Category: Saturday Magazine

Can you give us insight into how the Nigerian Governors’ Forum crisis started and why the choice of Governor Amaechi?

I had the chance to be a governor in 1999 when this Fourth Republic started. And I am also happy to say that I participated actively in electing our first chairman, the Governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, who has always been my friend. I and a very few others decided to nominate him and he was eventually elected. It was just like any other game and everyone was happy. The day was like any other game to us because we were able to elect somebody we respected, loved and liked. He was the NGF chairman until 2003 when I left.

As you know, in 2011, I was elected governor again and I realized that just before I came in, they elected the NGF chairman who was Governor Rotimi Amaechi. As far as I am concerned, Amaechi is a good man. He has respect for all of us, and I remember when I was a member of the NDDC, anytime I went to Port Harcourt , all that we needed to do was for my special assistant to phone them to tell them that I was coming. He never allowed me to sleep in any hotel. I was always in the Government House at its presidential wing, and I was treated like what it should be. We kept on having good relationship, and God’s willing, I became a governor and we are in the same forum.

What actually led to the current impasse in the NGF?

You see, early this year, when there was a meeting, he (Amaechi) raised the issue of election. And somebody said he should continue. Many of us supported, but others said no. The constitution was brought. Different arguments were given. At the end of the day, it was decided that it should be postponed because the constitution of the forum has made a provision for a notice. I think a three-day notice that must be given to all members, and at that time, three days were not given and we all accepted. Another date was fixed, and we all came in for the election. Unfortunately, there were people who were desperately trying to kick against the election because they thought Amaechi would win. The election didn’t take place again because some people said we just had weeks to the handover day and people said if we had an election, Amaechi would hand over. We said there was no problem. It was decided, because of the desperation of some people, to postpone the election again.

And along the line, some people suggested that the PDP should have a leadership because many people thought there was a linkage between that election and, of course, the appointment of the NGF chairman. Of course, we now have the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, and we met immediately after the appointment. Let me say that, at that meeting, we made it very clear that we are determined to ensure democracy in this country, and if there is no democracy in the forum, I begin to wonder where we can have democracy in this country. And many people don’t understand how angry many people are. Many people here in Abuja don’t understand how committed we are to ensure democracy in this country. We are not even talking of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. So we decided to stick to our guns.

Stick to your guns? Does it mean you were put under pressure?

I have two grandchildren in primary school, and no father or grandfather will choose a friend for his child or his grandchild. You only see them. It is very difficult to tell your child that the father of this your friend is my enemy. A good father or grandfather is better, if he keeps quiet. Because the more you tell your grandchildren that your friend’s grandfather or father is your enemy, the more they stick to their friends because they wouldn’t understand what you mean by that.

What exactly played out in the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) before the NGF election?

During the meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum, we made the point, but you see, after the meeting, we decided to call the Northern States Governors’ Forum meeting. We sat down at the Benue Governor’s Lodge in Abuja and at that meeting,the issue of Governor Ibrahim Shema came up. And I told Shema : ‘Look, I am terribly disappointed. You are my neighbour and friend, and you never came to tell me you were contesting the election. You are parading yourself like someone who was sent to us’. I advised him and told him clearly that I would never vote for him on that issue, and I would never ask anybody to vote for him. I also said I would make sure that he lost that election. I even told him to withdraw. Other governors supported me. Isa Yuguda was there. Adamawa governor supported my position and others supported that Shema should go and withdraw. Unfortunately, some people took that opportunity to go and say that Shema had no support in the north.

Later, Shema was dropped and they brought Isa Yuguda. Isa came to me and I told him: ‘Look, I am still a villager. I behave in many ways like a villager. In my village in Kwakwanso in Kano, if a councillorship candidate goes to a family and says I am contesting to become a councillor in the morning and they accepted. When someone comes in the afternoon, they will tell him that you are late’. I told him clearly, ‘look, you are late’. Let me also correct the impression that many thought the North didn’t like Shema. No. That is not the issue. On that particular instance, we did not want Shema because we want to choose our own chairman. Now you (Yuguda) are coming through the same route and I advised him, you must not try it, if you do that, you will lose. When he insisted, of course, it was in my house, I didn’t want to go as hard as I did to Shema whom we met in a neutral ground. I told him let’s see how it goes.

