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Tag: Anthony Sani

  • Nigeria at war with itself, says ACF scribe

    Secretary-General of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr. Anthony Sani has reacted to the spate of killings and kidnapping across the country, saying that Nigeria is at war with itself.

    He described the various security challenges bedeviling the country as being stoked by poverty and unemployment, pointing out overcoming them would require that, the government confront the underlying causes.

    Sani who spoke in an exclusive interview with The Nation in Kaduna on Wednesday, said government at all levels should come to terms with the reality that the nation is at war with itself and confront the war with all available means at their disposal.

    He, however, warned against giving ethnic and religious coloration to the security threats, arguing such will provide platforms to criminals to commit more crimes, knowing fully well the authority cannot prosecute religion and ethnic nationality.

    He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for working round the clock to ensure the Killings are brought to an end within a shortest possible time.

    The ACF Secretary-General said: “There are many factors that may account for the killings across the country and they differ from geopolitical zone to zone.

    “For examples, those due to clashes between farmers and herders which may have to do with paucity of grazing and farming lands as a result of increase in population and desert encroachment may not be the same with those caused by bandits.

    “Still, those by kidnappings are different from those caused by cattle rustling and armed robbery or cultism.

    “However, to overcome these security challenges would require the government to identify and confront the underlying causes.

    “And for me, I think the insecurity is stoked by poverty which comes with unemployment across the land.

    “There seems to be a vicious circle now that farmers cannot farm due to banditry which brings about more hunger and unemployment that result in poverty and, thus, create more insecurity.

    “Government and our leaders at all levels should come to terms with the reality that the nation is at war with itself and should confront the war with unity of purpose and with all available means at their disposal.

    Read also: Police kill wanted armed robbery kingpin during gun duel

    “These would require more trained security personnel with adequate equipment needed to confront and overwhelm the criminals.

    “And as they do so, consciously directed efforts must be applied in identifying and overwhelming the underlying causes of the insecurity.”

    He added: “To give ethnic and religious coloration to these challenges is unhelpful because such attitudes unwittingly provide platforms to criminals to stand and commit more crimes because they know the authority cannot prosecute religion and ethnic nationality.”

    Reacting calls from some quarters for sack of security chiefs, Anthony Sani said: “I think the President has what it takes to know challenges which the service chiefs face by way of needed trained personnel and the arms.

    “He is expected to know the performing service chiefs and those who are not performing, as well as to why those who do not perform fail to perform.

    “He is there better placed to make such decisions. This is because he is not only the Commander- in- Chief but also a security expert in his own right.

    “Mr. President has noted the unsavory security challenges and the cries across the country.

    “As a result, he is doing all within his ability and capacity to bring the killings to an end in the shortest possible time.”

  • Atiku’s endorsement: OBJ suffering from dearth of vision, conviction — ACF Scribe

    The Secretary General of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr. Anthony Sani, has reacted to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s endorsement of former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, saying that Obasanjo is suffering from a dearth of vision and conviction required of a statesman.

    Sani, an elder statesman, however noted that with the level of Obasanjo’s inconsistency, he may change his mind again and withdraw his support for Atiku before 2019.

    Sani said Obasanjo as a statesman is expected to be an embodiment of national ideals and moral values for the nation, but the way he has conducted himself by tearing his PDP card and saying he would no more play partisan politics and forming a movement which he said is third force only for him to convert it to a political party of ADC, culminating in the endorsement of former Vice President Atiku reeks of inconsistency which comes with a dearth of vision and conviction required of a statesman.

    According to the ACF scribe, “it is democracy in action which at once confirms the saying that the only thing that is permanent in politics is interest; no permanent friends or enemies.

    “If you consider what the former President has written about his former Vice President Abubakar Atiku to the extent of saying God would not forgive him if he endorsed Atiku for president, then you can hardly avoid the conclusion that common decency is yet to take root in our democracy, especially when regard is paid to the place of the former president in the order of things in Nigeria.

    “President Obasanjo is a statesman who is expected to be an embodiment of national ideals and moral values for the nation. But the way he has conducted himself by tearing his PDP card and saying he would no more play partisan politics and forming a movement which he said is third force only for him to convert it to a political party of ADC, culminating in the endorsement of former VP Atiku reeks of inconsistency that comes with dearth of vision and conviction required of statesmen.

