By Henry Uche

Former Sports Minister, now Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Public Communications and Orientation, Sunday Dare, in this Channels TV monitored interview argued that the  President needed more time to fix the country.

He opined that Nigerians need deeper understanding of policies of the Tinubu- led  administration. Among oher issues, Dare also talked about his tenure as Minister, his recent appointment and Tinubu’s role in the emergence of former President Buhari.

Some think your appointment is a downgrade, is it?

Is not a downgrade, it is a call to national service. I think the President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can summon anyone to play a critical role; it is a call to duty and that is why I said it’s a call to duty to help in the administration of this country at a time like this when we are going through reforms that are necessary. Being a former Minister and now a Special Adviser shouldn’t be an issue at all, because when you look in the past, we have seen Presidents call on Nigerians to come and play a particular role, and President Tinubu, beyond me, has also invited several other people who had held higher positions in the past. So, it’s a known issue. I think most important is that, for the President to repose that trust in me, the comeback can be part of what he is doing. That, for me, is what is the most critical. And I think that having been in government before, governance is a continuum you understand, and there are issues that have to be dealt with. You inherit certain things, and then you continue to reform until you have a country that functions the way we want to function. And I think every Nigerian should be ready to answer that call of duty from whoever is the president of our country, and right now, it’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and I’m glad to take on that responsibility with a theme that is already in place.

So, when you got a call from the presidential villa, and they said, hold on for the President, what was it that they told you?

There was no call, the President is my father. Recall, I had worked with him before. So, it was simply that it’s time to come and be part of this team. And even before then, the job of working for Nigeria had not stopped, I am a patriot. You don’t have to have a position before you can support your government. How many people can be in position?

You met him face to face, what did he tell you exactly

Well, basically he is somebody I know very well. I have had opportunity to work with him in the past, I have monitored his programmes and reforms, but beyond that, I know him to be an unrepentant progressive. I know that he places premium on good governance. I know he is a compassionate leader, but one that is unafraid to take risk, one that over time, has prepared for a time like this, because he was forced in the crucible of the struggle, but beyond that, he was also forced in the crucible of democratic governance, of bringing development to the people. So, he is somebody that is not unfamiliar with power. Is somebody that is not unfamiliar with the challenges that come with being in power and taking tough decisions. He is somebody who does not play to the gallery, I can tell you up front that he is not there for the applause!  He is there for history. He  is there to make sure that when the story of his legacy is written, they will say there was a president who, when it mattered most, did not shy away from taking those tough decisions and the annals of history throws so many leaders like him, who at some point, their policies were not popular, but after they had exited power, people see that. But I want to assure you, some of these policies we have ongoing is because they are necessary, and there is a sense of time in them. There is this saying, “You will have to take nine stitches down the road if you don’t take a stitch now” ‘ that is why they say, a stitch in time saves nine’. We are taking the stitch now so that down the road we will not take nine or more stitches.

Some were surprised at your appointment…

We must give the president the benefit of the doubt. Beyond being the president, I don’t think we have had anybody who has been well tutored and prepared, somebody who had the entire country as his political space, somebody who was engaged at different levels, the lowest levels of the ordinary citizen to the highest, both in intellectual and outside of the public and private sector. So, you must give him the benefit of the doubt to decide, to take that final decision, and I trust his judgment to say, these are the people I want to work with. And I said, I feel privileged that I was tapped.

Why Public Communication and Orientation? Being a journalist, at a time you went on exile as a newspaper journalist in this country…

I think when you look at the A to Z of communications, it is captured under public communication. When you talk about public affairs, you talk about media, they are all embedded in public communication. They are just different flavors. So, it’s not a deviation from my role as a journalist. I have been a journalist for about three decades, like you said, and we have worked together before at that time. So, it fits within my own professional area, but also fits into the desire of Mr. President to bring on people, not just in the media, but in several other aspects of governance, to bring on people that can add value, to join the team, to work together. And that is what has happened.

Were you called to salvage a situation that looks like is broken?

No, there is nothing broken, even though, of course, I had the opportunity of also looking in from the outside, as a media person, as a public policy person; the system wasn’t broken, I was not brought in as somebody to drain the swamp. So, let’s get that right. I was brought in to add value to the team that already existed and every government does that across the world. They bring in people. Some people are taken off. And I think that process continues, this President will continue to look for people who have the kind of talent he needs to achieve the goal and objectives and the policies he has promised Nigerians to implement. And I think I see it from that angle, for me, nothing is broken. Rather, this is to make sure that we accelerate and deepen the communication and education and democratize the public space when it comes to information. You know, let me tell you, no matter how sound the policy is, if it is devoid of an effective strategic communication plan, it’s going to fail. We have seen fantastic policies fail because of lack of a coordinated communication plan. We have seen some worse policies survive because the communication built around it is strong. But this time around, we have policies that are great and on a consistent basis, we must make sure that we explain these policies. Must explain what immediate impacts are, whether positive or negative. We must also set that expectant tone. Say it will take a year. It will take two years before this really materializes to what we expect, and that is the norm when it comes to communication.

It looks like you are being called to string together communication across the MDAs. What is your particular role?

