Dr. Gabriel Tivlumun Nyitse was Permanent Secretary Government House Administration until the end of January, 2014, when he voluntarily retired from the Benue State Civil Service to contest the 2015 governorship election in Benue State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Born on July 23, 1960, Dr. Nyitse who hails from Guma local government area, attended St. Anthony’s Primary School, Kadarko; L.E.A. Primary School, Makurdi; St. Patrick Primary School, Gombe; Community Secondary School, Makurdi; the University of Ilorin as well as the Benue State University where he obtained B.A English and Literary Studies, M.Sc and Ph.D in Mass Communication. He had carved a niche for himself as a fearless reporter and daring editor before being called to serve as Chief Press Secretary to two Military Administrators, local government caretaker chairman and eventually rising through the ranks to the highest point of a civil service career. He explains why he resigned from the service, how he deployed his various leadership positions to the benefit of the people, his priorities if given the opportunity to serve as Governor, as well as sundry other issues in an exclusive interview with uja Emmanuel.
What was the basis of your conviction such that you could resign as Permanent Secretary to contest election as Governor?
Some people think that probably I’m mad to have resigned or retired from the service as Permanent Secretary especially Permanent Secretary of the Government House to want to contest for the position of Governor of Benue State. There is always a time for decision making in one’s life. I remember this is the third time I’m resigning voluntarily, leaving a job. In 1987 I left teaching for Concord Newspapers willingly. In 1992 I left Concord for The Voice of Benue State Government willingly. And now I’m voluntarily retiring from service. It’s the way you think, the way you feel within you. I can say it’s spiritual about what you think you want to do. Now we’re talking about politics, about who leads Benue State come 2015. I’ve been around; I’ve worked at the level of management all my life. As a Chief Correspondent I was heading a state, as the Zonal Editor I was in charge of seven states, as Editor of Sunday Voice I was in charge of men and materials. As Editor of The Voice, I was in charge of human resources and materials. As Managing Editor in the same management up to the time I was Chief Press Secretary, to chairman of council and then Director and Permanent Secretary. So, at all these levels I’ve been in charge of men and materials and I’ve been close to decision making in government and I think that if I’m given the opportunity, I think that there are things that could have been done differently. I think if I’m given the opportunity I’ll be able to effect this change so as to impact on the lives of people. The decision to run for the governorship of Benue State is not selfish like I said before. Indeed it’s about making a choice. Only cowards don’t make choices. You must make a choice; you take a decision on what to do rightly or wrongly. If you are convinced take a dive like I’ve done. I can’t say tomorrow I’ll be Governor because only God can say but indices point to the fact that I’ve gone through the mill, I’ve gone through fire like gold and the more it stays in the fire the more refined it is, that’s what I am. I think if given the opportunity from all this background of my training and how I’ve worked and my capacity, if given the opportunity I will affect the lives of people differently and more positively. I cannot do that when I’m in service, you can’t so the best thing is to take a dive. I thought about it carefully even though my family has been agitated even now because I come home and they hear ‘Governor is calling you’, they are happy but it’s just for their own ends, it’s not for the people. But the decision I’ve taken to run, it’s in the interest of the people. God has been so kind to me, from nowhere to somebody in terms of background. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon, not even an iron spoon. I was born with nothing but God has been so kind. I had good education, I’ve had good training in terms of capacity building, publicly trained and today I think let me also give back to society what society has given to me. These are the reasons. But in terms of manifesto, this is not the time for it; you talk about the conviction first. You have to be convinced about what you think you can do before you can have reason to retire. I put in 22 years of service and I have seven more years or so to work so I would have said I would stay put when Suswam goes I will continue. But there comes a time when you have to leave and that time is now because I’m leaving for a purpose. I think I am happy that I’m leaving for a purpose. I’m leaving because I want to present myself to the people to offer enhanced community service.
How prepared are you for the governorship race?
Let me take the level of consultations. I’m not being immodest but I know that from those that are aspiring, some people have just started consultations now. I’ve covered the whole of Benue State. I’ve talked to people, individuals, I’ve been to communities, and I’ve talked to the people that matter. I’ve consulted widely but of course there’s still room, consultation is endless but I’ve done that sufficiently to convince myself that yes you can now step out which I’ve done. In terms of resources from the history of Benue State I was 18 or 19 when Aper Aku became the Governor of Benue State in 1979, that’s the year I left Secondary School, no rich man has won election in Benue State as Governor, none on account of money. So I have resources in terms of support. When people believe in you they support you. I have what it takes for people to believe in me. I’m not counting on how much, on a large war chest, no. Nobody with a huge war chest has won Governor of Benue State, from Aper Aku to Adasu who was a priest. When George Akume was contesting for Governor, I was caretaker chairman of Gwer West. I remember at several times people came that they were going on campaign we should fuel their cars and we did. There were some people that were contesting that were very wealthy and flamboyant and all that, they didn’t make it because the people said this is the person we want. So when the people believe in you that itself is resources. I have what you may want to refer to as social capital.
