Will you step down for General Muhammadu Buhari. Secondly, do you
have the plans to anoint your Deputy, Dr. Umar Ganduje as your
successor?
On the issue of Dr. Ganduje, let me just say that when
the time comes, we will see how that can be handled. Then on the issue
of four of us—my humble self; our leader, General Buhari; and of course,
the other leader, Atiku Abubakar and my friend, Sam Nda-Isaiah, I
believe all these people belong to APC and all of us are communicating.
For example, I have been together with Atiku for over two decades under
the leadership of the late Alhaji Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and to SDP, of
course, under him where I contested elections. We were together during
the constitutional conference, to PDP and now to APC—we have been
together and I always consider him as a senior brother. So also for
Muhammadu Buhari who I always respect, even though we have never been in
the same party until this APC; and we will continue to communicate
among ourselves—until at the appropriate time, as a family, we will
agree on what to do, whether to leave it for one person, or two persons
or we go for primaries. But whichever way, I want to assure you that
anyone of the four of us that eventually emerges; we will rally round
him to ensure that the party succeeds because I believe that the success
of APC is not only for the party members, but also the success of this
country. We have seen what has been happening in this country for over
two years, insecurity has taken over—every day you listen to radio,
television or local papers or social media, the issue has always been
the same—people being killed, people being maimed and people being
displaced. Now, we have about four million internally displaced people,
we have thousands in Cameroon, thousands in Chad and thousands in Niger
Republic—all these are Nigerians and the leadership in this country
doesn’t even talk about it. I am sure you remember that recently we sent
seven trucks to Niger—that is two trucks of rice and five trucks of
maize; and five trucks each to Borno, Yobe and now we are sending some
to Adamawa and other places where you have so many people who are being
displaced from their homes as refuges. I want to appeal to the Federal
Government not to keep its eyes away from Nigerians; and not only
Federal Government but the people of this country to remember that these
are our brothers and sisters who have found themselves in this mess.
They didn’t bargain for it and I am sure many of them voted for this
government in 2011; and now, this is what they have gotten from
them—insecurity! What we are saying to people of this country that it
doesn’t matter who started this crisis or who is executing it, what is
important is that this government must stop it. People are sick and
tired of these killings and destruction of properties. The primary
responsibility of any government, either in Nigeria or elsewhere is to
protect lives and properties; and this government is far from keeping
this responsibility.
The defection of Speaker of House of
Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal has created rumbles within the polity up
to the extent that his security details were withdrawn by the alleged
prompting of the presidency. How do you see this playing out?
Well
I think some of these our friends in Abuja are furious; but anytime
they have defection from any other party to their party, they celebrate
it. But anytime we have defection from their party to any party, they
will paint it as a problem. I don’t think double standard is good for
them, I don’t think it is good for democracy or for this country. We
have seen members of National Assembly and state Assemblies, we have
seen so many people defecting from parties, including APC to their
party, but all what we see is them celebrating with Champagne even if it
is during Ramadan; and when any is defecting from their party, they see
it as something abnormal. I think they have seen nothing yet, it is
just a matter of time, God’s willing, Nigerians will kick them out from
where ever they are today to their villages and I think they have to
take note of that; and I don’t know why me and Jonathan collected our
forms the same day— the indication is maybe, me and him are going to
slug it out in 2015; and once that happens, I am sure that you know the
answer—that he is going to lose.
He will lose completely because I don’t
see anybody in this country, apart from the hawks in Abuja and of
course, these contractors and those who are stealing crude oil and oil
money—I think these are the once that will be happy to vote for him
again so that they can continue milking the economy of this country.
Otherwise, the masses, the Talakwas of Kano, of Enugu, Zamfara,
including Bayelsa will be very happy to have a change—a change that will
guarantee the security of lives and properties of Nigerians, no matter
where they live, no matter their religion or ethnicity—I think those are
going to be the issues of 2015—the issues of security, the issues of
economy—not minding the fabricated figures that we have seen coming from
Abuja that all is well.
All cannot be well where you have crisis, where
you have insecurity, where people are being scared from bringing their
investment into the country—all these cannot help the economy anywhere
in the world. So we have all these issues on the ground and certainly,
sentiments will not and can never work in 2015. All antics of dividing
the country based on religion, based on North and South, based on
ethnicity and class will certainly fail in 2015. And I want to advice
INEC because somebody was telling me that there were suspected tricks of
INEC using computers to help a particular political party; and this
means in 2015, we will keep our eyes open to make sure every single vote
counts and that is what is going to happen in 2015.
If eventually you are elected in 2015, how differently are you going to approach the issue of insecurity in the country?
First
and foremost, as a former Minister of Defence who has been associated
with the military and the Air Force and Navy, I feel terribly concerned
with what is happening with Nigerian military today. Nigerian military
must be supported by all Nigerians. Nigerian military has done us proud
over the years, both within the country and across Africa. This was a
military that was being respected by its friends and feared by its
enemies; but unfortunately, over time, things are beginning to change.