    “That may explain why most Nigerians may be curt and dismissive of the former president out of fear that he is just like a reed who can change his mind before the day of elections in 2019.”

    Asked whether the North will go with Obasanjo in endorsing Atiku, Sani said: “It is not possible for the whole North to be with former President Obasanjo in that endorsement precisely because the former Vice President is a major challenger of the incumbent President who is also a Northerner and a Hausa/Fulani Muslim.

    “As a result, politics of identity as symbolised by ethnicity, religion and of region would give way for those of real issues of real concern to real ordinary Northerners and by extension Nigerians.”

  • No informed comment on Kachikwu ‘s memo yet – ACF

    No informed comment on Kachikwu ‘s memo yet – ACF

    The Pan-Northern social-political Organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) said on Friday that it will not make any informed comment on the allegations levelled against the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu.

    The Forum said, however, that it was not opposed to any action taken by the government to unveil the truth needed for an informed decision in the interest of transparency.

    Secretary-General of the Forum, Anthony Sani told The Nation that the ACF does not have all the facts to be able to make any informed comment in the issue.

    He said: “ACF does not have all the facts on this matter. More so that the ministry has come out and said the letter by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources was meant to draw attention to the need for due process in the management practices of contract award by NNPC. As a result, the forum is not in the position to make an informed comments on the issue.

    “However, given the fact that the matter is of public importance, ACF is never opposed to any actions taken by the government in order to unveil the truth needed for an informed decision in the interest of transparency.”

  • North’s delegates: we aren’t being lobbied to back new constitution

    North’s delegates: we aren’t being lobbied to back new constitution

    Northern delegates to the National Conference have denied being lobbied by the conference secretariat – at the instance of the Presidency – to support a new constitution.

    The spokesman of the Northern Delegates’ Forum, Anthony Sani, in a statement yesterday in Kaduna, titled: Re-Confab Secretariat Lobbies Northern Delegates, said there is no wisdom in lobbying for a new constitution when its amendment does not fall within the purview of the National Conference.

    A national daily had reported on Monday that the conference secretariat was lobbying the Northern delegates to support a new constitution.

    Denying the report, Sani said the constitution was being challenged, not because it lacks soundness but because the military and the elected constituent assemblies that brought it about did not to represent the people.

    The statement reads: “When one reads reports that the confab is being lobbied to accept the idea of a new constitution from deliberations of the confab, and that the lobby is at the instance of the Presidency, it is baffling.

    “Stunning (it is) in the sense that Mr President, in his inaugural speech, accepted that the current constitution does not have the provision to replace itself with a new one. He then said the starting point would be to amend the current constitution to accommodate a referendum.

    “But the amendment of the constitution is not within the purview of the confab but that of the National and state assemblies. So, we do not see the wisdom of lobbying the Northern delegates. The most appropriate place to go and do the lobby is the National and state Assemblies.

    “As to the import of the conference making a new constitution, we wish to say that the current constitution is being challenged, not on lack of its soundness, but because the military and the elected constituent assemblies that brought it about are said not to represent the people of Nigeria.

    “Where that has been the premise for the clamouring for a new one, it would be contradictory for selected delegates by the Presidency to bring about the new constitution.

    “In any case, this idea of a referendum is not appealing, because the level of education of most Nigerians has not reached where most Nigerians can make informed decisions on constitutional matters. Any constitution by the so-called referendum would still be by the elite for the elite, and that would be most unfair. But if the legislatures will amend the constitution to accommodate a referendum, we cannot prevent them in a democracy.

    “Those who advocate for the scrapping of the 774 local governments ignore the important fact that the local governments are the closest to majority of the people who see our democracy through what they see in the local governments.

     

     

    “And that may explain the outcry against the manner state governors streamline their autonomy and effective administration; that is why there is opposition to making the creation of local governments exclusive preserve of state government; that is why there is opposition to stopping federal allocations to local governments.