The President believes in building synergy; the team, the communications, media, communications team around the President is a single unit. And even before I came on, the team in the villa with the Ministry of Information were working together. And it’s not about the physical location; it is about the value and the work you do. That is what is important. Physical location is not an issue.

You will be working outside of the presidency?

The question of physical location is not an issue for me as a core professional. Anywhere I’m placed, I do the work. That is one. Two; all these people in the ministry, the team in the villa, we work together because we have one principal, we have one single assignment, to communicate the policies of this government effectively to the public in the way that it makes sense, in a way that the citizens of this country come to the clear understanding that for these reforms that we are having, there is an objective, and it’s going to be a journey. My role is defined and it is no different from the work that the team has been doing. We are all professionals, the people I met on that team our parts have crossed; we have worked together for 20 to 30 years. It’s just that work is to make sure that we deliver.

Did you betray president Tinubu because it was seen as you betrayed him?

That is begging the question, the fact that he has brought me on, there is nothing like a second chance. No. Why would I betray him?

Somebody I served. For every appointment I took, I had his endorsement, I got his blessing at the first time, before I went to NCC, I got his blessing.

He said he was reluctant to allow you go.

I don’t know where you got that from, what I know is…

You were that powerful but it was assumed politically that you stabbed him in the back.

I never stabbed him. That was a call to national duty, and it was not without his knowledge. Let me explain. The APC is a party. You look at backup and look at the role Bola Tinubu played in the emergence of Mohammadu Buhari, and I can say clearly without Asiwaju’s role in forming the party, in making the platform to be there, in moving away  political alliances, to marches, a president Buhari will not have emerged. I talk about the resources, the intellectual works that you went into.

Were you the one who researched and propose Buhari to Bola Tinubu? Because he asked you and you were the one who convinced him.

He said I was part of it, and I was part of re- building the democratic image of former president Buhari. It couldn’t have been only me.

The formation of that party, the electoral victories we won in 2015 and the one won in 2019 had the writing and the imprimatur of president Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu. So, we are are a party, and beyond me, several other people were also invited, because we are working for all.

Are you regretting ever pitching Buhari to Tinubu?

I did not pitch Buhari to Tinubu!

You did, the President mentioned it in Lagos.

There is a difference between pitch and the difference between when we have a candidate, Sunday worked with others to make sure that this candidate is acceptable. That is the difference.

Some people convinced him, especially you -he mentioned your name

It wasn’t only me. There are quite a number of people. Well, let me say this, and I will talk on general level. You see, every government inherits certain things, and every government will also bequeath certain legacies on its way out. I told you, governance is a continuum.  Beyond the personality I rather want to deal with what are the policies, what were the challenges of that time? How did that government confront those challenges? And just as governance is a continuum, this is a developing country, we know that our resources aren’t enough to meet the things that we need to fix in different sectors. So, every government comes in, you make whatever effort you can make and you move on.

Some said they were disappointed by the Buhari eight years and you were part of it.

Well, you see it depends. Some people see the cup half empty. Some see the same cup half full.

What do you see?

Well, I think President Buhari came, did his bit and moved on, just like President Obasanjo. Don’t depart from that trajectory. Obasanjo came, did his bit and moved on. Yar’Adua came, did his bit and moved on. Jonathan came, did his bit and moved on. A Buhari came and moved on. And I think what matters is that we have in issues right now, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is there right now as the Commander in- Chief of the Armed Forces, with the requisite experience, and I dare say, with the requisite courage to take decisions, to press the button, to take those tough decisions that other presidents did not take. And my focus right now is the current;  how do we deal with this? How do we support this president who has shown clearly that he has chosen the road less traveled by other leaders; say, I’m choosing this road that is less traveled because I know this country needs this road.

That road chosen has left so many Nigerians in pain, penury and in poverty. Is that the right road for Nigerians?

Absolutely.

The man you call your father is leading Nigeria to a road of pains?

Not at all. History will not forgive you as a leader if you do not take any decision at all. That is one. Two, when confronted with challenges and situations, do you just hunker down and shy away because you want public applause? Let’s speak factual. You know the subsidy was draining this country. People were making billions out of it. Every president said they would stop subsidy, none of them did it. Let’s give this man some credit. We might not like it, but I acknowledge the fact Nigerians are facing difficult times but it is just for a period! That is one. He is taking some decisions.

How would he remove subsidy on the very first day in office, a critical item…

We still have a country. But let me also say, when we choose leaders, we put our trust in them to lead. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was elected, and he earned the trust to lead, and when a leader leaves, he must also trust his guts and his decisions, there are no perfect leaders anywhere. I feel the pains of many Nigerians, the president has said it repeatedly that he feels the pains of Nigerians. But it doesn’t stop there. He is doing something, and it’s important for us to face it; he has provided options. For instance, NelFund. There is a success story in Nelfund. There is a success story in consumer credit we have never had. There is a success story in CNG, other countries have options. There is a success story in the N110 billion for youth development in this country. I can go on and on. I can name at least 37 policies. This is a president that is responding. If you look at some of these policies, robust policies and policies let me tell you, the gestation period of policy to really bear fruit,  I m telling you check any economics book, is between two to five or six years. This is barely 18 months down the road. I think the President appreciates the sacrifices Nigerians are making, and he has not minced words either when he speaks extemporary or in his speeches.