And that glory must be restored; we should have a powerful military in
this country. No single country in the world that can be proud of itself
if it doesn’t have strong military. Any country without strong Army,
strong Air Force, strong Navy where applicable, that country is a failed
country.
Therefore, our administration can never ever take the issue of
the Nigeria Armed Forces, the Police, the SSS and all other
paramilitary—we won’t take them lightly. In my opinion, what we are
lacking today is the political will. The political will to provide the
necessary ammunitions, kits, welfare and of course training and
retraining—I think these are the issues; otherwise we have seen the
performance of our military even when I was the Minister of Defence, we
have seen what they did in Dafur, Sudan; we have seen their performance
practically in Sierra Leon, in Liberia. I can assure you that once you
have strong and committed leadership in this country; things will
certainly take their shape, not only in terms of security, even in the
economy. We have the issue of unemployment of our youths, both men and
women. As we are sitting here, schools are being closed in Adamawa, in
Yobe and Borno states; and the battle line is moving, it is not static.
That is the worrying aspect of it and that is why I believe this country
needs change.
Change by 2015 and we must have to work together and
bring the change. Those people in Abuja want to remain there but they
know they are not performing, we only see them performing on the
electrical poles along the streets of Abuja, telling us funny stories
and people are laughing at them. I think they need to know that people
are laughing at them; you should tell them when you see them that people
are not only laughing, but are very angry over their leadership. You
know, they don’t know what I happening on the ground, they are there in
Abuja in the air—they don’t know the realities in the ground—the
realities are that people are not eating well, people have no job,
people are afraid of their lives, some have already been killed and the
killings continues. This is what is happening on the ground, not what
they write on their posters, bill boards, and their surplus amount of
money to take over NTA and even their privately owned TV stations— only
God knows how much they are spending. I was asking my friends, who are
the sponsors of that TAN (Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria). The
TAN before now, nobody had N1 million among them; but now see what they
are sponsoring. It must come from the Villa!
If you are eventually
elected president in 2015, what will your foreign policy to
neighbouring countries look like with a view to fighting poverty and
boosting the economy of border communities?
You see, some years
before now, we all know that our neighbouring countries depended on
Nigeria for protection and support, for their economy. The reverse is
the case now, because we go to them cap on hands, begging them to help
us. Our foreign policy has now come down from grace to grass. That is
where we are. Those countries who were respecting us are now finding it
difficult to believe what is happening to Nigeria. Countries like Benin
Republic, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon were before now heavily dependent on
Nigeria in terms of economy, in terms of Defence and so on and so
forth. Now, you have seen that our leadership is going round begging
them, kneeling down to them to help us. I think these are the things
that must be reversed. Nigeria must take its rightful position in the
comity of nations. Nigeria and Nigerians must take the leadership that
we deserve. Of course, this should be the main focus of our
government—to stabilize the security of the country, its economy, tackle
the issue of education, health, agriculture. Now, we have seen this
country surviving on one commodity—oil! We have to look at renewable
energy, agriculture, education. We have to make sure that each and every
Nigerian is supported by the government to realize his or her
potentials; and these individual potentials put together is what will
remedy this country. I you look at our educational policy here in Kano,
you can understand what I am telling you. Before now, how many people
are thinking of going to any university out of this country? By now, we
have over 2000 people studying abroad, by the end of the year we would
have sent another 500 people out to study mostly post graduate studies,
Masters and Phd. These guys by the grace of God will realize their
potentials, and put them together and otherwise push Kano state forward
and by extension, make Nigeria great. Look at our students in the
private universities. We are not even talking about those in public
schools and Federal Universities. We have free education policy from
primary, secondary to tertiary level, now we have a law banning the old
system of Almajiri where young men and women going round the city of
Kano and other parts of the state to beg for food; all these things we
are doing, in the near future, we will live to harvest the positive
outcome.
On the state of the nation’s economy, you said some
people are in Abuja fabricating figures. Are you implying that Nigeria
is broke? Second, we learnt that the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi
Muhammad 11 paid a reconciliatory visit to President Goodluck Jonathan,
are you aware of this?
You see, I don’t know why you are asking me
whether this country is broke or not, because we are all Nigerians.
Now, I throw the question back at you: are you happy with the economy? I
don’t you are because except very few of them, I don’t think anybody is
happy with economy. Look at the private jets at the airports in Lagos
and Abuja that always remind us that we are very rich but I don’t the
jets are owned by people from my village, they are owned by them. So,
they are telling us their private economy—how they transformed
themselves from where they were to where they are today. To them, that
is their economy. On the issue of the Emir—the Emir told me he was going
to Abuja; and of course, as usual, I gave him the necessary approvals
to go; and when he came, he thought he should come and brief me and of
course discuss other state issues (when I say state, I mean Kano). And
that was what happened, I didn’t invite him, he booked an appointment to
come and talk to me; and I am sure he will continue to come and talk to
me, not minding how and why he there. The Emir of Kano is the Emir of
Kano. I am the governor of Kano.
Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso (R) is joined by Governor Babatunde Fashola of
Lagos State and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State during the
presidential declaration ceremony for Kwankwaso
We will like to know whether you are happy or not happy over the alleged reconciliation of the Emir with President Jonathan?
You
see, I will be very happy if President Jonathan will every day invite
Kano people to reconcile. That will be a good story for me and I am sure
it will be a good story for them. We don’t even know much about the
issues to be reconciled, but it is good that they want to reconcile; and
I hope they will also invite me and Kano people to go and reconcile
with him also; because we must be very angry for one thing or the other.
We want reconciliation and we will continue to encourage
reconciliation. If we didn’t want him (Emir) to go, we would have told
him that; but you should not worry yourself because the Emir is an
employee of the government.
Are you saying that all is well between you and the Presidency?
Of course, all is well as long as he starts dusting his table before 2015. Yes. All is very well.
If
Jonathan invites you for reconciliation, will you make yourself
available? Second, recently, some people went about town spitting fire
that should Jonathan win election in 2015, there will be bloodshed, what
is your take on this?
What many people don’t understand about
democracy is that we have so many people in this country with different
background, with different understanding of things, and you see, this is
the first time that we have this democracy for a long time like this.
Before now, within a period of two years, somebody will come and
truncate it. And now, we are having real democracy where people are
coming out to say their own opinion—and that is part of democracy. If
you open your radio today in Kano, you hear people making all sorts of
allegations against me, some against other people. As long as that
doesn’t cross the line drawn against the law, Ii don’t think, anybody
should worry because it is just an opinion. But the fact remains that we
will continue to pray for this country. Bloodshed is not good for
anybody; either governor or an Imam, Ulama, camera men—it is not good
for them; it is not good for anybody. So, we should always pray for the
good of the people of Nigeria, the good of the people of Kano state.
Some
people from the Niger-Delta view your opinion on President Goodluck
Jonathan very critical. If eventually you get the APC ticket, how are
you going to sell your candidature in that area?
I don’t know,
some of you are press men but you lack the real knowledge of South-South
and other places. I don’t think there are no problems in the
South-South. I don’t think it is only in the North that you have
security problem.
They are so many people from the South; that is
South-East, South-West, South-South and they are living in Kano and they
call Kano their home. Just recently, I met somebody at the airport. I
asked him where he was going and he said he was going home (he is an
Igbo man). I was surprised I later met him inside aircraft en route Kano
and I asked him again, and he said he was going home to Kano! And I
said that is what I wanted to hear from you, I am so happy that you are
calling Kano your home. And we have all stories of many of them living
here in Kano. They go to Abuja for business, they go to the East for
business and they come back here; because in spite of our security
challenges here, here is still safer—they can’t try to go and stay where
they will kidnap or steal you! Some will come and rob you or shoot you
in the house. So, people thought poverty is only here in the North, but a
poor here is as bad as a poor man in Bayelsa state; despite that their
business men are flying to South-Africa and other places, yet their
people are terribly poor. So, it is not like the whole of South-South,
or South-East or South-West are supporting a particular candidate, no!
So, don’t bring any quarrel issue between us and the good people of
South-South who want better leadership. People in my village don’t care
whether it is a Christian or Muslim who is a leader, who is the
president. In many cases, we always give an example of what happened in
the past so that somebody can understand our antecedents, you remember
in 1993 when we had election between Abiola and Bashir Tofa.
You know I
come from the same polling booth with Bashir Tofa in Gandu Albasa, so
why didn’t he win there? He didn’t win in the ward, he didn’t win in the
local government, he didn’t win in the state! Abiola from Ogun won. So
it was in 1999, Abubakar Rimi from Kano, our leader was contesting, he
got close to zero delegates from Kano; while Obasanjo, a Christian from
the South, got Kano delegates and won the elections here in Kano. So,
politics here doesn’t rely or go for sentiments, we are looking for the
best, once we identify the best man, whether he is an Igbo or Yoruba or
Tiv or any tribe, we will vote for him.
But in any case, if you look at
history, you will know, this part of the country has always been very
friendly with the South-South. It is only these group of people who came
and stole everything. We are only lucky that we have people like Rotimi
Amaechi, Adams Oshiomhole and other leaders that are bringing us
together again; while the godfathers there, people like Edwin Clark and
so on—people who should know better—you see, I think they say he is 97,
before now, when his memory was good, I think he was a good man. Now, he
is fighting, destroying, but we will always forgive him because we know
when we are close to 100 years, probably, our brains will go on
reverse.
