Benedict Etanabene

Benedict Etanabene is a Nigerian politician, trade unionist, and a former lecturer. He is currently serving as a member of the Nigerian House of Representatives, representing the Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency in Delta State. Quotes We have a problem in the political space in Nigeria. We don’t have that in the medical. In the medical space, we have qualified doctors in Nigeria may be the support is not there for them to do the best. In the legal area, we have very good lawyers in the Nigerian space. But in politics, I am sorry to say, we don’t have the best of people to represent us. Many of us would not have been interested in politics if we have things working out well. Personally, if I am in a country where there is light, poverty in particular is not as bad as this and things are doing pretty good, probably I would not have bothered going into politics. But I now realise who are the people making laws for us? Politicians. Who are the ones designing our economic programmes? Politicians. Who are the ones that are supposed to be taking care of our safety? Politicians. Who are the ones designing educational policies? Politicians. They seem to be doing everything so if you don’t have the best of committed people in the political space then we continue to remain the way we are and I bet you if we continue like this, the next 100 years, Nigeria will not be better, not one step forward. Benedict interview response to the question 'What endeared you into politics of the Fourth Republic?' It’s like budget that is presented like a ritual every year. When they present budget did they really do everything that they say they want to do in budget? No. Somebody can unveil the agenda that is good but I doubt if he will be able to do exactly as put in paper. It is a common practice everywhere in Nigeria. Benedict interview response to the question 'The 10th Assembly unveiled its legislative agenda recently, What is your take on that?' I don’t want to use some very strong words, because people will be saying, so you like a military kind of government, no no, but we have had one kind of government in the past that probably we would have improved on. Take the one that was around 1991,1992, and thereabout, there was a military dictactor in power and we had very brilliant civilian administrators. That kind of person was not elected by the people but I think a more socialist form of government with a very strong leader. A strong leader with a good heart can work in this country because our problems sometimes is not about the laws but about the enforcement of the laws; is the showing of good examples by the leaders. Benedict interview response to the question 'Why do you think there is a system problem?' So, what is our focus when we go to borrow? Borrow to marry more wives, borrow to come and invest with a view to saying yes, I put N10 trillion into this business and after one year I can now summarise that both investment, capital and interest is now N14 trillion, that is okay. But, I am very skeptical because borrowing has become a ritual in every budget in Nigeria. I am waiting to see the day government will present budget and say no borrowing. We can fund our budget on what we can generate. Now how do we stop things like borrowing? Why are we not opening up trade and commerce? As I said, get the ports and allow people who want to export, import and allow them to use any port that is convenient for them. You must not gather everybody together in Lagos and kill the economy of other places. Benedict interview response to the question 'What do you think about the 2024 budget, especially on the issue of borrowing?' The president should be president for every Nigerian. Not a president of APC people or a president of Yoruba. As you can see in the manner of appointment that they are giving out to people, other minorities are not carried along at all. The records are there. The President should be president of Nigeria to the extent that appointments and decision are taken in the best interest of Nigeria. You don’t know the party that will be there tomorrow so if you bring INEC Commissioners and they are your party members, positions that are not supposed to have people affiliated to political parties, people who we expected to conduct free and fair elections for Nigerians without party romance. When you appoint such persons, you are not telling us that you are the president of Nigeria. Benedict interview response to the question 'Do you have any advise for President Bola Tinubu?' External links Category:Politicians from Nigeria Category:Living people