General Zamani Lekwot (Rtd) is not given to much media appearances. He has spent all his life in the military, from military school to becoming a General. Along the way, he was Military Governor of Rivers State (1975-78), Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna (1979-82) and General Officer Commander of 82 Division, Enugu. He was also the Nigerian Ambassador to Senegal, with concurrent accreditation to neighbouring countries. In this interview, he calls on political office holders to put the interest of the nation first above self-interest, the mistakes made by former President Muhammadu Buhari, how President Bola Tinubu started well and how to end banditry in Kaduna State and his thoughts on the political impasse in Rivers State. Excerpts:
You turned 84 in July. That means you saw Nigeria as a youth at independence. If Nigeria is a human being, it means Nigeria has turned to a full blown adult. How do you see Nigeria at this stage, an old country at 64 that cannot take care of its citizens? Was it the dream of the founding fathers of Nigeria of today where people are crying of hunger?
Well, the dream of our first political godfathers was to work for the unity of the country. None of them believed in accumulating wealth, people like the late Awolowo, Zik, Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa and others. They served us selflessly. Of course, they were groomed up by the British. I know the legacy the British left us with in 1960, October, when we got independence, was based on their model at home because we had the English, the Scottish, the Welsh and the Northern Irish. So, that was what they left here.
One mistake our political forefathers made was in 1958. The British set up the Willink Commission to solve the minorities’ problems and they asked the political fathers for two years, to delay independence by two years in order to sort out the minorities’ problems. But those political godfathers said no, grant us independence, we shall solve the problems. The British conceded, but after independence, they didn’t do anything.
Of course, the only thing they did was to create the Midwest State.
The Middle Belt Region, the Calabar, Ogoja and Rivers Regions were not created. That explains why we have the problem. Now, when the January 1966 Coup took place, the regions were dissolved and everything was centralised. That contributed to why we are suffering today.
“Happily enough, with the departure of El-Rufai, who once confessed that he knew where these bandits were and what they were doing, we now have relative peace because the present governor is more mature and more objective”
However, in 1967, General Yakubu Gowon established the first set of 12 states in order to stabilise the situation. But the real problem is the unfortunate reluctance of the political class now in charge to respect the constitution and their party constitutions. Yes, we shouldn’t be going through what we are going through.
The military tried to restore democracy. For example, the local governments were created in order to bring government nearer to the grassroots. So, instead of two tiers of government, the federal and state, we now have local governments. But what do we see? Some governors don’t allow the local government to run by sitting on their rights and the funds.
Having been a former governor, GOC and ambassador, one can rightly say that you have seen it all. What do you think can be done to turn Nigeria around?
We have to put the interest of the nation first. Some of the things killing us are tribal and religious sentiments. Some politicians seeking for political office either use tribalism or religion. Happily enough, religion should not be a problem because the constitution allows for freedom of worship.
Number two, once elected and they get there, instead of serving the system, they are serving themselves. You see, they are serving themselves, which should not be so. Budget made for projects, in some cases are shared and nothing happens. That should not be the case.
The judiciary has been interfered with, so what we need to do is to reorganise the judiciary, reorganise the security set up – the DSS, the Police. If they do their jobs and the judiciary applies the law, we will be out of it. So, happily enough, in the system – the executive, the judiciary and the legislature, we have graduates, educated people who know what to do.
But lack of political will and selfishness, these are some of the attributes that are making our system not to work. We have to find a way of holding the political class to account. That is not there at the moment.
As a former GOC of 82 Division, Enugu State and other parts of the South East that have been overtaken by hoodlums, what do you think can be done to check criminality in that region?
Many people have made their comments on this issue. Clearly, yes I agree unemployment has rendered many youths as materially available for that unfortunate situation. Secondly, law enforcement should be brought in place and, of course, dialogue is part of the solution. And of course, the security people should do their job.
They should do more than what they are doing in order to address the leadership of those organizations that are causing the trouble. At the moment, people break the law and nothing happens. So, deterrence is not there. The problem can be solved if properly handled.
Kaduna is one lovely state people loved to visit in the past, but not anymore because the state has been taken over by bandits. Do you still visit home as a result of banditry?
Happily enough, with the departure of El-Rufai, who once confessed that he knew where these bandits were and what they were doing, we now have relative peace because the present governor is more mature and more objective.
He has decided to embrace every nook and cranny of the state which El-Rufai, his predecessor, didn’t do. So, people are happy now that in line with the oath of office he took, he now sees everybody in the state, including those who didn’t vote for his party, as his subjects. So, consequently, we have relative peace in Kaduna now. The kidnappings and banditry have waned.
But do you still visit home?
Yes, I visit home. I can’t abandon my home. That is my cultural heritage. Once in a while, I visit.
But what exactly do you think caused banditry in Kaduna and how can it be remedied?
The banditry in Kaduna is not different from what is happening in other parts of the country. Alright. The bandits are a lawless group of people who attack rural communities, harass them, collect their goods and maybe, kidnap people for ransom. So, what is happening in other parts of the country is what is happening in Kaduna.
Now, the suggestions some people have offered to the government is that their hideout should be attended to by the security people in order to drive them away. But the bandits also have agents in the urban centres who feed them with information, petrol and even food.
The security people should run those people out in order to cut the link between them and the bandits. If they stay in the bush without food, water or whatever, they will surrender. So, much more needs to be done in order to rob them off the resources they use to harass people.
But better still, as some people have recommended, the unemployment queue should be reduced. Happily enough, after a week of disruption in power supply, it has now been restored so that industries and local businesses can continue with their activities which will make more products available in the market to address the hunger and high prices of things.
The military has been drafted to curb criminality across the country whereby in the past, this was the work of the police. What can be done because the military is not also succeeding in that regard?
