Interview Archives - Page 6 of 7

My Sisters Almost Dropped Out of School After My Father’s Murder – Murtala’s Daughter, Aishat Oyebode

Posted on March 12, 2016 by The Elites

Aishat Oyebode nee Muhammed is the first child of the late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed who was assassinated barely seven months after assuming office. A lawyer by profession and Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF), Aishat in this interview reflected on a number of issues relating to the late military leader and how the family has had to forge on after his death.

Well, I am the first child of the late Murtala Mohammed, the first of five children. I am a lawyer by profession. I have a master’s in International Law from Kings College, University of London and one of my specialisations is Laws of War. I also have an MBA in Finance from Imperial College, University of London.

How old were you when you father was assassinated?
I was 12 years old at the time while the last child was barely six months old.

Casting you mind back to February 13, 1976, what will you say really transpired?
Well, as much as I try to remember what transpired that day, I need to say we really didn’t know what happened because we were prevented from knowing. We were only told three days after. That was when we got to Kano and the story was broken to us by our grandma. Of course, I have always had my suspicion.
Although on a Saturday, that was February 14, I saw some headlines in the newspaper but it was still not clear to me. We were also not allowed access to radio and television.

So what happened when you eventually got to know?
I was devastated. I was very very, devastated. This is because I was so close to my father, despite being just 12 years at the time.

Will you say your mother had any idea if his life was in danger at anypoint in time prior to his assassination?
Well, I remembered that the day he became Head of State was actually a sad day for my mum. I was not around that day but when I came in, I saw her crying and when I asked her, she told me that my father has just been announced as the new Head of State. And she said: “I’m afraid for him”. So I’m sure if she had any trepidation, then it must have been from that time on.

Knowing that Lt-Col. Buka Suka Dimka led the mutineers that killed your dad, has any member of your family met with any of the Dimkas?
I really don’t want to talk about it because a lot of water has passed under the bridge. I think what is important at this point in time is healing. So I don’t want to talk about that.

What did it feel like when after the assassination of your father, you were taken out of Dodan Barracks?
No, we didn’t live in Dodan Barracks. We never lived in Dodan Barracks. All the while, we lived in our own house.
Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/my-sisters-almost-dropped-out-of-school-after-dad-s-murder-murtala-s-daughter/133501.html#hm5Mzh5kecD07BMg.99

How will you say those in the military at the time treated your family after the assassination?
Honestly we didn’t have any interaction with those in the military. There was no basis for any interaction. So I don’t think I can complain about how they treated us. I think for anything, some of my father’s closest friends in the military were very good to us.

Including General Olusegun Obasanjo?
Yes. He did okay. I think if there was any challenge, it was later in the year, in terms of payment of school fees. My sisters almost had to leave school. So we had those challenges much later.
Life was really tough and of course financially it was difficult. But what this does is that it makes you resilient and very strong. It also helps me to understand what it is like when people are going through a difficult time. I am fortunate because my mother focused on giving us good education. That has helped me a great deal.

What is the feeling when people get to know you are the first child of the late General Murtala Muhammed?
Well, it has been quite interesting and people seem to always be excited at such discovery. There are so many people who have walked up to me and said, we so much appreciate your father. We admired him and all that. Some will come and say, I have read quite a number of books about him, and all of that. It’s been quite humbling.

One of your younger siblings died some time ago, what will you say was the cause of his death?
Well, we really don’t know. He was actually travelling to Abuja when he died. That was in 1993. They said it was an accident but we weren’t that sure. He was in the company of his friends. One of the boys in the car and the driver were arraigned, then they were later detained. We do know that at one point they were later released. And all of the documents and evidences later disappeared.
This is one reason the Murtala Muhammed Foundation is fighting for victims’ rights. We believe that when victims have established rights, such things can no longer happen.

Talking about your father’s cenotaph at Ikoyi, we understand Ikoyi/Obalende Local Council is handing it over to your foundation.What do you intend to do with it?
Giving it over to us was a very recent thing. I think the letter was dated two or three weeks ago. We have been talking to them for a while and at one point, they agreed they would let us have access to it, but they have actually just handed it over to us. So what we are going to do is to design it into a befitting memorial. I am sure by this time next year, we would be talking of a totally different cenotaph. It would be a proper memorial.

What other things do you want to achieve with this foundation?
There are many other things. What we actually wanted to do is actualise the ideals of our late father. We have a lot of programmes – education, capacity building, what we call political and public advocacy and that includes for example, some of the things we are doing in the North-East and with the IDPs (internally displaced people). We are also looking at how we can build a robust framework for humanitarian response for the whole of Nigeria.
We are working with the Ford Foundation to develop a robust framework for humanitarian coordination mechanism for Nigeria. And then we are also looking at, in partnership with the National Security Adviser, the issue of building a framework for post-traumatic stress disorder.
When your father was assassinated, he was only with his driver and ADC. Would you advocate that the attraction in public office be reduced to remove the desperation to occupy public office?
Yes, public service has to be about service. We need to change our orientation. It cannot be about fanfare and excesses; it has to be about service. This is why I always advocate that elected public servants shouldn’t be allowed to go abroad for healthcare; they shouldn’t be allowed to take their children to schools abroad because it is about sacrifice. If you cannot live a life of sacrifice, how do you expect to tell the people you lead to live lives of sacrifice?

Your father was known as a man of intellect, he was credited for his excellent use of grammar, how would you describe his intellect and the kind of education he had?
My father was an intellectual. You know he went to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK and I think he would have gone much further. He grew up believing in himself, because his father died when he was young – he was in primary school and it was very difficult getting people to support him in paying his tuition right from primary school. As a soldier, he developed himself a great deal.

INTERVIEW: Ajaokuta Steel Industry Will Create Jobs If Revived – Barr. Natasha Akpoti

Posted on November 5, 2015November 5, 2015 by The Elites

The founder Builder Hub Foundation, Barr. Natasha Akpotio has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to revive the Ajaokuta Steel industry, saying that the steel plant tagged: “Bedrock of Nigeria’s industrialization” would help cut the unemployment figures amongst young Nigerians.

Ajaokuta steel is the home of the multi-billion dollar Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill. The multifaceted mill is meant to be used to generate important upstream and downstream industrial and economic activities that are critical to the diversification of the Nigerian economy into an industrial one.
Speaking during an interactive section with news men in Abuja, Akpoti lamented that Nigeria continues to suffer unquantifiable and monumental losses from the multibillion dollar investment, due to asset depreciation, brain drain of man power that were trained in Russia, Bulgaria, and India for the steel plant.

She said copies of the letter recently addressed to the Permanent secretary, Mines and Steel Development, copied to the presidency pointed out that the gigantic steel company is in need of resuscitation to revamp the multibillion dollar steel plant company to serve its purpose.

She said, ‘’Across Nigeria, current economic realities have had dramatic impacts on the challenges of her young people. Unemployment statistics amongst this significant population class has steadily grown to unattractive heights, reversing projected trend of declining youth unemployment rates which experts had earlier put out.’’

‘’This industrial complex can manufacture stone crushers and any other industrial components, both for telecommunications infrastructure, spares for excavators, tractors, cars, ships, military hardware and steel of all sizes and shapes.

‘’Ajaokuta can produce over 110MW of electricity, to meet its own local consumption needs and puts the rest into the national grid adding the revival of this complex which has a Metallurgical Training Centre that can train over 3000 youths in Technical Craftsmanship, every year in over 37 different programmes,’’ she said.

She said “The vision was to make Ajaokuta Steel Plant the bedrock of Nigeria’s Industrialization. Regrettably it has been left abandoned for decades and is fast becoming a national tragedy. There have also been reported cases of theft of some of the light equipment and facilities of the steel plant especially during the sham called concession carried out in the past.

She stated that it will be a total disgrace if our nation fails to get Ajaokuta working adding that Nigeria is in desperate need to truly diversify the economy due to the dwindling revenue accruable from crude oil.

“This government spearheaded by President Muhammadu Buhari led APC administration pledged to put this country on a sound economic footing and in realisation of the “change” that they promised Nigeria and Nigerians, there is an urgent need for the Ajaokuta Steel Company and Itapke Iron Ore Mining Project, where the raw material (iron ore) for the steel plant is sourced to be fully put on track and 100% operational.”

She said noted that the Ajaokuta Steel Complex is at over 90% completion since 1994, out of 43 plants, 40 are 100% and is ready for operation; workers are equally ever eager to start production saying that notwithstanding the long years of abandonment.

“It is estimated that to awaken the complex needs an investment of around $500 million dollars. Such funds can be sourced internally in order to realise the potential of the project. With private public partnership agreement and guarantee from government, the complex can start operation immediately and as quickly as within the next two years and can begin to gain full operational capacity and industrial revolution.”

She expressed confidence that the revitalisation of the steel plant alone can bring about these “changes” to a great extent and urged President Buhari to ensure the completion, commissioning and continuous operation of Ajaokuta Steel Plant.

She said that if the federal government was genuinely interested in building the economy, providing jobs for the youths and instigating an industrial revolution in Nigeria, the government have no choice but to revive the steel industry.

Dele Giwa: Kayode Soyinka Replies Ex-Police Boss, Says, “I Didn’t Run To The Toilet When The Bomb Exploded’

Posted on October 27, 2015October 30, 2015 by The Elites

On December 15, 2013, veteran journalist and publisher of Africa Today magazine, Mr. Kayode Soyinka, clocked 55 years. It was a milestone he almost did not live to witness let alone celebrate. This is considering the fact that he could have died 27 years ago if he had not survived the parcel bomb incident of October 19, 1986, which sadly claimed the life of Dele Giwa, the founding editor-in-chief of Newswatch with whom he was having breakfast when the letter bomb was delivered. With the announcement of Dele Giwa’s mother’s death a few days ago, we caught up with the famous international journalist and publisher, who incidentally had contested on three consecutive occasions to be governor of Ogun State but failed to get the ticket. In this interview with NNEKA NWANERI, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) stalwart speaks on a wide-range of national issues from the parcel bomb incident and the merger talks among opposition parties to the controversial sale of Newswatch last year, among other issues.

What would you say about the mother of your former boss Dele Giwa, who died early this month?

Yes, the Dele Giwa issue has become part of my life; it’s like a cross I carry because of my involvement with the parcel bomb incident of almost 27 years ago. Remember, I only survived it by the grace of God. You are asking me this question again because of the death of Dele’s mother just announced. I got a telephone call very early that morning when she died. It was Mr. Soji Akinrinade that called me from London to break the news to me – barely an hour after she died. She was a strong willed woman and I had known her over the years. Sometimes, in those days, when we were still at Concord newspapers, long before the advent of Newswatch, and I was visiting Nigeria and staying with Dele at his house in Ikeja (not where the bomb took place), it was either I would meet his mother there at home with him, or she had just left back to the village a day or so before my arrival.

