Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, was in his element when he spoke in Lagos with Sunday Oguntola on proposed reforms in his ministry, misconceptions about his person and his 2019 governorship ambition. Excerpts:
CLOSE to two years on the saddle as a Minister, how has it been? We thank God because I came in as a complete novice in the ICT sector because I have been a lawyer and politician. I didn’t know anything about ICT. It is instructive also that the stakeholders in the industry actually protested my appointment because they felt the sector required someone who had knowledge about it and who could head the sector and provide leadership professionally and otherwise.
But I thank God that the President had confidence in my ability and in the fact that I learn very fast. I started by convoking a retreat where about 400 specialists came to interact with me and reviewed where the sector was coming from and where we were and should be heading to.
After a week, we got all the ideas and set up a committee to formulate them into what has become the Ministry of Communication’s ICT Roadmap 2017-2020. It’s a three-year plan that the Federal Executive Council has adopted. About two months ago, the same operators who protested my appointment gave me a fellowship of Nigeria Computer Society.
What changed their minds?
Of course, my performance within the period did. One, I have provided leadership in the right perspectives. I do attend all programmes of the sector within and outside the country. I can say that I have attended about 15 foreign conferences.
Within the country, I have also initiated reforms. I have inaugurated the Broad Band Council. I have inaugurated the Digital Council. I have ensured that the Nigerian Communications Council (NCC) is put on its toes with regards to ensuring that the rights of subscribers in the telecommunications sector are protected so that the operators do not take undue advantage of them.
I have also initiated reforms in Nigeria Communication Satellite (NICOMSAT), which is one of the agencies under the Ministry. NICOMSAT had just one satellite orbit but we have made efforts to ensure we have two or three more. With that, we would be able to ensure that no Nigerian companies patronize foreign satellite firms in the storage of their data.
We are working on cable laying across the country to connect all Federal Government’s agencies in the project. As at now, the project is 80 percent completed. I have ensured FEC approved the second phase to cover the entire country. I have also initiated an ICT University aimed at providing a skilled gap assessment and training facility for Nigerians. As of today because of the inadequacies in the training of computer science students, when people graduate from our universities, they go to India to retrain and get professional certifications and correct skills.
ICT changes by the day but most of what our universities have as syllabus are 20-30 years old. They don’t meet with the ever-changing nature of the ICT sector. So, the ICT University will stop our graduates from going to India, Korea or China for retraining.
How soon will the university take off?
We are hoping the university takes off before the end of September in six campuses across the country. There would be one in each of the six geo-political zones.
On NIPOST, we have a number of reforms that will introduce five new companies to the activities of NIPOST. Remember that the NIPOST is known for transmitting postal materials within and outside the country. It is as old as Nigeria itself. But with the coming of GSM, emails and other ICT, people didn’t need NIPOST again.
Yet, the facilities, personnel and infrastructure are still there unused and untapped. So, I thought that we could use the inadequacies of NIPOST to resolve the problem of financial non-inclusiveness for the rural dwellers. Banks exist in less than 50 percent of the 774 local governments in the country.
Majority of Nigerians live in rural areas, meaning they are financially excluded from services. They cannot save money, take credit and transfer financially. So, we are introducing what we call the NIPOST Bank using the existing postal agencies and infrastructure across the nation.
We would also have NIPOST Property and Development Company aimed at ensuring that all the excess lands in post offices across the nation are leased out to private developers for office complexes, shopping malls and residential apartments as well as garages. That will bring in a lot of monies for government.
We are also working on establishment of a NIPOST Transport and Logistics Company. Currently, we have fleet of vehicles used to transmit postal materials which are either grounded or wasting away. So, we think we can commercialise this fleet of vehicles to provide transport services.
If you live in Saki, where I come from and you need to come to Lagos to buy merchandise. You come to the post office and they are transported to your village for settlement with ease. We would have NIPOST e-commerce services because if you live in Ibadan and need something in Kano, you just communicate online and the merchandise is sent to you wherever you are.
Also, we are bringing reforms for NIPOST e-government services. Today, we know international passports are acquired in Immigration offices only in capital cities. What it means is if you leave 200metres away from the capital, you have to travel down. The transport costs, risks of armed robberies, accidents waste of real-time are too much to bear.
With NIPOST e-government services, you simply go to the nearest post office and process your passport application online, pay online and it will be transmitted through the post to you. You don’t need to appear physically because everything is online. It is the same with driving license, financial passports and others.
We are working on the establishment of an ICT Development Bank. You will recall we have Bank of Industry (BOI), Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and all others not any to cater for the ICT sector. There is no bank for the specialized ICT sector, which has become the latest enabler of life, businesses and governments. If you are a software developer, you need time and resources for it to mature. The current banking interest regime is not suitable for the growth and development of ICT sector.
So, we have decided to have a specialized bank to help the sector grow without the current banking challenges we have. We are establishing technological hubs across the nation and encouraging private investors to be part of it.