The military are not trained for that. Even the roadblocks they dabbled into, that was because the number of police available is short. So, the solution is to recruit more manpower into the police. Happily enough, every year, hundreds and thousands of graduates leave the universities, no jobs. So, if massive recruitment is made, more police will be available for deployment. Consequently, what the soldiers are doing will be addressed.
“Tinubu started very well except for the mistake he made by announcing fuel subsidy removal without a plan because the Buhari regime had made a plan and paid for the subsidy up to the month of July”
The APC government has been in control at the centre for nine years after blaming the PDP for ruining Nigeria for 16 years. How do you rate the nine years of the APC now at the centre?
There have been problems. First, the APC as a party made promises during their campaign in 2015, like restructuring. But when they won the election, they kept quiet. There has been no restructuring. Two, instead, things are getting from bad to worse – this banditry you are talking about. Yes, the kidnapping for instance, although it has waned, but once in a while you hear that it is taking place.
Then, the APC as a government, made some promises that they have not fulfilled. Some people are even questioning the rationale behind it. But as an elder, yes, I don’t rush to make decisions. I watch to see the trend of things. So, as an individual, I am prepared to give the APC an opportunity to fulfill their promises because that is the only way out.
There have been trading of blames, with some saying that what we are suffering today was caused by the administration of your friend, former President Muhammadu Buhari. What do you have to say about that?
Yes, Buhari made a lot of mistakes. The high opinion he rose on to become president in 2015 soon collapsed when he started performing below expectation – Boko Haram, banditry were heightened. There is no doubt about the fact that his failure to fulfill his promise led to what you are talking about. And then, as a president, he had the right to sack people who were not performing. He didn’t do it until eight years passed and he walked out.
For instance, as the Minister of Petroleum, all our four refineries died during his time. How come he didn’t resuscitate at least two and they started depending on importation? The question of fuel subsidy also.
His tenure of office raised more questions than answers until he left.
So, that is the situation. Why it was so, we don’t know, I don’t know. But it shouldn’t have been so.
Would you say Tinubu is on the right track?
Well, Tinubu started very well except for the mistake he made by announcing fuel subsidy removal without a plan because the Buhari regime had made a plan and paid for the subsidy up to the month of July. He assumed office in the month of May with extra time. All he needed to do was to lie low, study the system and then examine the implications. He didn’t. He just made an announcement and the oil marketers took undue advantage. This, in my view, was the mistake.
What is the way forward because the cost of living is very high, fuel is very expensive, people are running out of the country and there is criminality everywhere?
The oil subsidy removal led to the increase of prices because the fuel spent on vehicles that convey these things to the market went very high. Well, we hear contradicting views about these issues. Whether we like it or not, sacrifices are necessary. Nigerians have been wasteful in a way. So, the positive part of this fuel subsidy removal is that some Nigerians have been forced to reduce the number of cars they put on the road.
We even heard from the news media that the fuel consumption percentage has been halved. It has also led to the smuggling of our petroleum products outside the country to be stopped. The commissioning of the Dangote Refinery – that will make five refineries if you add the smaller ones. So, we should be able to produce enough fuel to satisfy the local market so that the foreign currency used to import is saved. So, what we need is reorganisation for the leadership to be more responsible. Once we do that, then the price will come down. At the moment, it is not the case.
We hear that some Northern leaders are planning that President Tinubu will not return for a second term in office in 2027. Are you part of them?
No! No! Tinubu has some good ideas given his experience from Lagos.
The only problem is the degree of the problems he inherited. The Buhari regime failed in many areas. Tinubu’s emergence and then managing the system has become problematic given the fact that what is happening here is happening in other parts of the world.
Of course, the peculiarity in Nigeria is the question of crude oil. We are not able to explore up to the maximum we are entitled to, which means our people just do half a percentage. And then, the oil thieves in the Niger Delta – what they are doing affects oil production and so forth. So, the number of problems Nigeria has, has shown that we need more competent hands to do the job. Of course, we have to establish more means of combating corruption. That is one big monster that is affecting our progress.
Rivers State which you once governed as a military governor has been in crisis for some time now and you have been silent about it. Why?
Well, being silent is politics. Number one, I don’t have the facts. But what I heard people saying, from what I get from the print and electronic media is that Wike, who sponsored Fubara to the governorship office, is quarrelling with Fubara. Now, that should not be so. Being the mentor and the person who brought Fubara in, he should have a large stomach by realising that what is happening is going to affect the Rivers voters.
Does it mean you don’t have any intention to wade into the crisis to settle them as an elder statesman?
I have not been invited. If I were to be invited, yes, I will hire other officers who had the privilege to serve in Rivers State, put our heads together and then, call on the governor, listen to him, offer advice and then call on Wike also. But without that invitation, no, it will amount to delving into waters that we cannot control.
Sir, your comments show that you are already biased about the situation. Don’t you think so?
Bias how? Well, Wike must have sponsored Fubara into office and Wike being an elder statesman, being the senior, should know when to sheathe the sword. This is what I mean because if you are the governor of Rivers State, being hamstrung like this, what will you do?
So, sheathing the sword and dialoguing in the interest of the Rivers voters is the solution. And Wike has made his point. There is no need to remain dogmatic by doing what is going to hurt the system.
Do you still have hope of seeing the Nigeria of your dreams during your lifetime because you are over 80 now?
Yes, I am 84. My dream is for God to touch the hearts of our political class to put the interest of the masses first into action. So, only they can do it. It is a question of patience and patriotism. The question they should ask themselves is, how is what they do promote the growth of democracy? It doesn’t, it doesn’t. They are supposed to be democrats, they are supposed to work according to the party constitution and the nation’s constitution. But from what they do, individual likes and dislikes are what is happening and that should not be so.