    “Rather, most Nigerians prefer more autonomy to the local government to enable them deliver on the promise of democratic dividend. That is why Sections Seven and Eight of the constitution promote the idea of the whole country being involved in the creation of the local government as a condition to merit allocations from the Federation Account and the basis of distribution of patronages, including the delegates to party conventions.

    “The issue of an additional state for the Southeast, purely on the basis of equality, ignores the fact that equality is not one and the same thing with equity. That may explain why Aristotle said injustice is not only when equals are treated unequally but also when unequals are treated equally.

    “States are created to take care of human beings. And when it comes to population and land mass, it is morally preposterous to regard the Southeast and the Northwest as equals. People forget the fact that the former Eastern Nigeria is today nine states while the former Western Region is today eight states.

    “The North, with more population than the South, is just 19 states. People should not redefine the truth and justice. So, if states are to be created, it should not be on the basis of equality alone but all other factors must be considered.”

    On resource control, Sani said: “While (we are) not opposed to derivation principles to compensate for degradation of environment and reward for efforts, (we maintain that) derivation should not make some parts of the country live on cutting edge while some others live on the knife edge of survival.

    “I believe we must take the concept of nationhood into account in our agitations for what we consider due and payable to us. This is because we cannot afford to live as if we are in different continents instead of one country. Bridging the gap in incomes to reduce inequality is not just good politics but good economics as well.

    “We have made the point that a single tenure for the President and governors would remove the motivation and incentives for working hard. If all good and feckless leaders are corralled into the same group without any reward for the performing ones, the only incentives left would be the pillage of the commonwealth by leaders. That is why most nations practise multiple tenures so that performing President and governors would be rewarded with re-election.

    “If the clamour is to remove abuse of power of incumbency, it is to be noted that many countries device their own means on how to reduce the tendency to abuse power of incumbency.

    “For example, Chile allows multiple tenures that is not consecutive, by preventing a President to conduct an election in which he is a candidate. And that was why President Michell of Chile could not contest as an incumbent, despite her immense popularity. She came back to contest when she was not the President, and she won.

    “In the case of Bangladesh, there is a care taker government that conducts election. So, let Nigeria devise a way of reducing abuse of incumbency instead of using its fear of incumbency to adopt a single tenure of six years that will be counter-productive.

    “We do not believe in the wisdom of fear of today’s challenges to redefine our national agenda, believing that if we work hard, we shall overcome and make Nigeria feel young again with the promise of glorious days ahead.

    “We also believe that what can discourage politics of power shift, rotation and zoning is for our leaders at all levels not to encourage their concomitant motive that access to state and national resources should be turn by turn.

    “We wish to appeal to Nigerian voters to make judicious use of their democratic rights and ensure that their votes count so that the ensuing leaders at all levels will be accountable and strive to deliver on the promise of democratic dividend by making poverty, unemployment, ignorance and disease history. We must also note that in many instances, the emergence of feckless leaders at all levels is helped by those who do not come out to vote.”

     

     

  • ‘Democracy can build or destroy a nation’

    Anthony Sani, spokesman of the northern delegates at the National Conference, in this interview with Tony Akowe, speaks on a number of national issues, including the positive and negative ways democracy could be put. Excerpts:

    The nation just celebrated 15  years of democracy. Any gains, pains or losses?

    Fifteen years of democracy has brought about some gains in terms of liberty and freedom that includes the choice of those who rule us. We also have alternative views which is good. We can now blame our judgement when we elect wrong leaders.

    What do you think the future holds for Nigerian democracy?

    Somehow I believe the future of our democracy is bright despite current challenges that are temporary. We will learn from the mistakes and correct ourselves. Presently, our youths are frustrated because they believe their empowerment, their opportunities and future have been stolen by the corrupt politicians.

    But they feign ignorance of the truism that democracy affords them the opportunity to make judicial use of their democratic rights to ensure that their votes count so that the ensuing leaders will be accountable to the people and make Nigeria feel young again with promise of glory days ahead.

    So just as unemployment, poverty, ignorance and disease are used as weapons of mass destruction because they are directed at the heart of liberty and freedom; and the same poverty, unemployment, ignorance and disease are powder keg waiting to be ignited by indifference of leaders, so it is with democracy.

