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•Says President comes across as tactical, strategic, but his lieutenants have sense of entitlement
By Henry Umahi
Agu Gab Agu is a professor of international law and jurisprudence. He is a distinguished author and former Dean of the Faculty of Law at Enugu State University of Science & Technology (ESUT). He served as the Director of Studies at the ESUT School of Professional and Legal Education, specialising in international humanitarian law and family law.
In this interview, he talked about Maduro’s capture, insecurity, tax reform policy and Muslim-Muslim ticket, among others.
Excerpts :
As a professor of international law and jurisprudence, what is your reaction to President Donald Trumps capture of Venezuela’s President, Nicolas Maduro, and the latter’s trial in an American court?
The issue of the invasion and the capture of Maduro is morally reprehensible and does not have support in international law. The sovereignty of every territory is supposed to be respected. But the Americans say their citizens need to be protected. They feel that the presence of Maduro in his country is causing them much harm and tension because of the allegation that he is into oil, drug deals and others.
So, they felt they would take him out. Then the issue of independence, you know, of the election there. The elections that were conducted were not in accordance with due process and best practices, and that he edged out the opposition violently. So, the Americans may have been looking for him.
And moreover, the issue of oil. It is not that America needs the oil, even though they are the greatest. They rather want to know how Venezuela distributes its oil. A situation where Venezuela takes its oil to China and other places makes them unhappy. China takes most of Venezuelan oil. Cuba also takes plenty. They feel they should regulate it, because when you allow China to have control over the oil in Venezuela, you strengthen China more. But when you reduce the quantity of petroleum going to that country, you put them in a more difficult position, and then there will be room for negotiation and conversation.
So, it was in Americas best interest to see that some of these things were done. They feel they are saving the world, because the drug trade is causing so much harm to a lot of people. And a leader is supposed to think about his country, because one person’ s right ends where another persons right begins. So under the law, no, it was not right. Morally, it may look wrong, but on the other moral divide, some people feel it may be right to do that. It is not lawful, but it is a way of trying to contain some tyrants. And I think there are some good lessons.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) says Trump’s action in Venezuela is a lesson to Nigeria. Do you agree?
I don’t agree with the ADC when they say it is a lesson to Nigeria. We don’t have that kind of thing here, and we shouldn’t take a position that suggests we are inviting that kind of action to Nigeria. We should at least be very patriotic and look at the issues as they come. We are not inviting Trump to Nigeria. We will be able to get our things done by ourselves. However, it is still a lesson that anything can happen, so people are supposed to wake up and do what is right. That is the lesson. But it is not a lesson that we are inviting Trump to put his boots down in Nigeria.
Considering that the opposition seems to be in disarray, do you think the 2027 presidential election will be a walkover for President Tinubu?
On the question that the opposition seems to be in disarray, I dont think it is founded in reality. It takes time for groups to get together. The APC has power now. People are watching them. Bees go where the honey is. Everybody goes where the oil is. That is why everybody seems to be moving to the APC. But that is not to say that the other parties PDP, LP, ADC will not put up a good fight. No. I think they will put up a hard fight. It is going to be a very good election. All we pray for is that there should be a level playing ground whereby every party’s position is respected and the votes count. Once the votes count, anybody who wins should be celebrated, honoured for winning. But it is not going to be easy. It is not going to be a walkover for the president, and he knows that. And he has been working. I think he is a strategic person. He has been putting his eyes where it matters. But I don’t support trying to dislodge the other parties. If that is what the APC has been doing, it is not a very good practice. But the other people should not allow themselves to be dismembered so easily. Those who are joining, like you asked why they are joining, everybody is going there to get something. It is not that most of them have anything to offer.
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Why do you think everyone is joining the APC?
Some people are taking it as a cover and a shield for their miscreant behaviour and the gross misconduct they have been involved in. They rush to the APC to get protection. And that perception appears to be a reality. Most people who have found their way into the APC have evaded prosecution, or if there are proofs, we may not hear much about them again. For now, they seem to be enjoying some relative victory maybe a pyrrhic victory. Who knows? But they are not being questioned now. Maybe they will be questioned later, when they have outlived their usefulness.
What are your thoughts about Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2027?
Nigeria has not been putting so much emphasis on Muslim – Muslim ticket. But the elites are expressing concerns about the difficulty of that ticket. I think Nigeria is going to a situation where those who are good enough should be allowed to take their positions, even though there is a need to balance things psychologically, so that everybody feels represented and nobody feels marginalised. Muslim-Muslim ticket, we have been on it for two years and nothing has happened but it will be better if we have Christian-Muslim, Muslim-Christian ticket so that everyone will have a sense of belonging. A country that is as fragmented as we are, there is need for everyone to feel that they are part of the nation.
Is Christian genocide real?
What we are seeing about Christian killings or genocide, whether it is real or not, everybody has the impression that Christians are being killed. Of course, Muslims are also being killed. But if you look at the numbers and the pattern, it appears that Christians are suffering it more. And when you go down to some other states like Benue, it appears whole Christian populations have been eliminated. There is no way you cannot think about that. Even though genocide is a very strong word, when you wipe out a whole population without just cause, that is what it is.
What’s your take on the reformed tax policy?
On tax reform, I dont have anything against it. All I pray for is that whatever tax is collected should be used for development of the state and ploughed back, so that people will see the benefits of their tax and enjoy those benefits. You don’t tax a dead man. You don’t tax somebody whose road is bad and whose business is dying, and then you tax him again. If you fix the roads, improve security, and allow him to move around and do business, why wouldnt he pay tax? Other countries survive on tax alone. They dont have oil and all those things, yet they are getting better and better. So why cant we? But taxation should be humane. Of course, multiple taxation should be eliminated. What are they going to pay the tax on? That is the position. So that you don’t have a situation where the rich will enjoy richness while the poor continues to suffer in the state of poverty. It is not helpful. It doesn’t make for a good country. But the reform tax policy has benefits. It should be encouraged.
Insecurity is a major issue in Nigeria now. What is the way out?
On insecurity, foreign collaboration may help in getting us out of the woods. During Christmas, everybody enjoyed some relative peace when the Americans stormed Sokoto and showed their might. People knew they could be picked up wherever they are. There are certain things that the army can even do. The problem is political will. Once you are a commander and they start asking where you are coming from, there is a problem. You saw what happened to Ihejirika. Some people feel pained because of the official bureaucracy. The people are not fools. They know what they are supposed to do, but they feel afraid because they don’t know who they are reporting to and what the consequences will be. But a situation where everybody knows that crime is crime and everybody goes out to stop it nobody should be allowed to tolerate kidnapping, banditry, Boko Haram, or any of these things. They should be taken out immediately.
The people who come to help us don’t care whether you are Fulani, Igbo or Yoruba or anything. What they want to know is who is causing trouble, and they take them out. And that is what is expected of the security forces.
What is your assessment of the Tinubu government?
As for the Tinubu government, well, he is bold, but I think he needs a better way of communicating. There are some people in government who, by the way they talk, they don’t relate to the people. They talk above the people, and they have some sense of entitlement. That is not correct. He comes across as somebody who is tactical and strategic at once. But his lieutenants should cue into the kind of idea he has. I like some of his decisive actions in certain issues. But it is still early days. Let us wait and see. Let me not preach. Let us see what goes on.
