MUKHTAR AHMED ARUWA, a two-time Senator and delegate from Kaduna State in the recently concluded National Conference, talks with Special Correspondent, BENJAMIN JIBRIN, on the way out of Boko Haram insurgency, gains of the confab, North/South Kaduna dichotomy and his 2015 ambition.
Insecurity occasioned by activities of Boko Haram rising despite efforts by the government
It is quite unfortunate that Nigeria is facing this type of crisis. From inception, some group of people were advocating a particular interest mostly to be recognized within the society but later on it metamorphosed into what it is today. Unfortunately, the demise of Muammar Gaddafi (former Libyan leader) gave rise to militancy of the group. With many arms available, all from the fall of Libya, this sect got its weapons and the inspiration. But what one asks is how are they financed and who are their financiers? Yes, arms are available but I don’t think they are given to them free. Somebody has to pay for them and somebody has to pay for them to do what they are doing. I think the government lacked seriousness in the beginning to really nip it until it now becomes stronger and bigger, coupled with the general decline in discipline within the rank and file of the armed forces. Obviously, there is growing decline of efforts on the side of security forces but with the renewed efforts now, we hope, the armed forces will contain the situation. However, note that insurgency of this nature is not a military affair alone. It is a combination of diplomacy, dialogue and of course, the military with each supporting the other. It is not a one-way traffic. What we are hearing that border on claims and counter claims, leave a lot to be desired. There has to be precision in decision and action taken. Even at that, it is difficult to fight somebody of no fixed address because what he does is to hit and run. It is not as if it is a war that is between nations and once declared, you know your border. That makes it more difficult, more so with the new trend of terrorists’ warfare. This thing is not only in Nigeria. They have the same thing in Iraq, Syria. They are all over. It is a new unfortunate development. However, I am sure it will end but many people will suffer and die – civilians and armed forces, children and women. I have always said that security is everybody’s business but we did not take it in that light at the beginning. Government is isolating the people. People are not aware of government’s plans and action on how to tackle the issue. More so, when arrests are to be made of Boko Haram members, security men start by arresting people indiscriminately. But that is not the approach. To my mind, you arrest to prevent suspected person from absconding. You don’t arrest for the sake of making arrest. If we cast our mind back, you will remember that the original leader of Boko Haram was arrested and killed along with a commissioner in Borno State. As a result, the group was initially attacking the Police before it metamorphosed into what it is now. That was the beginning of this problem.
In Nigeria, we tend to arrest without further arraigning all the people arrested.
I know once there is an arrest, there must be arraignment, there must be prosecution but we have never heard of it. Apart from one Kabir Sokoto, we have never heard of any Boko Haram case that was brought before a court. One needs to look at that and ask why. There were so many bombings and attempted bombings for which arrests were made. After the arrest, what do we hear of them? When you link that with the recent revelations of one Davis, an Australian pastor who had been involved in mediating and some parts of security agencies denying the claim of this clergyman saying that the government is not associating itself with the statement credited to this man, is worrisome. Again for SSS to jump into conclusion that General Azubuike Ihiejirika is exonerated, is wrong as far as I am concerned. No matter who is the name, you must investigate before you make such vital statement. Nobody is above the law and nobody should be above the law. If there is anything against anybody, serving or retired, it must be investigated, it should not be pushed under the carpet.
Boko Haram insurgency coming to an end
As a Muslim, I believe every happening on earth has an end. It cannot be indefinite. A lot may suffer but definitely, it will end. We hope, the end will come eventually.
President Jonathan’s shuttle diplomacy in search of solution
Solution can come from any direction, where you least expected but dialogue is the key. No arm carrying ever settles any conflict, political or otherwise. All you need is diplomacy and dialogue. For example, we have just concluded National Conference and all the members in that conference, no one can admit that he did not learn one or three things from that conference in terms of keeping Nigeria one, in terms of peace and cooperation among Nigerians and understanding the basis of our discomfort as a people and our disunity. We all learnt from that conference. From time to time, such conference is very good to hold for the nation so that people can talk. As far as I am concerned, what we have just concluded is a people’s dialogue. It is something I will recommend that in 10 or 15 years, should be organised so that we discuss with each other our common problems. Even in United States of America, they hold National Conference every year.
It is part of their system of government but they don t make noise about it like we do, may be because we are not used to it like Americans. Every year American government gets elders and youths together and discusses the national question, for the sake of their unity. To us, it is alien. When you talk of National Conference, the first thing that will come to their mind is separation, creation of states, local government because they see these as necessities for development.
Closing borders with neighbouring countries
It is never a way out because the insurgents are already in our country. So, if you close the border behind them, what did you do to yourselves? You cage yourselves. Closing of border is therefore never the solution, rather it will add to the pressure on our internal trading because we trade with them. The solution is declaration of war. Therefore, declare war in that area. Once your neighbouring countries know there is a war declared, you can chase your enemy into any country he enters, but without that, you can’t. Now, the civilians are suffering more than the militants. If you declare the war, the innocent civilians within the war zone will move out, and then your troops will have free chance to operate. The operation must be a joint effort between the Air Force and the Army. This lukewarm approach will not help us. You said you are not going to dialogue, you said you are going to do it militarily and the military presence is not there. War must be declared. Like that Chibok issue, don’t say we are not going there because we don’t want to kill the girls. Some must die, some will survive. It is better than none at all is saved. It is a decision that is not easy. It is a decision that is so painful but it must be taken. We have many retired but not tired military personnel willing to come back and do their best to save their fatherland before their last time. Where are they? There are so many of us officers and men out there. Why not call them?
