• How banditry in Nigeria started with seizure of Fulani’s ancestral lands in Zamfara
ELDER statesman, Prof Usman Yusuf, has
said that the Nigeria’s economy is in the
Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with high infla-
tion, high debt burden and costs of serving
it, dwindling foreign reserve, high cost of
governance, insecurity, persistent corrup-
tion among others.
In an interview with VINCENT KALU,
the former chief executive of the National
Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and a
Professor of Haematology-oncology and
bone marrow transplantation, called on the
government to as a matter of urgency ad-
dress the drivers of insecurity first, if it ever
intended to tackle the security challenges in
the country.
What are your views on state of the na-
tion?
These are very challenging times for
Nigeria with a nose-diving economy, ris-
ing inflation, biting increase in the cost of
living, insecurity all across the land and a
president whose legitimacy is in question.
Unfortunately, there is nothing reassuring
in the horizon that things will get better.
Nigeria at 63 is still sharply divided
along ethnic and religious lines. Why?
How do we get it right?
Nigeria is not sharply divided along
ethnic lines as you put it but, the nation is
getting increasingly divided along socio-
economic lines. The sufferings inflicted on
citizens in the last five months by President
Tinubu’s government are equally affect-
ing all citizens regardless of their ethnicity,
faiths or geographical origins.
One had thought that with the coming
of a new government, and new service
chiefs, the insecurity in the country will
abate, but it’s escalating. Why?
There will never be security in any so-
ciety without addressing the drivers of
insecurity – corruption, bad governance,
poverty, hunger, rise in the cost of living,
illiteracy, drugs abuse, youth unemploy-
ment, proliferation of arms. This and previ-
ous governments have been in denial about
the presence of these drivers.
No military in the world can bomb away
poverty, illiteracy, hunger or grievances. I
have said it again and again that all state
governors bear huge responsibility for the
current state of insecurity in the country
because they control its drivers. They have
worsened poverty by emasculating local
governments by holding onto their funds.
What should the government do to
solve the problem?
The state and federal governments must
as a matter of urgency address these driv-
ers of insecurity first. Also, the governors
should work collaboratively and consult all
local stakeholders because all problems are
local and the solutions must be found lo-
cally.
The government is talking about di-
rect foreign investments. With the security challenges, do you think foreign
investors will be eager to come in?
These same drivers of insecurity will
scare off any foreign investor. Nigerian
governments have been financially irre-
sponsible with pervasive corruption and
bad governance which are turn offs for for-
eign investors.
The Minister of Defence was quoted as
saying that communities can negotiate
with bandits. What does it portend for
the federal government to abandon its
responsibility by allowing communities
to negotiate with non state actors?
The primary purpose of government as
enshrined in Section 14:2b of the constitu-
tion clearly states that: “The security and
welfare of the people shall be the primary
purpose of government”. It is the failure
of the government to protect citizens that
has made individuals and communities to
resort to negotiating with terrorists (IPOB,
Boko Haram, bandits) for their own secu-
rity.
Some states are now resorting to creating
state sponsored armed militias. The dangers
of these are many: Firstly, extrajudicial kill-
ings of the innocent. Secondly, the gover-
nors will create an armed militia that will be
more powerful than the police or the mili-
tary. Thirdly, the governors will be using
this militia to intimidate political opponents
and perpetuate their cronies and parties in
power. Fourthly, the spectre of Sudanese
RSF militia currently fighting the military
should be instructive to our leaders. The
federal government should increase the
size of the military by massive recruitment
instead of allowing these militias.
Recently, scores of university students
in Zamfara states were abducted. Also,
about eight NYSC members mobilised
to Zamfara, who were kidnapped in Au-
gust are yet to regain freedom. How long
must this continue? And what should be
done?
It is very sad and depressing that we are
still seeing this more than nine years af-
ter the Chibok School girls’ abduction by
Boko Haram in 2014, which led to the gov-
ernment coming up with the policy of safe
schools initiative meant to protect our chil-
dren especially in conflict areas. It means
the federal, state governments and security
agencies have not learnt anything. The gov-
ernment should spare no efforts in rescuing
these girls and reuniting with their families
as soon as possible. Security should be
beefed up in all our boarding schools.
As a way of halting the herders’- farm-
ers’ clashes, Tinubu said he is going
to purchase land to establish ranches.
What is your take on this?
What started banditry in Nigeria was
the illegal seizure of the ancestral pastoral
lands of Fulani by a previous government in Zamfara State. Climate change and pres-
sures on resources like land and water are
behind these clashes. Responsible govern-
ments should find ways to mitigate these
drivers of conflicts. Resettling cattle herd-
ers and providing their cattle with pastures,
water and veterinary services will go a long
way in dousing this tension.
Some people are calling on the govern-
ment to engage foreigners to fight inse-
curity. Will that not amount to surren-
dering part of our sovereignty? What is
your view on this?
This issue of engaging foreign private
military contractors (PMCs) has been
brought up during the Buhari administra-
tion but was rejected. There is a history
of President Goodluck Jonathan engaging
South African PMCs to help in the fight
against Boko Haram. Those involved in the
process said these PMCs made a significant
contribution to the war. I do not see any
benefit of engaging them now but getting
foreign help especially with drones will be
a welcome addition.
Some sections of the north are accusing Tinubu of nepotism, that all the juicy
appointments have gone to the Yoruba
in the South-West. Are the Fulani and
northerners being treated well by the
president, considering the massive sup-
port for him from the region?
