Omololu Ogunmade
8 July 2009
(Page 2 of 2)
But laws exist to regulate human conduct and relationship and where there is no law, there is no sin.
Laws are supposed to regulate people's attitudes. That is the language. Unless we are prepared to work with those laws and respect them, we can't achieve the desired result. But once we continue to behave as bad players, bad losers, winners take all, these electoral reforms and constitutional amendment may not solve the problem.
Having been a victim of judicial powers in this dispensation, in view of the re-run governorship ordered in this state, what is your perception of the judiciary?
The judiciary has performed well. We have to commend them for doing a good job. I rate them every well.
Were you happy when judges annulled your election?
I cannot say I was happy. If I say I was happy, I will be wrong. But I do not blame the judiciary for annulling my election because they might be right on the point of law and that is why they are there. They are not there to nullify anybody. They are there to adjudicate, to say what is wrong or what is right and that was what they did.
Do you believe that the judiciary is always right?
It is a human institution. No human being will always do good things all the time. The judges are human beings. They cannot be hundred per cent perfect.
Not long ago, your opponent, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi alleged in Abuja that you have been oppressing and harassing the opposition in this state in an alleged bid to turn it into a one-party state. Isn't this allegation correct?
He was only expressing his opinion as a typical politician. They speak in many kinds of languages. They are the people who can do something worse than that.
What is it that you are doing differently when compared to what the previous administrations did?
Fundamentally, what we are doing differently is that I am running a government with a listening ear, a government that respects the views and yearnings of the governed; a government that is accessible and a government that allows itself to be guided in policies and programmes by the views of the people.
How effective is your relationship with your deputy?
My deputy has been a great friend of mine over the years. We worked together. When he was Attorney-General, I was a Permanent Secretary. We have been together for 30 years. I have been in government for some time. We understand ourselves very well and we will continue until the time we retire.
What are the specific programmes put in place to address poverty in the state?
Eighty per cent of the people of Sokoto are farmers. We tried to encourage farmers with fertilizers worth over N2 billion and we gave them the products on loans to pay after harvest, in cash or in kind. We also tried to give them insecticides and other tools. We also carry out youth empowerment, whereby over 20,000 youths are being trained on skills - carpentry, mattress making.
If you visit our centres, you will see how we are planning for our youths to be gainfully employed and empowered. This reduces crime in the society. Instead of waiting for government appointment, they are now gainfully employed.
How feasible do you think are the issues of constitutional amendment and state creation in Nigeria?
We can always amend the constitution. As I said earlier, the problem is with our own attitudes as Nigerians. If we decide to play the game by the rule; if we decide to obey those laws that are already there, we can make progress. I am not saying that it is bad to amend the constitution. There must always be a room for improvement.
Coming to the issue of state creation, in Nigeria, we have people who are angling to become leaders - councilors, chairmen, governors, commissioners. In as much as there is that urge in us, the need for state creation will never decline. The clamour will always be on the increase.
In the Constituent Assembly held in 1988, there was a long list of demand for state creation. It will continue. If it is permitted, we will have over 200 states and one or two million local governments in Nigeria. At times, some of the requests are not based on genuine demands. They are based on selfish, personal interests. If states and local governments are created now, there will still be demand for more.
I have spoken about electoral reforms. The reform we need is that we should reform our own attitudes as Nigerians. We have very good laws in Nigeria. The attitude of the politicians and stakeholders is the challenge. Unless we rededicate ourselves, unless we respect the laws of the land and do things according to the law governing us and we start behaving the way we should behave, there is no reform we need to change our attitude.
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