Dele was very close to his mother. He did not joke with her at all. It was an honour for me to have met her. The last time I saw her was at Dele’s burial in their village near Auchi, in Edo State. I was there live with my wife contrary to the erroneous story of Babangida’s government’s mischief makers who tried to deceive the Nigerian people in order to exonerate the government from the assassination of Dele Giwa, saying that I had fled the country. They deliberately spread all kinds of falsehood, ignoring even newspaper reports and pictures of myself and my wife in attendance at the burial. And mind you, how could I have fled the country? My wife and children were not in Nigeria with me when the bomb exploded, they had to take the next available flight to Nigeria to join me. Yet, Babangida’s men said I fled the country. And my family and I remained in the country throughout the whole period of the controversy and burial arrangement. We returned to London together through the former British Caledonian Airways, through Muritala Mohammed Airport.

There was no way we could have left quietly. We were accompanied to and seen off at the airport by friends, including the Newswatch editors, and family. The airline people recognised us. Our two children were still small then. The air hostesses took them from us, played with them, and they were asking me if I was feeling better – knowing the trauma one must have been through in the past weeks, and took us straight and right inside the aircraft, even before checking in other passengers. Yet the Babangida men kept saying, even till today, that I fled the country. Can you imagine?

So how did the parcel bomb explode?

Save me the agony of going through all this again. I don’t like narrating the story. I have said enough about it over the years. But there is somebody I must use this opportunity to respond to. I have been deliberately keeping quiet all these years that he has been writing about me, accusing me of being a suspect and even insinuated that I was the one who brought the bomb. That was the former Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Christopher Omeben, who investigated the horrific incident, and who I understand is now a pastor. He did not believe that I could survive the bomb. He was unfair to me severally in the book that he wrote on Dele Giwa, and in an interview he granted The Sun Newspaper last year or so. He said in that interview that I ran to the toilet when the parcel bomb was delivered. That is not true. It’s a blatant lie. He got wrong information.

This man, who was not there when the bomb exploded. Whatever information he collected after the explosion was from some third, fourth or even tenth party, but he would stop at nothing trying to rope me in. But every time he tried to do that, he always failed because no one is listening to him and such accusations can never stick. My survival was simply God’s miracle. And I will forever be grateful to Him while I pray that He continues to bless Dele’s soul. But the Pastor Omeben does not believe that such miracles can happen. He has never heard about a plane crash where hundreds of passengers have perished but small children, babies, survived. Isn’t that a miracle? Our Pastor Omeben has never heard about an earthquake that has brought down many buildings, turning a whole community into rubble and still over a month or so after, when all rescuers have left, abandoning the search for survivors, people are still being dragged out alive from the rubble.

Yet Pastor Omeben still keeps wondering how I could have survived such a dreadful bombing without a scratch on my body. He forgot the terrible damage done to my eardrums and the continuous noise or echo in my both ears I had to carry everyday for about five years after the incident before they were healed. And even then, till today, I hear better from my right ear, while the left one which was nearer to the blast is weaker. Well, my answer to him is that he should keep asking. Those who sent the bomb to us are still here and walking about the streets freely. But Dele is not here and his mother has now gone to join him without getting justice. I am here only by the grace of the Almighty God. Definitely, God will deliver the ultimate judgment. If not here, at the great beyond when we all meet at His feet.

Do you sometimes feel threatened?

Why should I feel threatened when I don’t have an excuse to be here anymore? I should have gone that day 27 years ago. That was death I came face to face with. It was like I had died and I came back. May be you don’t know that I held the letter bomb in my hand before I gave it back to Dele. If I had decided to open it when Dele gave it to me, it would have been a totally different story. It wasn’t my time to go! It’s been traumatic living with that experience for many years. I have lived with the psychological trauma of it so much so that one gets used to it, and as I said earlier, it is now part of my life and I have moved on since. Even up till now, when I make appearances, especially in Nigeria and I am introduced and people hear the name, Kayode Soyinka, you will naturally hear the comments, “the parcel bomb survivor”.

I went through a lot in those days, most especially the pressure from the Nigerian security service. They placed my name into their computer system at all the points of entry to and departure from Nigeria. That made me look like a wanted person. So I could not come back to Nigeria while Babangida was still in power. You won’t believe it, they chased me all the way to London because they never thought anyone could survive the parcel bomb and be able to tell the story of how it happened. They were so amateurish, they didn’t even know how to disguise. The SSS operatives, through the Nigeria High Commission, would come to our house in London. They would park their cars right in front of our house and be watching my movement. What they did not know was that even the UK authorities knew what happened to me in Nigeria and had already placed their own surveillances over the Nigerian SSS. I was under the protection of Her Majesty’s government throughout the time because they knew what I went through in Nigeria.

So why should I feel threatened? I am just an ordinary mortal and I’m doing the only job I am known for, and have done all my life, and like doing best; the job that I have passion for, and has given me everything that I have today both nationally and internationally, which is journalism – being a newspaper man. Nothing will threaten me because I have lived a fulfilled life. I have my family; my two children are now both grown up. I have been privileged to send them to some of the best educational institutions in the world. My son for example was educated at Harrow. I am sure you know what that means. They finished their university education with two degrees each four/five years ago and are working in London. So I am done. I am more or less in retirement as a newspaper man. So when I see young journalists and reporters like you, I see a bit of myself in you because that was how I started, did so well in this Nigeria everyone is talking so badly about now.

I was posted out by Daily Sketch in 1978 as London Correspondent , a key position in the newspaper industry, and I made a career out of being a foreign correspondent and out of journalism as a whole. That is my pride and joy as a Nigerian journalist. I’m only now trying to spend more time back home in Nigeria having spent over 30 years doing my work abroad, and it is not easy. I have spent 37 years in the newsroom doing my work. So if I die tomorrow, you cannot know me for any other thing but journalism, and they should just simply put on my tombstone: Kayode Soyinka – Newspaper reporter. I hope I live a long life like my father and see my grandchildren and great grandchildren.

But in case I suddenly die, it does not matter anymore. I am not afraid of death having had a close shave with one already; everyone will die one day and go six feet under the ground. No matter what wealth one may have accumulated, things like that don’t bother me anymore. And by the way, we can’t take them to the grave. I have seen a lot and been in important places and related with influential people around the world – and still do. But I like and enjoy living an ordinary life. I hate attention. I am usually public shy despite being a media person.

Have we learnt anything in Nigeria from the Dele Giwa episode?

Certainly not from the letter-bombing of Dele Giwa. There are so many criminals in Nigeria today and people have become too fraudulent, the corruption is mind-boggling and life means nothing in Nigeria. It is so sad. Everyone seems so desperate for money and power! It’s a real shame. People who are really nobody feel very important, pompous and arrogant. I stear clear of such people. When the parcel bomb was delivered, I was saying at that time that it was very important for the authorities to get those who did it because if they didn’t, it would encourage similar occurrences in future. Now, see what has happened since Dele Giwa was killed by letter bomb. See the number of unresolved murders and assassinations we have had in Nigeria. In fact, things have gone even worse. Look at Chief Bola Ige. A whole Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of Nigeria was assassinated and up till now, the killers have not been found. Ditto Baba Rewane, Funso Williams, and so on and so forth. So many of those who have been killed without a trace of who did it have encouraged others to do the same because they were not brought to book. Now high level kidnapping is taking place – a totally new dimension – and so are the Boko Haram bombings. It’s gone out of control. So I don’t believe Nigeria has improved since the Dele Giwa assassination.

Is that what motivated you to go into politics?

No, not necessarily. Genuinely, I wanted to serve having had personal fulfillment in my career. As a political journalist, I have always interacted with people in politics both locally and internationally. I have reached a stage in my life and career when I thought I should put something back to the community that made me. I didn’t want to do it nationally at first but chose to go back home to the grassroots level. So I went to my state, Ogun State, where I put my name forward and campaigned in three general elections to be elected as governor. I do not know who has done it before me consecutively for three times. And I don’t know why they didn’t give me the ticket.

What is your view on the merger talks going on by the opposition parties?

I think it is a good thing. It is long overdue. But we have to be careful how we tread on this. I am obviously concerned about the interest of my own party, ACN, in the merger. We should be the senior partner in the merger because we are the party with control over the largest number of states. And it should be spelt out clearly for us and our people what we are getting: is it wholesale merger, or an alliance or a coalition? These are different things and it must be made clear to us what it is we are doing and getting. It will be good for Nigeria if the three largest opposition parties in the country can come together as one party. That will create a more viable option for the electorate who are fed up with of the bad, visionless and clueless government of the PDP. The good thing about this one is that the merger process started early before the 2015 election. So we will know soon if this one will work or not.

How have you maintained your independence as a politician and a publisher?

I have been in the journalism profession for 37 years. You cannot be a newspaperman of my pedigree and not be forthright when it comes to taking editorial decisions, especially on crucial issues. I am from the old school. When I was a reporter, I didn’t have political ambitions. I went into partisan politics after I had put in about 30 years continuously on the job. Today, I can gladly say my profession is newspaper reporting and not politics. Look at my track record, I have been a reporter here in Nigeria, I have been a foreign correspondent reporting from overseas for over 18 years – a record in Nigeria. I have been an editor and I have been a publisher of my own international news magazine, Africa Today, one of the most influential pan-African news magazines in the world, for another 18 years. That is the highest I can go in my profession. So my politics and publishing or journalism is like oil and water, they don’t mix. I am a politician with a reporter’s notebook in hand!

What is your reaction to the transition of Newswatch?

I am sad that Newswatch isn’t on the newsstands now and I gathered that it is the first time in 27 years, apart from when we were proscribed by the Babangida administration after the letter bomb incident. I want to commend the former Newswatch Executives, Dan Agbese, Ray Ekpu, Yakubu Mohammed and Soji Akinrinade who survived Dele Giwa. I commend them because the public will not understand the kind of difficulties they went through after surviving the death of their close colleague in such fatal manner. Remember, Dele Giwa’s death was so horrific; it could put iron into the soul. Then, the magazine was proscribed twice. There are not many newspapers or businesses anywhere in the world that could go through all that and survive. So they should be commended and our people should appreciate that.

Secondly, they are working in the most difficult business environment. It is not a child’s play to run a newspaper in this country. The business environment is very difficult for a newspaper or newsmagazine like Newswatch that depends on advertising to survive. If the business environment is difficult, the advertising market will be the first to be affected instantly. They went through all that and had to look for other ways to sustainthe iconic magazine by getting investors. I had the opportunity in November last year, when the former Newswatch executives launched a book at the NIIA and I was invited. There I made my position very clear. I told them to take a firm position because they should not let Newswatch die. I reminded them that Newswatch is now part of Nigeria’s history because Dele Giwa lost his life for Newswatch. I also made it clear to them that the issue is no longer theirs alone. It is by far bigger than them (the executives) now because Nigerians themselves have now owned Newswatch. It is in the consciousness of the Nigerian people.

You know this when you go to the social networks, like Facebook, you see how Nigerians are discussing the issue of Newswatch with so much passion. The magazine has become part and parcel of our daily life. It is now a bigger issue than the former executives. None should forget the supreme price Dele Giwa paid. I therefore appealed for some external intervention in the matter. Except we don’t want to have regard for history, we should know that Newswatch is now part of Nigerian history and it should not be allowed to die. I pray that it won’t be too long before it gets back on the newsstands.

