Certain forces known around government encouraging insecurity —Bankole-Hameed

National Chairman/Coordinator of Team Prosper, Shehu Bankole-Hameed, author of the book Barack Obama, returned home to contest for a seat in the Senate some years ago. In this interview by KUNLE ODEREMI, he speaks on insecurity in the country, fears of Nigeria becoming a one-party state, the plethora of groups championing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, among other national issues.

WHAT’S your view on the growing economic hardship in the land, orchestrated by federal government reforms and aggravated by the spiral effects of the raging war in the Middle East?

 Thank you for having me in the crossfire. Here, we are talking about the economic impact of government decisions to remove subsidies on petrol and foreign exchange; introduce financial independence at the local government level; recalibrate our educational system for stability, affordability, resilience, relevance, and effectiveness; as well as restructure the petroleum industry, including removing financial opaqueness and encouraging investment opportunities; alongside strides in infrastructural development, energy and power supply reforms, and agricultural reforms.

These seven reform items have significantly improved the country’s economic standing internationally, while allowing for better planning and execution at national and sub-national levels. Now, take the case of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has made the energy situation expensive and unpredictable, with images of queues and reports of price spikes, including the rationing of critical power supply, shortages in cooking gas, and gas for heating.

In Nigeria, we are not experiencing such extremes, aside from increases in prices. This increase is temporary, even though it is unpleasant. No one should criticise the government for what it has no control over. Rather, the government should be appreciated for keeping the country safe from chaotic economic fallout.

 The harsh economic reality facing Nigerians is evident, as purchasing power continues to decline due to rising costs of living, fuel, and basic goods and services. Yet, the political elite appear preoccupied with permutations ahead of the general election. What does this portend for the polls, given that a hungry man is an angry man? What issues should guide voters’ choices?

 This is an excellent question, and I will address it as such. We all know that many voters are not sufficiently informed to understand the fallout of the United States–Israel aggression against Iran. Therefore, the federal administration needs to communicate more effectively with the Nigerian people.

I think improvements in public enlightenment and outreach are critical to addressing the current realities. Many people are understandably upset about the rising cost of living occasioned by the war, but as I mentioned earlier, prices will gradually adjust, and they have, in fact, started to come down at the pump. One expects that businesses should also allow their product prices to decline accordingly.

There is a need for patriotism and good business practices. It is unfair to make life more difficult for fellow citizens through profiteering. The current turbulence triggered by the Middle East war, which I believe was unnecessary, will subside over time, allowing normalcy to return as the general election approaches. Nigerians are used to the razzmatazz that characterises pre-election periods, and the current storm and haze will soon subside.

Opposition parties and critics claim the ruling APC has run the country aground after the PDP restored hope that Nigeria was on the path to glory following military rule. They cite a ruined economy, worsening insecurity, and mass poverty as challenges brought by the APC since 2015. How do you perceive these realities?

People like to throw words around as if they understand the impact and the effectiveness in the context of reality? What does any rational soul want in any economy?  Do you suggest that an economy that provides for a few people by way of unjustified subsidies – petrol and foreign exchange — is better than the one that is transparent, all-inclusive and sustainable? The Federal Government has placed Nigeria in a more sustainable development environment, requiring steady hands on deck. To suggest that PDP restored any path of glory is to be disingenuous. Our country is assuredly on a sound footing than we may want to accept. Many people who regurgitate these points are doing so for personal gains or losses as the case may be.

How would you assess the chances of the APC and President Bola Tinubu in his re-election bid, given the public anger and the opposition’s efforts to capitalise on it ahead of 2027?

 President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came in the midst of rising cost of living, loss of confidence in Nigeria in almost every aspect of business investments. Take the airline industry, which almost stopped working because they couldn’t repatriate their earned income. Are you sure that we could have been able to afford import of any petroleum products or food items if this administration hadn’t taken such bold steps? Please stop using outdated terms to describe a situation of prosperity, welcoming Nigeria and Nigerians. Many reputable international financial institutions and global organisations have acknowledged the administration’s reform agenda. Professionals and experts across the country continue to support it because it is based on empirical evidence, vision, and purposeful leadership.

READ ALSO: COAS reaffirms Army’s commitments to end insecurity

While many reforms are yet to fully mature, progress is evident. There is no gain without some level of pain in any meaningful endeavour. Governance is a continuum.

Several pro-Tinubu groups appear to be running parallel campaigns without coordination. How healthy is this for the President’s re-election bid, especially amid concerns about premature campaigning?

