.Says Buhari’s Performance Disappointing
.Speaks On His Position On 2019 Polls
Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa Musa was born on 21 August 1936 in Kaya, Kaduna State. He studied at Zaria Middle School between 1947 and 1952. He also studied at the Institute of Administration, Zaria from 1952 to 1953. Musa was an Accounts clerk from 1953 to 1955. He was a school teacher from 1955 to 1960.
He also held various managerial positions related to accountancy from 1960 to 1976 while studying at different colleges in London to gain additional qualifications. He was elected Governor of Kaduna State in October 1979 on the platform of the People’s Redemption Party, PRP. However, he was stalemated by the Kaduna State House of Assembly, which was dominated by the National Party of Nigeria, NPN, members. He was unable to form a cabinet since he refused to nominate NPN members and the House refused to ratify his candidates. Eventually, he was impeached by the House in June 1981, making him the first Nigerian state governor to be impeached. Musa later said he was impeached because he planned to have the state open small and medium-scale industries, and this would deny the NPN members the opportunity of establishing their own enterprises.
Now over eighty, Balarabe Musa is the chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, a coalition of opposition parties.
A Marxist, he refuses to play Polo describing it as “the game of the rich and powerful, of neo-colonialists”.
Musa, however, continued to be active in politics. He was the PRP candidate for the Presidency in the April 2003 elections. However, without even enough money to buy posters, he was not successful. In this interview with The New Diplomat’s Associate Editor, Laolu Adeyemi, the octogenarian spoke with characteristic candour on sundry national issues, from the cause of the recession and the way out, incessant herdsmen attacks, child marriage, the clampdown on judges to child marriage.
How do you see the recent arrest of judges in Nigeria, some allege witch-hunting?
We can dismiss the allegation by saying that the action was a move to preserve and protect the legal profession. It is squarely protecting the law of which the judges are part.
The arrest of the judges as part of the anti-corruption crusade is justified because every institution in Nigeria is riddled with corruption. And if corruption must be fought, it must cut across all the institutions in Nigeria. So, no institution should be left out, either Judiciary or any others. At least 70 to 80 percent of all institutions in Nigeria are corrupt. Corruption being the root of the negative situation in Nigeria must be dealt with. Corruption is the root of all problems in Nigeria and we must deal with it.
Some people alleged that President Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade is being selective, what’s your take on this?
This could be happening and there are indications that it is even happening. But that does not mean that anti-corruption campaign should be stopped. There are cases where innocent people are dealt with but the crusade must continue. For example, an allegation has been made that some of the judges affected by the recent arrest were those who have passed judgment against the government and this is not impossible. Yet, that does not mean that the crusade against corruption should be stopped. We found cases of innocent people being involved because when we fight corruption, corruption must certainly fight back.
What do you think is responsible for the current recession in the country?
The system and political leadership are responsible. It is the socio-economic and political system that control all development in the country. The leadership produced by the system. It is the system and the leadership that is based on self-interest and made public interest secondary or even incidental. It is the system and the leadership that has made self-interest as primary and public interest secondary. This is the root of the level of corruption, stealing and criminal waste of resources.
The negative situation of the country can only be addressed my revolutionary measures. Not necessarily by violence but through fundamental changes. And the best starting point is to bring about a leadership … (that ensures) peace, equality, justice, the dignity of the human person and progressive development of the whole country.
When you say Revolutionary measures, what do you mean by that?
For instance, we can have revolution measures through a political leader like the president who is strongly based on the law and moral of the people. A leader who can engineer fundamental changes peacefully by inspiring the people. Another form is by constitutional measures. If we have a revolutionary National Assembly leadership that can engineer revolutionary changes through the law. Just as a patriotic president can engineer the changes through inspiring people, the National Assembly can follow suit.
We can also have fundamental changes through the army. Of course, we have never had such changes in the history of Nigeria but other countries once had it. Army brought about the fundamental progressive people’s based changes in some other countries e.g Ghana.
The fourth one which is the best is when we have a recurring revolution. This is the revolution starting from the most marginalized section of the country. That is, the vast majority of the common people whose from at least solving the myriad of the problem facing them. Problems of poverty, lack of education, health problem, housing problem and the problem of peace. The lowest section of the Nigerian population suffers from these three areas of disabilities. If they are pushed too far, they can embark on the revolutionary hazard. Revolutionary change can come from the people???
The persistent allegations against the presidency, ranging for lopsided appointment by Buhari and the comment of Aisha Buhari on a Cabal taking over Aso rock; what is your position on all of these?