A day to the election, he phoned me and I said still Amaechi was our target. On the day of the election, we went to the chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum. You see, it was all politics; it’s okay. Some people were determined to ensure that Amaechi didn’t win the election and on the other hand, we were determined to prove to them that nobody could shave our heads in our absence. A situation where our colleagues were going round in Abuja abusing us telling them that they could do it alone, I don’t think that is acceptable. That was why we proved to them that they are at the elementary level of politics in this country. By the time we went to the Niger State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja , of course, we had serious deliberations. The question: was any of them ready to step down for the other? None was ready to step down. At the end of the day, we had as governors the privilege, the luxury of selecting who was to be the NGF chairman.

Let me say that we are Northerners, and I think we should be consulted on what we need for the North. Some people have decided that we should take the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. That is not our choice. We know what we want in the politics of this country and even if that is what we want, we are not expecting anybody to choose for us. We should choose for ourselves. I think that point should be very clear. Our position is very clear to all the governors, whether in the north or south that we are determined to elect the Rivers State governor, but everybody was playing game, everybody was playing politics.

What exactly happened at the Niger State Governor’s Lodge?

What we did in the Niger State Governor’s Lodge was that we decided to say, ‘You can’t get Shema as chairman of the minority group, the G-16, you cannot even get your second choice, the Bauchi governor that they elected’ and our group decided under my leadership to give them Jang as their leader. I nominated Jang and I asked the Benue State governor to support me; he did. And many people supported Jang to be the leader because we realized that they were very desperate. We gave them who we feel should lead the minority group of G-16. Now many of them were happy because they refused to take us seriously that Amaechi should continue; they thought they could play games.

They went and had a meeting and Jang nomination was accepted. At the end of the day, they brought him to the general meeting of the Governors’ Forum, and at the forum, we told them clearly that Amaechi should continue to be our chairman and we opposed all efforts to frustrate voting, saying that there shouldn’t be voting. We said why shouldn’t there be voting when there is no consensus? This is democracy. They were hell-bent on removing Amaechi and we were also determined to ensure that our friend whoever he is among 36 governors is the chairman of our forum.

There was an election. 35 of us who were there voted with the exception of the Yobe State governor who was absent. At the end of the day, the votes were separated – Amaechi 19, Jang 16. I was really shocked when the Governor of Akwa Ibom, Chief Godswill Akpabio, brought a paper that was signed in April. Initially I was laughing, but when I thought about it deeply, it was very disheartening for a governor who was supposed to be our leader, the leader of the PDP Governors’ Forum, to do that.

What is important (I believe in democracy) is for people to appreciate the power or the sanctity of ballot papers. I am the governor of Kano by the Grace of God, but I got only 46 per cent of the votes. The three major parties, ANPP, CPC and ACN and others shared 54 per cent. But what could they do? They went everywhere; they went to court, but I am the governor. It is very disheartening that even at our own level, governors will sit down in a hall, get ballot papers, vote, count the votes and then somebody is saying he doesn’t agree and he is referring to old papers that were signed weeks before that election.

I was very angry with some rascals in Kano who went on the rampage immediately after the presidential election, and I was telling everybody that what they did in Kano and other states was unforgivable, but when I experienced this election, I felt terribly sad, especially with the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum. When he brought that paper, the way he was talking, he was talking too much. When you see him, tell him to talk like the PDP Governors’ Forum chairman.

Are you worried over the NGF factionalisation?

