KWAMOTI LAORI is a PDP Chieftain. He is also the Chief Whip, Adamawa State House of Assembly where he represents Numan Constituency. He was a practising lawyer for over a decade before joining politics in 2007.

In this interview with CORRESPONDENT, NJOKU PASCHAL, he blames information managers at the Presidency for the raging debates over President Umar Yar'Adua's ailment. Though Laori supports constitutional amendments, owing to some lacunas that have been observed, he expresses the opinion that the 1999 Constitution would have been very effective if governments and individuals adhere strictly to its provisions.

Excerpts:

You were a practising lawyer. How come you opted for politics?

I ventured into politics to ensure that the right things are done, as well as contribute my quota to the development of my area. To me, politics is all about service. And if you know that you can perform, it is better you join in the fray rather than sit on the fence or stand by the side and criticise. I saw a lot of things going on which are not correct and which portend danger to the growth of democracy in the country. In the real sense, the way representation is given is quite different from what we have here. So, I was motivated to join politics to see how I can contribute meaningfully and set example for politicians to emulate.

As a legislator, what difference have you been able to make?

As a legislator, I have been able to sponsor eight bills in the Adamawa State House of Assembly, and they are at various stages. Most are at the committee level while some have undergone public hearing. By every standard, it is not a mean achievement for a lawmaker to sponsor such a number of bills in a session. Apart from that, I have contributed to almost every debate or issue on the floor of the House. I have caused several resolutions to be passed which are relevant to my community and the state in general.

Aside from that, I have created a project, which I tag Peoples Empowerment Scheme. I have carried out four phases of that scheme since I became a legislator. The scheme is aimed at empowering people, most especially the youth and women for them to have a vocation and become self-reliant. All the items I did donate are things they will utilise in order to better their living standards because as we all know, government cannot do it all alone. We all have to contribute and create wealth in one way or the other, and that is why we have to encourage private entrepreneurship.

So far, I have distributed sewing machines, water pumps, generating sets, motorcycles and crash helmets, ox ploughs. I have procured and distributed fertilisers, hybrid seedlings, etcetera. Most of the things I have given out are tilted towards agriculture because I believe that we are sitting on a goldmine. Agriculture has been the mainstay of our area because we live in the riverine. So, I am doing all these to encourage my people to go back to agriculture. Also, I have given out welding machines, hair dressing equipment and awarded scholarships to students at various levels. Let me add here that I have rehabilitated two roads in my constituency which hitherto was not motorable. It is the first time any legislator will go out of his way to undertake that kind of project considering its capital intensive nature. So far, these are some of my achievements as a legislator in the Adamawa State House of Assembly.

How do you raise funds and how much have you expended in this Peoples Empowerment Scheme?

I want to say that each phase of the programme costs me nothing less than N3.5 million. This is all that I am earning here as a lawmaker, and I will say confidently that I do not get this money from any other person and no other source. I am not a contractor. Neither am I a trader. Whatever kobo I get as a lawmaker, I normally save it so that I return it to the people that voted me in. It is people that do not know what politics is that are after money. Politics is not money, you come into politics because of the prestige of the office you have and not because of money. If you want to make money in every democratic society, you go into business but not in politics. But here, we have a myopic perception of all that politics is in this country. Some people are in politics because they think it is a short cut to raking wealth. No, it is not. Politics is service, and an opportunity to come in and show people direction. So, in order to make this savings, though very tasking, but then you have to tighten your belt, deny yourself certain privileges and luxuries for you to be able to embark on such development projects. So, this is exactly what I do to save money to work for my people, and they are being appreciative.

President Yar' Adua has been away for two months on medical grounds, and many believe his long absence has impacted negatively on the country's governance. Can we have your comment on this, sir?

You see, everybody can fall sick because we are all human. All the debates and arguments that are raging on in respect of President Umar Musa Yar'Adua's health should be blamed on the information managers. People were kept in the dark concerning the President's ailment, and that is why they are saying so many things now. Under normal circumstances that should not have been anything, but the way it is being over blown definitely will affect governance. This is because we are operating a presidential system of government in which every direction points to the President. We are always looking up to the President for direction and inspiration, and he is not there. Since, he is not around, definitely, some people's morale will dwindle. Some people actually are showing eye service before him and because he is not around now, they will not perform as when he is in office. Their level of production will drop. It is the way we have over blown this that we are now seeing it in the light that it has negatively impacted on governance. It is because of the way we manage information in this country that is making Yar'Adua's absence generate divergent views. There is no big deal in telling Nigerians the state of the health of the President. We ought to know because he is our President and we are concerned, and we have to pray for him. But the way the issue was handled in the first place was what created this entire furore over his health status. Aside this, there is nothing wrong with his absence because I want to believe that everybody is performing his function. If the ministers, governors, others are performing their functions and everybody is doing his work, whether President Yar'Adua is here or not does not matter a lot.