The allegations by Nigerians on lopsidedness of appointment by Buhari, his incompetence and so many other things may be justified. But I dismiss the comments by the president’s wife because this is not what is expected of any wife that cherishes her family life. She can justify what she says if she was to be in active politics. But her comments were based on what she doesn’t know. I condemn the statements and it is out of regard for the family. She is not an active politician, not a minister, nor the Vice president.
But how would you assess the performance of the president in the last one and half years?
His performance is very disappointing! Very disappointing!! Very disappointing!!!
Why?
We can see the economic situation of the country. The cost of living is intolerable. The prices of goods have gone above 100 percent increase. A bag of rice that was sold for N8000 when he came in has skyrocketed to N20000. The prices of all consumables and other items have gone above 100 percent increase within one year and there is no indication that there is a determination or policy to solve the problem. Instead of thinking about how to increase productivity, the president is toying with the idea of borrowing money from overseas.
What is your take on the reasons the Senate gave for opposing Buhari’s plan to borrow from abroad?
The turning down of the Senate should not just be on the technical ground but should also be on other moral grounds. They ought to have turned it down not just on technical issues but also on some other issues. For instance, we suffered recently from the heavy foreign debts and had to deal with it during under Obasanjo time. We paid the debt then and we even built our foreign reserve. But now we have depleted it and we want to go and burrow.
The action of the National Assembly of turning down the request for the loan is commendable, patriotic and should be supported by all Nigerians. But it should not be based on technicalities only. It should be based on the interest of the country. We have just gone out of foreign debt during Obasanjo regime and if we go into another one; the suffering might be intense.
Don’t you think Buhari’s performance might scuttle the chances of the North in completing its tenure of eight years come 2019?
We are not concerned with the northerners, we are concerned with humanity, we are concerned with the well-being of Nigerian people and the state of the nation.
Are you not perturbed that the Northerners might forfeit their chance in 2019 from the way things are going?
It doesn’t matter to me. What matters to me is peace and progress in Nigeria. Peace and progress of Nigerians. It is the humanity that matters to me.
Are you saying you wouldn’t vote for another Northern candidate different from Buhari in 2019?
I wouldn’t vote for any Northerner unless he is the best candidate in Nigeria. We voted Buhari, 2003, 2007 and 2011 because we considered him to be the only candidate with least risk. The role of money in Nigerian politics makes it impossible to choose the correct leader. During that time, Buhari was not the ideal choice; we considered him the least risk.
Though we voted because of that; he is no longer the least because of the way he mishandled the affairs of Nigeria and brought the nation to this situation. He has not been able to do anything to correct anything.
How do we now ensure the Northerners complete their terms in 2019?
We are less concerned with that. We are concerned with the peace and progress of Nigeria. We are concerned with a candidate that can perform in the government of Nigeria regardless of where he comes from. Somebody who will change the socio-political and economic system of Nigeria for better. Somebody whose interest is majorly in public interest. The way forward is to change the bureau of government in the economy.
Are you going to fold your hands with all Northern leaders and forfeit the 2019 ticket?
First of all, For God sake, please don’t connect me with northern, eastern nor western leaders. I have nothing to do with regional leaders. I am for Nigeria and I am for humanity.
Don’t you think that the Security agencies and Military should be probed over the herdsmen attack all over Nigeria?
I am of the opinion that there is a criminal conspiracy between the cattle rearers and the security. I have a personal experience as evidence of the conspiracy because my cattle were stolen by the cattle rearers. These cattle were stolen from an area within the military zone because my farm is situated within the Military Zone. As a matter of fact, the Military had once claimed that my farm is within the military zone but I never enjoyed their presence for once. As far as I am concerned, the government should probe the activities of the military and other security agencies on the nefarious activities of cattle rearers, kidnappers, Boko haram, and robbers. They should be probed because some of these nefarious activities are carried out under their nose.
What do you think is the way forward out of the current recession?
The first way forward is to check the system and the political leadership it produced. The political leadership produced by the system which is based on selfish interest should be checked. The best way to go is to make the public interest the premium in the economy to ensure peace, equality justice, and progressive human development.
After the era of slavery, there is no country that ever developed when it placed priority on private or selfish interest. No country can succeed when it makes public interest secondary to private interest. Even in Nigeria, we have evidence of the legal role the public sector played in the economy. The public sector played a most progressive role in the economy than the private sector in Nigerian history. Before the war in 1966, we didn’t have the same level of corruption because the primary interest is the public and not selfish interest. That is why nobody could steal a kobo belonging to the public and get away with it. This level of corruption started in 1966 when the army took over and we can see what it has done to us.
