*Says Britain provided better leadership for Nigeria

Senator Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno South in the Senate, in this interview reviews recent developments in the country including the proposed national conference, power shift among others. Excerpts:

By NDAHI MARAMA

What is your view on the proposed national dialogue?
I personally think we are understating the problem we have in this country and if we don’t appreciate and play our little roles, honestly, we will be getting to a situation where the country will be in dire straits. We have to learn to say the truth and live by the truth because if you don’t say the truth, the truth will come out either in the way you like it or dislike it.

This is my fear for this country because we have now derailed. Anytime the leaders in this country throw up something to Nigerians, they will now leave the real thing for the thing I consider trivial. For me national dialogue is not our major problem now. It doesn’t even have a place in our constitution.

This is the constitution that is supposed to guide this country and we had this kind of conference before. What happened to the previous ones? We had a national dialogue in 2005 by President Obasanjo, what happened to it? Very eminent Nigerians sat down to discuss, I was very opposed to it at that time because as an elected representative of my people, I felt my people were not consulted on who should speak for them.

But then, we toy with ideas in this country and I believe the national conference is one of such things we are toying with. Now, our attention has been diverted from real issues affecting us: closure of public universities, problems in the health sector, poverty among our people, insecurity.

We have been engaged in dialogue since 1914 and I think it is time we pay attention to good leadership and good governance. It is time Nigerians demanded for good leadership and not endless talk.

But it appears so many Nigerians are clamouring for national dialogue..?

I’m sorry I have to cut you but you are wrong to say so many Nigerians are clamouring for national conference. One fundamental issue with our country is that less than one percent decide for Nigerians, which is wrong. In my zone with nine local governments, national dialogue is not their problem. They have not spoken to me about it.

Sen. Ndume

They are rather concerned about Biu-Maiduguri road, Maiduguri-Gwoza road, Biu Dam and insecurity, the level of unemployment in the area. So when some people say so many Nigerians are clamouring for national dialogue that is basically untrue.

No Nigerian is better than another Nigerian but because you are a degree holder, a former minister, lawyer or what have you, you have access to the media and you assume you are speaking for a people, I think no. That is not right. So as I said my people like most Nigerians are concerned about fundamental purpose of governance, security and their welfare.

What is your take on the issue of rotation of presidency to the north?
I don’t believe in rotation or return of power to a particular part of the country or whatever they choose to call it. At one time Nigerians were ruled by the colonial masters and I think we were better off under them.

The white men that came from England were providing us with good leadership. When you talk about rotation, it is simply backwardness. In the US today, a black man is the president and Americans did not and are not talking about rotation or where the man came from, but they are talking about his capacity or otherwise to tackle their problems.

At a time in Borno State, the Chief Judge was an Ibo man, the Secretary to the state government under Governor Mohammed Goni was a Yoruba man and nobody complained. Today, people are clamouring for rotation.

Rotating what? If you talk about that, then we forget about the purpose of leadership. It then becomes a situation if everybody should have his turn, what turn? The most important thing should be good governance and it doesn’t matter where the person comes from. But because there is injustice, tribalism that has come to fore, people are now saying let the power go around but it doesn’t solve the problem. Instead it creates more problems, let Nigerians insist on good governance, it doesn’t matter where the leader comes from, or the religion he believes in because governance is not about religion, rotation or all these trivial things. I come from Gwoza but my tribe Ville, historically they say we are not more than 100 but here I am today voted by the different tribes in that part of the country as senator. So tell me did they vote me because I come from their tribe or religion? Don’t forget the area is made up of both Christians and Muslims. So rotation brings backwardness as I have said. I have been to Bayelsa and the problem of the poor man there is the same with the poor man in Gwoza; electricity supply, unemployment, water among others.

Why is north afraid of the confab?

Northerners are not afraid of confab and people should stop making this insinuation. In fact, let me correct this impression that the north is afraid of the proposed conference because people it could end up in fiasco and possibly break up this country. On the contrary, the north is not afraid of any confab. The issue is that some northerners that have spoken about the dialogue thing are concerned that some people that may be participating in the exercise with a mindset.