By Daniel Kanu
Rights activist and legal practitioner, Monday Ubani, in this encounter with Sunday Sun, x-rays President Tinubu’s reforms, saying that no matter the pains Nigerians are going through if the reforms are well implemented they have the prospects of bringing democracy dividends.
He also speaks on the continued detention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and the need to adopt a political solution in his case. Excerpt:
The National Assembly is presently discussing the idea of endorsing state police. Do you think it’s a step in the right direction in terms of tackling present insecurity?
It is part of the solution; it may not be all the solution, but it’s part of it because the over-centralization of our security apparatus has not helped the security arrangement of the country. The Inspector General will be the one to give instruction in every part of the state. Remember, Nigeria is big, so let every state manage their own security outfit, even the local governments also, but let’s start with states. If a state is policed local government by local government, do you think there will be insecurity? Do you think there will be criminals disturbing the peace? As long as there is absence of governance at the local government level you cannot have security in the country. The governors are interfering and, in fact, have hijacked the local government administration, so there is no governance at the local level, so you should expect crime and criminality. We must take all proactive measures and if we do that Nigeria will be a better place for all of us to live in. Adopting, endorsing state police is a step in the right direction.
What is your view on the death sentence penalty for drug offenders being passed by the National Assembly?
I am not sure they have passed the law yet, because I think they are still considering it. The process of bill making is that after the first and second reading it goes to the committee stage in which case there will be public hearing. At public hearing there will be opinions expressed about the correctness of still having death penalty in our law book. What is there is to also consider why some other nations are going for long jail terms and trying to eradicate death sentence from their law books. Personally, I prefer rehabilitative method for offenders. If the offence is so grievous let there be life imprisonment for it. At least the person is still given an opportunity to live or maybe repent. And if the person has actually repented and they have found him worthy they can release the person rather than killing. This is because killing does not offer any opportunity for repentance. That is why most people are opting for the rehabilitative measure. But for now, the bill has not been passed as it will still go through the public hearing stage and then they will bring it to the plenary where they will vote on it. Maybe, if there is any strong reason we should not allow death penalty in our law books at this time of our humanity the Senate will decide appropriately. The Senate is made up of very able and serious-minded, competent Nigerians, they will consider all sides, and take a second look at it. But if after passing through the public hearing and they still feel strongly about the death penalty, well there is nothing anybody can do, which means they must have very strong reason to retain such. But, it has not been passed yet, so let us not continue to preempt until all the processes are exhausted.
How would you see the political crisis in Rivers State?
The Rivers imbroglio is something I think is very worrisome. The people of Rivers State wouldn’t have voted for trouble if they know that trouble will define the terms of governance. What they voted for is good governance and not the situation of a godfather and constant warpath thereby stunting the development of the state. It’s bad that you don’t even know the persons to trust, including the elders. But I think that the best thing that should happen is that if a governor is elected, the governor should be allowed to run the state. Now, if there is any agreement you have reached with your godfather and all that, you then look at it and see how you can accommodate it because I don’t know the agreements reached. But whatever it is, whatever agreements reached must not be at the detriment of the people and so the people are looking forward to good governance. Remember that the president of the country (President Bola Tinubu) has intervened and they reached terms of agreement, and all the aggrieved parties agreed to go back to make amends. Now the issue again is that by the time the governor came back some people were of the opinion that those agreement terms were clearly unconstitutional, I think some of the elders in the state. So, I don’t know whether the governor is toeing that line that since the agreement is unconstitutional that he is not bound to obey all the terms. So, I think the root cause of the problem is the issue of godfatherism. How do we eliminate it in our politics? How do we allow the people’s will to determine who governs? If the people determine who governs them the person who emerges will not hold any loyalty to any particular individual rather the loyalty will be to the people that gave their mandate by voting for the person of their choice. But now, it is obvious that Wike played a very major role in the election of Governor Fubara, so he now feels that he has a stake and you ask: what manner of stake? What does he want? Already, he has enough responsibility as the FCT Minister, so what is the problem? Is it the structure thing? I mean who controls Rivers State political structure…maybe. But two of them have not really told the world what the problem is. But whatever the problem is, my final conclusion is that both of them should sheath their sword and try to give the state good governance. If they have the good of the state in mind they should stop prolonging this issue. It is my advice.
Nigerians are really facing untold hardship that does not seem to be abating. Where do we locate the problem?