Nigeria’s problem more of weaponry and not personnel
The issue is that there is no discipline in the Armed Forces, period. Imagine people (soldiers) dropping uniform, running and packing their own families from the Barracks; wives of soldiers blocking the gate that their men should not go out to fight insurgents. Where did you ever hear that? It is not an issue of weaponry. The fact is that there is general lack of discipline as if they have forgotten the service they signed for. A soldier is trained to kill or be killed. He is not out there for peace. Once he is there, it is death but we have a situation today where we have wives of officers blocking the entrance of the Barracks that their men will not go out. Is there any discipline in that?
Subjecting confab decisions to the people for approval through referendum
The people gathered there were 490. The selection was good because notable people were selected. They discussed and none of the members had objection to referendum. But if it has to go for referendum, it does not go straight from the conference. The recommendations still have to go to the National Assembly because they are the only people that can create, provide for that. The idea that it should go for referendum, yes, nobody objected to that. But mark you, the 1999 Constitution does not provide for referendum. To deal with such issue, it gives absolute power to the National Assembly. So, if the National Assembly wishes to provide for referendum on some of the issues raised in the report, it ought to do so. But make no mistake that the Implementation Committee established by the Federal Government can go straight and start executing recommendations in the report. Some of the recommendations are purely policy matters. The government can deal with that straight away but those that need constitutional change, they cannot do it; they have to go to the National Assembly.
If one may ask, is it the whole recommendations that should be thrown to referendum or some aspects of it and in what format? Will they go in block, one, or two at a time? Government should decide these things because they are over 600 recommendations. Some, like I said, are policy issues, some are constitutional and some are administrative issues. Thus, the policy and administrative issues, government can handle those ones straight but the one that has to do with constitution; obviously, it must be referred to the National Assembly.
The report going the way of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s conference report
When we talk about Obasanjo’s conference, Obasanjo set up a political conference. I don’t know how you can reform politics. Agenda of that conference was one and one subject – tenure elongation, period. This latest one, was clearly a National Conference with clear terms of reference, which were to look into the structure of government, security, agriculture and transport, which we did. But that of Obasanjo was a political reform conference. So it was different. This one had broader, far challenging and defined agenda/terms of reference. Before this conference, there were five other conferences of a similar nature and all the reports and recommendations were given to members of this conference as working documents. You can imagine how broad it is. However, some of those recommendations made in the past, have been implemented. What the government is doing today and the position of government today has a lot of bearing with those past conferences. It is up to those in government to have the fear of God to pick those recommendations that are viable for the country and implement them. But if they don’t, what can you do, take up arms? No. Our prayers and hope is for the government to implement those implementable recommendations.
Some may be implemented in the next 10 years, not necessarily now. There is nothing they (government) can do between now and the next elections. Even after the election, there is nothing they can do to implement all the recommendations within four years. We are talking about a country and not a company.
Reclaiming the senate seat in 2015
I never claimed that that seat belonged to me. It belongs to any member of the constituency who is fit and capable of convincing the electorate to elect him. It is up to the party to look at all its members within that constituency and make the decision to put forth a candidate. When I contested the election in 1999, many people came out and wanted to be senator but I was nominated by the party and I went and delivered the constituency. The second term, it was the same thing. Even when I left the constituency as a senator to contest the governorship election, it was the party that saw it fit for me to contest the governorship of Kaduna State, which everybody in Kaduna knew how best we tried and how close we came to getting it but God didn’t will it, no matter our wish. To say that I am coming back or I have decided to come back and reclaim that means it is my own seat. No. I never thought or looked at it in that light. Therefore, to answer your question, I will say if the people see that my service is required, and the party knows I can deliver the constituency, so be it.
Chances of PDP in Kaduna come 2015
People talk of 2015, as if life ends in 2015. The life of a country or state does not end in 2015. Political life, new one, begins at 2015 but people talk of 2015 as if it is the end of eternity. PDP has huge support down the grassroots. Its success is a question of harnessing the support. There is no way PDP will not win election in Kaduna. It all depends on the personalities that are vying for positions. As for followership, I can assure you, PDP is on ground, though at the top level, there are skirmishes among the leadership. They are those who feel they are touched and they need to be consoled with what happened between 2010/11 and thereafter. That is on that side. As far as PDP card-carrying members down the grassroots are concerned, it is well, and so I have no fear for PDP in Kaduna in any election come 2015.
Cementing cracks between the Southern and Northern Kaduna
All that the friction or contention between the southern and northern Kaduna requires is dialogue, openness to one another, which to some degree is lacking. This is not only in PDP; it is in all the parties. My effort at arranging between the south and northern Kaduna is to build consensus, which I believe will one day be reached. There is high level of mistrust, which has been building over the years. Some people have seen that there is this gap and therefore there is the need to close it. Not only me but also many of us are involved in trying to foster this consensus. Thus, I don’t think it will be impossible one day to arrive at the desired consensus ground where a candidate from the south will be freely supported, elected into any office by the northern majority, where the minority must recognise the right of the majority and the majority must recognise the right of the minority in the state. What can bring about that is consensus. If there is consensus for a person from the south to vie for the office of the governor in Kaduna, electorate across will cast their votes for him. There is no way the minority will ride over the majority by force or by fiat. It is only by consensus.