Abubakar Siddique Mohammed is director of the Centre for Democratic Development Research and Training (CEDDERT). He studied Political Science at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, (ABU) and the University of Grenoble, France, where he obtained the Diplome d’Etude Approfondi in Energy Economics and Policy and later to  Ecole Des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris, for his Ph.D  in Socio-Economy of Development.

He teaches in the Department of Political Science at the ABU, Zaria. Author of numerous articles and monographs and editor of  two books, he is currently studying  impressions and facts of contemporary Nigerian history, politics and society.  Mohammed tells UDUMA KALU what Centre for Democratic Development Research and Training (CEDDERT) is all about. EXCERPTS:

Abubakar Siddique Mohammed

What is the mandate of CEDDERT?

CEDDERT was established in 1991 as an independent non-profit and non-governmental training, research and documentation organisation, Centre for Democratic Development Research and Training (CEDDERT). That was 20 years ago.

It was established to encourage, promote, plan, co_ordinate and execute problem-oriented and or/policy related analysis, research and training in sustainable and self-reliant development of Nigeria, ECOWAS and Africa; disseminate and publish the results of research and scholarly debates on contemporary development issues; forge working relationships and contacts between persons and institutions within Nigeria and abroad, through joint research and training courses, aimed at furthering development.

It gathers and disseminates information and documentation on the development issues, efforts, and experiences of Nigeria, Africa and elsewhere; organises conferences, seminars, workshops, public lectures and training courses in development studies, management, and public policy. It builds up a collection of relevant data, publications and appropriate research materials, relating to socio-economic, scientific, technological and managerial issues for the use of its staff, associate fellows and approved researchers.

So, how has it been so far?

Our major challenge is to ensure that we continue to live up to our mandate and to see to the completion of the buildings housing our offices, libraries, seminar rooms, conference hall and researchers’ chalets. We thank all those in Nigeria and the rest of the world who have in many ways associated, collaborated or assisted us in our numerous undertakings.

Do you feel satisfied?

Since its establishment, we have tried to live up to our mandate, hence we have undertaken major research studies on society, history, the economy and good governance. For example, CEDDERT undertook, on behalf of The Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission, a three_-volume study on Human Rights Violations in Nigeria, With Special Reference to the States of the North-West and North East zones.

CEDDERT was also the major consultant to the Federal Capital Territory on its archives project. In addition, the centre has organised international seminars and conferences on many topical issues. It has also organised training workshops and published several well researched books and monographs.

Among these publications are: The Misrepresentation of Nigeria, The Talakawa and the Shari’a in Northern Nigeria, Election Violence in Nigeria, Bola Ige, The Lust for Power (opposition to President Obasanjo’s 3rd Term bid), Nigeria and the Reform of the United Nations Abuja: The Making of A Capital City, and The Nupe and the Origins of the Yoruba.

Any current projects?

Currently, CEDDERT is involved in a major study on Impressions and Facts of Contemporary Nigerian History, Politics and Society, which is premised on a critique of the veracity of much of the impressions currently in vogue in the print media, academic publications and in public consciousness and discourse, regarding Nigeria’s national experience.

This is because there appears to be a lot of ignorance about what actually happened, how it happened and why things happened the way they did. Impressions about events that took place even recently are often flagrantly inconsistent with the facts evident in the available sources. In some cases, these impressions are just pure fantasies. In others, some degree of deliberate and not so deliberate perversions of the reality for some self-serving purposes may even be evident.

So, what are you going to do?

With such warped impressions, a rational review and assessment to establish exactly where we are coming from, and why, and where we are going, and why, is just impossible. With the political leadership of the past reduced to either demons, or angels, saints or sinners, the good and the evil, a balanced, rational and realistic assessment of this past is made very difficult.

Society just flounders around and sinks into recriminations and denunciations, which serve no useful purpose in grasping what actually happened in the past, in mastering the present and developing the capacity for determining the future.

The actual effect of the perpetuation of myths of various kinds about these past  regimes is that it diverts attention from and prevents a proper understanding of, the real nature of the regimes, what they actually did or did not do and how this, for good or ill, has affected the Nigerian nation. The outcome of the first part of this study has since been completed and published.