Are you planning to contest the governorship again in 2015?

People keep telling me not to give up. Some would go on to remind me that Abraham Lincoln contested several times before he was elected president of the United States. I don’t want to be the Abraham Lincoln of Ogun State. But I am a staunch Baptist and deeply religious person. I therefore believe in God’s own plan for me in life. His grace and glory have already been manifested in me. I have seen them in my life. Or can’t you see them, or feel them, with all the stories I have been telling you? And I have contentment. His time is always the best.

Ondo Needs More Than Shoprite, It Needs ‘Change’ – APC Chieftain

Posted on October 25, 2015October 25, 2015 by The Elites

Bankole Oluwajana contested the 2007 governorship election in Ondo State on the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD) and now a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State. In this interview with P.M.NEWS’ Kazeem Ugbodaga, he spoke on the forthcoming election in Ondo State and the need for President Muhammadu Buhari to correct imbalances in Nigeria’s federal structure and others. Excerpt.

Q: Ondo State governorship election will hold next year. But from the look of things now, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is fractionalized. How prepared is the party for 2016 governorship election?
A: Quite frankly, the same medicine we applied during the presidential election would be applied in Ondo state. There must be a change. Truly, we have some problems in our hand. The first problem is that we have a Governor; Dr. Olusegun Mimiko who can convince the Pope to worship the devil. He plays politics with everything and at the expense of the people that he governs. I go to Ondo state every other week and I know that besides the Mother and Child Programme, every other thing is glamour and noise.

It is disheartening to read about respected scholar like Prof Kole Omotosho praise the government in Ondo state. Governor Mimiko cornered respected Yoruba leaders to support him. The truth of the matter is that common people on the street do not share their sentiments. The latest is the opening of Shoprite in Akure. It is part of the glamour without economic sense. Besides the civil service and politics, the only major avenue to get people engaged in Ondo State besides farming is trading. All these shops will be wiped out when Shoprite opens because Shoprite will muscle them out of existence because of the size and strength.

The profits of Shoprite will be shipped to South Africa. Do you think the United States Government cannot provide rail lines in all cities as it is in London? Do you know why? The day they do that, Ford will shut down. General Motors will shut down. Chrysler is going to shut down. Consequently, thousands of people will lose their jobs and crime rate will go higher. By not providing rail services in all cities means they will keep providing vehicles so that a lot of people will keep their jobs. That is common sense. Now, Shoprite is a place of glamour. Because of that, you brought it to Akure. It just does not make sense. APC is fully on the ground and the right candidate will emerge at the appointed time. Time is up for PDP in Ondo State. One iroko tree will no longer make a forest. It is an aberration.

Q: Are you satisfied with President Muhammad Buhari’s approach to governance so far?
A: The main reason why we supported President Buhari is because he is a man of incorruptible character, who will save us from the drift we witnessed in the last government. We felt we needed someone who could address the major problems we were still facing at that period. Corruption is Nigeria’s main problem. It is indeed the foundation of challenges we have in Nigeria. It takes place in all sectors, especially oil, gas and power. Corruption is the tap root of our problems and we need somebody who can uproot it. Quite honestly, Buhari fits into that role. So far, he is working along this course. He has not failed when it comes to the issue of anti-corruption war.

Q: Buhari’s anti-corruption approach is belligerent, which may cause delay in prosecution. Is it not better we adopt alternative approach that will help recover stolen funds without spending much on litigation and without much delay?
A: What is unfolding now is what I call emergency action. It is based on a thinking that let us get what they have taken away first before it goes into the system or before we lose the money. Right now, a lot of them will be looking for avenues to hide what they have looted. That is why you read news that in Niger Republic border, they caught somebody with N1 billion. At Lagos Airport, they caught another person with $2 million. I believe this government wants to quickly recover what they can recover from them. That is why they are making all these arrests. Let us face it. If we do not have a good system, it will not serve our public interests.

Really, the President has a good plan on how to get the money back. But the president is not going to be the judge in the case. He is not going to be the prosecutor. If those ones play their roles well; Nigeria will take a new turn. People like me strongly feel that we should have a strong monitoring system. We have the Department of State Security (DSS) there. For me, the DSS is so important that we should encourage and support them. Let us use the DSS operatives to monitor the system. Forget about people saying we are not in a state of emergency or military regime. Honestly, when you have important cases at hand, they must be addressed with all seriousness. The DSS should be so empowered that all these systems: the Police, the Judiciary should be strongly monitored. We need to use the DSS operatives more to ensure that the vision of the president is well implemented. By the time they make example of two or three people, everybody will fall in line. We should pay attention to the DSS and ensure that the people there are above boards. The DSS should be given prominent roles to play in this anti-corruption war.

Q: Buhari has been criticised for tilting northerners in the appointments he made before he nominated his ministers. Do you subscribe to this perception?
A: When you have a serious job to do for which you will be held accountable, you will recruit people that you trust and will be most comfortable with. It does not matter where they come from. It is a fact that majority of people around President Buhari are people from a section of the country. So, the kind of appointments we witnessed in the first three months did not take us by surprise. In all honesty, I am a Nigerian. I believe in one Nigeria. But I cannot close my eyes to the fact that I am a Yoruba man. People that are supporting me in politics expect me to represent their interest. In the scheme of things right now, if I am asked whether the interests of my people are well taken care of, my answer will be that let us wait and see. But if the trend continues, my answer will be the interest of my people is not properly protected. The list of appointments that were made before the ministerial list revealed a lot. Out of 36 appointments, the East and West had 10 in all. Even the 10 we are talking about, what kind of appointments did we get? We have Femi Adeshina. We also have Babatunde Fowler having the most prominent appointment.

Certainly, some adjustments have to be made on appointments and also in our federal structure. For instance, when Kano and Lagos States were created in 1967, the population of Lagos was more than that of Kano at that time. The two states were created on May 27, 1967. Now, Kano has been split into three. Katsina and Jigawa states were created from Kano State. Lagos still remains the same. Also, in the House of Representatives, Lagos State is having 24. Kano State is having 24 after two states had been created out of it. In the eye of the 1999 Constitution, Lagos has only 20 local government areas. But Kano has 44. By the time we add those from Jigawa and Katsina States, it will tell you the kind of uneven distribution we have in Nigeria. The inequalities were created under different military regimes from August 1985 and June 1998. That needs to be addressed promptly. I will not for now criticise our President. But we need to bring these things to his notice so that he does not forget that at the end of the day, we are going to judge him by how fairly he has dealt with us as a country. For now, I will commend him for a job well done. But I must also let him know that we are very nervous.

Q: We do not have precise economic direction yet almost five months after inauguration. Are you comfortable with this?
A: First, people that work do not make too much noise. I believe people who speak with them at close quarters will have insight into what they are doing in this direction. From what we have seen, issues will be rightfully addressed. The signs are very obvious. Do not forget that the situation was so bad under the last administration. You do not make noise about food for tomorrow when you are on a death bed. Nigeria was dying. Nigeria was as good as gone. That is the truth of the matter. I will not complain if no radical statement has been made so far on the economy. Quite honestly, I am not in any way disturbed when it comes to that. The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has made some public statements. Obviously, the only thing that excites our Vice President is how to help economy grow; how to generate jobs and how to make Nigeria a better place. Definitely, they have some great plans and they are working. Those plans will unfold as time goes on.

Q: Can Buhari effectively manage ethno-religious challenges in Nigeria?
A: Perhaps, 100 days may be too short to rate him. Nobody spoke about 100 days when President Jonathan was there. But the President should understand that Nigerians are sensitive to every step he takes. Those of us that stood for him should be able to beat our chests that this man has done well for Nigeria in all ramifications. Nepotism should not be heard of again in our dear country. Sectionalism should not feature again in our polity. He is a Fulani man, but I want to see him as a nationalist. I want to see as someone who is a Yoruba man and Igbo man. He must truly represent all sections of the country without prejudice. President Obasanjo gave us a semblance of that. I am not too sure any person who will say Obasanjo represented the interest of Yoruba only. He never did. Obasanjo is a Nigerian. He is a nationalist from that perspective. We, the Yorubas, may not like it, we feel that he robbed us of our opportunity but Nigeria needs people like that and we want to see the same thing in President Buhari.

I Wish My Father Lived To See Buhari Become President – Pharoh Okadigbo

Posted on September 28, 2015 by The Elites

Last Friday,(September 25, 2015) marked the twelfth anniversary of the death of your father, Senator Chuba Okadigbo, a former Senate President of this country. How do you reflect on life without him these past years?

Well, when l reflect on my Father’s death, it is that of emotions and a deep feeling of a sense of loss. I was about 28 years old when he passed on in September 2003. Today, l have come of age, to a stage in life that l now think more about his vision and philosophy in life and also about his visions and concern for the future of this country. My father was, above all things, very passionate about Nigeria. He often told us and to some of his friends and to those who cared, that a Muhammadu Buhari Presidency, whenever it comes, would signpost the beginning of a great turn around for this nation in all its ramifications. He had always looked forward to compliment President Buhari in this vision and has always urged his progressive political associates, allies and followers, to keep the flag of this vision for progressive Nigeria flying. But unfortunately, he had always regretted that anytime the nation was about to make this progress, it always made a detour and derailed.

Considering the caliber of the person of your late father, Chuba Okadigbo, what are those things you and the entire Okadigbo family miss about him?

I think we miss his absence, the warmth he usually brings to the family and also the advice that gives. It is very rare to find such a person as a father figure. But we can only rely on the lessons that he had taught us. I remember he used to call us his children together and sits us down to tell us things that were beyond our comprehension. And day after day or week after week, he keeps on repeating it knowing full well that we were yet to come to terms with the import of what he had told us. A year ago, some things will happen in my life and l will remember the stories he tells us about life. Okadigbo was a man that prepared for the future especially in regards to his family. He prepared for the future in terms of the life’s lessons. And to the extended family, his absence has been difficult. Can you imagine if the Sun is extinguished, how would the universe feel? We thank God so far because for us in the Okadigbo family, his lessons have kept us strong and focused to ourselves as human beings, to our country, our family and to humanity in general. As the Bible said, my father really thought us to love our neighbors as ourselves. That was his number one philosophy.

Being a notable knowledgeable and charismatic politician during his lifetime, what political tutorials would you say you learnt from him?

There have been many. Politics, just like the world, moves faster now. With the advent of social media and even within your profession (Journalism), you can understand the role social media has played in the evolution of journalism. The same goes for politics. There is a greater level of citizens participation now in the political process of the nation. There is a whole lot of things, politics going on in the National Assembly that my father has taught us about in power and leadership. He specifically taught us that we can not blame the failure or success of leadership of this nation at the early period of post-independent era on the late Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa because he was a led-leader, who, we all know that the late Sardauna Ahmadu Bello who was a power premier of the northern Nigeria at the time. Don’t forget that the Sardauna was a leader of a region where the former Prime Minister came from and all the political parties then were regional parties. But when you have a Prime Minister as the leader of the party in government but yet the authority comes from the background, you can imagine the difficulties faced by Balewa. It happened in the case of the immediate past President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan. His hands were tied to some extent. When as a leader your power base is located in a tribal area or region, you will certainly be encumbered. The situation is different in the case of President Muhammadu Buhari.