But we are democrats and people should be cautious. Now with all these things that are happening, I think people shouldn’t worry too much because in developed democracies like Britain, America, Germany, everywhere, you have two major parties. In Nigeria, we have one party now and other small parties. Who knows? Maybe we are having a transition in this country to two parties. And before we have two parties, some people must make mistakes, big, big mistakes. You begin to wonder why people are thinking in that direction because if you have party “A” with 25 number, you have another one with difference of 36, and people are fighting when the table is being turned, that is how you have a group of 19 and 16. Certainly, Governor of Yobe State, Ibrahim Geidam should be part of the 19. He doesn’t need to say it. Even there are so many people among the 16 that are not supposed to be there. We did not even ask them to come and vote on this side because we are very considerate of their situation. We just allowed them to be there. And we didn’t even need a majority of 20; we just wanted a majority of one or two or three because we believe in cutting edge politics. If you have a very sharp razor blade and the one that is blunt. By looking at them, the difference is very small. But when you start cutting – that is the work of the blade – that is when you see the difference. The difference now between 19 and 16 is three which is the cutting edge. And that is very important.

Back to the PDP…

We are working very hard to ensure democracy. I can assure you if there is any election today or tomorrow, Amaechi will get more votes than 19 because all of us who voted for him are even more determined now to vote for him. I begin to wonder what is there. If you give me that position now or chairman, Northern States Governors’ Forum, or the PDP Governors’ Forum, I won’t take it. And I told them on many occasions because you see when I nominated Jang, I think governor of Kwara nominated me towards the tail end. I told them, ‘Look don’t put caucus here, especially after we have already got a candidate. I cannot do that’. But you have got somebody that can do it and he is doing it effectively. What is the purpose of that position? It is to represent our interest. If our money is hanging somewhere, he should go and tell them to bring the money.

What is your parting shot on Amaechi?

Amaechi is a good man and he has our support. You see, this kind of election is not the type you go and give money; we are all governors. We just have a conviction in what we are doing. The more people are making noise, the more we are getting more determined. It looks to me that many people who are benefiting from this system are determined to destroy it.

Have you brought this development to the notice of Mr. President and the chairman of the Board of Trustees of PDP?

That is the issue; that is why I have been making reference to some of our colleagues and many other people. If you are close to the party or somewhere in Abuja , you better tell them the truth. At this level, we are playing advanced level politics. Those who thought they are there now, we are proving to them that we are far away from them. They went and convinced everybody that Mr. A or Mr. B will certainly win the election and that is why they are frustrated. That is why they are on the rampage. They are ashamed. If you are talking of Field Marshall in Jigawa State, you cannot talk of smaller, smaller politicians, and if you are reaching Jigawa, you have to go through Kano, and in Kano, we are not only putting on red colours, we are putting on red caps. Now, you are talking to the Professor in Sokoto, talking negatively; the Mallam in Kebbi will not let things go like that. So also the leader of Northern politics in Minna. We are not even talking of the admiral in Adamawa State and the Director-General in Kwara State and many other leaders that are there.

This is the time to reconcile; this is the time to talk like leaders. In politics, everybody has limitation. Even the highest office has its own limitation and unless you recognise that and you put it into practice, you continue to have problems. In politics, you have to make your decking high enough to accommodate everybody. When you bring down the decking, all the tall and big, big people cannot come in, you end up with dwarf, because nobody will want to come in, because even if you come in, you cannot stand up.

Governor Jang said this crisis is about 2015. How true is this?

For me, it is not just about 2015; it is about people who don’t understand. If he says it is about 2015 and he is supporting somebody to get 2015, is he doing the right thing? Can he get Kano for them from Plateau? Can he get Sokoto for whoever he is working for from Plateau? Can he go to Jigawa or Kebbi or Kwara, and most of these states? And as I told you, it is not only 19, it is not even 20 with Yobe, our friends are still there. They are there. We told them stay there (among the 16 governors) because you see in this game we are being very careful; there are certain people we have to understudy as suspects. We say stay there, we have two years. Even if it is for 2015, they are not doing the right thing.

One of the governors said that why they are against Amaechi was that you all sat down in a room to choose Jang and you all agreed to support Jang and you did a different thing. Why did you go back on the agreement?

You see, some people are sometimes foolish. I told Shema, look, step down and I never changed my mind. I told Yuguda the same thing. Now, if you go into campaign, you should not expect me to do anything. We are consistent, we tell you the truth in the room and if you go to the market, you see the same thing. For those who are making grievous mistakes of insulting the Northern States Governors’ Forum by either saying that they are not going to attend meetings or they will withdraw from the forum, tell them when you see them that they are making the biggest political mistakes of their lives. We are beginning to be the masters of this game. I contested 12 elections and I lost one and won 11. I don’t know how many Amaechis I have supported in the last 20 years. And I can’t remember anytime at the end of the day when I lost out ….

