Politics

Elites, govt have completely failed Nigerians —Hayatu-Deen

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3 years ago

A presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, in this interview with journalists, speaks on his decision to join the presidential race and his chances in becoming the party’s standard-bearer. BOLA BADMUS brings excerpts.

Tell us about your background and why you decided to join the 2023 presidential race?

I joined because Nigeria is on the precipice and needs somebody of my competence and experience to return it to its glorious years. I have served at national and international levels and I have all it takes to revamp the country’s economy. At the age of 30, I was responsible for managing 140 institutions under the New Nigeria Development Corporation (NNDC). I also turned around the very sick institution in FSB International Bank. In the course of my career, I have seen and known that Nigeria is blessed as a very resource-rich country. I know of no other country that has a great work culture and entrepreneurial culture as Nigerians. The year 2023 will be the most important and most strategic in this country because Nigeria is failing. We are on the brink. I am an economist by training; I am turn-around manager; I am a student of strategy. Let me say because I know the economic struggles we are facing, I will stabilise the country and ensure it starts walking. I will do everything in my power to remove hunger and disease. I will make sure that every Nigerian has access to a decent quality of life. I want to make Nigeria very competitive and make it one of the big tower houses of the emerging markets so that youths and women can be empowered to achieve their dreams. Nigeria must become a scientific society so that we can conduct research and develop our own medications. We will work vigorously to enact the right policies to ensure that people who live in the riverine areas have a safe and secure life. To me leadership is about being a servant to the people, not lording it over them.

One of the pertinent issues we face is insecurity, how would you address this?

The burning issue at the moment is insecurity. First and foremost, what we see might not be what it appears to be. We have to understand the underlying issues. I personally think that we have grown exponentially in the last ten years. Global statistics show that we are the highest growing population in the world but there is nothing wrong in human capital asset as long as your national output can take care of this growth. Second, there are forms of insecurity we must take care of. We must have economic security. When you have economic security, you have a happy population that can engage and become productive. We also have gender security. Our women must be protected. Girls must return to school and that glass ceiling must be broken so that there are equal rights for women. There must also be social security. Nigeria is land of vices like ritual killings, fraud, drugs and corruption. I have never seen the kind of corruption we are witnessing in my entire life. The accountant-general of the federation was alleged to have embezzled N83bilion. That is the entire federal allocation of Oyo State for two years. Such corruption adversely affects the economy. We also must have energy security. We have to be able to secure things we have in homes and offices and we need power to do this. The other component is fuel, gas and diesel. We have huge deposits of oil and gas reserves but with no functional refineries. How can we be buying diesel at N700 per litre? The fourth is climate security. The world is changing rapidly and we have to secure our future. These are issues we need to deal with. We need to secure these things holistically before you can deal with physical insecurity. You have to also gather men and women who you know are better than you to help you execute these things. If you double or triple the number of our armed forces personnel without youths having means of living productive lives, we will still be scratching the surface. In the North, you are confronted by Boko Haram. This thing started in one corner of my state in Borno but has now engulfed the whole North. Look at what is happening in the South-East, someone was beheaded; a whole member of the state House of Assembly! These guys carrying AK-47 or improvised explosive devices have nothing else to do. Essentially, part of the problem is economic in nature. There are millions of youths who wake up with nothing to do. They have no jobs. These youths have nothing to lose. We, the elites and the government, have completely failed them. 30 years ago, they would respect you but not again. We, in big cities, are actually protected and safe but that is only for now. I repeat, for now. Who are the victims of this carnage? These are everyday people who are already living miserable lives. The economy is not working and now Nigerians are being killed.

What do you think are your chances of being the standard-bearer of the PDP?

In 1920, Warren Hardy was a publisher. People were saying the guy was not in politician but he came and claimed the American presidency that same 1920. There was another oil magnate who was not given a chance but also became the president. The others were the two Bushes, the senior and junior. They were not politicians. In fact, they were better than Trump who had never run for any office before winning the presidency of the United States. The most recent example is Emmanuel Macron of France. He came from nowhere as an investment banker. There is also the Ukranian President, Selensky, who was a comedian. Career politicians are recycling themselves and running the country into the ground. My aim is to change the character and complexion of our politics. Is it difficult? It is, but, it is doable and we are encouraged by the strength of our conviction. I can tell you that this election is for us to lose.

What if you don’t emerge the standard bearer of the party?

If I don’t win, I will support whoever wins and won’t take any ministerial appointment. That is not why I am in this race. I was offered one in 1996, I refused. I am here so that no one will accuse me of not joining to salvage Nigeria when it needed to be salvaged. My father told me to take Nigeria as the centre of my universe. I did that and that is why I so much love this country.

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