One of the conveners of the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance (NINAS), Prof Yusuf Turaki, has faulted the belief in certain quarters that the Federal Government is overwhelmed by the security challenges in the country.
In an interview with VINCENT KALU, the Middle Belt leader said the government merely lacks the political will to deal squarely with insecurity. He also stated that if zoning of political offices is deemed irrelevant, like some politicians have said, then the quota system, federal character and so on should also be discarded so that everything in the country can be done on merit. “Let everything – admission, employments and recruitments – be open for competition,” he noted.
Your group, the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance (NINAS) was talking tough over a new constitution before 2023 elections, but nothing seems to have happened in this regard. Some people said you were mere attention seekers and looking for relevance?
NINAS declared a Force Majeure on December 16, 2020, on account of constitutional dispute. Many highly placed Nigerians and national opinion leaders have spoken against the Nigeria 1999 Constitution. The emerging negative and ugly trends as reflected in its understanding, interpretation and application are rooted in its faulty and fraudulent foundation and the manner it was crafted, contrived and imposed upon Nigerians by the military regime, which violated the normal process of correct constitution making. Ethnic nationalities, which pre-existed the colonial creation of Nigeria, were the primary indigenous federating units that were sidelined in the process. The elite class that drafted the constitution did it on account of military dictatorship, which ignored the indigenous and rightful owners of the Nigerian lands and peoples. Multitudes of negative national social issues have engulfed Nigeria, thus making the Nigeria 1999 Constitution not conducive and viable. The drafters infused two incompatible ideologies into the Nigeria 1999 Constitution: Liberal democracy and Islamic theocracy. This conflictual definition of the Nigerian State led to the creation of the Caliphates states in the North with a long term consequences of national crises, conflicts, insecurity and violence. Our march towards nation building and national integration has been halted. The net-result is what Nigerians are facing now: endemic corruption, moral, social and spiritual decadence and institutional and social decay. The Nigerian fulcrum and pendulum do not tend towards law and order, but disorder. Nigerians are yet to define themselves in terms of human development, given natural and creational values of equality, justice, rights and freedom, but of the dark demonic vices of wickedness and unprecedented inhumanity. As a result, Nigeria does not have a national ethic (a national ethical structure) to moderate the conduct, behaviours and social practices of Nigerians. The call for a new constitution for Nigeria is a legitimate one as Nigerians are not satisfied with this default, the Nigeria 1999 Constitution. NINAS could not be faulted for speaking the truth and also expressing the strong desire of Nigerians to have a better Nigeria Constitution that can become common-ground of defining the Nigerian state.
The call was simply a prophetic voice and it was up to Nigerians to heed it. If Nigerians have known what is best for them, the call could have been effected by Nigerians themselves. As usual, people in power hardly listen to a prophetic voice. In fact, they hate it to the core. You alluded to government reaction to such. Know that its negative reaction cannot erase the truth or quench the thirst of Nigerians for a better Nigeria constitution.
The government seems to be overwhelmed, as the North-West and the North-Central continue to bleed. How can this end?
To say that the government is overwhelmed, is to belittle the might and power of government. Nigerians strongly believe that the Nigerian Government as a constituted authority and power is capable of dealing with all forms of insecurity within its boundaries. Nigerians also strongly believe that the present Nigerian Government simply does not have the political will. This governmental weakness has made Nigerians to conclude that the apparatus and the machinery of government are in cohorts with non-state actors that are terrorising and ravaging Nigerians. With the increased ferocity and prevalence of terrorists, jihadists, bandits and kidnappers, this is a clear witness of government incapacity or unwillingness to address the issue of insecurity.
The UAE last year named Nigerians financing Boko Haram, but government has done nothing to prosecute them. What’s your view on this?
If the role of the security agencies, like DSS are to sniff and comb the Nigerian social environment, so as to checkmate criminals and offenders of the state, what makes it so difficult to handle revealed cases? When a government sends revealed and known cases to oblivion, it speaks cynicism, connivance and collusion of hidden interests. This is an irony of corruption, preferential treatment, defence of sacred cows and hypocrisy. When such happens, truth, justice and integrity are sacrificed on the altar of divination. Then falsehood and deceit become normative and a trade-currency. Propaganda is a popular means of casting a spell over people and dosing off their consciences.
Zoning is trying to tear the country apart, with the North and South at loggerheads now. What is your position on this?
The political culture of Nigeria was founded upon three major pillars: Ethnicity, religion and region. These primal social factors are good in themselves but are corrupted by human self-centredness and pride, greed and lust, and anxiety and fear. Nigerian politics has been captured and enslaved by corrupted ethnic values, religious values and regional values. Are Nigerian politicians capable of creating national political values that can transcend the corruption of ethnicity, religion and region? This is the predicament of self-centredness. It creates an impasse and a dead-end.
