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Tuesday, 31 January 2012 13:24

‘Kano Will Not Explode Again’ - Rabi’u Kwankwaso, governor of Kano State, on security in the state

Published in Interview

Rabi'u Kwankwaso, exec. gov., Kano State.

By TAJUDEEN SULEIMAN What do you think is responsible for the attack on the state by Boko Haram? We don’t want to speculate on those behind the attacks or the reasons for their attack. We believe this is the job of our security agencies, and I’m sure they will tell us those responsible after their investigations. Up till now we are yet to confirm exactly those who are responsible for these attacks. Unless the security agencies conclude their investigations, it is very difficult now to speculate as to who exactly did what and why they did what they did. We understand that Boko Haram circulated leaflets warning the state government that it would attack Kano if their members in detention were not released. Were you aware they were going to strike? We were not aware of any arrest made by anybody, and in any case, there were so many letters flying around and you don’t really know who the authors were. But what we do know from our own end is that the state government has not arrested anybody. In any case, the state government has no agency charged with the arrest of people. It is the police, the State Security Services and the military that have such mandate. But as the chief security officer of the state, you are expected to know about these kinds of things. Of course I am the chief security officer, but the police don’t take directives from me to go and…

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Monday, 30 January 2012 12:27

‘Boko Haram Cannot Divide Nigeria’ –Ishola Williams, executive secretary, Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group

Published in Interview

Several years after he left the army as a major-general, Ishola Williams has remained a dogged anti-corruption crusader and a consistent advocate of positive changes in Nigeria and the African continent as a whole. Even as an officer in the Nigerian Army where he retired as chief of Training and Doctrine, TRADOC, he symbolised honesty, accountability and discipline. These virtues have seen him through challenging leadership positions including the head of Transparency International in Nigeria. He is currently a member of the United Nations panel of experts to monitor the sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme, and the executive secretary of the Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group, PANAFSTRAG, set up to provide in-depth studies and analyses of the challenges of political stability, safety and development in Africa. A controversial social critic ever ready to air his views on issues, Williams in this interview with Wola Adeyemo, editorial director, and ‘Dipo Onabanjo, deputy general editor, discusses Nigeria with passion, assuring that in spite of the “wrong war” with the Boko Haram, the killings in the North, the fuel subsidy challenge, corruption and bad governance, Nigeria will never break up. The interview was conducted via Skype conference hall Internet platform. Excerpts. Recently, there were protests in many parts of the country over the federal government’s withdrawal of fuel subsidy. What is your reaction to the protests? The issue of removal of subsidy has been occurring for the past 30 years. Nigerians now believe that as we have…

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Monday, 23 January 2012 12:49

Jonathan Cannot Clean the System - Bukola Saraki, past governor, Kwara State

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Bukola Saraki, immediate past governor of Kwara State and senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, says the level of wastage and corruption in the Nigerian government system is now a danger to our economy and must be addressed By ANAYOCHUKWU AGBO and TAJUDEEN SULEIMAN What’s your take on the 2012 budget? It’s a well-crafted budget. I always like budgets that are focused, that have objectives. What is the objective of this budget? I see three things there. One of the things already affecting us is lack of jobs. Fifty per cent of our youths are out of jobs, and we must create jobs for them. The budget addresses that. It’s a budget that also addresses growth and a budget that tries to bring fiscal discipline. And it is supported by certain decisions that I think are very good. But what I think the Executive needed to do is to bring down the recurrent expenditure more. I think that 72 per cent is way too high. I think that that is the real reform that needs to take place, even above deregulation. If we can bring down the cost by about 20 per cent and increase the capital expenditure it will be very good for us because it will stimulate the economy. Your agric initiative in Kwara State brought many people back to the farm. Do you think the federal government policy on agriculture supports that kind of initiative? I’m not somebody who praises people easily, but I’ve…

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Tuesday, 17 January 2012 11:45

Nigeria is Number One in Africa Right Now – Harold Demuren, outgoing DG, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA

Published in Interview

By Muyiwa Lucas and Ololade Adewuyi You are about completing your tenure as director-general of NCAA. How has it been running the agency? Almost six years have passed; we look back and give praise to God. Six years ago, we had those fatal accidents, and that was what eventually brought us in. At that time, the travelling public was mad with the Nigerian aviation industry. Thank God we took the challenge, and Nigeria is number one on the continent now. When we came in, there were over 40 airlines with Air Operator Certificate, AOC. We reduced that figure to less than nine. One of the high points of your regime was the attainment of Category 1, which Nigeria needed so much. How did you achieve that? It was a collective responsibility. The United States Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Category 1 is a state audit of Nigeria; how Nigeria’s safety oversight can guarantee the safety of airplanes flying in this country so that they can fly to other parts of the world. That was the charge before us. There are eight critical elements you must pass to get this and we are glad we made it. How big is Nigeria’s aviation industry, and what is its potential? The industry is very big. When you have to go from Calabar to Sokoto, Yola to Lagos, we can travel by air within one to two hours. That is a good domestic market. Right now, how many people…

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Monday, 16 January 2012 12:53

Boko Haram: ‘We Insist on Dialogue’ – Inuwa Bwala, commissioner for information, Borno State