So, I’m not going into the race in terms of how much money I have. I don’t have because I’ve been a civil servant all through. I don’t have any money but I have all it takes. If people believe in what they think I can do then they will support me and that’s the tradition in Benue State so I’m not scared about money. Mentally I’m prepared in terms of capacity building. I’ve been sufficiently exposed and trained. As a journalist, I was an A class journalist, I have excelled in that area. As an administrator I think I’ve done well. I’ve been a Permanent Secretary for 12 years. What else can you have that qualifies you to be a leader? I’m not saying this out of pride. I know that if what it really takes to be a leader is all that I’ve mentioned then leadership recruitment is from these areas. You don’t just choose a leader, you must look at the person’s background, antecedents, what he has done, what the person can do. If you look at these things I think I fit in but all these boil down to God’s intervention. It’s not by my will, by my might or even by your own desire. It’s not totally within my control really but I think God has been so kind to me. I’ve gone through the mill, I’ve gone through the crucible and it’s for God to now anoint me if He so desires. It’s not about money but for other aspects of capacity building or leadership training, I think God has blessed me. In all areas that I’ve chosen in my life to pursue, I’ve excelled. I’m not saying this out of any pride. As a reporter I excelled, as an editor you worked with me, I excelled. You know my standards are quite high but I’m down to earth. I believe things should be done as they should, not really being saucy or corky. I could choose to be that but I’m down to earth, I’m a local man. I’m the son of a policeman so what else can you be? I’m not an aristocrat but God has brought me to this level so that I should touch the lives of people which I’m trying to do in my own way so I think given the opportunity, I’ll do my best for the state. I’ll change things around.
How have you deployed the leadership opportunities you’ve mentioned to the benefit of the people?
First and foremost I had two jobs in mind in my life but destiny took me away from them. I wanted to either be a journalist that I later became or a teacher. I was a teacher so I taught because I thought I could impact on people, mould their opinion, mould their brains, change their orientation, I did that for one year or two years as a corper and teacher. I taught in Padopads Harmony Secondary School, Makurdi, for one year and until now those I taught they say yes this is what I did for them. Of course I also went into the media and journalism is the only thing that can change society and that’s what I tried to do because I was an editor and as a gate keeper, the last gate keeper, I was able to do things that I thought helped the society. That almost cost me my job in The Voice because of those things that I thought I could do if given the opportunity and I did them. I remember twice I had to face the Benue State Executive Council on the stories I did. They felt it was a state paper. At a point I told the Governor, Rev. Fr. Moses Adasu; I said Father, I’m your editor, I’m your eyes, and I’m your ears. Give me the opportunity to work for you and Father said yes go ahead. People felt that I was being wild but I said no Father, as a Governor you cannot be everywhere, but me as the editor of The Voice and a reporter I can be everywhere so let me tell you what you don’t know. People felt that I was against government, no. If a commissioner at that time or a director general at that time did something that was wrong and I exposed him people thought that I was exposing Father or the government but I was exposing an individual who was doing the wrong thing. You knew exactly what happened and exactly what I stand for. At that level I was able to affect the society. I had issues because I felt that where I was as editor I should serve the people and not just individuals who were in government and that’s my stand. Of course I was a council chairman; I did what I could do within my resources for the people. I didn’t have money, there was no money. We were earning N2.7m a month as allocation and our salary bill was N4.5m so every end of the month I was beaten by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, that I had chopped their money, I didn’t, no. I didn’t have enough money to pay so we rationed departments, paid some and left some then the other month you pay others like that. But they felt that probably the money was coming andwas beaten by the he Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, that I had chopped their money, I didn’t, no. I didn’t have enough money to pay so we rationed departments, paid some and left some then the other month you pay others like that. But they felt that probably the money was coming andwas beaten by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, that I had chopped their money, I didn’t, no. I didn’t have enough money to pay so we rationed departments, paid some and left some then the other month you pay others like that. But they felt that probably the money was coming and we were diverting it but it wasn’t possible to divert government funds because the money was not paid to us, we never saw the cheques. It was from the Bureau of Local Government then to our banks and like that. Nobody saw a cheque during our time so you can’t say well a cheque was put in somebody’s account. Account numbers were given to state government where allocations were paid into and we used them. As for community service, I was able to touch a lot of my people. I’ve built a college for my people with my money. I established a community secondary school for my people and built a classroom block there for them. It’s not for me. But I’m not government, I was just a Permanent Secretary, I wasn’t a commissioner, Idary school for my people and built a classroom block there for them. It’s not for me. But I’m not government, I was just a Permanent Secretary, I wasn’t a commissioner, I was not in policy but I had some resources that came my way so I said fine if I share this money for people it can’t go round but if I build a school for them everybody will attend, their children will attend that school, so I built a school for them. I built