Recently, a court of competent jurisdiction ruled that Vice President Goodluck Jonathan should act as President. Do you lend your weight behind that ruling?

There is nothing strange about the Vice President assuming the office of the President in an acting capacity, because the law is very clear on how he can act. The Vice President and the Senate President said they have talked with the President. So, if the President is still of sound mind and can talk to people, then the issue of his Vice acting would not have arisen. But if the President is incapacitated, of course, the Vice President should take over an act. Or are we now saying the Vice President or Senate President are lying when they said they had spoken with President Yar'Adua? Those are the variables that are creating problems when I said we lack capacity to manage information issued to the public.

Looking at the political scenario in the country, do you think the forthcoming election in 2011 will be better than the 2007 poll?

The much touted 2011 general elections that many people are jostling for will not be anything different from the 2007 poll, which was even much talked about. Yet, the 2007 poll has come and gone, and before you know it, the 2011 election will follow. All these jostling for elections, party tickets, appointments, hues and cries are normal in a democratic dispensation. This 2010 is only going to be a period of noise making, alignment and realignments. It is going to be rowdy and chaotic but then, before you know, it will be over just like the 2007 general election. However, we need an electoral reform to set the stage rolling. If not, it will be very tough. I want to state here that some of the recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Electoral Reforms Committee report are very fundamental and necessary.

Therefore, I will implore the National Assembly to really hasten action on the electoral reform bill before it, so that we can see the amendments that need to be done before the election. One area that I appreciate in respect of this electoral reform is that we now have two separate elections. The legislators and the executives will be elected in a different period. I think this will help this country's democracy as well as help us to avoid the kind of rancorous situation we often have. Another good thing about the Uwais report if we can adopt it is that every election petition should be concluded before swearing in. if we can have that, all this dragging of matters after election will not continue.

In other words, it is important that all election petitions should be decided by the court before a person is sworn-in, so that the person will have a free mind to work. By the way, how can an elected official with series of litigations hanging on his neck concentrate?

Leaders of opposition parties in the country are making frantic moves to form a mega party, to wrestle power from the ruling PDP. Can the party dislodge the PDP from its national position?

For now, I must say categorically that I do not see any party in this country dislodging the PDP. I have never seen any organised party that will give our party any headache ahead of the 2011 election. The alleged move to form a mega party by leaders of the opposition is very good and a welcome development for the sustenance of democracy. I wish them luck, because it is very good for democracy to have a strong and formidable opposition. This will help the system because the ruling party will now have people that will be keeping it on its toes. Honestly, the PDP has performed and really achieved a lot, not minding what those in the opposition are saying. So, the move to form a mega party is a move in the right direction. And if they can actualise it, let them go ahead so that we can now have a very strong opposition that can check the PDP if they feel the party is not performing. However, the PDP is so formidable that no party can dislodge it in this country.

But some people are of the opinion that internal wrangling could be the party's greatest undoing if the hierarchy does not move to settle warring factions.

You see, the PDP is a large house, and that is why we must have rancour and in-house disagreement. With this, we are not unaware of the fact that we must be settling quarrels here and there and from time to time. What you are seeing in the party is normal, and that is the beauty of democracy.

Recently, an outgoing Chief Justice swore into office his successor. What does that portend?

Look, people do not check their facts before making comments. Most people react to issues based on hearsay. You will be surprised to note that those you think are educated will not even take time to always read and digest the facts before going public. Some Nigerians are going about with second-hand information. If you take the Oaths Act, there is nothing strange in a retiring Chief Justice swearing in his successor. Absolutely, nothing is wrong in that because the action is still within the ambits of the law. The former Chief Justice acted within the law but the problem is that Nigerians are used to seeing the President swear in the Chief Justice. They have forgotten that in the law, there is a provision for the Chief Justice when the President is not there to perform a swearing in. It is there in the oaths law but now some people are seeing it as setting a bad precedent. But what the former Chief Justice did was quite within the law and does not portend any danger.

There are ongoing moves to review the 1999 Constitution. Can we have your comment on this, sir?

For all I know, there is no perfect constitution in the world. This is why sometimes you have amendments upon amendments. No matter how much time you have taken. How much study you have done and how well you have taken time to package a constitution, give it a small period of time, you will find some lacunas and lapses that need amendment. So, the Constitution of Nigeria is not different. But the issue is that the amendments we are talking about are not that very fundamental, except may be issues that have to do with the electoral reform, which we all need since we are in a democratic dispensation. The truth of the matter is that the Constitution we are talking about amending has not really been adhered to and observed by Nigerians. Honestly, we have not done 50 percent of what is in the 1999 Constitution. If we had followed that Constitution up to 50 percent, we would not have experienced most of the problems we are having in this country today.

