THERE have been series of violent attacks across the country in recent months. Why is these so much bloodletting under a government led by a former general?
It’s the failure of the country not demanding their due and equitable right from security agencies. Security agencies get taxpayers’ money. They are the richest individuals in the country today.
Today, we have criminals that have hijacked the nation. Criminals have hijacked the nation with so much money at their disposal. We have a herculean task on our hands; one that will be difficult and requires decisiveness. I said it during Obasanjo’s government. I said it during all the successive governments that we are toying with our lives; and unless we collectively as a people deal with these issues, we are just starting to see what, God forbid, will break the nation.
The security personnel in this country must be held accountable for their failures. It is getting late by the day but something can be done. We can start it today and make sure that we control the drift. How do we have Boko Haram ravaging a nation? If you recall, I told this government then, during Jonathan’s government that all the service chiefs have no business using taxpayers’ money to protect themselves in Abuja. That’s what they are doing. How do you say you are a director-general of SSS and they are killing people in your country, and you are here in a safe room, using taxpayers’ money to protect yourself? Then you are the inspector-general of police they are killing your people and you are there in an air-conditioned office. Nigerians should demand their credible right from the president and service chiefs.
The buck stops on the table of the president. The decisions he takes today will determine the state of the security agencies. Do you think the president has done well in the last three years in tackling this issue of insecurity?
While I agree with you that the president has a duty given to him by the mandate of Nigerians, those who have been appointed and are not doing their jobs should be fired. It is for Nigerians to demand their rights.
We have done that several times, in editorial writings that these people should be sacked.
When you say sack, are you saying they should be sacked because people sponsored them to be sacked? For instance, the president made a public statement in Benue to the effect that the inspector-general of police disobeyed his orders. What I saw subsequently was that the opposition was responsible. I don’t get it; because the president is actively making sure that this government succeeds, that’s why they are pursuing him. The mere fact that the president could tell the whole world that he gave the inspector-general of police an instruction and the instruction was not carried out leaves me with lot ill feelings. It means there is a problem and we need to look at the issues as regards how these persons were appointed, who are behind them, why they are still there. That’s my position.
Will you subscribe to the National Assembly reconvening today and proceeding with the impeachment process of the President?
If you start an impeachment proceeding today, it will take longer than another two regimes. It’s a country where hoodlums have taken over. So, if you start an impeachment proceeding today, I’m sorry to tell you that you won’t go far.
But there are guidelines….
We have not been able to amend the constitution from inception. The previous National Assembly could not do it. Have they been able to do it? But we are praying. Election is anytime from now. The arrangement is that 95 per cent of them will not come back, and if they don’t come back, what happens to all the jobs, taxpayers’ money you have been putting to use? What have you done with it?
Who made that arrangement you talked about?
If people don’t vote them, what are you going to do? They have to be voted.
Defend APC integrity, party chieftain tasks Buhari, Oshiomhole
What if there is free and fair election?
That is my prayer; that is my wish, but I am saying all of us here today, suddenly, the same President we are talking about is now going round to visit states. In democracy, you don’t get anything free of charge; you demand for it. You insist on getting it. But no Nigerian wants to die. Nobody wants to pay any price for it.
Don’t you think that the massive killings will affect the president’s rating in the next election?
We have a director of SSS resident in every state in Nigeria. We have a commissioner of police in the states. We have one SSS officer in every local government area of the federation. What are they doing? These people are being promoted every year. Why do you promote somebody who has failed? There is a system collapse. The policemen will be promoted. The commissioners will be promoted. The ASPs and DSPs will be promoted, never mind what has happened. So, where do you start from?
The president has accused politicians of being responsible for what is happening. What is your position?
I do not agree that a nation as large and as big as Nigeria will allege that somebody is responsible for mayhem. For every one killing you have in this country, you drive away 50 investors. Who is sponsoring all these things? There are foreign bodies, there are foreign agencies and foreign people who are sponsoring all of these internal destructions, internal agitations. The government must call itself back to order. It does not matter who is involved. We have a duty as a people to see it as our personal responsibility to make sure that the system is changed.
In other words, the president should be acting and stop blaming others?
I believe that the president should bite. It’s about time he should bite and bite hard. We cannot continue like this. People take it as a joke now to steal money in the country. If they were to steal N10 billion, they steal N15 billion and keep N5 billion to bribe the EFCC and other agencies. Criminality is actually a profitable business here. It’s been made very juicy, and unless we deal with it, we are wasting our time. All the information the EFCC and the SSS have collected about ex-ministers and ex-governors, what are they waiting for? It’s a very discouraging situation for people who truly want to try and work hard in this country. That’s my take. We must bring these people to book.
It is not sufficient for Buhari to claim to be a saint. It is important for him to bite. That’s my language and by that I mean he must clean his house. Corruption knows no bounds. Most of the governors are criminals. How many have we prosecuted? The whole thing is a joke to those of us who have decided to play by the rules. We are now a laughing stock. If you want to steal N10 billion, you just make sure you steal N15 billion and you use N5 billion to fight your case. They charge you to court and you rent all the lawyers, you rent everybody and destroy the matter. The matter is finished. If we say we want to fight crime, it is something we can stampede in this country. All you need is a comprehensive plan and it’s done.
It’s like the issue of Boko Haram. It’s an avenue to siphon money in the country. It is an avenue for people to make money. It’s one of the juiciest places for security agents in the country. What I’m saying is that there is a solution to this problem. All we require is the determination to do it.
It’s over three years that Nigerians collectively voted out a government that they believed was not performing in terms of fighting corruption and so many other things and now you are saying this. Do you think it’s time to effect another change?
First and foremost, change is a continuum. If you see my house today, for a lot of people, this house is a decent enough place to live in. But I am repainting. I’m changing the colours. Change by itself is a continuum, and it is left for the people. What happened in the Jonathan government was that the people tested the power of democracy. It’s only going to get better. People are getting more aware of their rights. People are getting more awakened to what their duties and responsibilities are, and I can tell you, other things being equal, with a free and fair election, in 2019, surprises will come up. That’s my position.
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