    Democracy can be used to build or to destroy the country, depending on how we apply it. I have always maintained that democracy may differ in forms but when it comes to its elements of liberty, justice and common decency, democracy is universally the same. I agree with Prof Godini Dara that those who wish to redefine the three elements of democracy can as well reinvent the wheel or redefine the truth.

    What do you think about the rising insecurity in the land especially in the North?

    The rising insecurity across the country is a cause for concern to every Nigerian. This is because it makes socio-economic development hard. What is more, instead of coming together and confronting the monster, there is spirited effort to associate them with religion, with region and ethnicity despite the observation that terrorism transcends national boundaries.

    Consider the two conspiracy theories: one says northern leaders brought about Boko Haram in order to make the country ungovernable for President Jonathan on account of his faith, ethnicity and region despite the knowledge that it was a northerner who used force and killed about 700 members and the leader of the sect in 2009 when Dr Jonathan was not the political issue as well as the fact that northern leaders cannot reasonably kill northerners for power they know is transient. The other conspiracy theory is that Boko Haram is orchestrated by the presidency in order to destroy both the population and economy of the north for political reasons despite the trite that no president would like to preside over a divided people or nation. So let us not generalise but stick to what we know by coming together to unleash our synergy against the common monster. I believe the situation is not beyond redemption, given purposeful leadership at all levels and the best in all Nigerians.

    What is your opinion on amnesty granted to members of Boko haram by the President?

    If Amnesty to Boko Haram will cut the Godian knot and put an end to the killing of innocent Nigerians, so be it.

    The issue of resource control appears to be dividing the National Conference. What is the situation of things?

    I do not see how resource control by constituent parts of this country can further the cause of one united Nigeria since resource control amounts to a confederation with weak centre. That was why solid mineral, oil and gas have been on the exclusive list of the 1960,1963,1979,1999 constitutions. And that explains the Land Use Act. Land is about the only common patrimony for all Nigerians. Nobody has worked for it. And so the only institution that can hold land in trust for Nigerians is government. People should not use managerial imperfections and failure of leadership to discredit the soundness of the Land Use Act. After all most of our good laws are observed more in the breach. The problem is not with the soundness of the law but failure of leadership to implement the letter and spirit of the law. So Resource Control should be discussed in the context of building a united virile nation with balanced development, and  not building a nation where some sections live at cutting edge while some others live at knife edge of survival.

    What can the National Conference achieve for Nigeria?

    The conference will achieve something by bringing issues into the open where they will not be forgotten or not ignored. It will set the road map and help leaders know how to think and do things right.

    The 2015 elections are around the corner. Do you think INEC has the capacity to conduct credible elections in 2015?

    It is the responsibility of INEC to conduct credible elections so that Nigerians can hold themselves responsible for the quality of leaders who emerge. Once people do not hold themselves responsible for the leaders that emerge, then there is problem of legitimacy with dire consequences for the democracy. We still believe INEC can conduct all the elections on the same day in order to reduce cost, reduce band wagon effect and prevent multiple voting that are associated with multiple voting. If Kenya can do it, Nigeria can do it.

    The debate on local government autonomy has not ceased. What is your thinking on this?

    As long as there is federation account where local governments get their funds; and as long as number of local governments are used for planning purposes and they are used for party delegates to party conventions, national government must have a say in their creation. It is not possible to leave out national government in creation of LGAs. And finally, I wish to plead that our current security challenges, mutual mistrust and frustrations should not be allowed to set a new national agenda for us. Nigeria holds a lot of promise, given purposeful leadership and the best in all of us. The good things of life are not natural order of things. )These things come about by consciously directed efforts to make desires possible and then actual by an honest leadership.

    What is your comment on agitation for power to return to the North in 2015?

    The North has never canvassed for politics of identity, rotation, power-shift or zoning. But because a northerner annulled the elections of June 12, 1993, the South morally blackmailed the North into accepting politics of rotation now defined as access to national resources should be turn by turn. But when it was time for the North after demise of President Yar’Adua, the South started politics of meritocracy and constitutionalism. Nigerians pandered in 2011.As democrats we accepted the verdict and said so be it. So if the North will aspire for the president, it will not be based on politics of rotation but on democracy premised on triple foundation of liberty, justice and common decency. The requiem for politics of zoning was written by the South and the funeral has come and gone.