 I find your observation very interesting. Yes, politics is about mobilisation; creating awareness and putting things in proper perspectives. I may not be able to speak for other groups that you have in mind and believe that are operating across purposes. Nonetheless, the overall goal is to achieve the ultimate goal of the president securing a second term in office to complete the good work he has started in his determination to position Nigeria as a super economic power and the veritable investor destination among the comity of Nations. Suffice it to state that I can adequately and profoundly speak for Team Prosper. As an all-inclusive organisation and a national prosperity message carrier for the president, the organisation does not believe that showcasing the efforts of his administration amounts to “campaigning.”  We have been at the forefront of the message of prosperity and inclusiveness of President Tinubu and we intend to do more.

Despite the APC’s dominance, with 30 governors and National Assembly at its behest, the opposition parties are still alleging that the ruling party is jittery and responsible for crises within their ranks. How do you respond?

 I don’t see any “jittery,” but enlightenment and information dissemination. Now, any government cannot take its people for granted. So by remaining in the public spaces and repeatedly planning for victory isn’t a hustle but a design. Others should stop pretending that their house is in order. You cannot build something on nothing. We should avoid the fallacy of generalisation. Internal vigilance is the price of liberty. They should always look inward for the solution to their internal contradictions. There should be no room for the peace of the graveyard. . .

 Are you saying the crises in ADC, NNPP, LP and PDP are akin to the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob, that APC is not partly behind the destabilisation plots in a bid to create a one-party state and have Tinubu as the sole presidential candidate?

 Let me take a few seconds to laugh! Do people actually believe that the president is omnipresent? God forbid. This accusation suggests that either the APC is all-knowing and all-capable or that the president is omnipotent. Both positions, we must agree, are untenable. What we notice though at our sessions in Team Prosper while analysing the impact of PBAT economic policies, is that many people are joining the prosperity train for the simple reason that they want to be part of the success.

People are worried that despite constant assurances by the government that insecurity would soon be tamed, banditry and other forms of violent killings and abductions have persisted. Why do you think the authorities appear overwhelmed and incapacitated in the war against insurgency or is there more to the worsening insecurity?

 Insecurity is still a huge problem like the elephant in the room. The problem isn’t the lack of intelligence gathering or failure of identification of the potential causes of terrorism and its sponsors. Rather the evidence suggests a plethora of unseen, masked individuals, yet obviously known around the various levels of government ecosystems but with little courage to unmask these individuals and organisations. How else can hundreds of loaded trucks, mostly 18 wheelers transverse the entire breath of the country unchallenged?  How are communities attacked without sustained government presence afterward?

How is it easy for a bleached-skin foreigner, given protection, to spew violence and escape? Where are the authorities when another openly calls for the murder of indigenous people and is allowed to go free? I thought the government wanted to truly reduce the burden of policing by sharing the responsibility with the sub-nationals, but a five-year period, not weeks or days, is not a good sign of readiness. What is it that the federal police authorities are afraid of? Examples of how the national and sub-national police structures coexist are abound.  The president is advised to work with the Federal Executive Council to reduce the waiting period to not more than six months. The arrangement was with us before the military destroyed our attempt at democracy during the first Republic.

There is controversy surrounding Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s position ahead of 2027. Why?

 I agree that the issue of the status of the vice-president in the race for the general election requires tact and caution. There should be no distraction. Yet, I think we have had a relatively responsible vice-president in Kashim Shettima, who should be left to continue in the position. Many don’t want the PBAT administration to succeed; so they will encourage division and point to the Lagos experience of then Governor Tinubu. Many fear and believe that Nigeria is more complex than Lagos State, and caution is advised while taking pieces of advice from confidants, who may sometimes mean well, but obviously naive. We should realise that sometimes, our closest confidants may have their own agendas. Only Allah knows best. We should not create unnecessary tension, suspicion and distrust over the status of vice president.

Do you foresee a strong opposition alliance posing a serious challenge in 2027given the fact that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, ex-presidential contestant, Musa Kwankwaso, whose combined votes in 2023, have agreed to work together?

 It’s not impossible if you have formidable opponents challenging as a single block, but I highly doubt that. Like I said earlier, only those who plan win any race. You cannot achieve success through a haphazard process or arrangement. Victory belongs to those who plan meticulously, work hard and remain focused and dogged in the pursuit of a goal. No ad hoc arrangement ever delivers the good in politics.