My father had the ambition to be president and naturally who wouldn’t. But he knew that one should not be greedy about it, that you had to take it one step at a time. Politics, he often tells me, is a game of patience. You have to know how to be patient in order to achieve development for the people as well as for your self.

Having learnt a lot from your father politically and being the most visible of all Chuba Okadigbo’s children, most people often wonder why you haven’t taken a plunge into politics all these years. Are you bidding for your time before stepping into your father’s political shoes?

Well, l have been taking part in political activities all these years even when my father was alive. I have worked with politicians. My father taught me that political tutelage is a very important lesson. If you achieve something too early in life, it poses its own difficulties because you have not had the time to learn the basic things about that particular aspect of life you are going into. For the past twelve years, l’ve been learning and watching. As l said previously, you have to be patient especially with a country like Nigeria that is very dynamic and fluid. The youths of nowadays who are young graduates, often desire the kind of accomplishments of a man of fifty years or that of a retired person. You see, it doesn’t actually work that way. That is one of the fundermental problems with us youths. You just can’t be the master in one day. You must go through the apprenticeship stage in life. For me, all these years, l have kept in touch with a lot of politicians most of who were my Father’s political friends, associates and ideological soul mates. I’ve worked with them, like the Senator’s Forum. I believe l have done a lot of background work to become a fulfilled citizen that is able to analyze the political field to the best of my ability. Fundamentally, my movement into politics is not for personal glory. I believe if one is entering into politics, it should be for the calling. You have to have a clear-cut focus on what you want to do and how you want to serve the nation.

In the past twelve years of my father’s death, we’ve had members of my family who have been into politics. And by having close relatives going into politics since then, I am not too far away from that politics itself.

Your father was a known political and ideological ally of President Muhammadu Buhari. He was Buhari’s vice presidential running mate in the defunct ANPP in the 2003 presidential election. He believed so much in Buhari’s military and civilian presidency such that he refused to serve under the previous military regimes before the advent of this democracy. What would have been their relationship now that Buhari is in power were he to be alive?

First and foremost, my father, the Chuba Okadigbo that you know, was a political scientist who believes strongly in democracy and civil governance. He was never a fan of the military rule because he believes that power belongs to the people and should indeed be derived from the people through a democratic process. Like you rightly said, that was why he refused to be part of the military government even when he was invited severally to serve under the military as a minister and positions like that in the transition process leading to democratic rule like the constituent assembly. So Chuba Okadigbo was guided all his life by a strong democratic philosophy. And while he shared very strongly President Buhari’s people-oriented ideology in political and democratic governance, he did not welcome Buhari’s historical circumstance as a military leader. They are two different things. So while he was totally for Buhari’s style of leadership, he was averse to the institution of the military getting involved in civil governance. So if you are a soldier and you want to serve the people, you must shed your uniform and come down to derive your power from the people through the process of democracy. That is why you see President Buhari today being totally different from Major General Muhammadu Buhari as a Head of State of Nigeria. You will observe that it is that same premise of democratic supremacy so to speak, which my father believes in, that President Buhari is strongly opposing the military junta in Burkina Faso today. So President Buhari has seen both sides and has become a better president that we have always known him to be under the mandate of the people and not through the power of the gun. Therefore my father would have been a part of this government and a supporter of the Buhari presidency.

I also believe that if my father was alive, Buhari would have served out his eight year tenure as a president of this country before 2015.

How do you mean?

Yes, if Okadigbo was alive, Buhari would have been president in 2007. So l believe strongly that Buhari would have been a retired politician by now because he would have won the election in 2007 and won again in 2011. Another man would have been at the helms of affairs of this country today. Chuba Okadigbo would have played a great role in making that scenario possible.

In specific terms, what do you think Okadigbo and Buhari shared in common?

Integrity. They shared similar political philosophy and they believed so much in humanity. Both men were very humane people. A lot of people who speak about Buhari’s years when he was a military leader and talk about his draconian decrees and all that, were simply a product of the environment and circumstance at the time. President Buhari couldn’t have responded in any other manner considering the state of things he met. His colleagues in the army who rallied round him to become the Head of State at that time knew of course, that he was the best man to clean the Augean stable and he did. So there is no way anyone could undertake such task without stepping on toes. It’s just normal. President Buhari has changed. Politics is about patience. Buhari has been patient all these past twelve years that he contested elections from 2003 to 2007 to 2011 and in 2015 that he finally made it to become the president. That was the same thing with my father. He started contesting for elections since 1979 up till 1999 when he came to the Senate and till 2003 when he ran with President Buhari for the presidency. My father deliberately refused to get involved with military rule even when juicy offers of appointments were made to him. Because of his ideology, he stayed away even though he had officers who were his friends. So one thing you have to understand about president Buhari is that he is ideological and when you are ideological and have principles, it gives you strength to achieve what you want to achieve. Both president Buhari and my father were born in December. They were age mates. Both of them were tall and lanky. They possess the virtues of perseverance, ideological commitment and integrity and dignity. If you look at the Okadigbo family, there has not been any scandal associated with our family members, likewise the Buhari family. Buhari and my father were good family men who trained their children. People that know Dr Chuba Okadigbo will attest to the fact that he always carry people along.

In what way do you think your father would have complimented the Buhari presidency?

My father was an associate professor of philosophy and political science. Very few people do have that kind of combination presently. His ability to read politics and it’s trends, would have benefited Buhari and the nation greatly. I think that he would have created a saner administration and a saner opposition. One thing l like about president Buhari is his ability to use the right political language in politics and not this type of abuses you see today’s politicians throw anyhow. All these period, President Buhari never abused any opponent in the name of politics. So if you have a vice president who has debt in politics and who understands politics practically as well as the theoretical aspect of it, there is nothing in governance you will not be able to achieve. I think that is what my father, Chuba Okadigbo would have brought to the table.

You and your father have been known to share President style and ideological vision, what do you think are those things Buhari has done in the past 100 days which you will commend?

I think l like the maturity of the man. President Buhari has learnt a lot from 2003 till date. He carries on as the real President of Nigeria and not as president of APC. Governance is different from politics. Ever since the unfortunate trial of our Senate President, President Buhari has never made a comment. When the opposition and individual make wild comment. It’s maturity.

Buhari is not a man who can not keep his promises. All those things he promised to do during his campaigns, he would do them in due course. They are not things he can achieve in just 100 days. Ministers would soon be announced and things would begin to happen. President Buhari is only taking his time to ensure that credible men and women of ability are appointed as ministers to help him actualize those promises. He has made it clear that no corrupt person will be appointed to work with him. Civil servants have been driving the machinery of government and things are moving. The president is streamlining the civil service. The civil servants, the permanent secretaries of the ministries now know the president one-on-one. There is checks and balances and any minister who is coming on board now will be more careful in what he is doing knowing full well that there are people watching him who will report back directly to the president what is going on in the ministry. Nobody likes change but change indeed has come. Also, if you look at the Boko Haram insurgency, there are movements now. There war going on and all manner of combat weapons we have never seen in this country have been brought in by the president to ensure that his promise of vanquishing the insurgents is kept. The new service chief are all working round the clock to make that possible.

There are both internal and external intelligence activities on-going and the president has met with leaders of neighboring countries and those of Europe and America, so fundamental things have happened in this past 100 days. And we hope that by December this year or by January or February next year, Boko Haram menace will be severely curtailed to at least 20 percent or so. In the area of recovery of stolen funds, president Buhari has not done badly. Stolen fund is stolen fund and it should be returned. My father would have given his backing to such effort. Nobody should be spared in this war against corruption. Even if it requires plea bargaining to get back the money, for Christ sake, let these funds be returned. I was glad when l read in the newspapers the other day that about one billion naira was returned from the ministry of environment. That’s a huge sum for God’s sake! How unfair can we be to this country? The people of this country are suffering because of leaders who steal billions in naira and other currencies and they hire these top lawyers to do this and that for them. I support the repatriation of those stolen funds by legal means.

How far have you gone in your effort to revive the Chuba Okadigbo Foundation. When is the foundation’s next annual lecture series coming up?

Presently, we are putting finishing touches to a lot of things regarding the foundation. You know, the foundation has Directors. The immediate family of Dr Chuba Okadigbo have started reaching out to the directors to intimate them of our plans for the future of that foundation. We apologize to Nigerians and to ourselves to not to be holding the Chuba Okadigbo annual lectures as it we are supposed to. A lot of people have said to me that we can make a lot of money from that foundation and l tell them that the Chuba Okadigbo Foundation is not all about making money. You see, money is not our concern. My father was not the money conscious type of person when he was alive. Okadigbo was more of an ideas man and l believe strongly in that. If anybody brings money, it is not for the Okadigbo family but for the foundation which in turn will be given back to the citizens for various projects. We thank Od that we have been able to reach out to the director.

In essence, what is the foundation

Are there specific activities you have lined up to mark your Father’s twelve years transition anniversary which comes up today, September 25th?

We usually mark his life in December. As a December child, my father always mark his birth not death. Chuba Okadigbo always insist on celebration of life not death because somebody’s birth is a journey through his life. We focus on December and in second to third week of December, we will mark it. For the day he departed which twelfth anniversary is today, we are holding a small memorial service.

We found Billions In Bala Mohammed’s Jeep and Took N310million, Now He is After Our Lives – Family Members Cry Out

Posted on August 21, 2015 by The Elites

Former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed is presently in the eye of the storm. Some aggrieved members of his family have exposed how the controversial minister piled his various garages with his loots, which are hid in cars.
The family members, namely Sadiq CK and Abdulrashid, Garba Y.M and Baba Manu discovered one of the many places the ex-minister hides his loot. It was gathered that Sadiq CK and his three other family members have laboured so much for Bala and his wife, Hajia Lami, during the six years of his uneventful tenure as the FCT minister. Unfortunately, they were said to have gained nothing from their closeness to the erstwhile influential minister. This is in spite of the constant influx of money, that was usually brought in a cash van to Bala’s houses, almost on a weekly basis. On the contrary, Bala’s wife, Hajia Lami and his sons- Shamshuddeen, Ahmad and Abdullahi a.k.a Dulas, who are reported to be in to possession of millions of naira in hard currency, live flambouyantly and cruise around town in expensive cars. Somehow, when Sadiq CK and his three cousins felt they deserved to have a share in the loot too, they broke into one of the cars, and stole N308 million. They were not so lucky. Bala Muhammed, who was away in Saudi Arabia, when the heist took place got them arrested and forced them to vomit every penny they stole.
In this exclusive anonymous interview with one of victims, he reveals how they discovered over N3 billion in foreign currency in a Toyota Jeep in one of the many guest houses of the former minister and the inside story of what actually transpired. Excerpts:-

What actually happened on that fateful night?