  • ‘Why we want onshore/ offshore dichotomy’

    Northern delegates to the ongoing National Conference said yesterday that they were favourably disposed to the return of the onshore/offshore dichotomy.

    They said its abolition has made the oil producing states to “live on the cutting edge while those in non oil producing states live on the knife edge of survival.”

    Spokesman of the Northern Delegates Forum, Anthony Sani said in an email to The Nation that the northern delegates were also not opposed to devolution of power to the federating units and local governments in order to enhance performance at all levels of governance, and as long as the devolution of power leaves the centre with sufficient power to be strong enough in order to keep the country a united nation with stability and harmony, but not too strong as to tilt the country towards a unitary system.

    He said further that “if we agree that derivation is aimed at ameliorating the effects of environmental degradation, then it stands to reason to hanker that offshore activities do not degrade any environment and so should not feature in the calculation for payment due to derivation.

    “It is against this backdrop that some delegates, mostly from non oil producing states, have canvassed for the return of onshore/offshore dichotomy.

    “And that may explain why the deliberations have not been along regional lines, since non oil producing states are across the regions, and there are possibilities of finding solid minerals, oil and gas in most parts of the country.

    “A convenient way of achieving this noble objective is scientific tempering with both the exclusive and concurrent lists in such manner that the national authority is balanced by appropriate state level power for performance of both governments and the economy. This would then be matched by appropriate revenue sharing formula among the three tiers of government, taking into account the need for devolution of power and the imperatives of national unity, stability and harmony.”

    He said when sitting resume next week “we will be able to arrive at definite consensus for the larger interest of the nation which holds lot of hope for present and generations unborn. This is because wide inequality among constituent parts of the country cannot further the cause of national unity and harmony.”

  • Nigeria’s problems caused by collapse of national ideals – Arewa

    The pan northern socio-political organization, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has said the problem of Nigeria lies in the collapse of national ideals, moral values and the collapse in social contract and not in the structure of the nation.

    The Forum also said that it would have been better for delegates to the conference to be elected rather than being nominated, adding that since the ideal of election has been jettisoned, those it regards as the “first eleven Nigerians” should be allowed to represent the vast majority of the citizens.

    The Spokesman of the Forum, Anthony Sani, told The Nation that the position taken by the Yorubas to push for some form of ethnic autonomy reminiscent of a confederal arrangement during the national conference will not help in solving the nation’s teething problems.

    He said, “We have read the reports that the Yorubas will push for some form of ethnic autonomy during the upcoming National Conference that is reminiscent of confederal arrangement.

    “As we have repeatedly made clear, ACF did not canvass for the conference. This is because of the forum’s belief that the problems of Nigeria lie in the collapse of national ideals, fall in moral values, collapse in social contract and fall in sense of what is right and what is wrong rather than in the structure of the country, in the constitution and in the form of government nor in the hype in ethnic nationalism that promotes cleavages of the country.

    “But since some sections of the country believe that coming together in the conference is capable of furthering the cause of a united Nigeria when issues of national importance bordering on real issues of real concern to real Nigerians are discussed, we have said so be it.

    “Surely, if such issues are raised in the conference, delegates from the North will not lack what to say. It must be noted that there is no system of true federalism that is accepted universally.

    “That is why no two federal systems are clones of one another. This is because a federal system has a lot to do with the circumstance of its emergence. For examples, the 13 American Colonies came together to form United States of America while in Nigeria, the national government formed the federating units.

    “What most federal systems do is to balance the national power with appropriate level of state power in manner that the centre is strong enough to keep the country as one, but not too strong as to push the country towards a unitary system.

    “Towards this end, devolution of power can still be achieved by appropriate tampering with the exclusive and concurrent list for performance.”

     

  • Arewa rues ‘lack of international flights’ from north

    The pan northern socio-political organization, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on Friday alleged that northerners are being marginalized in appointments and employment in parastatals under the federal ministry of Aviation.

    The group faulted the lack of international flights from the region.