bridges on some roads that I could with my resources so I’ve been involved in community development for a long time. I have a foundation named after my mother, Naomi Nyitse Foundation and all those things are done under the foundation. The bridges, classroom blocks and the medical outreach that I do every year for my people, all of them. My mother died in 2006 and because she was everything to me, without her I probably wouldn’t have gone to school and wouldn’t have been what I am so I have to keep her name alive so I have a foundation that I’ve registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and I’ve been doing things with my wife. A few months ago I went to displaced peoples’ camps in Daudu, in Isherev, and North Bank and I spent over half a million naira. Then in Logo when houses were burnt, we bought things over one million naira and went there and gave them to the people that were homeless. These things we were doing silently, there was no publicity because we are doing it in memory of our mother and her name should be respected. It’s not for politics but for the purpose of explanation, for the purpose of answering your question I have to say this for clarity. People that I pay their school fees I don’t say it. I’ve trained priests from scratch to becoming priests, people that I don’t even know, Igala. You remember the last time one Igala chap from Ankpa came and said mass for me. I met him at the seminary, he came to speak with me, I was Permanent Secretary in Information and he said he had problems. I took over his training until he became a deacon and then a Reverend Father, I never knew him from Adam. He came to say mass in my house so as to also pay back, there’s no honour like that. No amount of money can be equated to that mass that was said in my house by Father Jonathan. I came from Abuja that evening just for that mass. So I’ve been involved in community service at all levels. I’ve given myself for service all this while. As a journalist your job is service to the community. If you are a committed journalist like I am or like I was because I’m still a journalist, maybe one day I’ll be a journalist governor, governor journalist, who knows?
If by God’s grace you become Governor, what will be your areas of priority?
Benue is basically an agrarian state and the economy is rural but there are about four basic things that can impact on the people and change the economy. Those things are education, health, infrastructure, and youth empowerment. If these four aspects of our society are touched positively the rural economy will improve. If you have education there will be improvement, if the people are healthy they’ll work more. Then if you have infrastructure where movement of goods and services is enhanced the economy will improve. Of course youth empowerment means most youths; young men and women will get jobs, something to do. It’s not just a question of you will provide this or that industry, no. I’ve been involved in a study with a group of people in the last two years. We’ve been meeting; we held retreats in Akwanga, at Kini. We’ve met two times, we’ve met in Makurdi two times, we met just a week ago to fashion out this aspect and see how we can touch base on these key areas because most of our young men don’t even believe in the dignity of labour. Everybody wants to go to work in an office and there are no office jobs. The industries cannot work because there is no power. Anybody who says I’m going to establish this industry, that industry, it’s a pipe dream, it will not work. There are so many of them out there actually they are not working because there’s no power. If you use generators for four years you cannot break even so the factory is closed down. That’s the problem with Taraku, the problem with Otukpo Burnt Bricks, the problem with the fertilizer blending plant and all that. It’s not possible for you to break even and say that you will generate employment because there’s no power. Travel down to the South East you will see so many moribund factories that were working before but because there is no power they’ve ceased to work. But if you encourage young men and women, you train them in small scale enterprises like welding, vulcanizing, carpentry and joinery, photography, buy them cameras, teach them how to take photographs, get people to train them, the economy will get a big boost. If you are earning about one thousand naira everyday you are a rich man on your own, nobody can joke with you. But here everybody wants to wear shirt, put suit and go to an office, where are the jobs? The government cannot employ everybody and the factories government has established cannot break even so they cannot employ anybody. They’re dead. So we’ll focus on youth empowerment. There are models which I think we’ll work on, they’re there and we’re working on them. This is my initiative; I don’t want to say it here because I’ll be letting out a lot. But there are some models that we’re going to employ; they are models you find in Latin America. In Mexico they have employed them. If you go to Ghana they’ve employed these models and they are working. Even here if you go to Gombe these models are working for them. In Benue State now we are heading to a typical situation where it’s becoming criminal. You are building your personal house with your hard-earned savings; somebody comes there that you cannot build because you’ve not given them money, that they are youths. For heaven’s sake you’re building your house and you’ve either taken a bank loan or if you are a civil servant, a thrift scheme or borrowed money from whatever source or this local bam or adashi then somebody comes to say give me money because you’re building a house. You’re not extracting any mineral resources, you’re not degrading the environment so what right does the man have to come and ask you for money? But they’re doing it now in Makurdi because they are largely uninformed and ignorant so it will be the duty of my government, God willing when I come in, to educate them on these things. People in the Niger Delta are talking about youth militancy, yes they have oil but we don’t have oil here, we don’t do anything but you want me to take my money and give you because I’m building a house, it won’t work. So we have to find a way of engaging them and there are models that we’re going to employ.