The implication of what they are saying is that they are not with us (northern governors). What we are saying is (the Nigerian Governors’ Forum) has nothing to do with the politics of the Northern States Governors’ Forum where we have many assets and liabilities. Whether military or civilian, Northern governors always attend the meetings because you have to go and present the issues concerning your people there.

Now, if you get out of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, western governors will not receive you when they are meeting. Certainly you cannot be part of them. And I begin to wonder where else you will be. Well, if you say South-South, I wish them goodluck. I want to tell you that if they continue, quote me anywhere, that I don’t see how either they or their candidates would win elections in the North, if you are not representing the interest of the North. I think they better start fielding their candidates out of Northern region because that is the biggest disservice for any governor. They don’t even understand the implication of what we are doing. What did the North do to them? Who told them that the North is not supporting Amaechi? If you are taking decision, don’t take it when you are angry. If you are taking decisions, consider all factors. Don’t say because you want to impress me to say you are a good boy, you are getting out of your home, you are abusing, you are insulting them, you are removing your state from the Northern States Governors’ Forum. The Northern States Governors’ Forum is not like the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. Where are the assets and liabilities of the NGF? They (NGF members) just talk like friends; it is a peer review forum.The Northern States Governors’ Forum is much deeper and more important and people have so many sentiments about the Northern States Governors’ Forum. So, by the time you remove yourself, people may decide to keep quiet and pay you back at the appropriate time. People may decide to shout. People should start congratulating their (Yuguda and Suswam’s) opponents for 2015.

The last ….But only four governors attended the last NSGF meeting in Kaduna? Why?

No, no. Like me, I was just coming back from my trip and I had a big occasion. I was on television the same day graduating some students (about over 1,000 of them) and I told the chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum that my deputy was going to represent me and I can tell you, all of us are 100 per cent with the chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern States Governors Forum chairman himself and I can never leave that society and mission to remove Kano from the North. It is only enemies that can do that and who don’t understand. So, those who are shouting, removing themselves or they are not going to attend, I don’t really think they understand the importance of northern politics. The earlier they reverse themselves, the better for them.

Are you in touch with the APC?

You see, like I said, we are in the PDP, we are loyal to the PDP, but that is not to say we don’t have friends elsewhere. In the last 20 years, I have seen so many friends, I have learnt so many things to the extent that I always try to make friends within my party and outside and that is how it should be. We have been close to so many people, and if you look at the APC, there were so many people who were in the PDP, who were in the SDP with me. There were so many friends who were in the constitutional conference with me, so many former governors, this same set that we had from1999 to 2003. And you see what people don’t understand is that like somebody is saying it is all about 2015. 2015, yes, we can sit down among friends and discuss what would make somebody stay in party A or B, or what will make somebody move from party A to B is the local circumstance and the relationship with the top.

In a situation where you want to be given your rights and the privileges in the party and that is when somebody begins to look around for something to hang you, it is improper. That is why we are saying before things are late, there is need to meet and discuss, and unless that is done, you will end up with a lot of rumours on “this one has said that and this one did not say that” and that will lead into more confusion and more suspensions and more expulsions and it is not good. Everyone’s vote is very important to us. It is just like how we defeated the other group with three votes, you cannot throw away the three votes. Those three votes could be mine, that of Lagos , that of Rivers. And if you take away votes from these three states or ignore them in 2015, it has some implications. Between me and Lagos, we have 48 members of the House of Representatives, how can you go and throw away the votes and say they do not count? And when the PDP Governors’ chairman was installed, all of us kept quiet, we did not say anything. Supposing we decide to Jangilise the PDP Governors’ Forum, can anyone stop us? They shouldn’t underrate us. What, if we decide to say that we don’t want you (Akpabio), we want the PDP Governors’ Forum for the North, how would it look like? Even if we cannot defeat him by election, we can have our group and nobody can do anything about it. This is politics men.