Your question is in the area of regional politics: North versus South. If Northerners cannot yield to Southerners and Southerners cannot yield to northerners based upon self-interest, then voting becomes a controversial election. The one who wins may not get the backing of the loser. They have locked-out themselves. In such a stalemate, an impasse and a dead-end, the wisdom of casting a lot prevails. The two parties usually agree on the tossing of a coin, head or tail, as it is done in sports and in ancient times. Fate or luck is embraced by either partner and this settles the matter. In case of acrimony, this is the way out. The fear that should one powerful and influential politician lose an election, he could use his tail to bring down the stars from heaven. If this is the case, use casting a lot as the way out.
In your candid opinion, which zone should produce the president?
I have stated earlier that Nigerian political culture is based upon three pillars: Ethnicity, religion and region. In this question, we are dealing only with the regional value. The other factors, ethnicity and religion are also dominant in Nigerian politics. Besides these three, there are other candid factors. All political factors must be evaluated and analysed and then a good informed choice could be made. The choice between zonal champions and universal champions is problematic because of stigmatisation and name blaming.
The North argues against zoning, saying it should be open because of its numerical strength, but the same North supports the quota system and Federal Character that take care of the weak. Is it not hypocritical or a contradiction?
If the presidency should be made open, then let everything – admissions, employments, recruitments be open for competition. The arguments from both sides, that is, North and South, are arguments rooted only in regional self-interest. They are simply variant and divergent opinions. Nigerians need a better realistic and reasonable criterion for making political choices.
Is it not this kind of mindset or thinking that is fuelling separatist agitations across the land?
A nation that has strong negative maxims and values of discrimination, marginalisation, prejudice, injustice, biases, preferential and differential treatment, or stereotyping, could be plagued by crises, conflicts, violence, or insecurity. There are many socio-political factors that can trigger self-determination, cessation, or insurrection. Separatist agitations are usually deeper than politics. Ethnic, land, religious and cultural considerations usually are primary foundations of politics.
For 2023, we have yet to see a Middle Belt aspirant, especially Christian. What’s your opinion on that?
Politics of regional representation aims at closing the gaps of political participation, alienation, or marginalisation. Political choices are based upon these major social factors, among many others: ethnicity, religion and region. Some appeal to ethnicity, others appeal to religion, while others to region. In the end, it is the outcome of social and institutional dynamics that prevail and not political preferences. Sometimes, political choices are made against political preferences. This is the predicament of the Middle Belt. Where is the Middle Belt in the political equation of Nigeria? This is mainly determined by the political dynamics of the North versus South axis. Their plight is rooted in the British colonial refusal to create the Middle Belt Region. Self-interest and fears of the powerful political brokers are the major obstacles to the full emancipation of the Middle Belt.
The North is opposed to restructuring, rotation of power and so on. What does the North want?
We need to understand the social factor of dominance in politics. The political dominance of the North is as a result of its landmass, population mass and religious power and influence. The Middle Belters, that is, the non-Hausa-Fulani-Kanuri, have a larger landmass and also have a very large population. The 2014 National Conference addressed the question of restructuring. New states were proposed and passed: Amana, Savannah, Gurara, Edu, Kainji and Apa, all in the Middle Belt areas. The old English Cameroons in both Adamawa and Taraba states would have the status of a state. Thus, the Middle Belt stands in need of restructuring more than any region in Nigeria. They can use the Reports of the 2014 National Conference and its proposed new states as the basis of political campaigns and 2023 elections.
Bishop Matthew Kukah has alleged that President Buhari has divided Nigeria on the basis of ethnicity, region and religion. He said the president has destroyed Nigeria and promoted corruption.
You used the word, “alleged” and it sounds as if the Bishop was accusing the President unfairly. The Bishop was not the first to rehearse this narrative about the president. There is nothing new here. They simply read the practical script written by the president’s policies, practices and the attitude of both himself and his administration. The presidency knows more about these socio-political facts about the president than the Bishop. Many Nigerians have said bad things about the president that are worse than the Bishop who was just reading the already written scrip by the president himself. Every Nigerian is capable of reading Mr. President. I hope that those aspiring to replace the current president are not going to deceive Nigerians by making campaign promises beyond their capabilities. The current president made bogus campaign promises, which he could not fulfil. Once a new successor is not a transformational political leader, he may perish with his campaign promises, just like his predecessor. No one gives a building plan to someone who is not an architect. May Nigerians never repeat this type of a political mistake again by hoisting another incompetent president. The days of political gambling should be over.