The conflicting judgement in Nigeria, a case of Ondo and Abia states election for instance, what is your take?
It is very surprising what is happening in Nigeria. Take the case of Ondo and examine it; you will find out that the result of elections is determined by the people in power. According to the media, PDP were in two factions. One of the factions held its primary in Ondo and the INEC witnessed it. Meanwhile, another faction held its primary in Oyo and INEC recognised it.
Herdsmen attack in Nigeria, what is the lasting solution to it?
The way forward is a good government that cares for the people and their peace. We have not had the level of attacks before and they have been operating long before now. It is happening because we have a government that doesn’t function properly. It is evidenced through the preaching of conspiracy with the criminal. In a country where there is no conspiracy of security and herdsmen, how could herdsmen operate unhindered without the conspiracy with the security? How can they operate openly for hours on many miles without being checked nor detected by the security agents? From Kaduna to Daura without being checked. My own cattle were stolen two times. This thief came to my farm in Jaji, Kaduna for three hours and they left for Abuja where we eventually found them. How do we explain this? Eventually, we were able to get four out of 70 that were stolen. Even the cattle we identified were not released by the police on time. And those that were arrested have not been brought to book. So, how do we dismiss the allegation of the conspiracy of herdsmen with the Police? Even after we identified the thieves, police didn’t go further in bringing them to book.
At which of the police stations did you report this theft?
It is called the special anti-robbery squad in Abuja but I can’t remember the name. They were the ones who identified and arrested the thieves but how they refused to deal with them remains a drama.
Aren’t you perturbed that the alleged sponsors of herdsmen attacks in Nigeria have not been prosecuted?
It is surprising that they have not been brought to book. And this is why I suspect some criminal conspiracy. It does happen but why it’s happening is what we don’t know.
What is the way forward out of this?
The way forward out of this is having a responsible leader whose body language alone can stop so many things.
If this situation of the country remained like this till 2019, will Buhari have the backing of the Northerners?
Why should we border about this illusion? The fact is that we are not happy with the current situation today and we expect things to be better.
Why do we need to waste time on this?
What if the situation remains like this, should the president pick the ticket for 2019, what happens?
That is his problem. And when he does that; Nigerian people will judge and take their decision.
The issue of child marriage in Nigeria and the position of our law, how do you perceived it?
We must first examine the tradition in all parts of Nigeria and the provision of laws on them. The tradition in all parts of Nigeria accepts marriages and we also have laws that guide it. But throughout the country, the traditions’ essence and laws often experience conflict. Child marriage is very new in some areas in Nigeria though. We must define outrightly what a child is and what is the age limit put by law. We need to determine the marriageable age for a child in Nigeria.
But our constitution says clearly that anyone below 18 is a minor, please explain better?
The Nigerian constitution recognizes the fact that certain traditions have not been outlawed in the country and we have to bear that in mind while discussing this. It is a question of coming together as a nation to discuss this and it should not be based on the intellectual or borrowing idea for adoption. Let’s take it down to what is human about the tradition of our marriages. We must make sure that they conform to the standard of the law all over the world.
But the Nigerian laws on child marriage and other countries of the world seem similar in terms of age, what are you suggesting?
I know that marriageable age for a child in Nigeria is between age 18 and 21. Our laws recognize the tradition. In our own case, if we found the tradition turns out to be inhuman, it has to be interchanged by the law of the land. It has to be checked by law.
Do you agree that the position of the law supersedes the tradition?
It must be the position of the law. It has to be agreed that the position of the laws supersedes the traditions.
Are you in any sense suggesting it is not agreed in some sections of the country?
Definitely, it is not agreed. For instance, the Muslim law does not regard someone under 18 as a child. The Muslim law has a standard and I think the other traditionalists and Christians have their own standards. The Christian standard conforms to the Vistula. But the Muslim and traditional differ on this. The law provides 18 years as the standard.
For instance, I think some section of the India don’t agree with the law that says below 18 is a minor.
How do we solve the issue of VVF, Vessico Vaginal Fistula, that occurs as a result of this child marriage?
Let’s have a responsible government and lawmakers that would convince others to believe in the standard. We don’t have a responsible leadership in Nigeria and that is why the people are doing things differently from what the law say. Any responsible leader would have married the disparities between the law and some traditions.
