DR Akpor Mudiaga-Odje is a human rights activist,   constitutional lawyer and facilitator of the Niger Delta Democratic Union, NDDU, a group formed on October 1 2001. In this interview, he spoke on Boko Haram attack, proposed introduction of Islamic banking, President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and other issues of national interest. Excerpts:

Immediately after the general elections, the Boko Haram sect has been unleashing terror on Nigerians particularly  Christians in the North. As a Nigerian, what is your reaction to these series of attacks?

Naturally nobody will be happy about the attacks going on in the country especially the ones from the Boko Haram sect. I believe that violence has never and will never lead to peace, rather the innocents are the victims of violence. We believe that government should try to arrest the situation, stand up to the fight, know what it is fighting and get its acts together. The security agents and every other person including each member of the community should be a stakeholder in this matter.

In fact, we had a conference, a well organized conference of the SSPN. In that lecture, former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro delivered a lecture on security and it was made clear to us that in this country we do not have any trained personnel to fight terrorists. So we believe that they should be trained and retrained because it is a very big cankerworm.

What is your reaction to the approach of the Federal Government to the series of attacks in the North especially in Borno State?

The damage has been done. The next day it happens again they say they are on top of the situation. I think they have to be proactive now, by taking preemptive strides, computing data of people, premises. There has to be co-ordination among the security agencies. It is purely a security matter nothing more; so government should take it very seriously.

Don’t you see these attacks as  attempts by some cabal in this country to frustrate the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan?

Indeed, you cannot take that away. These things apparently started the moment results were announced especially through the BBC Hausa Service. That is why the president has to try his best to contain these because it is something that is on the ground to deflect him and we pray he will not be deflected.

Some Nigerians are calling for the extension of the amnesty programme to the Boko Haram sect; as a Niger Deltan what do you think of it?

I don’t know what their cause is. I believe the agitation of the people of the Niger Delta is a genuine agitation; for management and benefit from their God given resources. One is a just cause; I don’t know what the other is.

The people of the Niger Delta for over 50 years have given this nation its wealth, its development yet they still live in squalor, endemic poverty and in a state of arrested development. So the  agitations of the freedom fighters of the Niger Delta that culminated in the amnesty programme was genuine, legal, constitutional and internationally accepted because the United Nations said the right of the people to have permanent sovereignty over their natural resources is guaranteed. So our agitation is indeed just, but I don’t know about the other.

How do view allegations that the proposed  introduction of Islamic banking would turn the country into an Islamic nation?

The position of the CAN and PFN are not thoroughly and dispassionately looked into. They have genuine grievances and the points they have raised cannot be brushed aside by Mr. President. If the constitution has provided under section 10 that Nigeria shall not promote a state religion, then every other thing directly or indirectly or by implication contravenes it.

The issue is not whether they are operating in America, UK or in China, the issue is that, we should look at the constitution of those places where it is alleged to have been practiced or being practiced and juxtapose it with that of our peculiar circumstances. I believe it is that mutual suspicion  that made the constitution to say every man to your own tent, serve your God your own way, the state will not promote any form of religion. You could see that these things have religious undertones and it is not good for Nigeria. If something will cause discord, in the sake of national interest, we should leave it; that is what I feel. Whether it is done everywhere is not the issue and even the timing appears to be wrong.

So what do you think is the solution to the insecurity caused by the Boko Haram attacks?

Apparently, we have to talk to their scholars, talk to respected Moslem leaders, dialogue with them and I believe that will be the first point not necessarily going to attack them as well. They are killing innocent people. People are vulnerable, that is the point. People are just being killed for what they know nothing about, so government should, first of all, open up a channel of dialogue and negotiations with them; that is what I believe.

On the 30th you will be launching a book, ‘Niger Delta, Electoral Reform and Leadership’. What is this book all about and how is it  going to affect the electoral process of this country?

The book is actually in commemoration of several of my presentation, public lectures that I have discussed and in those lectures I accentuated the need for the people to benefit from their resources and it cuts across electoral reform, Niger Delta and the leadership question. We are looking at perspective of electoral reforms.  What are the ways and needs , how do we reform the electoral process to ensure transparency?

The 2011 elections, we cannot say they are 100 per cent perfect but indeed they were very commendable departure from the existing order. To that light, Prof. Attahiru Jega has proved that he is a hero of our time. He has given us a glimmer of hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.  So what we ask Jonathan is to try to change Nigeria so that our children can live in peace.

You are at the forefront of the agitation for the development of the Niger Delta region. Do you see the problem of the region being addressed by President Jonathan?

I believe now that he has a full term of four years, having freed us from the emasculation of acting and pretending presidency syndrome to a full president, now by the grace of God, elected president. I believe it is time for him to look into the laws that regulate and touch on oil and Niger Delta. One thing I must tell Nigerians and my brothers in the Niger Delta is that the challenges and problems of Niger Delta are constitutional rather than political because of the laws of our land like the Land Use Act, the Petroleum Act, section 44 (3) of our Constitution, interpretation Act.

Section 18 of that Act has defined land as excluding mineral, so land is just the surface, you don’t own any mineral below. So if you have a South-South president, he cannot help you except he repeals those laws. The law of our land has restrained our agitations and made our challenges more difficult.

So I will ask Mr. President to please repeal and when necessary, pressurize for the respect and amendment of these laws, so that we can have enough time to manage our resources. Take note of the revenue allocation formula, since 1999 till date. What they are using is Act 106 which was a Military decree by Babangida but started by Obasanjo as an Act.

On a general note, how will you assess the administration of President  Jonathan?
It is too short to assess him. We had the danger of trying to disentangle ourselves from the protracted if not fabricated circumstances by which he came into office. We had problems trying to stabilize him. We even said let him act like an actor like a movie star, they refused so it was a long battle.