As it was reported earlier, it involves four of us and we are all very close to the former minister, Bala Muhammad and his wife. In fact we are their blood. We were frustrated and couldn’t even afford decent clothes to wear and some of us that have families could hardly feed them. It may surprise you to know that Bala’s children are not only our close relatives but our good friends. But we benefit nothing from them and their parents. We know some of the places Bala Muhammad used to keep his money because on many occasions they used to bring it to him in our presence. Bala also has a lot of money hidden in the house of his elder brother, Alhaji Adamu Duguri Wakilin Bauchi. So we targeted the one he kept in a Toyota Land Cruiser Jeep in his Wuse Zone 1 Bamako street guest house. He did a huge disguise as there are many cars then in the house and one might not notice which one contained the cash if you are not close insider. It was a 2015 Toyota Jeep and that particular car was parked carelessly in the house. But we knew what was inside and so we planned to get our own share, since they were not planning to give us anything, no matter how much they have.

So how did you open the car?

We suspected it was a bullet proof car. We went through the glass of the back seat but couldn’t open it until we forced and broke the glass silently. We didn’t use any chemical to open the glass as the SMS Alert reported earlier. I was the one that first saw the content in the car when we finally broke the glass. Wallahi, I nearly fainted because I have never seen that kind of money in my entire life. We cannot count the number of small bags we saw inside the car. All of them are filled with US dollars and Pound Sterling. So we just took 14 bundles of US dollars which is exactly 140 wrappers and when converted to naira it is equivalent to N308 million. We were confused and scared of what we saw because none of us ever stole a penny. It is not in our character. So, out of fear, we hurriedly left the scene and the car with a broken glass which was why it was discovered within few hours by the two police men in the house.

Do you know the name of the police officers on guard that discovered the glass of the Jeep was vandalized?

Yes, their names are Ibrahim and Benjamin. We understand later that they also took and hide some wrappers before they alerted the house keeper.

So what happen next? How did Bala discover that it was you people that vandalized the Jeep?

The police saw us when we came in and when we were going out so we were naturally the primary suspects. And instead of us to disappear all of us decided that one of us should remain in the house to monitor the aftermath of what will happen so that if there was no alarm, we will conclude that it is safe for us. So, the three of us took 90% of the money we took from the Jeep and rushed from Abuja to Bauchi for safe keeping and left one of us. When Ibrahim and Benjamin eventually raised alarm, our colleague was there and then apprehended by Bala’s security. Bala was in Saudi Arabia that time for the lesser Hajj and before he took action, your paper exposed the matter in your SMS Alert. So, he was so worried and decided to leave Saudi the following day. Bala was so afraid that he even told the security men to allow us with the cash because the revelation by DESERT HERALD had devastated him. But his elder brother Adamu Duguri whom we also know that he has been shortchanging Bala, insisted that he must not allow us to go away with such amount of money. And so they apprehended the three of us in Bauchi.

Who actually apprehended you?

It was not official. Bala Muhammad used his escort commander to scare us. They even forced us to swear by the holy Qur’an. We were afraid, so we confessed that we indeed broke the car and took the money.

Did you people give them the money?

Bala Mohammed son

Yes we did. There was nothing we could do. They threatened us and we were afraid because we are not used to anything like that- arrest, interrogation etc. We first returned eight out of the 14 bundles of the US dollars and then gave them additional four bundles when the threat and the pressure became unbearable. The remaining two bundles were earlier converted to naira and deposited in one of our friends’ bank account. But under intense duress, when they finally brought us to Abuja from Bauchi, Bala used his contacts after we revealed to him the bank the money was deposited and eventually everything was withdrawn leaving us with nothing and a tarnished image. The money that was withdrawn was later deposited in an account his wife, Hajia Lami was using.

What is the nature of the account?

It’s an NGO account, named Al-Muhibbat Foundation. Hajia Lami is the only authorized signatory to that account. Al-Muhibbat was registered in the name of her children.

Is it true that the SSS has finally invited you to Abuja for questioning regarding the matter?

Yes, they have, and I think it was motivated by the DESERT HERALD revelation. We were there last week Friday but we were not arrested and they (SSS) treated us very well.

What actually happened at the SSS headquarters?

I am not suppose to reveal it here but all I can tell you is that before we went, Bala has tried desperately to reach out to us. He even called us severally before we reached Abuja from Bauchi but we know that he wanted to implicate us, to force us to lie and to exonerate himself. The SSS people warned us not to lie to them when we reached there. They said they have all the details of what actually happened. So we told them the truth of exactly what happened and we put same into writing. But please don’t quote me because even now Nigerians should know that our lives are in danger. Bala is bragging that the SSS cannot do anything to him because he has bought over the investigation and that the matter will die a natural death.

Nigerians Must Be Patient With President Buhari – Adejare Adegbenro

Posted on August 7, 2015August 7, 2015 by The Elites

Adejare Adegbenro, a political analyst and member of a group of supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari said Nigerians needed to be patient with the President “because two months is not enough to assess a government that has a four-year tenure.”

Buhari’s two months in office
THE Buhari administration has done well; given the short time it assumed office. A government is meant to work for the electorate and the first and foremost important thing is objectivity. And this requires that the leader should understand the magnitude of the problem on the ground, diagnose it and start to apply treatment.

It is very easy to tag Buhari “Baba Go Slow” but this sounds as if we want the President to administer treatment to the problem without taking critical look at the root causes of the ailment.

Who do you need to tell you that the system in Nigeria is not working? What works in Nigeria? Why don’t you think of the filth, mismanagement and corruption and those who steal? It even goes beyond that. So, we need to have a reorientation in everything.

Jonathan’s handover note
People will be quick to say Buhari was given a hand over note before his inauguration by the previous government so he should hit the ground running. When was it given and what was he given?

Another reason I said he has done remarkably well is that we have countries that are not faithful towards our government. The United States of America for instance, is not friendly to us, if it were, there would have been so much assistance of collaborations that could have solved a lot of our national problems. But what happens? Today, they are going to sell this to us; tomorrow they are no more selling to us. Yet, with this cat and mouse posture, we still maintain diplomatic relationship with them.

Buhari and fight against graft
I am not saying President Buhari is a saint. But let me tell you one thing, he is one of the few honourable Nigerians that came out to ask for people’s mandate. And he can never succeed until we back him up to take us to the Promised Land. We don’t need to steal to be rich and become millionaires in dollars. All we need to do is to be hardworking and prayerful.

He has started on the right path and we need the support of the media in that course. He has made it clear that no Nigerian is above the law and that is what we want. And that is why Nigerians should support the government.

Solution to the lingering National Assembly crisis
I will like to call on President Buhari, who is the leader of the country to exhibit spirit of forgiveness in the larger interest of the country. He should intervene to douse the tension so that the country can move forward. I don’t have full information about how it happened. But as it is now, God has reasons for everything.

I urge Mr. President to open an avenue for smooth transition and amicable settlement of the crisis. If we start to pass bucks and apportion blames on who did this and who did that, before we know it, four years would have gone by. It has happened and it has happened. The best option now is to harmonize our positions to find a way forward. Nigeria has no time to waste. And for me, I believe Mr. President will do what is right over the matter.

Saraki, a traitor or party faithful
Nobody is saying that Senator Bukola Saraki is not qualified to be Senate President. He is eminently qualified like other Senators. He is just one among the equals. And going by his pedigree and antecedents, the cap fits Saraki just as it would have fitted other contestants for the position. And for now, he is doing well as Senate President. I pray God to give him the wisdom to assist President Buhari to succeed in his onerous task of taking Nigeria to the Promised Land. I also urge other Senators to bury the hatchets and support Saraki in passing laws that would assist the President to move the country forward. And from President Buhari’s utterances and body language, one would decipher that he desires a great country. I therefore urge all Nigerians to rally round him and be patient with him because problems of 16 years cannot be solved in two months. And I can assure you that with the way he has started, by 2019, Nigerians will beg Buhari to contest for a second term because his government will be a success story by the grace of God.

Buhari’s perceived slow approach to issues
When they say this man is slow, they fail to appreciate the fact that he needs to understand the problem that is on the ground before acting. In the handover note, what they will tell you, and what he will find in the office after the swearing in at the Eagles Square will be a different ball game entirely. The information he never had before the inauguration, now he has it. The reality has now dawned on him. He needs to articulate it. And people complain that he has not constituted his cabinet without checking how much he has saved for the country in the process.

Source: The Guardian

INTERVIEW: The Okonjo-Iweala Who Worked For Me Is Different From The Okonjo-Iweala Who Worked For Jonathan – Obasanjo

Posted on August 4, 2015August 4, 2015 by The Elites

Nigeria’s former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, took some time off his busy schedule to speak to a PREMIUM TIMES team at his Abeokuta home about some of the issues he wrote about in his book, “My Watch”.
The retired army general – in between joking with his interviewers- Musikilu Mojeed, Ben Ezeamalu and Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, and threatening to walk out of the room – spoke at length about the reasons behind some of the key decisions he took while in office, his relationship with some key political figures, and the Halliburton bribery scandal.
Below is excerpt of the first part of the interview.
PT: Thank you sir for granting us this opportunity to talk about your book. Some people say it is selling like hot cake, I don’t know if it is true but that’s what people say. How has it been? What has been the financial reward from there?
Obasanjo: The book was not written for financial reward. If it was written for financial reward, now that…what do you call him… Kashamu had done the stupid things he did, I would have sued him‎ for damages and I would have got damages. But that’s not what the book was written for. The book was written for my experience, my understanding, my knowledge, and what you may call wisdom as a result of all these, to put it for others to be able to learn or acquire knowledge. That’s one. Two, it was also written to set the record right. One of the things that people don’t know, people that I call arm chair presidents is that they don’t know what goes in before decisions are made or what the man making decisions, what leads him to making decisions.
Take for instance the decision on privatising all refineries. I explained that what I met were refineries that were not working, refineries that were given to an amateur for repairs, for maintenance, what they call turn around maintenance to the company of Emeka Offor – Chrome Group. Where has Emeka Offor maintained refineries before? Where has he? That’s what we met. So the refineries were not working. I called Shell. I said ‘come and help us, just run the refinery.’ Shell was frank with me.
It said that ‘we make our money from upstream, downstream is more of a service. Two, your refineries are small. Port Harcourt is 60,000 barrels a day. Refineries now go 300,000 barrels a day. Three, your refineries have not been maintained well. Four, we don’t want to go into the corruption that is entailed in all these’. I said ‘ok, come and help me run it’. They refused. Now when I then saw people who agreed to take 51 percent equity in two of the refineries; they did not promise to pay, they paid 750 million, I was dancing and I said ‘look, this is God sent.’ My successor came (and) they cancelled it and paid them the money back. Those refineries today – you won’t get them because they’ve become scrap.
PT: They recently said that they are working again…
Obasanjo: Who made them work? (laughs)
PT: You mentioned Emeka Offor. There were lots of stories about the refineries you met, how you handled it. But you never recovered anything from Emeka Offor.
Obasanjo: What can you recover? A man ‎who was paid upfront. He had people. He got some police…people were there. And like they have said to you now, look, if it works for a week, that’s all you get. And Emeka Offor, after I left he became friends with every government that has come. Now he’s not only into refinery and oil and all that, he’s now also in energy.
PT: Something came out of your book. You said that before you were elected, that the feeling and perception was that only a northerner ‎could be elected in Nigeria. How did you feel breaking that myth, because you called it a myth in your book?
Obasanjo: It’s a myth. It’s a myth that….well, before my election we have had, since independence, three or four elections. We had election in 1959 that was conducted by the British, NPC won. We were still in the days of parliamentary. We had election in 1964 that was conducted by ourselves. It was a coalition of NPC and NCNC but the head of the government was Tafawa Balewa. We had election again in 1979, Shagari won. We had again in 1983, again Shagari won. And then we had the June 12…
PT: (Cuts in) I was thinking that (1993) was when the myth was broken.
Obasanjo: Election which result has not been declared, you cannot talk of… It doesn’t matter what you may see but until the election result is formally declared, it could be anything.
PT: So you think that period was a very momentous period in Nigeria’s history?
Obasanjo: I think it was good for Nigeria. It was one of the great strides that Nigeria made. Just as I believe that Jonathan winning election in 2011 was also a great stride for us or 2015, now that the incumbent was defeated by the opposition. These are landmarks, or if you like, reference points in our advancement in democracy.
PT: In the Volume 2 of your book, you wrote extensively about the role God used you to play in enthroning Yar’Adua and Jonathan. You also admitted later – extensive analysis – how both leaders performed poorly. There are those who believe that you owe Nigerians an apology for leading them to enthrone non-performing leaders.
Obasanjo: (Cuts in) You are absolutely wrong Now you voted for them. I didn’t just take them and put them there. And they went through a process. Don’t you know that? Do you know or don’t you know that they went through a process? Do you know or don’t you know? Answer (slaps interviewer’s thigh vigorously).
PT: I know.
Obasanjo: Okay. They went through a process. And that is the process that the constitution and the electoral system allow.

