Former General Secretary of the powerful National Union of Petroleum, Energy and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Comrade Frank Kokori, is disillusioned about the state of the Nigerian polity. Owing to this, he had refused to talk about the country. He had said: “If you talk from here to Jericho, the people will never change.”

When Kokori finally agreed to talk, it was vintage him. He described the present crop of politicians as traitors, insisting: “There are no elections in Nigeria up till today. This is sad. When I was in prison in my lonely cell in Bama, the only consolation I used to have was that the next government would be a democratic government.

At that time, the whole world was looking at Nigeria. The military was humiliated to the barracks… But these Nigerians have betrayed us; they are traitors. The present leadership of the country, from 1999 till today, are class traitors.”

Kokori spoke on this and many other things.

You have been silent for sometime now. Is it a deliberate act of aloofness towards developments in Nigeria or being afraid to talk?

Well, it’s not all the time people react to issues in the country, because if you talk from here to Jericho, the people will never change. We have been unfortunate to have political leaders who are dumb and deaf immediately they get to power.

When you have been in this type of struggle for a long time, you feel disappointed. I remember when we started the June 12 struggle. Without being immodest, I felt that if not for petroleum workers there wouldn’t have been anything like democracy. I knew the pressure on me. I know that the civil society, which we all belong to, became very vibrant at that time. People, like Beko Ransome-Kuti, who really were the pioneers of civil rights movement, with his Campaign for Democracy and Civil Liberties Organisation, did a lot.

How do you feel about the fact that what you fought for wasn’t realized? Today, people don’t even take labour leaders serious.

I am disillusioned really, totally. That is part of why I am no longer talking. First of all, I am growing older; that’s one. The vigour I had in those days is no more there. Now, I don’t have the power of coercion, because you must have the power of coercion to lead people. Today, the militants are being recognized, because they have what it takes. You see, the closest thing to armed struggle in world revolutionary battles is the organized labour: unarmed but you pull down any government you want; you can bring down any system.

I remember when I was released and the international community hosted me all over the world. I was in Washington DC, where some groups played host to me. One of them was the Federation of America Labour.

What’s your position on the amnesty for militants? Some have embraced it; others have jettisoned it. How do you view the monetary inducement?

Normally it is wrong and I am happy that MEND said it is not cheap like that. You see, any real revolutionary can’t take that and those collecting are mercenaries. The real, committed patriotic people from the Niger Delta will not take that and MEND has told government it won’t do that. I read a story recently where MEND said that some people in the police and the military have been approaching them, asking that they should give them their guns and collect N300, 000 for one AK47 rifle.

A lot of hoodlums have gone to derail the whole struggle. When you start kidnapping people, I think that is out of track. But like what everybody knows, the true problem of the Niger Delta is under development.

Yes, it has been there for so many years and Yar’Adua is just two years in office. So normally, I can’t lay any blame on Yar’Adua; moreover you see a lot of limitations he has in handling Niger Delta issue, but he should just be genuine with Nigerians.

It pains me that the National Assembly can’t amend the constitution. In other places, people sit down for six months, three months and produce a constitution that will give impetus and life to their citizens. Our people can’t. The first four years went by; the second four years of Obasanjo went by and now another three years is going; they are still fighting themselves over irrelevancies, trivialities and Nigerians are waiting!

There were no elections in Nigeria. When I was in prison in my lonely cell in Bama, the only consolation I used to have, was that the next government was going to be a democratic government. That time, the whole world was looking at Nigeria. The military was humiliated to the barracks. We don’t want them again. But these civilians have betrayed Nigerians; they are traitors. The present leadership in the country is made up of traitors.

Do you think Yar’Adua has displayed the sincerity expected of the occupant of that exalted office?

The Nigerian legislators are the biggest problem we have in this country. Other countries don’t have more than 35 legislators. Here, we have hundreds of them; yet, the governors easily pocket them. Do you know that the legislative arm is the most powerful arm in democracy? They could impeach a governor. If they tell a governor to work he must work or get punished. A president can be impeached. Half of the money that goes to a state is squandered in bribery, propaganda and publicity. Why do you blame the President if the National Assembly can’t function? The most powerful arms of government are the legislature and the judiciary.

There is an electoral report by the Justice Uwais committee before the government. No action has been taken so far

I earlier said that the power lies with the National Assembly. You and I know that the National Assembly can call the chief executive arm to order.

With the National Assembly dominated by PDP, do you suspect a conspiracy?

They are a disgrace. The National Assembly has the power to right the wrong, but they sold out. The lawmakers are the worst traitors in the country; only 10 percent is good. It is a shame. It is even worse that they didn’t have people’s mandate. Those who got their mandate from the people aren’t more than 15 percent. The other ones were just manipulated into the House; they bought their positions. Godfathers and the ruling party chose them.

When are you going to release your memoirs on June 12?

It will soon be out.

Finally, OMPADEC, NDDC, Niger Delta Ministry are gestures from government to address the problems in the Niger Delta. However, the agitations continue. What does your people really want from Nigeria?

The struggle in the Niger Delta is now complicated, but I think the basic thing is the sincerity of purpose by the government and the people themselves. You see, when I blame the Federal Government, I always think of my privileged political leaders in the Niger Delta: the governors and the lawmakers. They are sycophants. They are corrupt.

Sun News Publishing, Lagos