Professor of Law and erstwhile Edo State governor, Senator Oserheimen Osunbor, shares his views with Special Correspondent, TITUS OISE, on President Muhammadu Buhari’s performance profile so far, the fight against corruption and reasons for his exit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Bail-out from the federal government to states to enable them pay workers’ salaries
I think it was a good move. Nigerians generally hailed the exercise because that relief came at a time many governors had just come into office and were immediately confronted with problem of workers that had not been paid for several months. The issue was assuming crisis dimension and the newly sworn in governors were in very dire straits. So, what the president did in being able to arrange some form of financial bail-out, I think, has gone a long way to douse the tension that we were experiencing at the time.
You will agree with me that the concern of Nigerians, the lamentations of workers, those things behind the agitations have been ameliorated. So, I think it was a good development. The only hope is that the state governments will utilise the funds for the purpose for which they were meant. It was essentially for owed workers. Government must learn to put the people first, particularly the workers, because if the workers are not happy, no matter how well-intentioned the government may be, they will not be able to deliver on promises made to the people.
I believe that was what motivated Mr. President to devise very genuine means in helping the state to come out of the crisis.
Fight against corruption slowing down governance
Governance is multi-dimensional. You cannot narrow it down to one item. I just think that this government has narrowed it down to just one item which is the fight against corruption. The priority areas are the fight against corruption; the fight against insurgency, power sector and petroleum. Those are the sectors that impact very strongly on the everyday existence of Nigerians, the economy as a whole. Those are the priority of government, and once government can get these things right, it will be a beneficial spill-over effect on other sectors of government. Why the issue of corruption appears to be of primary importance or of utmost importance is that, if you don’t tackle the issue of corruption, it will restrict government efforts in addressing other areas.
You cannot get out of the economic difficulties if the issue of corruption continues to drag us back. You cannot adequately mobilise our military to defeat insurgency if there is corruption within the system. As we now know, over the past several years, a lot of money being budgeted for procurement of arms for military was not utilised for that purpose. That is why we have a situation where the terrorists were better armed than our soldiers. So, that is one example on why you need to remove corruption if we are to succeed in other areas.
The same is true in all other sectors; whether it is the educational sector, health or agricultural sector. We will not achieve success in any of these aspects unless we address the issue of corruption. I do hope that all the three arms of government will buy into Mr. President’s anti-corruption crusade because he alone cannot do it. The judiciary is a very crucial arm that will make or mar Mr. President’s anti-corruption crusade, because it is not a military regime. You cannot just clamp people into jail. People can only go to jail after due process. When they go to the courts, unless the courts buy into these anti-corruption crusade, you will soon find out that the whole thing will lose control.
December deadline by the president for dismantling of Boko Haram
I don’t know what he knows. I have always said that the president was once a General and always a General. He has faced action in many parts of the country, including zones where this issue of terrorism is prevalent. So he should know what he is talking about. But from my own point of view, I think the issue of deadline, giving exact date for certain things to happen, may be good, psychologically, for the people. But, if you are not able to meet that deadline, then it will backfire. So, I want to very willingly be careful in saying that by a particular date, something must happen. If that turns out to be true, glory be to God. We will all be happy in Nigeria. But I want people to be conscious that if everything is not 100 per cent solved by that day, they shouldn’t lose hope, because governance is a continuous process. There will always be problems because there is no country in the world that is free of crime. There is no country that is free today from these kinds of eruption of violence from time to time.
It’s unfortunate, but as the world becomes more ‘civilised’ and sophisticated, you find that criminal elements also show their own ground in the entire process. So, though we wish that there is tranquility, peace and happiness for everybody. Unfortunately, like the nature of other society, you cannot achieve that completely. There will be, from time to time, problems. But what matters most is the ability and determination of government at any point in time to nip in the bud any such criminality that rears its head from time to time. That is what obtains everywhere in the world; whether you are talking of Britain, America, Japan or China.
Exit from PDP to APC
I had answered this question several times before, but if I can satisfy your curiosity now, first of all, the vast majority of my supporters were happy that I had left PDP at long last. Many of my closest supporters and friends were saying that this was long overdue. Even the governor had said so, as far back as 2011.
Specifically in Vanguard newspaper of Monday, December 4, 2011, he said, “Osunbor is a good man, but he is in the midst of evil people.” Many of my friends had been saying: what are you doing in the midst of these evil people? So, they were relieved that, at long last, I had to leave PDP. I just think we should confine PDP to the position that it has found itself – of complete irrelevance in the politics of Edo State and even beyond.
If you say PDP gave me a break in politics, let me remind you that my father was a member of the Midwest Region National House of Assembly; my father won election in 1963 on the platform of National Council of Nigerian and the Cameroons (NCNC) and he was a member of the Dennis Osadebey government. He was the junior Minister for Works and Transport. I came from a legacy that has a pedigree.
I have a pedigree of my parents being in politics. I think that a lot of what I have achieved in politics also have to do with my family upbringing and the good seed that my father planted, first, as a principal of Teacher Training College (TTC). I guess, many of the leading politicians in Edo were my father’s students in TTC. When I went to the Constitution Conference in 1994, 1995; it wasn’t PDP. So, when people over-exaggerate the contributions of PDP to my achievements in life, I think they need to know some basic truth. Of course, PDP provided the platform through which I went to the Senate. I don’t deny it. PDP gave me the platform to become a governor for a period of just one and a half years. I don’t deny it, but the injustice that PDP also gave to me through its leaders is also unimaginable. But what they did to me is part of what is haunting PDP today.
If you know the realities of what happened in 2008, they started it with Edo and spread.
The national chairman at that time, Vincent Ogbulafor, told me that I must concede to the bidding of one man, else I should remember that PDP had 28 states and was not bound to rule in every state. I didn’t understand this threat he was issuing to me at that time that unless you did the bidding of one man, you would be removed from office. How many states does PDP have now? Are they still 28? So, we thank God.
Rating President Buhari and his performance so far
It is a short period; but one thing which is unmistakable is that he has shown leadership. When you see him, you say this is president of Nigeria. He speaks with authority, inspires leadership; he is charismatic. These are some of the attributes you want to see, and he is demonstrating them in a very good measure. He needs a team to be able to succeed. He cannot do it alone, which is why it is gratifying that he has now forwarded the list of ministers for screening in order to give him his team to deliver what he has promised Nigerians.
On the issue of screening, let me also remind you that the ministers must be screened; the return must be made to the president not later than 30 days after submission so that Senate cannot afford to drag his (president) foot, unless they decide to reject a nominee. But they cannot afford to drag their feet beyond 30 days; otherwise, by virtue of the constitution, those nominees are fit for the position.