PT: In other words, are you saying that all of us are guilty?
Obasanjo: Of course. If you want to put that, everybody who voted for them is guilty.
PT: But you know people believed you. People believed you. When you speak….
Obasanjo: (Cuts in) When I speak, I am not an oracle. And I’m not infallible. But on this particular one I have said to all of you, you can get a job for a man you cannot do it for him. Even your own son if you put him in a job…. There is a good saying that if you want to know how anybody will perform, put him in position of power or put money into his hand.
PT: So maybe the thing to say is that you didn’t do enough due diligence…
Obasanjo: (Cuts in) No. You are wrong. There’s no due diligence that you can do to allow a man…. You cannot know the quality of a gift from the wrapping. You don’t know that, you will never go anywhere (slaps interviewer’s thigh). That is absolute wrong.
PT: That point has to be made…
Obasanjo: (Cuts in) But I’ve always made it. I keep on making it. In my book, I said look, Gowon sent me to the war front and because of my performance there, my popularity started to rise…
PT: (Cuts in) Because he knew you had the capacity, he checked you very well…
Obasanjo: (Cuts in) No no no. Adekunle was there before me. So he didn’t know Adekunle had the capacity? Answer me. In that same Division, Adekunle was there. And if Adekunle had remained there, there’s the possibility that Nigeria could have lost the war. So will you blame him for that?
PT: We won’t. But you know a lot of people believe that between 1999 and 2007 when you left was a time that a lot changed in Nigeria for the better. And people just keep saying that you destroyed everything that you put in place with the successors you enthroned.
Obasanjo: But take Ngozi (Okonjo-Iweala), who worked for me. And who worked competently for me. Because I know Ngozi’s weaknesses, but I know her strong points. Her strong point is technical competence. But Ngozi needs to be led and to be supervised. Now will you comment on Ngozi who worked for me as the same Ngozi who worked for Jonathan? Will you? But it’s the same person.
PT: At what point do you think she derailed if I may use that word?
Obasanjo: No.
PT: Is it at the point that you changed her – because you removed her as finance minister. Was it at that point that she began to derail?
Obasanjo: She derailed because….when Jonathan even said he wanted her, I said ‘I hope you can manage her.’ And Ngozi herself sent me a text (and) I told her times have changed.
PT: But why did you change her? She was managing the economy very well for you. Why did you now remove her suddenly?
Obasanjo: I wrote it in that my book.

PT: It didn’t come out clearly enough?
Obasanjo:It must have come out. Maybe you haven’t read the book very well. I said I’ve touched reform. I’ve touched almost everywhere except Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So one day, I was in my office and the Head of Service, Yayale (Ahmed), came in. He said ‘look, you are looking not happy, what is the matter?’ I said I am worried about two ministries and the ministers who can do the work I wanted to be done there in these two ministries are already doing good work where they are. And he said ‘talk let me see.’ I said education and foreign affairs. And he said ‘who are the ministers that you think can do the job.’ I said Oby (Ezekwesili), Ngozi, and El-Rufai. He said ‘what is Oby doing for you now?’ I said Oby is doing Solid Minerals. He said ‘Sir, in all sincerity, I know you don’t like to rank ministries, but will you say Ministry of Solid Minerals is as important as Ministry of Education.’ I said yes I don’t rank ministries, they are all important. He said, ‘Can’t you take any of these three to do education and then get somebody else to do solid minerals?’ So I took Oby there. Now in the Ministry of Finance we had got debt relief, so I could afford to take Ngozi to Foreign Affairs. That’s all. And then she had Nenadi (Usman) who was the minister of state. She’s not a buffoon. And then, which is also part of her weakness, she came to me and said, look, since it’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she will like to take International Finance along with it. I said talk to your sister with whom you are working and I don’t see anything wrong with that provided you work out a relationship. But she didn’t accord Nenadi the recognition and the consideration that was necessary. I then said the ministry of International finance should go back to Finance and that happened. She said she couldn’t act. She put in a letter of resignation. And she had done that before, and before she could come and get people to come and beg, I announced acceptance (of her resignation).
PT: She once resigned before and she took it back?
Obasanjo: Yes.
PT: Which means you were always having disagreements…
Obasanjo: No no no. I know her character.
PT: So why did she resign the first time?
Obasanjo: She just felt if she cannot have her way, with me…. If I am the one in charge, then it has to be what I see as what is the best interest of the nation.
PT: So even when she resigned, if you didn’t announce the acceptance she would have come back. So all efforts to make her come back didn’t work?
Obasanjo: No no no. Because I had announced.
PT: In 1999, IBB supported you to become president…
Obasanjo: (Cuts in) I said that.
PT: Yes, you said that. And many even said he helped fund your campaign at the time.
Obasanjo: No.
PT: You didn’t say that. You said he supported you. But in your book, you spoke of how in 2011, you chose to support Jonathan…..because you called a South West PDP meeting where Jonathan was endorsed, even when IBB had also indicated interest in running. Why did you prefer to act that way?
Obasanjo: I wrote in my book that this is the opportunity we have for a minority. And I’ve said that. I’ve explained that. I’ve said that times without number. And we have scaled that hurdle. Nobody in Nigeria today can say ‘oh, because I’m a minority I cannot get there.’
PT: So was he not angry with you that ‘look, I backed you in 1999?’
Obasanjo: That’s not…What nonsense is that? Because you backed me I must back you? It doesn’t matter who you are? And I don’t have consideration for Nigeria? It’s consideration that you backed me? No, if that is the way you think then you are short-sighted and myopic and stupid. And put that one. No Nigerian should think that way. You backed me? And if you don’t back me others will back me. So everybody who backed me that time, I must now come and say, look, when you want anything, any office…. I don’t act like that.
PT: It means that you were able to break the jinx of the problem of minority.
Obasanjo: It is necessary that we deal with that.
PT: You said something very shocking in your book – that the presidency instructed EFCC to remove a vital document in Gbenga Daniel’s file in their custody as a way of getting the former governor off their hook.
Obasanjo: No. The president knows about it but it was his chief of staff who gave the instruction.

PT: With the consent of the then president?
Obasanjo: The president knows about it.
PT: Now listen to what you wrote in page 81 of your book. “To fight corruption, the leader needs absolute transparency, no skeleton in the cupboard, clean hands, a clear mind, fear of God, and absolute honesty and integrity, submission to scrupulous investigation. Search and enquiries are also good for a leader who wants to lead by example.” Great message for any leader all over the world! This is prescriptive. Now what do you say to those who keep linking you with corruption during your own tenure, especially the unresolved Halliburton scam for which some of your aides were arrested?
Obasanjo: Look, anybody can make any allegation. Go and read the EFCC report on me. I’m the only leader who has left office who has had, I said they should carry out clinical… did you see that in the book? And if you haven’t seen that in the book then you haven’t read the book. So what else do you want? (Ndudi) Elumelu carried out a report. Did you see the report of the House and the action of the House? What more do you want? So it doesn’t matter the allegation you make, that’s entirely up to you. Halliburton, Bodunde (one of his aides) has been taken to court twice and the court has dismissed the case. What more do you want? The latest was the one Jonathan did. Just before he left, he took Bodunde back to court. He was discharged and the case dismissed the first time. The second time Jonathan took him to court and he was discharged again. So what do you want?
PT: You may not know about it, you may not have a hand in it, but it does appear, especially from reports from US investigators that some officials of your administration perhaps took bribe from Halliburton.
Obasanjo: No no no! I don’t deny that. But not me! I don’t deny their reports about Halliburton but not me. I don’t even know what Halliburton was doing here. So what’s your problem? And EFCC looked into it. You read the report of EFCC bordering on Halliburton.
PT: The only gap is that people are wondering why you didn’t take steps to bring those officials of your regime to book.
Obasanjo: (Cuts in) There’s no gap. You can make any allegation. Now EFCC – you can count number of people who are taken to court. I don’t take anybody to court, Mojeed. And don’t annoy me. Now you have the system that takes them to court. I don’t take anybody to court. Because if I have to be the one to say ‘take this one to court,’ that will be witch- hunting. That’s not my job. My job is – set up the system and if anybody in that system is not performing then look for somebody to perform. So it doesn’t matter what allegation. If you read that report of EFCC, one man was hired, and he went out with all sorts of spurious allegations and EFCC took it one by one. Even Ribadu told me that when he gave that report, because he didn’t give the report to me…I said, look, carry out a critical investigation. I thought that was good. Then when he wrote his report, he gave it to Yar’Adua. And he said Yar’Adua asked him, ‘You can’t find anything at all?’ He brought Metropolitan Police here and he said whenever they are doing investigation in the past, when they get somewhere they will say ‘oh, yes, some people are interested.’ But this is the first time they had free hand to carry out investigation. So what more do you want? And what I put there is what I believe in. Has anybody working under me said to you that ‘oh, he asked me to take bribe?

Source: PREMIUM TIMES

INTERVIEW: My Life As A Medical Doctor- Abimbola Silva, Nigeria’s Oldest Female Doctor

Posted on July 31, 2015July 31, 2015 by The Elites

The life of Dr. (Mrs.) Abimbola Marianne Silva revolves around medicine. As the oldest female medical doctor in Nigeria, she has a strong attachment for the profession, which brought her so much esteem accolades. Abimbola, the mother of star actress, Joke Silva Jacob shares the story of her love for medicine with KEMI AKINYEMI.

