From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Chief Convener, Arewa Think Tank, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, believes strongly that the issue of the present hardship being experienced in the country is being unreasonably exaggerated and over-dramatized by people he referred to “greedy politicians” aided by “foreign collaborators eager to destabilise” the country.
He posited that Nigerians have forgotten that the majority of the people suffered a similar economic crisis during the Second Republic.
Just as the country survived the severe economic downturn during the Second Republic, Yakubu said that with the help of the Almighty God and the ardent support of Nigerians, the nation would witness economic turnaround.
In this interview, he spoke on other national issues and enjoined Nigerians to support and pray for Tinubu to overcome the challenges sooner than later, adding that there would be light at the end of the tunnel soon.
How do you feel about the hue and cry by Nigerians over hardship in the country?
This issue of hunger in this country has been over dramatised, with due respect to the few Nigerians who genuinely need support. The reason I am saying this is because if you look at the history of Nigeria since Independence, there has not been under any regime that the issues of hunger and poverty were not over dramatised. A case study is the Second Republic, when the late Alhaji Shehu Shagari was the president. It was so over dramatised by the opposition that the then Minister of Transportation, the late Alhaji Umaru Dikko got so angry and asked a question at the time: “Are Nigerians eating from the dustbins?” So, I don’t want us to over dramatise this and fall into the traps of those who don’t want the administration of President Bola Tinubu to succeed. That is why we should be cautious because all over the world, there are economic challenges, so we shouldn’t over-dramatise our own. I am not defending the government, I know that there are real issues, but let’s look at the genuine ones. We shouldn’t allow disgruntled politicians in collaboration with foreigners to destabilize our country. As at the time Umaru Dikko made that statement, the Naira was at par with the US Dollar. So, let’s see how we can give the Tinubu administration a breathing space and some time before we start coming down heavy on the government.
What do you think is the way out of hunger and poverty in the country?
On our part as a body, the Arewa Think Tank is suggesting to the federal, state and local governments that what needs to be done to ameliorate these challenges and tackle insecurity in the country is that the three tiers of government should act together and ensure that every local government in Nigeria sets aside N20 million every month to buy food and distribute to the most needy. If this can be done in the next three to six months it will go a long way to ameliorate this artificial food scarcity created by some very greedy politicians, middlemen and businessmen.
Many Nigerians have expressed different opinions on the socio-economic challenges. What is your take?
We are calling on our patriotic leaders all over the country to speak up, to douse the tension. They should not allow us to fall into the traps of those that don’t wish this country well. We need to have a country before anybody can think of aspiring to become a leader. We are not just supporting Tinubu per se, but the truth is that he needs our support for the country to survive. And we strongly feel that it is the responsibility of patriotic leaders and elders of this country to speak out because if they keep quiet, and the country is set on fire by those who don’t wish us well, including their collaborators from outside the country, it will all come back to harm all of us. So, I urge them to speak out. These are issues that we can all sit round the table and resolve. If we put on our thinking caps and we are patriotic enough (and without greed, sentiments, tribalism, religion and so on), we can solve our challenges. And it looks to us that the Tinubu administration is on the right path. All he needs is space and time.
Given the evident factors on ground, do you think it is possible for President Tinubu to make some progress?
Each time the Tinubu administration makes some progress, those who don’t want him to succeed create unnecessary crisis or tension to divert attention from that progress. The case study of this is the recent upgrade of most of the teaching hospitals across the country. Do you remember the last time this upgrading was done at all? It was more than 20 or 30 years ago. And this is a significant progress in the health sector by Tinubu’s administration. Instead of celebrating this, it was overshadowed by over dramatisation of our challenges that are not even challenging enough. So, once again I am appealing to Nigerians to give Tinubu’s administration some time because he is making steady progress. Like I said earlier, this upgrading of teaching hospitals across the country is significant in the health sector and that is what propelled the African Union (AU) to choose him as the champion in health administration.
So far many Nigerians are saying there is nothing to celebrate about this government? What can you say to this?
We are supposed to be celebrating milestones like the tertiary hospitals across the country including the idea of state police mooted by the Tinubu administration. These are milestones that we are supposed to be celebrating. The government has even given a timeline to ensure the upgrade project is completed within 12 to 18 months. And you know what that can do to the economy and the health sector of the country. My advice to President Tinubu is to remain focused. Tinubu should not expect that he is not going to face some challenges or trials. But what will keep him going is to stay focused. If he stays focused, he will surmount all these challenges by God’s grace. The president should stay focused and be more determined than ever before if he wants to succeed. He should never allow himself to be distracted. That is my advice to him.
There is this fear that protests against hardship may spread to the entire 36 states. Are you also of the same fear?
No, I am not. Rather, we are extremely excited and happy that we have been able to prevail on most of our youths within the North, particularly from the North-central, not to be brainwashed to blindly join any protest against Tinubu’s administration. We were able to succeed in prevailing on the youths to give this government more time. We are excited and happy that they saw reason with us. And they have rescinded their decision to join any protest blindly against the administration.
Some prophets have said that President Tinubu may not be able to overcome the economic hardship? What do you have to say?
All those doomsday prophets, prophets of doom and clerics of doom, all those who are prophesying that President Tinubu will not succeed, they too will not succeed and their prophecy will fall back on them. With the help of God Tinubu became the President of Nigeria and so with the help of God he will succeed and with the majority of Nigerians praying for him, he will succeed. Finally, we at the Arewa Think Tank want to appeal to good Nigerians, majority of patriotic Nigerians not to allow few disgruntled elements, the few politicians who have no base, few Nigerians who don’t want to see us succeed, should not be allowed to trivialise whatever challenges we have on ethnic and religious basis. It is not a North and South issue. Hunger does not know any region. So, we are appealing to Nigerians and our elders to speak up not to allow very few people to take us to unnecessary war.