Maduka: I’m Ready to Help Tinubu Solve Nigeria’s Economic Problems

A Chieftain of the Labour Party, Basil Maduka, in this interview bears his mind on economic policies of President Bola Tinubu and his willingness to help government at the centre to solve nation’s economic problems. Adedayo Akinwale brings excerpts:

How effective do you think President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies have been and what is the prospect that we would get out of this economic crisis soon?

Yes, as it was captioned by Mr. President and his economic team, “Renewed Hope”. 

In the first instance, what Mr. President did was removing the fuel subsidy. He was trying to make sure that there’s a lot of resources coming into the Nigerian government so that they can spend money.  If you look at it, yes, the money is coming in. But the question is the value of that money in the markets, does it reflect on the people? Yes, he has very good policy, as we speak, but who drives that policy is another question. Mr. President needs technocrats; he needs people who will not say I’m APC, this is APC government. 

Mr. President has to bring everybody together, irrespective of party. Nothing stops Mr. President from inviting Peter Obi, what do you have for the people, you need to support the government. Obi can go to Mr. President and say I want to suggest this to you so that the people can be liberated.

Just like myself, Maduka. Why am I doing this address? It is to let him know that somebody like Basil Maduka has something have on the table for him. If he asks me, Basil, what do you have on the table for Nigerians so that we can create this economic prosperity?  I wouldn’t mind because in my own private sector I have 100 staff across the globe. For us to come together to drive this policy, I think within the four years, Nigerians will be liberated.

As a chieftain of the Labour Party, one year after, if you try to look at what the presidential candidate of the Labour Party has been doing so far, it is criticism of the government policies. In fact, the recent supreme court judgment on local government financial autonomy where everybody is hailing the President, I think he has not spoken about that. It is criticism upon criticism. So what do you have to say about that?

I think to my own understanding, he as an individual, your perception is what you can say. You see, government is collectivism. 

I think opposition is better when you are in the house. So that when you are saying it, they will now know that you are contributing. If you are outside, saying the same thing,  people might not take you serious, because at times you can say that talk is cheap. 

Oh! If I were Mr. President, I would have done this. But when you are given an opportunity, you know that the dynamics will change. Now, since he is not Mr. President now, I think his views would be more pronounced, will yield more fruitfulness, if once in a while he visits Mr. President and says  Mr. President, I want you to do this, do that. Because all the people we want to rule are Nigerians. It doesn’t matter, you must be the driver or you must be the best driver. No! Anybody can drive, some people might have their own shortcut,  I think may be he (Obi) might say something. I cannot answer for him. I think the judgement came in about one week ago. 

I think he still has something to say. But opposition is good when it is well channeled. He can call Mr. President and say this program you can add it to liberate the people of Nigeria. I think it will be more meaningful.

The Labour Party is in crisis, and the party is yet to resolve the crisis. Do you think the President can trust you to help solve Nigeria’s problems if you cannot resolve the issues in your party.

I think they are on it. Party crises are always normal. In a polygamous home, there must be a fight. I think they are trying to solve their problems. What we’re talking about now is about Nigeria’s problems. The economic problems, it is not a party affair again. Everybody goes to the same market,  inflation all over the place. The issue now is how do everybody come together in collectivism to see to the welfare of Nigerian people. Because if everybody’s hungry, you are criticizing, you’re running helter skelter, nobody will listen to you. The Labour Party will solve their problems. What we’re talking about today is not a party issue. We’re talking about Nigerian people.

What is it that you want to bring to the table that those there have not brought?

If someone like me about 15 years ago, I was able to set up Virgin Group. Today, I have over 100 staff across the globe – three Ph.D holders, some expatriates – across the globe with the initiative I have…I want to tell you something, sometime in February/March, 2024, six companies from Nigeria were invited by the US embassy. We were in Las Vegas where all the world’s major players in the industry were gathered. It was then the representative from Iran, when they heard I am from Nigeria, and it happens I led the team, they said Nigeria is a great country, I said Yes of course! They said how is your President doing? I told them what my President was doing. Are we talking about party? No! The image of every country matters. So as an international businessman, when such people are trying to reach Mr. President, it does not mean that it’s only a Minister, or a Senator, or whatever. 