You are the third Nigerian woman to qualify as a medical doctor. What were the factors that shaped your decision to study medicine?

When I was 13, I saw the picture of Mrs. Abimbola Awoliyi in the newspaper. I was taken up by her for two major reasons. First, she had my name and she was also a woman. So, I decided I was going to be a doctor. The second woman was Mrs. Nwakpa. These two women were very much interested in obstetrics. But when I did my own obstetrics as a medical student, I didn’t like it at all, because it interfered with your sleep and then you had to go to lectures the next day. It was nerve-racking for me. You are dealing with a baby and a mother at the same time. So, I wasn’t interested in obstetrics and gynecology. Rather, I got interested in pediatrics. I was more interested in children because I believed they needed more care.

What were the reasons that formed the basis of your assumption?

When I came back, I worked at the General Hospital. During the nights, they used to bring a lot of children emergencies to us. The cases were always nearing death. And these were diseases, such as diarrhea, malaria and measles that were preventable. If the children had been brought in on time, we would have resuscitated them. So, I was very much interested in preventing some of these diseases. That was why I went to do public health, instead of doing curative job. I went to the ministry and I was very much emphatic about providing safe drinking water for everybody, because a lot of diseases are traceable to the water we drink. Also, some of these children used to die as a result of tetanus infection. So, I was very emphatic on children being immunized. Also, we tried to promote maternal and child health because we had several cases of women and babies who died during child birth. And then of course, we promoted child health. We advised the mothers on what to give the children to eat and what to do when they had diarrhea. Then, in the area of health education, we taught the mothers, children and adults how to prevent illness.

Given the fact that medicine was a male-dominated profession in those years, you must have felt a huge responsibility was being thrust on you. How were you able to cope?

I was able to cope very well. I was lucky my parents allowed me to study medicine and they supported me all the way. I knew I had a big responsibility of making my parents proud. I didn’t want to fail them. When I came back, I was the only female doctor in the General Hospital for a long time. I got used to it because I just enjoyed what I was doing. And my male colleagues accepted me. Although, when I came back, I was asked to go and do some work with Dr. Abimbola Awoliyi. But Dr. Mabayoje, who was a physician offered to accept me. And I enjoyed working with him as a house physician.

Did you also get to work at the World Health Organization?

No, but I was in charge of WHO matters in the ministry. WHO advised us on what to do and we had to attend international conferences, which helped to guide us on what to do in order to prevent illness. The training I got at these conferences helped me in knowing what to do to save people from getting malaria. It also helped in the area of immunization. And then, WHO helped us to train doctors, especially, post graduate doctors and nurses. I got scholarship to do Health Education. It is not that WHO trained staff, but they would re-train them, so that they would acquire some knowledge that would make their work more effective.

Having worked in public health, your path must have crossed with that of late Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti at some point.

Yes, we did work together at some point. He came to the ministry as a member of some of the committees that we set up. I remember one of the things he told me was that there were very few facilities in the country. So, we had to look into improving facilities for women. The other area in which we worked together was in health clinics. He was very good at setting up health units all over the country, particularly in the rural areas.

There is this general notion that there is a sharp decline in the standard of medical practice. Do you also share in this sentiment?

I don’t share that sentiment. But I will like to see better facilities in the health sector. There has not been much improvement in the last few years. The problem has nothing to do with professionalism. We should look into what the doctors are being to work with. There are too many poor health facilities in the health sector. It is very distressing and frustrating. If you are a professional and you have nothing to work with, what is professional about you? Some doctors may not be professional in their ways but most of them do try their best if they are given the right equipment. For instance, I doubt if there is any radiotherapy machine in Nigeria to treat women with cancer. And when they go to the doctor, he doesn’t know what to do with their cases.

Does that also explain why we have several instances of wrong diagnoses in the hospitals?

It may be the reason, because you have got to have some equipment to be able to diagnose. For instance, only very few hospitals have the mammogram that is used for breast cancer. It is not so much professionalism as to having a facility to diagnose what is wrong with the patient. Also, when you diagnose, you have to have what to treat the patient with. How does one cope with a situation where there is nothing in the laboratories to diagnose or treat the patients? These are the problems that doctors have to contend with. That is why they leave government establishment to set up their hospitals.

Can you draw a comparison between the time you practiced medicine and what is obtainable now in the profession?
In my own time, the doctors were very good and they were well trained. But many of them complained of what they had to use in the hospital. However, things have improved and they are improving. But I think they could improve more. If you go to the teaching hospital now, there is no light and there is no water. And you are expected to work under that those conditions. I think the government should pump more money into the health sector than they are doing at the moment. It is not as if things have improved since I left. During my practicing years, we used to complain about not having enough money. And this seems to be the same story that many doctors are still contending with now. I remember when Professor Ransome Kuti became a minister, he tried to get government to pump more money into the health sector. He knew the challenges that doctors were facing when he was practicing as a pediatrician.

You have been in retirement for 34 years now. How do you engage your time?

I do a lot of voluntary works. I had served as the health adviser of the National Council of Women Society. I was also the chairman of the International Year of the Child, IYC in 1979. Also, I am interested in handicapped and blind children. I am a Soroptimist and I am a member of a lot of voluntary organizations. Through their activities, you can help the less privileged. The other day, I was involved in helping women living with HIV, who are located in Obalende. We helped them to set up tie and dye business so that they can have something to do.

Before your husband died, you were married to him for 43 years. What was the experience like for you?

My husband was a very kind man. I was married to him for 43 years. But he also roved like most other men. And when they rove, you are a bit disturbed, to start with. Then, after a while, you have to take it or leave it. And I wasn’t prepared to leave my home because of another woman. That is the mistakes some women make. Once you have built a home, you don’t want to leave it for another woman to come and live there. You have to run your home the way you want, not hurting anybody. But you have to be in control of the happenings in your home. And it is also important that women engage themselves in careers or business. You don’t have to be miserable all the time, especially whenever the man goes around with other women. You have to look after the children fathered by your husband from other women. In my own case, my husband had children from two other women. But I consider those children as mine and they see me as their mother too. I have been looking after them for quite a long time. And I enjoy it because I love children. We should understand that children belong to the world, not to the mothers.

Most professional women hardly fare well in the marriage department. How can they enjoy a good marriage?

The problem is not peculiar to professional women alone. It is a general problem among women. Marriage is a good thing, but it is not as easy as most people think. One needs a lot of patience and understanding to enjoy a good marriage. The fundamental factor is that couples should respect each other. In my own case, I expect people to respect me, not only as a doctor but as a human being as well. Most men don’t respect their wives. And that is why they habour other women and make their wives miserable in their matrimonial homes. Men should not only respect their wives, they should be able to respect whatever might hurt them. And in bringing up children, women should be strict and loving at the same time. Of course, it is important that every mother should pray a lot for their husbands and children. I know it is not easy to build a successful home. Many people go into marriage with the mentality that it is a bed of roses. But couples should realize that marriage is a different ball game from courtship. There are going to be changes once they get married.

You are a typical Lagos girl.

Very much so, I am! (Chuckles)

Can you reminisce on the Lagos of your youth?

The Lagos of those years was very comfortable. I was born in Olowogbowo area in Lagos. My father was a clergy in the cathedral. I was brought up by strict parents. We had a lot of children in our home. We were 15 children. My parents had four children and the other children were from other families of priests who were transferred from Lagos. So, their children lived with us and went to school. There were not so many people living here. Lagos ended at Mushin. There was no Apapa and there was no Surulere. There was Victoria Island, and this was where we passed to get to the beach. Of course, the beach has now eaten up a lot of the lands. And then, we rarely had cases of armed robbery attacks like we have now. You could sleep in your patio all night and nothing would happen to you. Many people slept on the Marina during the hot season. You could walk around any where you like. The population was very small. We never had one night without electricity. And there were taps running on the street. We never had shortage of water. On the whole, Lagos was a very comfortable place to live in, more comfortable than now. I think it is over-populated right now. But I am glad that they got rid of that Oshodi rowdy environ. I think the government should do something about the over-population and provide people with where to live. The government should decentralize the population. You know many people moved to Abuja when it was newly created. But when they got there, they were disillusioned because they didn’t get as much business contracts as they expected. So, they came back to Lagos because it is the centre for business. What I like about Lagos is the lagoon. When I go to Ibadan, I become miserable because I like to see the water. I am used to seeing water and boats all the time. In my days, we had only Carter Bridge. And we used it for everything. It was later that they built Eko Bridge and other bridges. There was so much food in my days. We were never short of food. And the railways were there at that time and they were very useful for everything. People used to go to Ibadan by train. Now, when you go to Ibadan by road, you spend ten hours before you get there. Those were some of the things we enjoyed when we were growing up in Lagos.

What is your impression of the modern Nigerian women?

I am happy with what Nigerian women are doing. They have done very well. You know many of our fathers never used to train girls. They used to concentrate on the boys in the family. But now, the women are doing so well, that their parents are now sending them to train as professionals. Also, women are now making their presence felt in politics, banking, law and several other professions. I feel proud whenever I see them in television and newspapers. Nigerian women have come a long way and they can now hold their heads high in any society. I am amazed with how well Nigerian women are doing in their various callings.

Your daughter, Joke Silva has made an indelible mark on the acting profession. You must be very proud of her, don’t you?

I am. I am very proud of her. She gives us joy. I am glad that she has been able to make a mark in this profession. When she informed us that she was going into the theatre profession, the father and I were very much opposed to her decision. But somehow, we were able to see the acting talent in her. That is why it is important for parents to see the gifts in their children and hey should help in nurturing this gift. They should also leave their children to do whatever they want to do. However, I am happy with how Joke has been able to make a success of her career. She is interested in passing on her knowledge to other people. Now, she wants to start a school for drama and culture. And we are going to help her as much as possible with the project.

What do you enjoy doing when you want to relax?

I love music. I play the piano. And I love gardening. When my husband died, some people advised me to get a flat, that this house was too big for me. Now, it is not too big, because my children and grandchildren come around a lot. And then, I love to sew, when I can see very well to put the thread in the needles. I love people all together. You cannot be a doctor without loving people. When they come to see you about their illness, they talk to you about their families as well. And you have to relate with them. That is why I am involved in projects that seek to promote people’s welfare, especially the underprivileged. I love to go to plays and recitals.

For an 84 year old lady, you look quite amazing. Your well manicured nails and glowing skin is a clearly indicates that you are very fashionable.

Am I? (Chuckles) As a professional, I have to present myself in a nice way at all times. I love to design my clothes myself. I tell the designer what I want and she makes it that way. When we were young, we used to make our own clothes. There were not many seamstresses around. We were taught to sew in school so that we could make our own clothes. We had a lot of expatriates who taught us how to sew.

The story has it that you used to socialise a lot when you were much younger. Do you miss socializing?