When Governor Wammako was suspended, a lot of people thought you should be the next on the line. How did you survive?

You heard what I said. I said this group, if you suspend one, you have suspended all.

Is there any plan for you to move out of the PDP, if suspended?

Suspension is not dismissal. If they dismiss, expel or impeach me, then I decide what to do. Even when Wammako was suspended, he said he was not in the country. You cannot run a party on the telephone, on the pages of newspapers, or radio or television, that is not how to run a party. If I have problem with my local government chairman, or I have problem with the chairman of the party, I call him and discuss with him. I know even under this circumstance, many of us have a lot of respect for each other.

I learnt something when we were in the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). During the SDP, there was this handover problem by the then Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, and it became a cause of concern for everybody because so many things were being postponed. So, we set up a committee in the party under the leadership of Dr. Chuba Okadigbo. We went and met the late President of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (the Great Zik). The mission then was to break in or to appeal to him to intervene.

When we went there, he came out, very happy, receiving us in his house. After all the pleasantries, Chuba told him our mission. We wanted him to intervene. Before we knew it, once Zik got the message, he started crying. Somebody of that calibre started crying and we were wondering what was wrong, why was this man, the man during our primary school days that we were hearing about here and there all over the country? And it took time to calm him down. By the time he started explaining, he said you are all stupid, all of you. We did not know what we did. He said look I fought people, I did not know your parents, we fought them as students and you, you are all classmates, you cannot fight, you want to be unfair to me at this age. You want me to go and start fighting again? That is why since then I refused to fear any of my classmates or agemates because I don’t want to go through what anybody has gone through in the past in this country and start crying like Zik.

I have seen it 20 years ago in 1993, since then I learnt so much. I said I will stand on my feet and get the right people and fight and even the younger generation. Even during the Second Republic, when President Shehu Shagari was in charge, people listened. But things have gone wrong now and that is my biggest concern. Things are not moving the way they should, people are not respected, they are not taking people along, people are not allowed to say their opinion, to the extent that even our own chairman, nobody will call us and say anything to us. In any case, not only that, they want among us to choose somebody and that is what we did on the issue of Jang. You want to choose my own chairman for me, okay, take this.

What is the way out of this?

What is the way out of this thing that Americans will call quagmire? The way out, I already said that leaders should be leaders. One thing is this, everybody can’t be a leader, but when things go wrong, it takes great minds to even realise that things are not good. If you go to some places, certainly not this house, you find everything is moving well, all is well, we are in charge. Now, that is the beginning of the problem and it has been like that including this issue of the Governors’ Forum leadership. I have said two things: one is for the party, the leadership should go back, sit down, remove some things, be the leader that he should be.

Two, we have a constitution. At least, by the time we come and meet to resolve issues, things would have been in order. Why I was forced to do this interview is that I realised that some people are trying to mislead the public and it is very important to put my records straight. It might sound like I was rude, but you see I tell you what I believe, what I have done now is to set the records straight on these two people. I am sure they should be happy now because we noted right from the beginning that even if there is election, they would not take it, they will not accept it. I personally think maybe they were underrating our capacity to deliver. These are the sentiments. Now we have already made a point. Now, instead of giving us the position in the North, selecting our own leader in the North, we gave them back. We said back to sender.

Chief Albert K. Horsfall is the former Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) and the Chairman of the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC).
In this interview with JOHN BASSEY, he shares his views on the current insecurity rocking parts of Nigeria and some other issues.

What is your take on the current state of the nation?

Nigeria is going through a period of severe political and security stress. Clearly, not many people realise in this country that the apparent ambition of the Boko Haramists for instance is to mount a territorial claim on Nigerian sovereignty and integrity. From all indications, the terrorists intend to stay in this country, establish themselves and then pursue a political agenda. In the past we have dealt with such terrorist elements like Maitatsine, etc. The ambition of those earlier groups appears limited compared to what is happening to the present Boko Haram insurgency.

The Boko Haramists have clearly been heavily infiltrated by outside forces and external terrorist groups whose objective is to take over parts of Nigeria as they seem to have done in Mali before French forces flushed them out of northern Mali. No country worth it sovereignty will allow a terrorist gang to occupy its territory and thereby diminish the sovereignty and territorial authority of that country.

