious diplomatic headache that needs to be tackled with dispatch. There is no Nigerian businessman that can just go to South Africa to establish and start doing business in that country. All the people they are attacking are those who are just making their daily bread. But they have no regards for us despite all we have done for them in the past to liberate them from the jaws of their oppressors.

Their visa policy towards us is as if they are doing us favour. It takes three months to process. The kind of environment they enjoy when they are here is not what we enjoy when we are there. Our government needs to take some retaliatory steps and let them know that we are not going to be pushed around. I don’t support violence and I don’t think it would get to violence. But if the government really wants to wield a big stick, they can and they should at this point in time just to put the populace mind at ease and let the South Africans know that the lives of Nigerians matter much to the government.