Of course, I do. My husband was the legal director at UAC. So, we used to attend a lot of events in those days. And then, we used to host a lot of social events in our home too. Earlier on, I mentioned that I loved people a lot. So, I am a social person. But I hardly socialize nowadays. During the last Christmas festival, I received quite a number of invitation cards. I had to go to a quite place to have a rest. I miss traveling a lot. But now, I cannot travel. Even the way they treat you at the airport can discourage one from traveling. And to get visas is another problem. The embassy will tell you to come for interview at 6.00am, and I don’t get up till about 8.00am. These are some of the reasons I don’t travel anymore. To tell you the truth, the country on the whole, is not helping anybody, especially the older people. We are not in a very comfortable atmosphere at the moment. But I admire you young people. You really are facing the problem squarely because you have to move on.

Are you happy with how life has turned out for you?

Well, I thank God. When you see other people’s lives, you thank God for what you have. I have children and grandchildren who look after me very well. That is something to be happy about. Although, I feel pain in my legs, I can still move around. If I get up now, I will feel a lot of pain in my legs. I was advised to do operation, but I don’t want any operation, because I have arthritis in both legs. As a medical student, I used to stand on my feet all day. And when you are a doctor too, you are standing and moving around. But I thank God for how life has turned out for me.

Among your contemporaries in the medical profession are still around?

Some of my contemporaries are still around. Some of them are Mrs. Elebute and Mrs. Majekodunmi, who is an entomologist. Actually, Mrs. Majekodunmi happens to be my mentor. She has her own private clinic in Surulere. Then, there is Mrs. Wura Ogunyemi. Some of my contemporaries who have passed away are Dr. Irene Thomas, Mrs. Olumide(nee Okupe).

PS: This Interview was first published in TheNEWS Magazine, in 2010.

INTERVIEW: At 85, My father Still Goes To Farm At Dawn Daily — Ahmed Joda’s Son

Posted on July 26, 2015 by The Elites

Ali, a son of the Chairman of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Transition Committee, Ahmed Joda, talks to MOTUNRAYO JOEL about his father

Tell us about yourself.

I am Ali Joda, one of the children of Ahmed Joda. I started my education at Capital School, Kaduna State. My parents were then residing in Kaduna State. My father was a civil servant in the employ of the Northern Nigeria Government then. He later moved to the Federal service. I think that was towards the end of 1967. During the period I spent in Lagos State, I attended Corona School, Victoria Island, Lagos. Two years after, I returned to Capital School. I proceeded to Barewa College and later moved to King’s College. After I completed Form Three, my father sent me to the United Kingdom to prevent me from playing Polo; I used to sneak out to play the game. I studied at a school in Oxford then I moved to another high school in Geneva to complete my high school education. For my tertiary education, I enrolled at Bradford College, I studied Business Management and Administration and I have a minor in Accounting.

How was it like growing up with your father?

It was a difficult one because his work kept him busy especially during the civil war. He was always out on official duties; we didn’t see much of him. I remember complaining to my mother, but I never complained to him. We hardly saw him at home for two consecutive weeks; he was always on one assignment or the other. This continued as he moved from one position to the other in his career. However, when he was home, he used to take us swimming during the weekends. This was in Kaduna State. I still remember visiting family friends after we moved back to Lagos. These were good times; I enjoyed those days.

Has your father’s name opened doors for you?

My answer is yes and no. Though, people always ask if I’m his son whenever they hear my surname. Sometimes I prefer not to mention my surname and other times, I acknowledge that he is my father. He is a father that does not want his children to use his name especially when we were looking for jobs. Hence, I never did. Of course, there were certain doors that were opened because I introduced myself as his son, but it was in selected places.

How does it feel to have such a surname?

I must say it is hard to cope bearing my surname sometimes because people expect so much from us his children. Many people think we have the world at our feet. But it isn’t so.

People may describe you as a silver spoon kid, is this true?

Those that know me very well will not say that. With my father, one gets what one deserves. He doesn’t tolerate indiscipline; he is actually a disciplinarian, though my late mother was much more of the disciplinarian at home. Growing up, he was tough. At one point, I felt like he was trying to choose my friends for me; he preferred certain friends of mine to others. I guess he heard some things about some of my friends.

What kind of father is he at home?

He is a good father, but of course a disciplinarian. The worst thing one could do to him is tell a lie. If one told a lie and my mother found out; such a child would be in serious trouble. She also would discipline such a child.

Growing up, how did he discipline any child who erred?

He gives the child a certain look which automatically speaks his mind.

Did he beat or flog?

If there was a need, he would, but he didn’t do it often.

What fond memories of growing up with your father do you have?

I remember the weekends we spent together when he would take us swimming. Other times, he would gather the family and take us to a beach. These are some of the memorable experiences I still have .

Did any of his children take after him in his line of profession?

I don’t think so. My sister is more into activities of non-governmental organisations. She started one herself; it is a woman-activism NGO. My brother is in a different field, he is into real estate, while I’m into telecommunications.

Did he at any point influence the career choices of his children?

No, I wouldn’t say that. I personally have always been interested in telecommunications. The same goes for my siblings. We were allowed to do what we wanted to do.

How did your family handle his appointment as Chairman of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Transition committee?

I didn’t expect he would be called to such an assignment because of his age, but I know President Buhari has a lot of regards for him. We supported him all the way.

Describe his relationship with President Buhari?

I know that President Buhari at one point came to my father’s house for a visit. I still remember back then in 2010, my father had a minor accident on a staircase, he broke his leg. This affected him and he wasn’t moving much. President Buhari used to come to visit him. They seem to be close.

What is his your father’s favourite sport?

He swims and plays golf once in a while. That was how he knew I used to sneak out to play polo. He used to hear my name being called out by the commentators (smiles).

What is the most important advice he gave you?

He always taught us to be humble, truthful and honest. He says one should respect other people’s feelings

Growing up, how was he able to shield his family from the limelight?

He brought us up in a humble manner; he ensured we had a normal childhood.

What are his likes and dislikes?

He dislikes dishonesty. If one is straight forward and honest with him, he will respect that person.

What are his hobbies?

At the moment he likes to read and travel; he travels a lot. He also has a farm; I think it is one of his hobbies. At 5:30am , he is already on his way to his farm. I suppose this is what keeps him going at his age; he is 85 years old yet still strong. He is very fit. I think if we try to stop him from travelling, it may affect his health.

What is the secret of his good health?

I think it is because he is always on the move. He isn’t sitting down idle, and we can’t get him to slow down. Maybe the best thing is to let him continue, if we try to slow him down, that may cause his health to deteriorate. Also, he hardly goes to the hospital. The only time I think he went to a hospital was when he broke his leg.

What is his favourite food?

He likes meals made from leaves of the plant used to make zobo drink. He also likes Chinese food, Indian meals, and French cuisine. The local food I know he likes is a particular leaf.

How is this leaf prepared?

Sometimes, groundnut paste is added to the leaf to give it a different taste. Other times, it is cooked alone.

At home, how does he like to dress?

He usually liked to wear casual, but in the last few years, he likes to wear kaftans.

Describe his daily schedule?

If he is in Yola, Adamawa State, by 5:30am he is off to the farm. He then takes his breakfast between 8 and 8:30am. In less than an hour after this, he is off to his other farm. He spends some time there then comes back at around 12 noon. After that he does other things or visits. Though he has very few friends left, most of them are gone. He eats his lunch at about 2pm, and have a siesta. At 4pm, he is off to the farm.

What time does he sleep and what time does he wake up?

I’m certain he wakes up some minutes to 5am since he gets to his farm around that time. He doesn’t have any particular time he sleeps. During the transition period, he had late nights. Sometimes, he slept at 12pm.

Is he sociable?

It depends on his mood, but he is sociable, though not very much.

When did he experience his saddest moment?

I think it was the period my mother died.

And when did he experience his happiest moment?

One of his happiest moments was when I had my first son in 1997. He left his board meeting quite early to catch an early flight. He was really excited.

Where does he see himself in the next three to five years?

He just wants to have a quiet life. He accepted the transition assignment because he felt it was a duty to the country and I think he couldn’t say no too.

Is he a private person?

Yes, my father is a private person.

While you were much younger did he advise you on marriage?

Not really, the only time he spoke to me about marriage was when my mother expressed her view about me getting married. He didn’t talk much on that area.

How did he handle misunderstandings with your late mother?

I never saw them argue, I guess he made me feel this way. Though, he did say to me that marriage isn’t a bed of roses. They knew how to handle their misunderstandings discreetly.

Who is his best friend?

His best friend is dead. He died in 1991. He has very close friends though.

What are the things Nigerians did not know about him?

He is time-conscious and loves punctuality; he doesn’t appreciate one showing up late for meetings. Also, he looks at things critically and once he has made up his mind about something, he doesn’t change his view. Of course, his views are not always right, it is human to err.

If he could change things about himself, what would they be?

He is tough, may be that is something he wants to change.

What are some of his achievements in the political sphere?

He isn’t a politician. At one time, he got chosen from the North-East as presidential candidate, they were six of them and he was selected. They pushed him into it but he didn’t want it.

What is his view about former President Goodluck Jonathan?

He has written him a few times, his views were not hidden. In one of his interviews, he asked him to declare that he would not contest for the presidency; I think it was the last presidential election. My father said if he did that he would get acceptance from people. His views about him are not hidden.

How did he feel when former President Jonathan contested?

I think that was one of the reasons the General Muhammadu Buhari support group was born.

What is his view on corruption?

He is disgusted with corruption. Sometimes, he is naïve about it. When one tells him that something negative is happening probably in the economy for example, he says ‘how can that be?’ He doesn’t believe things like that can happen, until he gets firsthand information. There were certain things I mentioned, and he got angry with me. He felt they weren’t happening, until I was proved right.

People may describe him as a rich man, what is your view on this?

That is an impression people have, probably because of his social standing. People think the same of me, they say I have billions stashed somewhere. I thank God I can pay my children’s school fees which is my topmost priority. Also, it depends on what one terms ‘rich.’

What is his view on Boko Haram?

He is disgusted with it.

What type of books does he read?

He reads wide.

What do you think is his legacy?

The name he has is his legacy. Where ever he goes, people have a great deal of respect for him. It also has its disadvantages because people think he has the power to do many things. He is the kind of person that wouldn’t do such a thing. People may respect and listen to one, but this doesn’t guarantee it will result into anything.

How many more years does he hope to live?

I wouldn’t know that, but I think he has an open mind. He knows he can die anytime.

How many wives does he have?

He has one wife and four children.

Why didn’t he marry more than one wife?

He wants only one wife.

Did he allow his children to marry outside their ethnic group?

He has no problem with any of his children marrying whoever they want. My sister in the United States is married to a white American. As long as that is what the child wants, he has no problem with it.

If any of his children were to go into acting or music, how would he react?

He would accept it; I don’t think he would have any problem with it.

What does he splurge money on?

He is a conservative spender.

Does he read what people write about him in the papers?

He doesn’t really read them, he may see them though.

During the transition period, was your family at any point scared for his life?

I don’t think so.

Source: PUNCH.