Yoruba and Fulani are just two of hun-
dreds of ethnic groups in Nigeria, why are
you talking about them only? I opposed
APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket from the
outset because I said that our politics must
reflect our diversity. President Tinubu’s on-
going appointments have not reflected our
diversity; they have been shamelessly too
top heavy in favour of his ethnic group that
is only one out of the six geopolitical zones
of the country. This is not only insensitive
but reckless and dangerous especially com-
ing from a president who lost his home
state to the opposition and got only 10 per
cent of the eligible voters in a still contested
election. Leadership requires wisdom and
humility; I see neither in President Tinubu’s
rash of appointments. He is either poorly
advised or he is showing Nigerians who he truly is.
What is your position on the certificate
saga of the president and the allegations
of forgery made against him by the for-
mer Vice President Atiku Abubakar?
It is now patently clear to the nation and
the world that President Bola Ahmed Ti-
nubu allegedly committed forgery, perjury
and identity theft. Nigerians should not lose
sight of the real issue here which is: Did
President Tinubu present a forged certifi-
cate to INEC when he filled his documents
to stand for the February 25, 2023 election
as the president of the federal republic of
Nigeria? The answer is unequivocal yes.
This is a clear violation of SECTION 137
(1J) of the 1999 Constitution which clearly
states that: (1) A person shall not be quali-
fied for election to the office of President if
– (j) he has presented a forged certificate to
the Independent National Electoral Com-
mission. The National implications are that
President Tinubu is now a wounded presi-
dent with severely challenged legitimacy
which will severely distract him from con-
fronting the pressing national issues of in-
security, a nose diving economy in a much
divided nation among many others.
Internationally, especially in the USA
where he does not have any immunity,
President Tinubu will be a wanted crimi-
nal who has allegedly committed forgery,
perjury and identity theft on its soil. Ni-
geria’s standing internationally has been
diminished and is very embarrassing to all
Nigerians.
President Tinubu should take the path
of honour by apologising to Nigerians and
resigning now. Failing that, the House of
Representatives should immediately com-
mence impeachment proceedings to remove him from office. The former Speaker
of the House of Representatives, Salisu
Buhari did the same in 1999, when he was
caught lying about falsifying his age and
presenting a forged certificate purportedly
from a Canadian university. Also, the for-
mer Senate President, Evans Ewerem was
hounded out of office in November 1999,
after barely five months in office on the al-
legations of whether his real first name has
an “S” or not (Evans or Evan). So, what is
good for the goose should also be good for
the gander.
Some people noted that Tinubu is per-
forming very well, and should not be dis-
tracted with this certificate issue. What’s
your reaction to this?
The people saying this must be living
on another planet. Nigerians have been put
through a lot of pain and sufferings in the
five months of Tinubu’s rule. People are
hungry, angry, can’t pay their children’s’
school fees, can’t transport themselves to
work and you are saying Tinubu is per-
forming well?
Ethnic sentiments have been intro-
duced into the Tinubu certificate saga.
What is your take on this?
That is absolute nonsense, I know for
a fact that Yoruba, the ethnic group he be-
longs to, are good and decent people with
a very long history and civilization. No
Nigerian, Yoruba or any other ethnic group
would be proud to be associated with this
national and international shame. It is Tinu-
bu’s apologists that are bringing ethnicity to
distract attention from this criminality and
violation of the constitution he swore under
oath to uphold.
Has the Judiciary not been put on trial
over the Tinubu certificate issue?
Yes, the eyes of the world are on the Ni-
gerian Judiciary. The Judiciary is an honourable, independent coequal branch of
government that I have no doubt will up-
hold the tenets of the constitution.
It was reported that fuel subsidy is
back as the federal government was said
to have paid N168 billion in August on
fuel subsidy. But the federal government
denied that. What is your opinion on
this?
There is no doubt that the fuel subsidy
regimen operated by previous governments
was a big scam that was not sustainable.
But the way that this government removed
it without having measures in place to
mitigate the sufferings of the people was
wrong. All this flip flop about whether it is
gone or not says volumes about how un-
prepared this government is to handle the
removal and its consequences.
What is your view on the fuel subsidy
palliatives that the federal government
through the states is distributing to fami-
lies?
A palliative is defined as an action that
is intended to make the effects of a prob-
lem less severe but does not actually solve
the problem. I am very saddened to see our
people turned into destitute in their land of
plenty. It is an insult to Nigerians to line up
to receive cups of rice like one would see
handed to refugees in war-torn countries
like Sudan, Yemen or Afghanistan.
The Naira, last week was described as
the worst performing currency in West
Africa. What can the government do to
shore it up?
The Naira is now on a free fall and I see
nothing that will stop this fall in the chaotic
economic policies of this government. In
an import-dependent nation like Nigeria,
the continuing fall in the value of the Naira
fuels rise in inflation which worsens the
cost of living. So, Nigeria’s economy is in
the ICU with high inflation, high debt bur-
den and costs of serving it, dwindling for-
eign reserve, high cost of governance, inse-
curity, persistent corruption among others.
A crisis might be brewing in the FCT,
as the minister has warned herders not
to come near the FCT. But the herders
dismissed him. Are we not set for a con-
frontation?
My candid advice to FCT Minister Wike
is to calm down; Abuja is not Rivers State,
where he reigned supreme. He needs to
consult widely and do things with wisdom.
He needs to know that historically, the FCT
was the largest cattle reserve in this country.
So, we encroached into this reserve without
providing alternatives for these herders. Ni-
geria has enough trouble on its plate and the
FCT minister should tread carefully.