The current development in parts of northern Nigeria is clearly the manifestation of such threats. The terrorist cells and organisations ousted from different parts of the Middle East and North Africa in particular, including Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, etc. are all at present busy looking for places and territories to house themselves and foment their nefarious activities. It is therefore important for all concerned to realise the magnitude of the threats which the country faces from those terrorist armies and co-operate to defeat the terrorists and not play politics with these truly dangerous events.

Do you think the declaration of state of emergency in the three states is the right thing to do?

The declaration of the state of emergency by the President and Commander-in-Chief did not come soon enough. But thank God Mr. President has now decided to take the bull by the horns. The declaration had indeed become inevitable. It is either the Commander-in-Chief did so now, or he allows the terrorists to settle down and the issue of terrorism would have become endemic in Nigeria. We pray not. Having taken the bull by the horns, the correct and wise thing for Mr. President to do is to chase the terrorists out of wherever they may infiltrate into, in parts of this country. We must not allow them any breathing space or respite. Any such lack of relentless pursuit will allow them to find a foothold somewhere else in this country and continue to threaten the national security, integrity and sovereignty.

A state of emergency is a state of emergency. It must be pursued fully and relentlessly. Therefore, this is a time for all Nigerians to rally round the leadership of the President and ensure that our country is rid of this threat to the national sovereignty. We must equally rally round our armed forces, the police and the security services.

Do you think the insecurity in the country today has anything to do with politics?

The threat of an insurgency has recently become a major factor in our national politics. Let us take those of the Niger Delta which ended a couple of years ago. Apart from the few truly nationalist elements among those militants, a lot of criminal and self seeking elements took advantage of the genuine demands of the Niger Delta militants and destroyed both human and material properties as well as destroyed the lives of innocent citizens living in their community. Such is the consequence of these acts of insurgency and terrorism once started. Sometimes, the consequences which flow from such acts are based on political, ideological or religious differences as we have seen in recent times. We have also seen that many times such security threats are started by political agitation and encouragement and pronouncement of a few vocal self-seeking elements within society but once the fire of insurgency has been lit these elements who ab initio started the agitation find themselves incapable of putting out the fire they had started. Such is the case in parts of the country at present as was the case of the recent Niger Delta militancy. Therefore, whilst addressing the cases of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, the government should equally and quickly look into the disturbances in Nassarawa, Taraba, Benue and particularly Plateau which has lasted for too long. The defence and security forces should also be directed thereto as soon as their present task is done to flush out the seemingly endemic disturbances in those states.

There are also a lot of political crises in the country today. What do you think is responsible for this?

Side by side with the security threat at present raging in parts of the country we have to contend with the number of political issues which have kept the polity in high gear. Yes, politics is about argument, discussions and sometimes quarrel but some of these like the one between the Presidency and the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) are clearly avoidable. They are avoidable because the NGF is not a constitutional organ and having started by doing some good jobs they seem to have now constituted themselves – with permanent secretariat and Director-General – into a parallel political group which tends to rival or check-mate the federal government on national issues.

The truth of the matter is that each of the 36 states governors has a territory to administer within their constitutional authority. They are not independent states, therefore their limits are clearly defined by the constitution and the law. For them to constitute themselves as a parallel national political organ to check-mate the FGN and to make pronouncements, especially such pronouncements that go against the FGN’s authority on matters within the authority of the federal government is to subvert the constitution and create avoidable friction within the polity. To say the least, such situations are totally uncalled for. It is my firm opinion that the present crisis between the federal government and the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) is as a result of this clear encroachment by the NGF into federal territories.

Do you think the judiciary has a role to play in the war against terrorism in the country?