    The Forum at the end of its joint National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Council (NEC) and the Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting in Kaduna asked the relevant authorities in the aviation industry to address the issue without further delay.

    In a communiqué signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani and made available to The Nation in Kaduna, ACF also insisted on the conduct of the 2015 general elections in one day, saying it will cut cost and eliminate the bandwagon effect associated with other elections.

    The Forum also frowned at the protracted nature of the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and appealed to the warring factions to come to compromise in the interest of the students and the nation.

    The communiqué reads in part: “the meetings still considered the factors militating against the good conduct of free and fair elections over the years and still insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission should conduct all five elections on the same day.

    “It is the considered opinion of ACF that such arrangement will cut cost of elections and reduce problems of logistics and do away with band wagon effects that are associated with staggered elections. If other African countries can do it, Nigeria can also do so.

    “The meetings commended the National Assembly for its decision to thoroughly investigate the claims and counter claims which have trailed the recent killings of suspected members of Boko Haram in the Legislative quarters in Abuja.

    “This has become very necessary and timely, considering the overriding need to know the truth which can inform retribution or otherwise and inspire confidence and trust on the authority, on the nation’s intelligence community and on the security agents for public good.

    “ACF has noted with great concern the festering strike by ASUU, which has inflicted untold hardship on the students and their parents and on the nation’s education. It was against this backdrop that the meetings called on the feuding parties to make haste and bring about the necessary sacrifices needed to end the strike and allow students resume lectures without further delay.

    “The parties in the dispute must note that in matter of public intelligence, there is time to stay the course, there is time for compromise and there is time to let go.

    “The deliberations considered the marginalization of the northern part of the country in air travels. There are also evidences that fewer northerners are getting jobs and deployment in parastatals of Ministry of Aviation and in the management of airports in the country. As things stand now, there are no international flights in the north except Abuja.

    “ACF, therefore, urged relevant authorities and Ministry of Aviation to also improve the aviation industry in the north. This is good for the interest of the growth and development of the national economy.”

     

  • ‘We’re better as a united country’

    ‘We’re better as a united country’

    Anthony Sani, National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), speaks with Tony Akowe on the challenges of the nation

     

    At 52, Nigeria is still lacking in quality leadership. What really do you think is the trouble with Nigeria?

    Nigeria has been lacking in quality leadership because in most societies leaders tend to suit the people. The trouble with Nigeria is corruption and this has affected every aspects of our national life. It is corruption that steals people’s empowerment, steals their opportunity and steals their future. As a result, national ideals and moral values as well as social contract among individuals and among groups have collapsed.

    What do you think needs to be done for the country to attain its full potentials as envisaged by the founding fathers?

    I believe there is a need for cultural renaissance in order to change our ways of doing things. Another area is leadership that is accountable to the people. But this cannot happen if votes of the people do not count. And votes will not count if the people do not regard government resources as their own. One way of making people to be politically aware to the extent of making judicious use of their democratic rights and elect leaders is for the people to pay direct tax. Once people are made to pay tax and regard government as their own, nobody needs to teach them how to make their votes count, and how to make leaders accountable. As things are today, Nigeria is more or less a Trust Fund State where the beneficiaries have no say in its management. And the leaders like it that way out of their fear that taxing the people would make them become politically aware with dire consequences on those leaders who want to pillage the commonwealth.

    Many believe that issues of ethnicity, religion, indigeneship, among others, are major problems confronting the nation. What is your take on this?

    I do not believe ethnicity, religion and indigene or settler is the issue. This is because interdependence in Nigeria is very deep and wide that contemplating divorce is revolting. Nigeria is not the only country put together with diversity. Indonesia is a very diverse country. Other countries that are also diverse are Tanzania, Germany etc. America is a country of settlers. What stands these countries out away from Nigeria has been the common resolution to work hard and overcome the differences that divide the people and make the most of their diversity. And this is because these other countries know that culture and traditions are dynamic whereas core values of humanity are for eternity. But in the case of Nigeria, instead of living up collective challenges for common good, elbow-throwing grievance groups clamour for balkanization, as if they do not know that we are better off in one united Nigeria.

    So much has been said about the present day crisis in Nigeria, but there seems to be no solution in sight. What is the way forward?