But the economy is not on its knees, the economy is on its belly right now! Is this the Tinubu that you used to know?

Absolutely. This economy will rise. This is the Bola Ahmed Tinubu I used to know. Let me tell you this country, when he took over this country as president, was this a perfect country? Did we not have these challenges? Was he handed a perfect economy and a perfect country? Yes, he knew it before, he said, I’m signing off for a tough job. What he has been doing is trying to fix the problem. If you take your car to a mechanic that has a problem, the mechanics tells you, go away, come back. And if you wait there, you will see as they take it apart and then put it together. President Tinubu has found a few areas of our economy. I said is taking that way, when you talk about reforms. Reforms is that you move things around. That is what I’m saying. He is bringing on reforms in order to fix this country down the road. Let me say this, if you do not take the one stitch now to save nine, you will take nine stitches later. What President Tinubu is doing right now is saving this country from taking painful stitches down the road. And it takes courage to do that. You will lose popular applause. You will get abuse and attacks. But I think that I urge him to stay consistent in that process.

What do you say to those who believe this country is in trouble in the hands of Bola Tinubu and we are headed for a disaster?

This country under the leadership of Tinubu is headed in the right direction. This country needs fixing, and you have someone in charge who is ready to fix it. There are several other leaders and you know it’s important, because we are talking about leadership and leading countries that need reforms, they took very unpopular decisions, but there are decisions that are necessary and I said look at the surgeon, the surgeon uses very painful tools to carry out his surgery. Otherwise, the patient will prefer something simple and easy. But the surgeon is never distracted. He never takes his eye off the button. He does what he needs to do, stitches his patient together and down the line. And don’t forget, when there is a surgery, it takes time, painkillers come. It takes time for that surgery to heal. But what happens at the end of that healing process? You have a better person, you have a better hand, a better leg. And I say we must look at this. This country over the decade needed fixing. Don’t forget, even 20 years ago, we had certain sectors that are broken. Go back to energy, power. For instance, I will not call names here, but I’m saying that we have a Commander in- Chief, who said these problems, they need stitching now, but I will not talk much.

Don’t you think that this government is becoming rather unpopular?

I disagree. No, I don’t think so. I think what is needed is a better understanding on the part of Nigerians. That is one.

Are you saying  Nigerians have no understanding when they are in dire straits?

No, a deeper understanding and government is said to provide that understanding to say, we are on this part right now because we need to create a better country. That is one, that is very, very important. Secondly, here is a president, in spite of the reforms he has taken, he is mindful to provide options and alternatives, and that is what you get. Let me take PMS, for instance, in America for now, you have electric cars, because the pump price went up, three different grades . Electric is there, then you have CNG. Just in 2023, 33 percent of the cars in America ran on CNG. And it was a gradual uptick. It wasn’t a six month stay. We just started CNG, maybe less than a year. We are building the infrastructure. And it’s moving. What is important is there is progress in this country.

Is there hope in this country?

There is renewed hope. Like I said, you know, some people see the same cup; some see it half empty, I see it half full. About two months ago, he reduced the foreign travels of our Ministers. You know, personnel costs and others. Just last week, he also reduced the number of cars in the convoys and security duties around them. Those are costs saving efforts, because cost of governance is quite expensive. Again, you are seeing a president who applies himself to the issues and the problems that we have. He doesn’t shy away from it.

But he got a new plane, bought cars for and…

(Cuts in) That plane is not a personal plane. That plane belongs to the Federal Government. I think we should see beyond the purchase of the plane, sometimes we must focus on the substance of governance. You know, we can talk about cars and the rest, even if these cars were not bought, would they have solved the problem? Would they have changed the lives of millions of Nigerians? I think what is important is you ask, do you have a leader who is abreast of development, who is applying himself to the challenges, who is unafraid and bold enough to take these decisions, and who is ready. He said he is ready to follow through.

Bola Tinubu said the one thing he wants to achieve is to be the Lee Kuan Yew of Nigeria..

How many years did it take Lee kuan Yew to turn that country around? It took him nearly over a decade to do it. Now you are looking at just two years, less than two years, 18 months on the road. The framers of our Constitution, you must give them some credit. The framers of our Constitution, our presidential system, gave a first four year term and the essence of a second and final, eight years. There is some wisdom in that, because when it comes to governance, you can really achieve your plans. The first two, three years are the years of planting your policies and your reforms. It took …. 10 to 12 years to turn that country around. I’m saying, look, let’s give him the benefit of the doubts. It is just 18 months. We are hopeful for the third year. I mean I want to just encourage Nigerians to keep faith with the President. This is a man who like Awolowo said, ‘He burns the midnight oil when other men of easy virtue are cruising around.’ This is a man I worked with for seven years, and we slept at 5, 6 am in the morning.

So he has that strength to work all the night and sleep by 6am?

Absolutely! Yes because there is a job to be done. He knows Nigerians are suffering and he is doing something about that. I can reel out the data for you.