For Nigeria to move forward, Buhari must end discrimination —Yamsat

Professor (Reverend) Pandam Yamsat was a former President, Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Chief Executive of Centre for Value and Attitudinal Re-Awakening (CVAR) and Chairman, Plateau State Inter-Religious Group. He speaks with ISAAC SHOBAYO on the worsening insecurity in the country and the dangers ahead.

What is your assessment of the security situation in Nigeria?

What is happening in the country now is frightening, surprising, and inconceivable. As I said during the Plateau State Inter-Religious meeting, it is inconceivable that the government can be paralysed by banditry, kidnapping, Boko Haram and other security challenges in the country. It is like the government cannot protect its citizens anymore as the people appear without protection. It is generally believed that there is no power that can rise above that of the government, no matter how powerful it may be. But the undesirable elements are holding the country to ransom and operating freely. It appears the government is now handicapped. Worst of all, governors are complaining that they have no control over the situation. But I don’t expect to hear that from the state governors because it makes the citizens to be more frightened. The expectation is that every governor should be in control of his state, even though the police and other security agencies belong to the federal government. The governors and security agencies are supposed to work in harmony; I don’t expect my governor to say he is not in control as if Plateau State is a separate entity. But when I see a governor crying helplessly, I get worried that despite being the Chief Security Officer of his state, the governor has to be begging the president for aid.

 

From all indications, it can be said that the federal government has not shown enough capacity to control of the security situation in the country, going by the number of people that are being killed on a daily basis, coupled with the spate of kidnappings. What do you think the government should do to arrest the situation?

I can’t conceive that the government is incapable; it is either the government is working against itself or the government doesn’t know what it is doing, but to say that the government is incapable with the entire security apparatus at its disposal is unbelievable.

 

But as the situation gets worse daily with mindless killings, isn’t this an indication that the government cannot handle the situation?

I find it difficult to believe that the government has failed because it has the exposure and needed contact. If I am engaging in a fight with someone and I discover that I cannot defend myself, I will look for friends to bail me out in order to overcome the situation. That is why I said it is inconceivable that the government cannot handle the situation. It is either the government is fighting itself or it doesn’t know what it is, despite its enormous powers. If you find out that you can’t handle the situation, you turn to your friends and neighbours to ward off the attack and siege being mounted against you.

 

Do you support the idea of foreign assistance to fight the insurgency?

It is the government that should answer that question. If it is a responsible government, it should be able to provide an answer to that question. But if it wants to do that, it needs to be very careful so that the country is not exposed to external danger.

Care must be taken to ensure that the foreign assistance drive doesn’t fall into the wrong hands, which may bring conditions that will enslave the country. So anyone who isn’t in government cannot answer the question you just asked convincingly because it is those in government who know those that are genuine friends of the country and those that are not.

 

As an elder statesman, who has been watching the trend of events in this country for a very long time, how do we get to this abysmal level?

We got to this level because we have not put the right people in leadership; we have relegated values to the background and played politics of no direction. We did not have a system that ensures that anyone who comes to the leadership position has a genuine interest in the country and the people. Everybody just comes to get power for personal aggrandisement and that is why politics in our country is not based on national values. Nigeria has seven core national values, but no leader operates on these values or national ethics. Our laws are well crafted and written but no one operates on them; everybody watches after his or her personal interest and does not care what happens to the country. But the masses, who allowed these people to lead them also, have their own share of the blame. Most people sell their votes, thereby throwing leadership quality to the dogs. And that is why in this country, we have many leaders that don’t care what happens to the people.

 

In this context, what should be the role of the National Assembly?

It still goes back to what I said. For those in NASS, why are they there? Do they go there to protect the interest of those who elected them or their personal interests? The answer is obvious. The majority of them are there to protect their personal interests. That is why they obviously don’t perform. It is good that NASS is not at loggerheads with the Executive, but it has reached a point where that cordiality is at the expense of the country, not for the interest of the nation. If they are there for the interest of the state, something would have happened concerning the insecurity in the country. Just yesterday, I saw one senator who was very vehement about the issue and it was because his state was affected. But we have been in this since 2001 in Plateau State. Between 2001 and 2004, I remembered that those in NASS were saying that Plateau people are troublemakers. Now it has engulfed the entire country and it is only those who are personally affected that are becoming vehement about it. But it is getting too late and those not affected are not seeing it yet. NASS is talking now because bandits are close to the seat of power and they are afraid that it might consume them.

