Chief Chike Erokwu is a caucus member of Vibrant Transformation Awareness and Leadership Development Initiative, VITALDI, and also president, Big Mike Foundation. In this interview, he among others assures Nigerians of the better performance if President Goodluck Jonathan is re-elected in 2015. Excerpts:By Tony Nwankwo and Gabriel Ewepu
What necessitated the formation of Vibrant Transformation Awareness and Leadership Development Initiative?
We are a non-governmental organisation trying to push for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. We are looking forward to making sure that everybody knows what our dear President had been doing for Nigerians in infrastructural development, security, agriculture, transportation, and other sectors of the economy. Our organisation is under the leadership of Professor Jerry Gana.
Chike Erokwu
Critics of the president said he does not deserve re-election on account of poor performance
I am sure that Jonathan has the capacity to do the best for Nigerians. He will surprise all those mouthing negative opinions about his presidency.
He has been under criticism, particularly from those he stepped on their toes. This is normal, and he has no apologies for them. It can never be business as usual. This is a President who wants to do what is right and we are behind him and will support him for a second term.
Recently, some northern politicians said if the President fails to bring back the kidnapped Chibok school girls he should forget his desire for second term. Again, some Ogoni communities, affected by massive oil spillage and degradation argued that if Mr. President fails to implement the UNEP report on the cleaning up of their communities, they would not vote for him in 2015. What are you doing as an organisation about these aggrieved sections of the country?
These are genuine grievances, but we all know there are processes already in place to address them. The Chibok school girls, for instance, were abducted and to get them back has not been easy, even with America and other foreign powers assisting the Federal Government. It is not as easy as people think.
The Nigerian security services are up to the task, the major impediment is their commitment not to harm the girls in an effort to rescue them. The government has chosen diplomacy as part of the efforts to bring back the girls, and I stand by what the government is saying. On the Ogoni spill, there is a committee constituted to implement the UNEP report, and the process is already in place.
Considering the recent gubernatorial elections in some states in the South-west and the outcomes, do you see the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, conducting free and fair election in 2015?
I see INEC as being capable of conducting a free and fair election because they have been doing very well in conducting free, fair and transparent elections. Nobody has been able to fault the elections they have conducted so far.