So, we have a problem with obeying laws in this country. Be that as it may, there are areas that need to be looked into like the electoral reform. Take, for instance, the issue of Mr. President. The Constitution says it is the Federal Executive Council that will decide whether a President is incapacitated or not. With this provision, how can a Minister appointed by the President agree to the part of a decision to oust his boss? That is why in every appointment that is being done, it is expected that afterwards you put in your honesty and that is why you take an oath. But we are not really adhering to the oath of office we do take that we are going to take decisions based on the facts before us and without any fear or favour, or being influenced by one factor or the other.

Again, the local governments are crying that they want their autonomy and finance clearly spelt out in the Constitution. When they were there before and had taken the first line charge, how have they performed? Even now that they operate a joint account with the state government, how have they fared? So, we have to consider all these in compendium for us to begin to say we are going to amend the Constitution. In other words, what are the details of our performance in respect of the 1999 Constitution? Have we really performed? These are pertinent questions we should ask ourselves. That was why I said earlier that we have not followed 50 percent of what the Constitution says.

What is your opinion on the blacklisting of Nigeria by the U.S government on account of the terrorist attempt by a Nigerian?

The U.S government was quite in a hurry to blacklist Nigeria as a country of interest. Given the facts on the ground, the suspect's father had reported his son's behavioural change but the U.S authorities failed to take action. It is not the failure of information but that of security. So, blacklisting the country was a hasty and unfair treatment meted out to Nigeria. At least, we should have been given the opportunity to be heard before such a degrading decision was taken by the U.S government. I think part of our problem is that we do not have a substantive Ambassador to the United States. If there had been one on the ground, he would have explained things immediately to the White House.

The Adamawa House of Assembly and the State chapter of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) have been drawn in a legal battle over tenure reduction. What is really happening?

Right now, the matter is under appeal in Jos. It would have come up recently but due to the crisis in Jos, the Court could not sit. The issue of the case instituted by the 21 local government council chairmen in Adamawa State against the one year tenure law that was enacted by the Adamawa State House of Assembly is a constitutional matter, and members of ALGON have the right to challenge it, and that is the beauty of democracy. You cannot muzzle out somebody just like that; you have to allow him to express himself and exercise his right to the fullest. We are talking about constitutional amendment. The constitution clearly puts the issue of the tenure of local government structure under the purview of the state legislature. So, if they want to change it, the public can make presentations and submissions so that the provision can be amended not to allow the local government administration and structures under the jurisdiction of the State legislature. But as it is now, and going by the law we have, it is within the powers of the State House of Assembly to determine the duration, structure and issue of finances of the local government. So, in the case they instituted against that one year tenure reduction, the Adamawa High Court ruled that before the law was made, already an action had been taken and therefore that the status quo should be maintained on the 2 ½ years. You see, the Court is not saying the House of Assembly cannot give one year because it is the Assembly that reduced the tenure from 4 years to 3 years and to 2½ years and subsequently to one year. So, if the House of Assembly cannot reduce tenure of council chairmen, how come they reduced it from 4 years to 3 years and to 2½ years? Why are they only challenging it now that it has been reduced to one year? When you read the judgment of the Adamawa High Court, the Chief Judge said the primaries of the parties were conducted before the law was passed; hence their minds were on 2 ½ years and not on one year. I cannot say more than this because the matter is before the Court of Appeal Jos, and I know all arguments will be proffered for and against. So, it is now for the Court to decide.

For about two years now, Governor Murtala Nyako has been at the helm of affairs in Adamawa State. How would you assess his performance?

I must say that Admiral Murtala Nyako has tried for the near two years he has been in office as the Executive Governor of Adamawa State, in terms of infrastructure and provision of basic welfare needs of the people. If you see the kind of roads that are being constructed or rehabilitated in Adamawa, you will find out that he has achieved tremendously in that area. For instance, look at the Fufore road and the bridge, the township roads and the recently flagged off Gombi/Fomtam road. Also, there is this 2 km road constructed in every local government headquarters in the state. These are achievements that one should appreciate. Another area I always talk about is the farming skills acquisition programme of the Nyako administration. Just like my Peoples Empowerment Scheme is tilted towards agriculture, the administration of Nyako has done a lot in boosting agriculture and providing food security. Honestly, the skill acquisition programme is a very wonderful one, and if fully implemented, the peasant farmer will now have a better yield and better bargain for his commodities. These are laudable programmes for which we have to give kudos to the Governor. By my standard, Governor Nyako has done tremendously well within this short period in office.