It is people like us that will tell Mr. President, this is what is happening in the business world, the international best practices for us to have direct investments.

So, I’m available for Mr. President, either to support me in my business. Moreover, I’ve not done any contract in my life with government. I don’t do government contracts. I’ve never, from local government to the federal. I’ve never and I’m not interested. It is how do we link Nigeria to international economics, where foreign direct investors see our place as a destination point. So if Mr. President ask for my opinion, and say Basil, what do you have on the table? I will put what I have on the table. He will put his own for us to drive Nigeria.

You’ve shown commitment that you’re ready to help, if he’s not coming to you, are you ready to approach the President or are you waiting to be called?

I’m waiting to be called. I’m yet to make such a move. I believe that opposition at times is better in the house. If you are within, we promise Nigerians economic prosperity —renewed hope. If those government teams are sincere, because that is the policy statement, they will always remind themselves of what they promised Nigerians. Mr. President, we need to do this, we need to do that. Because If you’re outside, people will look at it and say opposition people, they are looking for contracts, they’re looking for recognition. You will go and give them money, you won’t  hear them again. 

To the glory of God, I’m not part of that. It is what do I contribute to Nigeria in my time, because every government come and go. 

The coming generations will hold us responsible someday, that all of us were there. Nobody will be talking about opposition. They would say you people squander the Nigerian economy, you have done this. That is why it is not good for a party when they are in government. 

They will not see themselves as you know ‘carry go”,  that is opportunity to do whatever, we are in government. Anybody God helped to be in power should see it as an opportunity with their team. Let them not use it to witch-hunt people. Let them not see it as just to deal with people. It is a call to service all over. 

A year and some months after President Tinubu assumed office, Nigerians are of the opinion that the President should reshuffle his cabinets and allow the Ministers that are not performing to go. Do you share that sentiment?

Yes, of course. At times, the political parties from what happened in the past were blaming the PDP government for squandering the Nigerian economy for 16 years. Because they were looking at it as a party affair. If Mr. President will look at Nigeria as a country where everybody is a stakeholder, you won’t say the only person that will work with me is my party members. If you believe in your country, you want to liberate them, you go outside the box, those people criticising, bring them in. That thing you said you have, let us see if it is talk and do or you are just saying. 

We can say for instance, somebody like the Minister of FCT, if you drive within Abuja, you will feel that you know that he’s working. You will be happy that so many roads  abandoned for some years, you will be happy that something is going on. So every government feels happy when the people and the environment is happy. 

What would you say is the silver bullet to the crisis in your party?

I think political party will always have its own problems and they are solving things and they know that it is a litmus test for them. Because if you said they are going to put this on the table, you must show capacity, you must show that you can be trusted. It’s not what you tell the people that matters. It is what the practical thing you have done. So I think they will resolve their problem as a political party.

Are you still a member of the Labour Party?

As we are today, it’s not an issue of party. Nobody is talking about the party. What I’m talking about today is Nigeria’s interests. The people as an employer of labour. Just like every tribe, there is no tribe that is not in my organisation. What is important is your input as a team. Political party comes and goes, it is just a vehicle to achieve your political ambition. Now we have a party in government, within the four years or the eight years, whatever it is, let everybody come together in making sure that this government succeeds to the glory of the people.

So is it right to say that you are no longer a member of the Labour Party?

I cannot tell you that I’m not a member of the Labour Party or would I tell you am a member of APC or would I tell you I am a member of PDP, the issue on ground is the welfare of Nigerians, are they faring well? Fuel crisis, inflation crisis, the economy not flourishing well.