    Yes, there has been crisis. But it is wrong to submit that there is no solution in sight. I have seen governments and religious leaders making efforts and the efforts are reducing the intensity and frequency of the crisis as we go along. Terrorism is driven by the highest commitment by those who have been convinced to believe that they have nothing to lose if they die. And so, the only way to make such people reconsider their positions is for us to work on their head and heart, which can take time. Consider how long America stayed in Iraq, how long NATO has stayed in Afghanistan and also the case of Palestinians, and you would hardly avoid the conclusion that to bring terrorist activities under effective control cannot be a day’s job. But I believe the situation is not beyond control, given the will not only by government but by all Nigerians who must know that what does not kill this nation can only make it stronger.

    There is the belief that the present NSA (Col Sambo Dasuki) is doing so much in curtailing the Boko Haram insurgence. How would you access him and his style?

    As I have said earlier, the campaign against such insurgence is not an easy task. It requires the support of all Nigerians of all faiths to live up their collective challenges. I notice he is using both stick and carrot which seem to be reducing the activities of the sect. But whether such approach can bring the menace under effective control is difficult to say now. Somehow, I still believe dialogue is about the most effective instrument that can rein in the menace. And this cannot take effect unless there is a definite policy on the part of the government which can convince Boko Haram to come out and embrace the offer of dialogue. This is because there is still the fear by members of Boko Haram that government just wants to use dialogue as a ploy to arrest them. I want to believe government must go as far as effort can go and bring the members of the sect onto the negotiation table.

    In what areas do you think Nigeria, especially the leadership, needs to improve?

    The leadership must know that they exist because of the people who should trust and have confidence in the leadership. Once the people believe the leadership lives at their expense without giving anything to the people in return, there is bound to be problems. So leaders must try and rewire the politics, reengineer our sense of justice, bring the people together to unleash their synergy, make mercy smarter, make hope more strategic, change our ways of doing things away from corruption, make people pay tax and dare the rest of us to follow. Motivation or inspiration is the instrument while social skill is the requirement.

    The onshore/offshore issue seems to have resurfaced with Northern Governors insisting that the issue must be restored in the constitutional amendment. What is your position?

    ACF has submitted its positions to the Committee of the National Assembly on the Review of the Constitution in which it said the forum is not opposed to derivation so long as it is meant to reward efforts or compensate for environmental degradation. Offshore exploration of oil is not a result of any effort by littoral states, nor does it degrade the environment of the oil producing communities. And so the proceeds of the offshore exploration of oil should not be included in the calculation of the derivation. When there is a very wide disparity in incomes between constituent parts of a country, it defeats the concept of nationhood which brings people together and enables them unleash their synergistic potential. Such a wide gap breeds instability rather than unity and stability. I hope you are aware that some oil producing communities in Delta State have demanded that their share of 13% derivation be paid to them directly, precisely because they feel short changed by their state government. Such demands suggest there is something wrong about the application of derivation to the extent that the PIB has another provision for Host Community Fund.

    In a communiqué at the end of your last meeting, the ACF talked of a Road Map to be implemented by stake holders as part of effort to address security challenges and problems of socio economy of the North. But the BOT chairman of ACF has said Vice President Sambo has no clout, that the northern governors are feckless while the Northern Leaders Political Forum is indifferent about the problems of security and peace in the North. Who then will implement the Road Map?

    I do not believe General J. T. Useni was reported correctly. Even in his personal views, the General is aware of how the VP led the northern governors who contributed to the success of the Arewa Conference on Peace and Unity. They all did so morally, financially and also organisationally. Other leaders like the former VP Atiku, ministers and members of the National Assembly contributed to the success of the conference. It is such efforts on the part of VP Sambo and northern governors that have inspired the ACF to reduce the resolutions of the conference to implementable Road Map, which we hope will be implemented by stake holders led by the Vice President.ACF is, therefore, very appreciative of the support by VP Sambo right from the time he was governor of Kaduna state. But if Gen Useni truly said what he was reported to have said about the VP, about northern governors and the Northern Leaders Political Forum, then we should concede to him the right of personal expression on issues of national importance. More so that he is a respected statesman and a seasoned politician.