In this interview with ADELEKE ADESANYA, the Secretary General of the umbrella Northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, Mr. Anthony Sani, says there is no wisdom in calling for restructuring as the only solution to Nigeria’s myriad of problems. He is of the strong opinion that the country has gone through series of restructuring, which has ended in failure. He also speaks on other issues of national concern, including insecurity and others. Excerpts:
Former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan and others appeared not to be in support of the declaration of June 12 as new Democracy Day. They were not present at the event. How will you react to this?
The absence of the two leaders during the celebrations of Democracy Day may not necessarily be that they do not support June 12 as the official Democracy Day. It may be due to other engagements. But if the absence is due to their lack of support, then it is hard to make out the basis for their decision to withhold their support.
As far as I am concerned, besides the civil war, the single event which threatened the corporate existence of Nigeria was the annulment of the elections conducted on June 12,1993, which was reportedly won by Chief M K O Abiola, who died in the course of the struggle to restore the mandate. And if the recognition of M K O Abiola as the winner of the elections and declaration of June 12 would bring about reconciliation leading to national healing and strengthen the unity of the country, I expect every patriot to support it. More so that 29th May has no any democratic significance beyond that of handing over. So, if their absence was as a result of withholding their support for June 12 as the new Democracy Day, I enjoin them to rethink and reconsider their position for larger national interest.
Nigeria is currently going through a tough time with the worsening insecurity in the land, especially violent attacks by herdsmen. What do you think is responsible for this? And what do you think is the possible way out?
The recent surge in insecurity across some parts of the country may be due to many factors ranging from terrorism through politics to economic consideration .As a result, it may be very necessary to analyse the underlying causes, which differ from zone to zone. For example, the underlying causes of banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling in the North West may not be self-same with the underlying causes of clashes between herdsmen and farmers as well as ethno-religious conflicts in North Central zone. Similarly, the causes of banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling are not the same with the insurgence of North East, which uses religion as strategy to recruit gullible canon fodders to attain mundane aspiration that are cast in the mould of jihad.
Also, causes for cultism in the South are not the same with the herdsmen and farmers saga.
Clear analysis of the underlying causes may inform appropriate strategy by the authority. For example, while hard power of military may put an end to kidnapping and banditry, it may not do so for the insurgence, which may need some de-radicalisation.
So, the authorities should come to terms with the reality that the nation is at war with itself and bring people together to enable them unleash their synergistic potential against collective challenges for common good. Towards this end, there is need for common national narrative, which comes with national solidarity against the challenges. A situation where some sections gloat over any bad moments suffered by our security agents in the hands of the criminals should be discouraged by sanctioning. Ethnic and religious colouration should not be given to clearly criminal activities, lest we provide platforms for criminals to shield themselves and perpetrate crimes, knowing how hard it is to prosecute ethnicity and religion.
There is need for adequately trained and well equipped number of police personnel to police the country. The panacea is not multiplication of security agencies but adequate number of trained and equipped police. This is because if the state police are not enough in number and not properly trained and well equipped, the situation would not change.
Nigerians are anxiously waiting to see the calibre of people that will make Buhari’s second term cabinet. What is your advice to President regarding the people he appoints?
President Buhari knows that there is no country that has enough resources to cater for its citizens. What most governments do is to cater for the majority. As result, effective governance is more an art of balancing competing demands among constituencies and among socioeconomic sectors than meeting the yearning of all the citizens all at the same time. And that may explain why he pledged to run an inclusive government in order to inspire sense of participation and belonging. We have no reason to doubt his resolve. The President also knows that he can impel progress only through multiplication of his strength through his cabinet. To that end, he needs people with both political exposure and technocracy. It is only by so doing that he can consolidate on what he has built and bring about a nation where politics, economics and morality can intersect for the good of all.
There have been several alleged connections and links between killer herdsmen and the Miyetti Allah group. What is your view on this?
I do not share the view that because some members of an organisation are criminals, then the whole organisation should be criminalized. It would not be right to criminalise Miyetti Allah for the sins of a few of its members. Similarly, it would not be justice to criminalise Afenifere because of the sins of few of its members. Also, we cannot criminalise Ohanaeze because of the sins of a few of its members. This is because the few members, who commit the crimes, do not do so on behalf of their organisations. We better avoid the practice of criminalisation of ethnicity and religion based on sins of few members, lest we provide criminals platforms for crimes that are difficult to prosecute.
Buhari and the APC recently asked the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to quash Atiku’s suit currently before them. How will you describe this demand in a democratic setting?
If the APC and the President have sufficient grounds to ask the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to quash Atiku’s suit, it is not illegal. In fact, it is within their democratic purview to do so, especially when regard is paid to the fact that democracy has to do with the rule of law.
On the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly, what are your expectations from them? Don’t you think they will turn out to operate as a rubber stamp?
We expect the National Assembly to know that their place in democracy is to deliver on the promise of democracy premised on a triple foundation of justice, liberty and common decency. To do otherwise may be anything but democracy. Once that is appreciated by the legislators, the issue of rubber stamping would not arise.
President Buhari recently said that religious and political leaders were behind insecurity in the country. What is your reaction to this?
The President may have his own facts. And if religious and political leaders think insecurity that brings about poverty is directed at the heart of liberty and freedom, they should note that the same poverty can be powder keg waiting to be ignited by indifference of leaders. Hungry people may decide to die, but resolve not to die alone.
Some elder statesmen are insisting on restructuring as the way forward in Nigeria. Do you subscribe to this? What are your opinions about this?
I do not see any wisdom in the clamour for restructuring as the panacea for the myriad of national malaise. This is because this country has undergone several restructuring, be it political, economic or geographic. We started with three regions, which became four with a weak center under the parliamentary system of government. The regions were abolished in favour of unitary system with strong center under military dictatorship. The four regions have been split to 12, 19, 30 and now 36 federating states with the national government balanced by appropriate state level power under federalism.
The economy has been restructured several times from state monopoly through mixed economy to Structural Adjustment Programme. There was privatisation under President Obasanjo.
So, if you consider the fact we have tried confederate arrangement with weak center under parliamentary form of government, we have tried unitary system under military dictatorship with strong center and now federalism under presidential system with the center strong enough to keep the country under one roof, but not too strong to tilt the nation towards unitary system as well as the fact that we have tried most of the models of economic development, then you can hardly avoid the conclusion that any further restructuring would be unhelpful. All that is needed is purposeful leadership and the best of every one. When people talk of true federalism, I begin to wonder which federal system can be considered true federalism that is universally accepted, considering the fact that no two federal systems are self-same.