Do you have any specific package for media practitioners?
This is an area that I feel very concerned. First I’m in love with journalism. It’s the only job that I think can open any door for anybody if you do it well. So having been a product of the profession it is my primary constituency so we’ll start from home. If you look at the state of our state-owned media apparatus, The Voice, Radio Benue and Benue Television, sad! That’s the statement I can make, sad. In fact, Radio Benue cannot transmit up to Gboko now as I’m talking to you, not to talk of Otukpo. But if you’re working for people, people should know what you’re doing. You have to mobilize people to support the government, if you want to educate the people on government policies you’ve got to use the media, so media is central to the success of any society. I don’t want to use government because media is central to the well being of any society, the world over. So we have to concentrate on reviving Radio Benue, refocusing The Voice and reviving it. I registered the Benue Television as Permanent Secretary, Information. I got the license for Benue Television so I know what the problem areas are; up till now Benue Television is not transmitting, why? That can be done in six months; that television will transmit in six months if I’m Governor because I know what the problem is because I was involved from the beginning. But you see people think that anybody can become information manager. That’s the most abused sector of our economy, it’s the media. Anybody becomes Commissioner of Information; anybody, but it’s not supposed to be so. Information management is not about talking to the press alone, it’s not about granting interviews; it’s much more and only somebody who is trained, who understands the dynamics and the nuances of the press, of the media that can be a successful information manager. People like to be Information Commissioner because they will see them on TV but they don’t know that there’s work to be done; that is one area. Of course we have to make the environment friendly for media practice to flourish either as independent practitioners or as government media practitioners or as correspondents, everybody. There must be a minimum basic that will be provided for people to actualize their potentials. We’ll do that; create a friendly environment where interactions between government officials and the press are highly liberalized. The point is there’s always suspicion between government and the press, it’s a long standing history that it’s difficult to remove it but we will try. The head of the government must give a direction that everybody will follow. I remember very well I was editor during Father Adasu’s regime. I say it because even though there were elements that were very reactionary but there were also elements there that would allow us and say let’s come and talk about government. Say what you want to say and give us a chance to also defend government. So there was an intercourse of opposing views and ideas and it was healthy. We enjoyed the job because these things prevailed and I think if given the opportunity this environment will also prevail; where the media is allowed to flourish, two opposing ideas are allowed to actuate and let the people see. The danger the government faces is because they want to be secretive. You cannot be secretive, government is for the people and when the people know what you’re doing, they sympathize with you more even when you go wrong. But people become very apprehensive and very unsympathetic if you are hiding things from them and they discover it. So these are things I know as a journalist because I’ve been in the position before. I’ve been both a practitioner and as a media manager so I know that given the opportunity as a Governor I should be able to balance these scenarios or these situations because it will benefit the government more if there’s a liberal media in the state and I think we’ll encourage them. But I also abhor what I would refer to as blackmail kind of media. You don’t just hold us to ransom because you can write a story therefore you have power, no. Let’s go by the ethics. Say what is right, give us the chance to react, give the government the chance to be heard and do it as it should be. Don’t twist the game, don’t change the rules of the game and if you do that, if you allow the government also, there’s this free flow then of course everybody will be happy. The practitioners too will have their own way, the government too will have its own way and the society will be better for it. And for me there’s no way there can be government without press. You know what Jefferson said.
Coming from the bowels of the Benue State Government House, as it were, you must have discussed your ambition with Governor Gabriel Suswam, did he anoint you?
No, I wasn’t anointed or I’m not anointed by the Governor. Dr. Suswam is a very visionary person, very calculative in decisions. I spoke with him on my desire to participate in the politics of Benue State to the point that I want to be Governor. He said I should go ahead and talk with the people and consult widely and that he was listening and watching all of us that are interested so that at the end of the day he would also consult with the Benue people to take a decision. He didn’t stop me but he didn’t anoint me. Those who he didn’t want them to contest he asked them not to. Of course he didn’t stop me and he has not anointed me either.