 

Many Nigerians are disturbed  by the continuous silence of President Buhari over the security challenges in the country; they are of the opinion that he has not been  living up to expectations?

If he had lived up to expectations, we would not be where we are at present.

 

Then what do you suggest he should do?

Can I suggest anything for him when I do not know whether he understands the gravity of the insecurity and whether he is being sensitive to what is happening or not? Mr President should know who is who in this country and who has something to offer. I think he should have been contacting people. By now, he should have been calling people from different states over these overwhelming challenges confronting the country, with the aim of seeking the opinion of people on the way forward. But if he is not doing this, it is quite unfortunate. I heard Galadima [on Wednesday] on television, talking passionately and giving a lot of citations and I wondered whether Mr. President will listen to that? Does he even believe in this man and what he is saying? People are just wasting their time talking and giving suggestions.

I expect that Mr President should be doing what I am saying; he needs to do this and cry out that he needs help knowing the role the people have played in leadership because no one has monopoly of knowledge and no matter how experience you are, there are people behind who are not in the game, but are seeing the situations going on. Also he needs the opposition. God may have a message through them for him as a leader and the issue of being discriminated against in looking for who to help out should not be there because even an enemy can give useful suggestions that a friend might not give you. An enemy would be able to see far more than a friend or a brother. So there›s no time for discrimination by saying I will not listen to these people either because they don’t belong to my party or religion.

 

What is your take on the various statements issued by the Presidency to defend the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, over his controversial dealings with extremists in the past?

That is what I am saying; no matter the suggestion you put across to a leader, if he doesn’t believe in you, he will always have an answer to negate or trivialise whatever suggestions you raise.

 

How do you think the Federal Government should handle the various agitations for secession permeating the country?

Nigeria has not come to realise that together we stand, divided we fall. That is the truth of the matter. Who is trying to secede? Why are you trying to secede and on what grounds?  No part of this country has got it all perfectly. I can tell you that the same reasons for this agitation will still surface if those agitating for succession succeeded.

Given the mentality of Nigerians, what makes you think that if you secede, you will be able to do it perfectly and achieve what you want. Is that division not going to still be there? Take for example, if the North-Central seceded which is inconceivable, it will result in the same division, selfishness and lack of godly values. And if you allow the South-East to secede, there will be the same characteristics based on tribe and ethnicity, selfishness and lack of fear of God. Even if the South-West and the South-East secede, do they have godly values? Is there not sectionalism and power drive? The same ball game will arise, because it is the same people that would arise in those areas who feel if they secede, they would be in charge. There would be a minority who will be suppressed, so you don’t run away from a problem. To solve a problem, you must face that problem.

 

But the general belief is that the agitation is based on injustice?

That is what I am saying. Is there no injustice in the South-South, South- East and South-West?  Is there no injustice in the North? If you give the core North whom we believe is oppressing us its own country, are they going to be okay? Is there no oppression even in the core North. It is not everybody in the core North that is being carried along. Unless the issue of values, the fear and the love of God are not enshrined in the country, there won’t be headway. Also, no one is operating based on our laws and constitution. Even those who want to secede are part of the problems; they are agitating because they are not enjoying the goodies, but once they succeed and have control of the goodies in their area, many will suffer.

 

Sir, what do you think government can do to rescue kidnap victims still languishing in the custody of their abductors? 

I have no advice for the government because it is not looking for advice. But those in power should do what they are supposed to do. Romans 23:1-6 says that: “The government is instituted by God and those in positions of authority are agents of God to punish the wrong and reward the good.” If you ask anyone who was elected in 2015 of how they made it, they would say Allah ne ya sa ni meaning it is God that made it possible for me. But the question is: “Are they operating on God’s words?” The answer is no.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents

In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…Zenith bank displays resilience  Zenith bank displays resilience

Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train

The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report…Zenith bank displays resilience  Zenith bank displays resilience