Senator Ali Ndume is the lawmaker representing Borno South at the Red Chamber of the National Assembly. In this interview with AHMAD TIJJANI ABDUL, he speaks on the insecurity in the country, state police, local government autonomy, corruption, why the clamour for federalism is not necessary, among others. Excerpts:
What’s your take on Constitution review?
Honestly I don’t see so much problem with the constitution. No matter how you review the constitution, as long as the fundamental purpose of government is not defended. Section 14 (2) of the constitution clearly states the fundamental purpose of government which is security and welfare of the citizens. All other section rallies the security and welfare of the citizens. So all you need to do is to strengthen the institutions of government, because the security and welfare of the citizens is to be delivered by the three arms of government. You don’t need to thinker about the constitution. Our retreat here in Kano was centered around three to four issues, namely Federalism, State Police, Local Government autonomy and Electoral Act and process.
Can true Federalism takes Nigeria to the promised land?
Yesterday, I made my point and I still stand by it. We have 195 countries in the World and only 25 are practicing federalism including Nigeria. So to me, the clamour federalism is not necessary. If it were to be better, out of 195 countries, at least 100 or more should have been practicing it or clamouring for it. It has its own advantages and disadvantages. Look at other countries that have gone far ahead, like China, Japan, Germany and United Kingdom, are not practicing federalism. The most important thing to them is good governance and looking at the laws that will improve on good governance, accountability and transparency.
Where do you stand on the fight against Corruption?
Our major challenge in this country is corruption. Up till now, we have no law that can proactively address the issue of corruption. If you see somebody in our system who is not corrupt, he is lucky that he is god fearing. Otherwise, it is only in Nigeria that you steal money, you work freely and you are celebrated. It is only in Nigeria that you see somebody yesterday or last week, has nothing but the following week he buys ten cars, jet and fly his families and then they will say god has blessed our son. In other developed countries, they ask you how, when and where you got the money. I tried severally in the National Assembly to pass a law on unexplained wealth. It has never seen the light of the day. I went to one of the former Head of State and an elder statesman, when I realized that he can sign executive bill on such issue. Up till now, there’s no unexplained wealth act and no unexplained wealth executive order in Nigeria.
How complimentary is the Local Government autonomy under the current dispensation?
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I support the local government autonomy because when you say it is an arm of government, Federal, state and local government. So when you say they are not autonomous or independent, then it becomes a problem. That is why the President went to the Supreme Court and it affirmed the autonomy of the Local Government. But you don’t make blank law because it will not work. If the institution is strong then it can be enforceable. If you do a blank autonomy, there are some local governments that cannot pay their salaries and that is where the idea of the joint account came in. So this is what we are supposed to look at in the constitution review, how to make the local government practical, efficient and viable. On who is to conduct the Local Government elections, I support the idea of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducting the LG polls. One other thing that is popping up in the National Assembly is the idea again of creating National Local Government Electoral Commission and I am not in support of it. Why will you create an office that will conduct election for only one week and will do nothing till another four years? The INEC we have currently is being underutilized. They can be used for other things. And then, the elections in Nigeria is complicated deliberately so that it will be manipulative. Why don’t we make laws that the votes will count? Why don’t you make laws that will enable you to elect somebody you like on your phone? Why don’t you make it possible for INEC to be monitoring the election while you say you create a situation room? Nowadays, if you use Google it will tell you where you are. I think the fundamental problem is sincerity, honesty and lack of fear of God.
There have been clamour for State Police in the country, how do you see this agitation?
Personally, I don’t support state police. Right now, we have less than 400,000 Police nationwide, and you are clamouring for creation of state police, why don’t you increase the number, train, equip, arm and motivated them, what I call TEAM. And also adopt the United Nation’s recommendation on policing. We’re about 230 million Nigerians, and we have less than 400,000 police, less than 200,000 armed forces and all our security agencies and paramilitary are barely 1 million or more. We don’t have army or police reserve and you’re saying we should have a state police. So let’s recruit more hands into the security agencies, train, equip, arm and motivate them because the number is grossly inadequate and not because there are no people interested in joining the police but provision is not made. And when you say you want State Police and you don’t pay the civil servant even the minimum wage, where are you going to get the money to pay them?
So the truth of the matter is let’s face the problem. Let’s train, equip and arm them. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a federal or state police. Provide adequate security for the people.
Nigeria is 64, looking at the journey so far, is there anything to celebrate?
I don’t support celebration of independence, jamboree but I support marking of independence to evaluate ourselves, progress made or achieved, what you intend to achieve and what do we do among others.
Do you think the present crop of Nigeria leaders have the political will to resolve insurgency?
I have been Chairman of the House Committee on Army and I am from Borno State where it all started. We have three challenges in the country fundamentally, Boko Haram, bandits or kidnapping and IPoB. All these three, interacting with all security agencies, if the government is very serious about these, it can be addressed in six months and at most one year. These bandits are not trained and not equipped. Most of the equipment they used is that delivered to them or take over from our armed forces. In today’s technology, with advancement in ICT, if they can trace where an individual or political exposed persons are effectively, what stops you from tracing where Turji is or criminals? So there’s something fundamentally wrong there. So the response to it immediately is to recruit more people into the Nigerian army. We have the youths who are willing to serve but no opportunity nor encouragement. We can’t move forward when 70 per cent of our population are the youths and mostly from the poor. And they are losing faith in the country and being too desperate. Before our forefathers were captured to go and be sold as slaves. Today, our youths are taking the risks of going to Niger and others to go and become slaves on their own.