Published in Interview

By TAJUDEEN SULEIMAN The federal government has declared state of emergency in some local governments in your state, how is the state government coping with that? The declaration of state of emergency here is not an unusual thing for us here. Since the Joint Task Force, JTF, took over the management of security in this state, we have been more or less in a state of emergency because they do not owe us any explanation on their mode of operation. But as a state government, we have stated our concern very clearly on this crisis. We do not have the wherewithal to implement the stick option. That is why we have always insisted on dialogue. The ultimate end to this crisis will be at the round table, and we have insisted on dialogue. Has there been negative fallout of military action in the state? We have been explaining to our people to show understanding of the situation they have found themselves because it is temporary. We know that a state of emergency comes with certain inconveniences, so we must address ourselves to the inconveniences that may come with it. As a state government we are trying to identify some of the victims of this insurgencies with a view to alleviating their suffering and making some form of compensation. Whatever befalls the people affects us as a government. What strategies are you deploying to identify the victims? The incidents occurred in places you can identify; the victims are…

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Thursday, 05 January 2012 11:48

The Whole Bible is Still Very Relevant to Us - Pastor Elijah Olusheye, President, CAC Worldwide

Published in Interview

How has it been on the driver’s seat of the CAC? It is a mixed grill of the pleasant and the not so pleasant. But we thank the Lord who has made us to sail through all weathers. On the good side, we thank God for the good aides who have worked with us throughout our tenure in office. By this I am referring to my lieutenants, the DCC chairmen and the zonal chairmen. All district superintendents, the assembly pastors and indeed all the members of this great church, The Christ Apostolic Church. They have been wonderful and whatever success we are able to record during our tenure, these people share a lot of the glory. They cooperated with us and made sure whatever we decreed are fulfilled. They gave us cause to smile all the way throughout our tenure. I pray that they will all be richly blessed by the Lord Jesus Christ. They will be rewarded by God who alone is able to reward their labour of love. It is, however, quite unfortunate that there are few cases where things were arbitrarily made difficult. I said unfortunate because this is a church of God where you expect that things will run smoothly. The truth is that some people chose to be truly humans, who are subject to all forms of passions and emotions. Matters that are supposed to be simple and straightforward are deliberately twisted to achieve selfish ends. I have come across people who play politics with…

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Monday, 02 January 2012 12:14

‘We Will Transform the Border Towns’

Published in Interview Written by Wola Adeyemo

Lekan Adegbite, commissioner for works in Ogun State, was at TELL corporate headquarters in Lagos recently. He talked about efforts of Governor Ibikunle Amosun to effect changes in the state as well as the planned transformation of the satellite towns, the urban development projects and the revenue drive that has shown promise. He spoke with Wola Adeyemo, editorial director, Dipo Onabanjo, deputy general editor, Adejuwon Soyinka, Tony Manuaka, both associate editors, Arukaino Umukoro, staff writer and Sunday Adedeji, photo editor. Excerpts: When this government came in, there were lots of expectations from the people, some of them may expect that government has not been as fast as expected, what are the challenges that you have had to battle? I was part of the transition team that met with the previous government. And the then governor declared that they are owing about N49 billion and all that. But when we came in and brought a team of independent auditors led by PricewaterhouseCoopers, at the last count, I think it was about N89 billion. So that is a lot of money for a state that its IGR (internally generated revenue) is less than N1 billion, we are roughly making about N600 million a month from the IGR. And what we are getting from the federal allocation was about N2 billion less the commitment. There are a lot of challenges, and now we had to pay minimum wage. The governor increased the minimum wage with a token, he paid N18,250 rather than N18,000…

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Lekan Adegbite

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Monday, 19 December 2011 13:26

My Enemies Want to Kill Me - Isaac Udogri, Ovie of Uzere, Delta State

Published in Interview

The supermarket of the Ovie's wife, now in ruins

The Ovie of Uzere, Udogri 1, citing envy and politics, alleges in an interview a grand plot by his enemies to eliminate him By ADEKUNBI ERO We were at Uzere a few days ago and we saw the mayhem there, particularly the razing of your palace and other places. Your Highness, what exactly happened on that fateful day? One Chief Iduh, since I was installed in 1984, has been fighting me, using all tactics. But as the traditional ruler, I have been trying my best to take things easy with him and the people he is using against me. In April this year, election was conducted. Before then, he was in PDP and he failed in the primary election and he crossed over to Labour Party. He wanted the whole community to follow and vote for him. I am not against that. I am not involved in politics. I don’t even vote. So, he contested for the (Delta) State House of Assembly and he lost. From that point, he accused me that I was the one who made him to lose the election. I said how did I, a traditional ruler, make you lose election? He went to the tribunal and he lost. When he came back, he told the whole community that I gave the sum of N5 million to his opponent, one Prince Erijo, to prosecute his case at the tribunal. So, he instructed his loyalists to come and meet me that since…

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Monday, 12 December 2011 14:53

‘Charlatans are Giving Movie Industry Bad Name’ - RMD

Published in Interview Written by Adekunbi Ero

Richard Mofe Damijo, quintessential actor and Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, in this interview with Adekunbi Ero, general editor, x-rays Nigeria’s movie industry and returns a damning verdict. “Standards have really, really fallen”, he says. On his present assignment, he gives reasons why Asaba, the state capital, has become the toast of movie producers, boasting that “Delta is like the Mecca of entertainment industry in Nigeria”. Since you became the commissioner for culture and tourism, one could observe that most Nollywood movies are shot in Asaba, the state capital. What is the attraction? It is because it is safe. It is because it is picturesque. It is well lit at night and there are places of interest to go. It is because there is a beautiful golf course. It is because there are good hotels to stay; it is because it is accessible. Over and above everything else, it is because it is safe to come here and stay, spend the weekend and play golf. That is why people want to come to Asaba and shoot their movies. You have been engaged in this talent hunt quest. What is it all about? It’s to discover a new pool of talents. It’s also to help drive entertainment which is part of what we’ve done with tourism as well. But what we’ve done is to go beyond music; we are doing it for music, we are doing it for comedy, we are doing it for dance, and we…

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