Why the hardship is there is that, when they came in they discovered that there was no much money in the treasury and that is the truth. The liability of external debt is so much, so you have to pay for those debts. That also led to embarking on one of the tough measures that the government did, which was the removal of fuel subsidy. So, they have removed fuel subsidy and then looking for some other ways to raise funds, the reason for the so much levy and taxes that we are subjected to pay, cyber security levy and all that. So, they are looking for money and this is causing so much untold hardship and nobody is smiling. The hardship came as a result of so much borrowing; they are just looking for a way to see if they can keep Nigeria afloat. Nigeria is not producing anything, you and I know. The only thing that we are exporting is crude oil and I understand that we have also sold some in advance, so you have to supply for all the ones you have collected the money. These are part of the problems and the government is trying everything possible to ensure they get out of it. In trying to get out of the problem, it might mean that there may be some level of hardship for the people and that is actually what we are facing right now.
Let’s have your brief assessment of the President Bola Tinubu-led government as it clocks one year in office?
I can say that they have been trying their best in terms of trying to address some issues. No matter how you look at it the issue of removal of fuel subsidy has been addressed sort of, but it’s just for the price to stabilize. When you consider that we are not refining, we don’t have working refineries that is a problem itself, but going by what the government is saying, I think before December one or two refineries will be operational and maybe, the issue of pressure on the naira with dollar will subside. The second issue again is that there are some economic measures that are now being put in place and if you don’t lay those foundations you will not be talking about reaping. So, I can see that the government is taking some key economic measures although it is affecting the people now in terms of impoverishing them, but I think there are prospects ahead. When we finish paying some of our debts, we will start generating some measure of revenue. All the revenue leakages they are trying to close them up and they are reducing/merging the ministries, which is ongoing. By the time they finish with some level of actions that they are doing now, in one or two years we should be expecting good democracy dividends. I am hopeful that if the reforms they are introducing are well implemented, there will be a shift to better things coming.
Most Nigerians say that those handling the clutches of power and leadership positions seem not to be leading by example in terms of their culture of waste. Do you share in that view?
I think that everyone in government at this period must make sacrifices. We must begin to reduce the number of convoys that accompany our government VIPs, so that the people will not feel that they are not living the sacrifice that they preach. I think that those in such positions should live what they preach. But some people think that money is still flowing among those political office holders and I do not think so. There is nowhere money is flowing. I have some people in government and they will tell you. They are also trying to tighten their belt because the money is no longer flowing.
What is your take on Nnamdi Kanu’s trial and continued detention?
I have spoken on the issue of Nnamdi Kanu several times and have pleaded with the current president (Bola Tinubu) not to toe the line of the last president (Buhari) in trying to put Nnamdi Kanu in indefinite detention and all that. Even if they want to try him the trial process must be hastened up to know whether he is culpable or not. But one thing I know is that the Court of Appeal that tried as to whether Kanu has committed any offence for which he should be tried, the court said there is none, especially the illegal way they brought him in and all that for whatever it is has actually nullified whatever they want to try him for. Now, having said that, I will want Nnamdi Kanu to be granted bail. I also want Nnamdi Kanu to undertake to maintain the peace. There should be absolute peace. Release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu through political solution. We must begin to advocate for change in our federal structure, Nigeria is being run as a unitary system and that accounts for some of the problems that we are witnessing as a nation. Let the federating units be developing at their pace with states controlling whatever God has endowed them with, then they pay interest, pay agreed something to the centre. Let’s run a fiscal federalism. We don’t need to kill ourselves just to realize our expectation, our agitation, not by fighting. My take is that Nnamdi Kanu should be granted bail and if there is any trial that wants to go on about Nnamdi Kanu, they should expedite the process so that he can know his fate on time. The government can also say: look, why don’t we use political solution to Nnamdi Kanu issue and release him and he will go on the condition that there won’t be any problem again, that everyone has leant their lessons. The country must recognize the fact that Nnamdi Kanu is agitating for equality, for justice, for things to be done properly where the average Nigerian will be regarded and treated as a full citizen, with full equal rights, where everyone has equal rights and equity, not discriminatory, that is all. The same justice meted out to a Northerner should also be done for the Southerner, because God knows the reason he brought Nigeria together. Nigeria is a great country with great potentials and we can maximize it to the benefit and joy of all. We must take economic measures that will make people happy, make people to be busy, make them to earn a living, give them good infrastructure, provide jobs and you will see crime and insecurity giving way. Take care of those basic things that will make people commit crime. Delaying Nnamdi Kanu’s release is wrong.