Generally, my role is to provide leadership for the industry and make enabling environment available. I am happy to note that for the first time in the history of this country, telecoms alone has provided more than 10 percent to the GDP. It has never happened before.
In the area of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), we have attracted more than $40billion. As at today, the ICT sector engages more Nigerians than the oil sector, which has been hit by economic recession over the years.
How were you able to acquaint yourself so quickly with the industry in less than two years?
The paramount thing is to have a universal education and I am proud to say that I am a product of the then University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife. I read Law and have always been in practice and politics. I have a worldview of life and I mix very well with people. I am not boxed in one corner and I read extensively.
So, for me, it has become something within my DNA to understand what is involved and provide the right leadership. Of course, I must also thank officials of my ministry for giving me the support to learn very quickly and provide the right leadership.
At first, the Oyo State Government protested your appointment and stakeholders in the ICT industry joined when you were assigned your portfolio. What’s it about you that makes people fight you everywhere?
I think there are two different perspectives. One is political and the other is professional. Protest against my nomination was politically motivated perhaps some people felt if I distinguish myself, they would be in trouble. But God has had his ways and I am happy that I have the opportunity to serve as Minister.
For me, it is more of a training ground for higher political office. As regards the protest by the stakeholders, I would say it was an innocent protest because they could not have been mischievous. They feared the industry would require appropriate leadership and enabling environment for advancement. I am happy that they have seen what I can do and God has performed wonders in my life.
One of the earliest controversies that faced you was the fine brouhaha of MTN Nigeria. Nigerians still believe the firm was not appropriately sanctioned…
… I am surprised that Nigerians still feel that way. There is no arbitrariness in governance. The issue of MTN was something that the law had made provisions for. MTN committed an infraction and all government had to do was to look at what the law said.
Of course, it became clear to MTN that if it had to pay that fine in its totality, it was most likely going to go bankrupt. So, it appealed to the Presidency for leniency. Even in the court process, if you are fined and it becomes impossible for you to pay, you can apply for review, which is akin to what MTN did to Mr. President.
Mr. President, in the interest of this country, because if he had stood his ground that he was going to have his pound of flesh, there was the possibility that MTN would have packed out of Nigeria.
The wrong signals would have been sent to the international investing community and banks would have collapsed because all their investments in the sector would have been withdrawn. Thirdly, Nigerians working there would have suffered directly and indirectly. They would have been thrown to the labour market and where are the jobs you want to give to these people?
These were the issues the Federal Government considered and decided to reduce the fine. We also agreed to spread the remaining balance for payment over a period of three years as they requested. Recall that the first thing they had to do was payment of N50 billion. I call this free money because it was not an anticipated income. We didn’t work for it but it added a lot of value to our ability to provide services for Nigerians.
So far, I am aware they have paid up to N80 billion and over the next two years, they will pay up the entire N330billion.
In Oyo State where you hail from, people have said it is the turn of Oyo North to produce the next governor. Do you align with that?
First, let me say that I am a very objective person. I want to look at it from various perspectives. Oyo has linguistically speaking about four zones. It has the Ibadan, Ogbomoso, Oyo and Oke-Ogun with the Ibarapa as the fifth. Ibadan has 11 local government areas. Oke-Ogun has 10, Ogbomoso has five, Oyo has four while Ibarapa has three.
Over the years, particularly after the late Bola Ige, most governors have come from Ibadan. It was by accident of fate that an Ogbomoso became governor once. So, a lot of people feel that there must rotation and since the Ibadan have done it about three times, it should go to the next zone in terms of size of the number of local government areas.
Of course, you must also realise that in terms of quantum of votes, Ibadan has always produced 52 percent. Oke-Ogun produces 18 percent and you see the wide difference. But it is a good argument, which got a lot of fillips recently because the Ibadan didn’t vote for APC candidate only but also Ladoja of Accord Party.
It was the votes of Oke-Ogun that saved the day for APC and Governor Abiola Ajimobi. That is why even the governor said, for once, it should be the turn of Oke-Ogun because of what the zone did.
But some people believe the governor is just talking tongue-in-cheek…
… Well, the fact is that he said it and it can be referred to. Whether it is true or not does not matter. But the truth also is, for me, as a person since I am one of the front-liners from the zone, I don’t want to become governor only for Oke-Ogun.
That would be demeaning to my status as the most experienced and connected among the aspirants. I am also the oldest politician among the aspirants. For me, I feel that for once Oke-Ogun now has somebody who is more capable and qualified than any other person. I believe I will easily beat others during the primaries.
So, for me it is not about where I hail from but bridges one has built over the years. I have always boasted about my robust relationship with the Ibadan people over the last 38 years.
But they never voted for you in the last two attempts to govern the state
Well, the fact that they didn’t vote for me then is not conclusive they won’t vote for me now. I mean people change a lot. Initially people were saying Omo Ibadan ni e je o se (Only an Ibadan indigene should govern) but now in Ibadan they are saying Ajumobi o’kan tanu (Kindness has nothing to do with kinship).