The problem with us in this country is that we enjoy sensationalism and hyperbolism. Almost every issue that threatens security at present had been tackled and highlighted in my previous lectures and interviews. I quote a piece on judiciary in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)-sponsored lecture of 13th January, 2013:

“The judicial arm, in particular, has a major duty to perform in this matter. The dispensation of justice is on the shoulders of the judiciary and the least one would expect from the judiciary in the matter of violent terrorism, economic “terrorism” and corruption, is to emulate the action taken by their Indian counterpart, a commonwealth country like us, to set up special courts to deal with these dangerous cases that are capable of destroying our country. It will be recalled that following the gang rape of a twenty-three- year-old young lady by six Indian youths, the judiciary in that country has designated special courts to rapidly dispense justice in that outrageous criminal matter. In my opinion, so should the Nigerian judiciary do by immediately designating special courts to rapidly deal with persons under trial in these matters!”

But the responsible persons and institutions do not appear to pay heed. The main reason is that I am not one of those hyperbolic presenters of issues and narratives. Rather, I am an expert and I present the issues in their true perspectives.

There are already a number of Boko Haramists and other insurgents held in our prison custody awaiting trial. One or two of them are taken to court from time to time and for one technical reason or another are returned to the cell, their cases having been further adjourned! When will these cases be dispensed with and justice done, to the state or the individuals or groups concerned? What about consideration for the morale of the officers and men who labour tirelessly, and risk their lives day in and day out in an attempt to bring these alleged culprits to book? These alleged culprits remain in custody under terrible conditions while those who had striven to bring these suspects to book feel frustrated while judges, lawyers and press men practice their trade and profession, and delay their cases not minding the plight and frustrations of these suspects and those who had worked so hard to bring them to trial.

In my humble opinion, all that the judiciary needs to do even if that needed the introduction of a new law, and I do not believe it does, is to designate special courts or judges to fast-track and deal with these cases and those of fraud and corruption expeditiously and punish the guilty and free the innocent! The Indian Judiciary, a commonwealth and common law jurisdiction like ours, did a similar arrangement when a twenty-one- year-old medical student was gang-raped. Why can’t our judiciary produce such innovation if we can smuggle the issue of Plea Bargain into our law to favour the rich and privileged?

Still on the crisis within the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, what do you think is the way out?

The posture of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) on matters of national security and governance is sometime rather shocking. On 14th May, 2013 the NGF released a communiqué after one of its regular/emergency meetings advising or rather warning the federal government not to issue a state of emergency in any of the North East states where Boko Haram was nesting. Later that night the FGN broadcast the state of emergency in the three North Eastern states! Did members of the NGF have prior hint of the impending FGN pronouncement or indeed merely anticipated it? If it was the former – that they had prior hint – then they could be accused of divulging official secret which they are sworn to protect! If it was the latter – then they might have been expected to channel their advice through official channels to the FGN or expose themselves to constituting the NGF into a hostile pressure group by offering such negative and contrary advice to the FGN on a matter touching the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation, which they, as governors have equally sworn to uphold! It must be observed that each of the governors is responsible within his constitutional limit, for a chunk of Nigerian territory. But the federal government is responsible for protecting the entire territorial expanse and limits of Nigeria. The NGF is not a constitutional body. It is sadly promoting its affairs and activities as if it is part of the organs of government created by the constitution.

Were it not for its negative posture the face-off between Gov. Amaechi and the presidency need not, in my opinion, to have happened in the first place. President Jonathan is Gov. Amaechi’s political leader. All I think he needs to do and should still do is to invite Gov. Amaechi to a little chat and talk him out of the NGF confrontational stance or, if that failed, use the party as a whip to call the governor and the rest of the PDP governors in the NGF to order or ask the party to withdraw its governors from the NGF using the Party Whip. SHIKENA! As for the governors, I maintain that they have assumed and are continuing to assume powers well beyond their constitutional limits. In an earlier press interview in 2012, I had given detailed information regarding the absolute powers of some of our governors in their respective states.

I made similar references about some of the governors’ attempt to exercise absolute power and authority within their scope. I might add that in the present case, for instance, the governors who already have ‘Full Power’ in their states, where they control not only the executive branch of government, but the legislature and the local government in some cases, try to influence the judicial branch through appointments, etc. are clearly moving out of steps with the intendment of their constitutional role. They already have enormous powers indeed and are trying to capture more through the back door. And having all these powers they are now trying, through the NGF, to encroach on powers of the FGN as they demonstrated in the matter of the recent emergency declaration, etc. by advising against such action by the FGN. Indeed by taking such actions they could be guilty of provoking avoidable constitutional crisis. In this regard I can’t agree more with Professor Jubril Aminu that the country should be protected from the overbearing authority of the state governors.

