Seriki Adinoyi
11 November 2009
interview
Lagos — Senator Abubakar Girei is a former Senator from Adamawa State. he is currently attending a course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru Jos. Girei in this interview with Seriki Adinoyi, speaks on how corruption has retarded Nigeria's progress. He also advocated continuity in government, among other issues
What is your view on the ongoing constitutional amendment exercise?
Which parts of the constitution, in your own opinion need amendment? Talking about constitution amendment, as politician and as a former senator, I don't think we need a wholesale review of our constitution. What I think we need is simply an electoral reform to enable us have credible election, and not the local government and state creations. I think we should concentrate upon our electoral reform only for now, to usher in more credible election so that Nigerians' confidence and trust in democracy would stand. Nigerians will be able to elect leaders of their choice. But a wholesale review of our constitution is not only unnecessary but would bring a sort of division among us.
Do you think that our electoral system can be reformed before the next general election in 2011?
If only the lawmakers can limit themselves to the area of electoral reform, there is no doubt in my mind that they are competent to do it. But if they want to carry out a wholesale review of the constitution, including creation of states and local governments, I can belt it they will not be able to do it because the interest that will be competing will just be too many and these would mar the whole exercise. So my advice is that they should concentrate on carrying out review in areas that will facilitate electoral reform to enable us have credible elections.
Apart from the fact that you have been in the nation's politics for quite sometimes now, you are also a Participant in the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru. And Nigerians are worried that participants in this institute come up with recommendations on how the nation could made progress. But not so much have been achieved. What is the problem?
The problems are many, but from what I have seen this year here in NIPSS, I am very grateful to God for making it possible for me to be here, because my coming here has completely changed my orientation. I've been able to learn a lot during the past ten months. Through the local and international tours. We had, we've learnt so much. And I can assure you that our recommendations have been good . This particular one we are taking to the president is very rich, but now I won't talk on the recommendation until it is submitted to Mr. President.
Talking about previous recommendations, I have seen quite a number of them and they've been very wonderful, and as you rightly said, if they had been implemented, we would have seen a number of changes. You see, the problem of this country is inconsistency in leadership and lack of continuity. But with the present administration of President Yar'Adua, I can see that things have changed. SEC 29 gave a recommendation to him and he made use of some vital part of it and that was how he came up with Vision 20:2020. And with the recommendation of the last SEC the President was able to refine the vision 20:2020 and came up with Seven-point Agenda to bring the vision closer to the people.
That is why in the last one year, the President went all out to set up different committees and consulted widely with almost every sector of the society. That is the way of making the people realize the benefit of the vision so that they will support it and see to its realization. So, even if he's not there tomorrow, Nigerians can keep on with the vision. And I think this is one of the most important things that the President has achieved. And I am sure he will find the recommendation we are going to give to him very useful. If we continue to have this continuity, we will achieve progress.
You just talked about continuity in government: with the present state of the nation and discontentment in the faces of people, do you think it will be easy for the president to get second term?
You just imagine that a child was born but the mother of the baby is not there to take care of him. Any other person that handles the child cannot do it better than the mother. I have the firm belief that vision 20:2020 will take us to the promised land. Now that he has made the vision a people-oriented one, it will just be good that he continues so that he would be able to move Nigeria to a greater height. Nigeria will be one of the 20 greatest nations in the world. That would not be a small achievement by any means. Going by what he has done so far; conceptualization of the vision itself anddevelopment to a point of having a blue print, has now translated to the seven-point agenda.
Look at the way he is handling the Niger-Delta issue; how he articulated such an idea, developed it, and today we have peace and tranquility. This translates to peace in the nation and of course more prosperity for Nigeria. And more foreign investors would come because of this peace.
We would also be able to execute projects not only in the Niger-Delta but in the whole country. You see, the level of degradation in the Niger-Delta cannot be addressed without serious infrastructural development which was difficult to carry out when the militants were still there.
Talk of developmental approach in the transport sector; I understand the road contracts awarded all over the country now are more than the entire ones that were awarded by previous governments.
Look at the railways; he has a long time developmental plans on how to reactivate our rail transport. If we can get this rail transport reactivated, the problem of mass transport in the country will be over. Look at the inland port that would soon decongest the traffic jams on our roads and improve on our mass transportation. Talk of the power sector; it has been said that we will have not less than 6,000 megawatts by December. With the peace returning to the Niger-Delta now, this is possible because the gas will be flowing.
The independent power project would soon be commissioned. And if we have succeeded in the power sector, peace and security in the Niger-Delta and so on, we are already talking about four out of the seven-point agenda. And what I am saying is this, if Yar'Adua is not re-elected in 2011, Nigeria is going to lose all these benefits.
Are you saying that no other person can do better?
That's what I am saying. Several people have tried in the past; what have they achieved ? Within the few years that Yar'Adua is in power, we have seen what he has achieved. Let's for example, consider the development of Singapore, the miracle of its development came through one man called Liquen Yu. He was the catalyst of the development of Singapore; within few years, he succeeded in transforming Singapore from a third world to first world country because of his vision, commitment and political will. We have seen how the past governments have handled the country's affairs. They lacked commitment and political will. Now that we have found someone with the will and commitment, we ought to make maximum use of him.
But, what of the issue of the president's health?
Now that you have agreed that he has the will, and since we know that he performed very well as Katsina State Governor for years, what ill health are we now talking about? After all there is no one with 100 per cent good health. So, let us not confuse issues. You see, when opponents have nothing to hold on to they begin to capitalize on non issues. In this world, everyone has one health challenge or the other. So long as his health challenges have not prevented him from performing well, he is fit enough to be there.
You are from Adamawa State, what would you say are the major challenges of Adamawa State?
I can tell you that Adamawa is not different from any other state in this country. The challenges of leadership cut across all the states; poverty, challenges of underdevelopment, and so on. So what you experience here in Plateau State may not be different from what we are experiencing in Adamawa. I still believe that we need to give our leaders the chance to prove themselves. I just told you about Singapore. I believe that no matter what we expect from our leaders, we just have to give them the chance and absolute support they need to succeed. We can't continue to criticize them; it is not necessary and is counter-productive. It makes it difficult for them to achieve. This is my candid advice to the people of Adamawa and all over the world.
We must be ready to support people we voted into leadership position and sympathize with them also, and give them the benefit of doubt. .
We can't deny the fact that one major problem we have in this nation is corruption. It has eaten so deep and is retarding our development in this country. What do you think is the way out of this?
This shows you are also worried about the damaging effects of corruption, and also committed to its eradication. The starting point is the choice of leaders. I will still want to refer to Singapore. The political will and determination of Liquen Yu to eradicate corruption was what brought deliverance to the people. Once you have a leader that is not corrupt and he's committed to wiping it out , it can easily be done. But when you have a leader that is corrupt, how do you expect him to fight corruption? That's one of the reasons I said we are lucky to have President Yar'Adua. He has demonstrated this quality to us.
Nobody forced him when he publicly declared his assets when he was coming in as a president. That was transparency.Imagine the recent conviction of Bode George (with due respect to him); while I do not rejoice on his plight, I am quite happy with the judgment because it shows that Nigeria is up against the corruption.
If this type of judgment continues, sanity will begin to return to the nation. It has also confirmed to us that the administration of President Yar'Adua is not only concerned about the damaging effects of corruption, but it is also concerned about its eradication.
Nigerians expect more of such judgments because if we can get rid of corruption in high places, 60 per cent of our problems would have been solved. All those involved must be visited with heavy sanctions, their assets must be confiscated and they must be banned from holding political offices. It is only by doing so that we can fight corruption in this country.
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