Comrade Abba Moro, Minister of Interrior was recently in Benue for a social engagement. In this encounter with journalists, he spoke on issues of politics, his ministry and many more. Uja Emmanuel was there for The Nation.
Would you give an update on your ministry’s efforts aimed at decongesting Nigerian prisons?
Well, the major problem we have had with Nigerian prisons has been this perennial problem of prison congestion. And various efforts have been under taken to address the issue of prison congestion in Nigeria. But unfortunately, these efforts have been mere scratches on the surface and they have not gone far enough to address the main issue of prison congestion. Today, in line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Ebelle Jonathan, we have attempted to confront this menace headlong.
As at today, I can tell you that out of 54,000 prisoners in Nigeria prisons, 37,000 of them, representing over 70 percent, are awaiting trial and most of them are on issues that ordinarily, if we had adjusted our judicial system, the issues would have been addressed long ago and the people either convicted or let off the hook for long.
I am afraid, some of these persons have spent longer number of years in the prison than ordinarily they would have spent if they had been allowed access to justice and have been tried and either convicted or released. And so, today, we are trying to address the issue from the basic roots.
Is there any synergy between you and some countries in trying to achieve this feat? This is because we learnt there have been contemplations to bring home close to a thousand Nigerian prisoners in other countries for trial?
I think you are referring to Britain specifically. At the moment we have five hundred and forty Nigerians in various British prisons. Also, we have a bilateral agreement with Britain on prisoner transfer which is awaiting implementation as a result of some legal hindrances that are being addressed by the National Assembly now. We hope that by the time these encumbrances of the law in Nigeria, especially the one that has to do with prisoner consent, are addressed by the National Assembly, then the implementation should start.
But before then, it became necessary, based on part of agreement that we have reached with the British government that joint efforts be made between the government of UK and Nigeria to address the problem of reasonable accommodation for prisoners that are likely going to be transferred from British and other European countries to Nigeria. So, today, in conjunction with the British government, we have been able to construct two blocks of prison cells in Ikoyi Prisons and work is at advanced stage towards the completion of the prison in Illorin. At Ikoyi Prison, work is also at advanced stage in completing the watch tower in that prison. So, in essence, it is true that we are working in conjunction with some foreign countries in order to improve the prison conditions in Nigeria.
Again, it is of public knowledge that your ministry has embarked on the construction of para-military villages across the country. How far have you gone with that project?
Yes, it is about six months now since Mr. President graciously laid the foundation for the construction of para-military villages across the country. As at today, about thirty states of the federation have allocated lands for the para-military villages and we are working on the remaining states. Of course, FCT has granted and that is where Mr. President laid the foundation.
So, for easy mobilisation and cohesion of actions, we embarked on this construction of these para-military villages with the hope that where officers and men of the various agencies in the Ministry of Interior especially the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps are accommodated in a common place, then mobilization for emergencies becomes a lot easier than if they are scattered in various places within the work place.
It is alleged at certain quarters that current cases of violence in the country is a calculated attack on leadership. How would you react to this?
There is no doubt that when issues like this occur, especially, the sectarian crisis in the North East that has no definable cause that is demonstrated by the leadership of that sect, the tendency is for people to jump into the inevitable conclusion that it is the leadership, the head of the state, that is being attacked.
When you put one and two together, coinciding with the period of this crisis in Nigeria, which aggravated immediately after the 2011 election that was disputed by some politicians, there is this tendency to extrapolate the reason to the level of characterizing it as an attack on the ship of the state. That it is the result of the utterances of the leadership of some political parties, especially presidential candidates of political parties that they will make the country ungovernable for the ruling party and the leadership of the country that has created this impression that people are holding so high.
Especially that Boko Haram sect and its members have not demonstrated enough courage, like other militant organisations, to come out openly t identify themselves as the leaders and members of the sectarian group and openly canvassing the reasons they are attacking the state. I think that while one may not conclusively say that this is a direct attack on the leadership of the country, all issues, circumstances point to that direction.
You are a Nigerian from Benue State and an Idoma in particular, do you think we need dialogue now?
Well, let me take you down the memory lane. By whatever name that you call it the issue of dialogue, the issue of sovereign conference, the issue of constitutional conference have been on the front banner of national discourse for sometime. Nigerians upon the institutionalization of the 1999 Constitution have always clamoured for a political frame work and its grand norm that is anchored on the ‘we the people of Nigeria.’ This is because there has been this general feeling that the constitution as it is today was the hang over of military dictatorship to Nigeria and that the average Nigerian did not make sufficient input into the constitution that is the ground norm of rulership in Nigeria .
So, from whatever angle you look at it, either coming from the South-West of Nigeria, from civil society organisations, from political activists and lawyers of some repute, there has been this call for some sort of conference that will accommodate some sections of Nigeria to discuss the future of Nigeria. The need for Nigeria as one cohesive, indivisible country should be addressed by Nigerians at a round table.
Considering what just happened in the Anambra State governorship election, do you foresee INEC delivering in 2015?
Let me say that the Anambra situation is an isolated situation that cannot be an iron cast barometer for measuring what will happen in Nigeria in 2015. Anambra State was there in 2007, in 2011 and elections were conducted by INEC in Nigeria successfully. In fact, the 2011 election was adjudged as the fairest and the freest election that we have ever had in Nigeria. So, today, I think that people who are using Anambra State and the elections that have come out of it now as a basis for instilling fear in the minds of Nigerians about the political prospects of Nigeria in 2015 are not good students of history.
I can tell you that from 1999, and I think up to date, and I stand to be corrected, Anambra State has not been able to successfully conduct a local government election. since the inception of this democracy,
Anambra State has had to do with caretaker committees in the local governments.
As far as I know, from 1999 to 2007, local governments in Anambra State were administered by Caretaker Committees appointed by the governor. And I can tell you that I was once a participant in one of the elections; congresses of Peoples Democratic Party for the mere conduct of ward and local government congresses for the PDP in Anambra State and it came inconclusive. And so, I think that INEC is just a little unfortunate in the present circumstances