Sir, between Jonathan and Amaechi, who are you supporting?

You call for a straight forward answer and I will give you one! Amaechi and Jonathan are my ‘sons and brothers’. Jonathan is my Ijaw brother and Amaechi is my Ikwerre brother! I am not taking sides with either of them. I am rather on the side of the Nigerian nation and treating the issues involved as an elder statesman who should speak forthrightly and truthfully in the national interest. As a young SB officer of twenty-five years I had fought most relentlessly to maintain the security and unity of this country. With humility and pride I recall that under the leadership of Alhaji M. D. Yusufu I established all the security stations and establishments of what is today’s Rivers and Bayelsa states and other places in neighbouring states. Thereafter, I made major contributions in building up Nigeria’s first security service, the NSO. I single-handedly set up the nation’s Intelligence Service following its establishment by law; and after which I was returned to the internal security organ, the SSS, when it fell under severe stress to revamp it into the solid service it is at present.

I therefore feel not only qualified, but duty bound to speak up not only for myself as an elder statesman and non-partisan politician, but perhaps also speak the minds of other elder statesmen who had contributed immensely to the rebuilding of this country following the Civil War, at a time like this, when the country is once, again, coming under severe security and political stress involving our territorial integrity following the invasion of foreign and local terrorist groups. In regards to your question as to the behaviour of our politicians at this time of national emergency, I can only reply you with a statement quoting a famous American war-time General, GEORGE S. PATTON, at the end of the war when he was asked to comment on the behaviour of the then allied politicians.

He said: “Politicians are good at starting wars, not ending them. Before you finish one war, they are busy sowing the seed of another one.” One hopes that this will not be the case with our emergent situation and our current crop of politicians. I have to address issues frankly in the manner that will ensure the continued unity and indivisibility of the country and not to take sides with either party in this matter.

That is my stand. After all Gov. Amaechi has done some marvellous job in stemming the tide of insecurity in Rivers State and in terms of developing infrastructure in the state which is a big boost for his party, the PDP. It is sad that once, again, Rivers State, with thanks to Gov. Amaechi’s efforts, only recently recovered from near anarchy, has been turned to a fresh battle field in the matter of the internal PDP struggles to bring down Gov. Amaechi, with series of pro and counter demonstrations including the unleashing of militants, who had only recently retired, back to the streets of Port Harcourt and its environs to remind innocent citizens that they are still lurking around and driving fear into the hearts of the peace-loving citizens from going about their legitimate businesses.

What is happening in Rivers State at present confirms the saying that ‘it is the grass which suffers, when elephants fight’! I would like to plead with all concerned that Port Harcourt and environs, which have only recently recovered from the trauma of militancy, be left alone in all of these pro and anti Amaechi demonstrations and allow the prevailing peace in the land to be sustained.

And on the state of emergency issue, are you for it or against it?

I thought I had treated this matter earlier. I believe the state of emergency became inevitable once the Boko Haramists got involved in territorial ambitions, not just religious agitations. Not to have declared the emergency would have exposed the president to the charge of betraying his oath of office.

The Central Bank recently warned the federal government against spending too much money on the current security challenge. What is your take on this?

National security is not a matter of theory nor simple economic argument or academics. It is the duty of the defence and security services to protect and preserve the territorial integrity of the nation and I believe this requirement should assume necessary priority, side by side with the welfare of the people. The soldiers, police and security officers, fighting and dying to protect the sovereignty of the country are equally Nigerians and need to be properly equipped and welfared to do their job! These two necessities must be fully taken into account in any economic argument.

In this context, let me say that good as the reported presidential order that suspects recently arrested under the emergency should be released may sound, care must be taken of the need for proper screening and re-orientation by the appropriate Islamic religious authorities in effecting such release. I must also advise that care and consideration should be given to protect the morale of the defence and security forces who are fighting and dying to bring this situation under control and restore peace and normality to the country.