But the aspirants from Oke-Ogun appear to be many. Don’t you think that will affect the region?
It is not a strange thing because everybody wants something good. There are always aspirants, claimants, pretenders and all that but then when the chips are down; we would separate the chaffs from the wheat. There are so many people that have never held any political post or office yet they want to be governors. They have never been council chairmen, member of the State Assembly, Commissioner or Minister yet they are laying claims to the governor’s seat.
You won’t deny them the freedom to make claims to that which they may not have the competence or capacity to do. That is why we would have a primary election at the appropriate time and people would be allowed to choose the most competent person as candidate.
At the last Oke-Ogun Youth summit, one of the prominent monarchs from the region said he would neither vote nor support a stingy politician who is a religious fundamentalist. Most people believe he was referring to you. Can you react to that?
Of course, I knew he was referring to me, which was why I replied appropriately. Two, we have since reconciled. We are mutual friends and have reconciled. But most importantly, I am not stingy. But I am not a stupid spender to satisfy anybody.
I believe in sustainable projects, which is why when I became a Minister, I took the decision to construct three boreholes in each of the 33 local government areas. It is my money. I don’t have security votes or constituency allowance.
So far, of the 99 boreholes, I have only done 12. A stingy man would not put his money in such project that would not give him anything in return. I have also purchased two buses for the State Executives of the party with the plan to purchase, as money comes in, a bus for each local government branch of our party.
I cannot say how many people I support financially for school fees, medical bills, house rents and so on. So we have reconciled and I am not stingy at all.
As for the case of fundamentalism, it is a case of calling a dog a bad name to hang it. When I was being screened in the Senate this same allegation came up. And I challenged the Upper Chamber to bring evidence of one single action of mine that amounts to religious fundamentalism in the last 38 years of my life in politics. Till tomorrow, nobody has been able to provide one.
A lot of people cannot believe that you could be as educated as I am and yet as religious I am. That I don’t do some of the funny things that some other people who are not serious with their God do makes people look at me with amazement. So, they turn around to say I am a fanatic.
So, you believe it’s your turn to win Oyo 2019 governorship poll?
In fact, when people ask me if I am contesting, I get pissed off. If you have a child that went to Primary School and did so well, move to Secondary school and did so well, will you ask if he will go to the University? Among all the aspirants, I am the only one who qualified as a lawyer in 1979. I became a member of the Oyo House of Assembly from 1979-1983 where I was the most dynamic and visible.
In 1983, I became Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture. In 2007, I became Attorney General for the State. In 2011 and 2015, I contested the governorship and today I am a Minister. Who other person has one quarter of what I have?
So I don’t see how the competition will be a tough one really by the grace of God.
Are you in support of agitations for the creation of Oke-Ogun State?
Honestly, I don’t want to waste time on calls for creation of Oke-Ogun State because I know that no civilian administration is capable of doing that. And I don’t believe in deceiving myself. If you are talking of state creation, only a military regime can do it by unilateral actions, not through the democratic process.
That is because easily if you leave it to the vagaries of democratic process, you are going to have more than 100 States in the Federation. We have 36 States, most of which are insolvent. India with a population of 1.3 billion has only 22 States. In the Western Region days, the cry then was the Ijebu were marginalizing us. So, they created Ogun, Oyo and Osun. When we were in the Old Oyo State, the cry became the Ijesha were shortchanging us. When Osun left, it became the Ibadan are cheating us. If you create Oke-Ogun, it would be Saki or Oyo are cheating us.
So, I don’t believe in state creation but offering right leadership. And I want to believe, if by the grace of God, I become governor people would forget about marginalization because I would be governor of all and be fair to all.
There are many Nigerians feeling the pang of hunger and saying they don’t have as much money as before…
…Well they won’t have because the era of profligacy ended with the Jonathan’s administration.
But they say they are also hungry…
…Again they would be hungry because we have had 16 years of mismanagement of our economy. In the last years of Jonathan, petrol which is the main stay of our economy was selling for $140 per barrel. By the time Buhari came on board, it dropped to $38. That is more than 70 percent loss.
If in the era of $140 per barrel, the administration then utilised the money to invest in capital infrastructure such as roads, railways, schools and saved for the rainy days, we would not be in economic quagmire that we are.
Is it true you and Governor Ajimobi are not on good terms?
I know that Governor Ajimobi and I have come a long way since 2007. We have been brothers and will remain so. Of course, in every relationship, there would be conflicts.
I think appeared like a case of our discordance is the fact that we are coming from two different political backgrounds. He is from defunct ACN while I came from the defunct CPC. So, we had disagreements as to the composition of the party’s state executives then.
For me, I don’t hold grudges against anybody. He is my governor and leader of our party in the state. I am expecting to take over from him. So, we cannot afford not to be friends.
