We Are Playing With Fire

Alhaji Abubakar Mamman Dan-Musa is a lawyer and Second Republic Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly. He presided over the impeachment of Alhaji Balarabe Musa as governor of the state. He later became Deputy Senate President. In this telephone interview with MADUABUCHI NMERIBEH, the chieftain of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and member of the newly formed National Democratic Movement, NDM, says the constitutional crisis sparked by President Yar’Adua’s absence could have unfavourable consequences

Q: What can you say about the constitutional logjam created by President Yar’Adua’s illness and protracted absence?
A: It is a very unfortunate situation in which the country finds itself. This is because the rascals in Aso Rock have consistently refused to respect the constitution. If the constitution is properly followed, there would have been no problem because Section 144 is quite clear that the President should first of all, before he goes on a trip abroad, inform the National Assembly of his absence. In return, the National Assembly should initiate a process that would ensure that the Vice-President takes charge of the affairs of the government. The constitution under this circumstance empowers the Vice-President to assume presidential powers in acting capacity. But this process was never followed and that is why we are in this messy situation.
Typical of Nigerian politicians who are upturning the constitution and the process of legitimacy, they are bound to be exploiting this anomaly for their own personal advantage, forgetting the national interest and the consequences of their devilish tendencies. The result of their political misadventure is the situation we are at the moment, where uncertainty, hunger, hopelessness, rising wave of crime and fear of the unknown have taken over the country. So, really, it is a very unfortunate situation which we have found ourselves. And it is only Yar’Adua who can really end this uncertainty by doing the right thing.

Q: What do you expect Yar’Adua to do?
A: Our group, the concerned statesmen from 19 northern states, called for the President and the Presidency to follow due process. We placed advertorials in newspapers last December. Also, a group of eminent Nigerians made up of former lawmakers and other leaders led by former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, made a similar demand. The former heads of state, former chief justices of the federation made the same appeal, urging Yar’Adua and those around him to spare the country this embarrassment and hand over to the Vice-President. That group is headed by former president Shehu Shagari.

Q: Are you aware that there is a plot by some elements in the presidency and hangers-on within the corridors of power to subvert the call of the Shagari group?
A: That group (of Shagari and other statesmen), really is a conglomeration of respected Nigerians who have the interest of this nation at heart. I have no reason to question their integrity. And if anybody from anywhere questions their integrity, that person may be hatching a different plot that is entirely against the interest of this country and the interest of over 150 million Nigerians, whose dignity has been grossly undermined by a few who are drunk on power they never merited in the first place.
They are trying to protect their own personal interests. If you can recall, during the Abacha regime, certain interest groups who were financed with monies from the national coffers staged a one million-man march, asking Abacha to continue as the president of the country. Among those people was the current Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe. So, it is not uncommon in Nigeria for this cabal to try to maintain the status quo by using public resources to sponsor activities that are designed to undermine the interest of this country. But it is always proven by history that no anti-people government will last forever, no matter how powerful. They are bound to be defeated. The same thing will happen to this group of people holding this country hostage now.
It happened during Ibrahim Babangida’s regime, when Arthur Nzeribe and others floated the Association for Better Nigeria. But ultimately, Babangida had to step aside. So, this cabal will suffer the same fate.
Recently, a pro-Yar’Adua group held a rally in Katsina, where they criticised former president Obasanjo and others who are asking the President to quit office.
Please, I am from Katsina and I was in Katsina that very day. The so-called rally did not hold. Although people gathered, they dispersed because the governor advised against the rally. What was done was people used the opportunity to pray for the speedy recovery of Umaru.

Q: Are you not scared that the military could use this situation to return to power?
A: It is not that I am buying that idea of the military coming to usurp this government, but those who are expected to work for the interest of the people have failed. There is so much insecurity. Under this type of situation, nobody knows what will happen.
You see, the situation is so bad that no part of this country is safe any longer. If it is not kidnapping, robbery, religious riot, communal riot, suicide and so on, it is constitutional crisis at the local, state and federal levels. Nigeria, in its history, has never been in this type of situation.
Let me give you this revelation: from 1999 to 2010, about N38 trillion was realised by the Nigerian government. But there is nothing to show for it. What you have are governors taking traditional titles, ministers holding birthday parties and all those in government using public money for their own needs. Such money could be used to provide potable water, qualitative education, steady power supply, good infrastructure and other social amenities. You can see how bad things are getting.

Q: Aside the possibility of the return of the military, some people are saying that a revolution could be in the offing…
A: Under this situation, nobody can rule out anything. This is the truth. We don’t hope for either military takeover or spontaneous civil unrest, but then, if those in authority do not care about the feelings of Nigerians, it then means that we would make true the words of former US president, John F. Kennedy, who said: “Those who made peaceful change impossible, make violent change inevitable.” I hope those in authority will do the right thing to avoid plunging this country into avoidable crisis.

Q: But what effort is the opposition making to help the situation?
A: I can assure you that this time, the opposition is determined to see that the people’s votes count. One, all the conveners of the opposition movement, including Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar and Attahiru Bafarawa, have said that what is at stake at the moment is beyond their personal ambition. It is about salvaging Nigeria. So, they have forgotten their personal ambitions to focus on how to salvage this country.
Late last month, the steering committee of the National Democratic Movement, NDM, met in Bafarawa’s house in Abuja. Bola Tinubu, Olu Falae, Tom Ikimi, Senator Ben Obi and many other distinguished Nigerians were there. There is a determination this time. Opposition figures are doing their best to get this country out of this mess.

Q: Many Nigerians are of the view that former president Olusegun Obasanjo intentionally imposed a gravely sick man on the country in order to punish Nigerians for not supporting his third-term bid. Do you believe this?
A: My response is that Chief Obasanjo should apologise to Nigerians because he knew that Yar’Adua has a serious health issue, yet he went ahead to impose and massively rigged him into office in 2007. It is an insult to Nigerians for Obasanjo to come and say that Yar’Adua should resign. If he doesn’t apologise, it’s fine. I know that God in His time will punish those who led the people to destruction, like what Obasanjo did to Nigerians.

Q: But he has called on God to punish him if he deliberately made Yar’Adua president, despite knowing his health history. Don’t you think he was being sincere?
A:  God did not punish Saddam Hussein in one or two years despite all his atrocities. It took about 30 years before he was punished. So, for those who will live to see what God will do to Chief Obasanjo, they will understand that God is the God of justice. In His own time, He will deal with Chief Obasanjo for the wickedness and atrocities he has committed against a country that has given him so much.

Q: What does Yar’Adua’s failure to hand over to his deputy portend for this country?
A: Since December, a concerned group of 19 representatives of the 19 northern states stated why Yar’Adua should resign and give powers to his deputy to act. I was a member of that group. It is the same thing Arewa Consultative Forum is saying now. The beauty of it is that when the bubble will burst, they wouldn’t say they were not forewarned. Our position is in line with the stipulation of sections 144 and 146 of the constitution, but these people are bent on subverting the constitution.

Q: But the Attorney-General, Michael Aondoakaa, has insisted that the President is fit and can continue to rule from the hospital bed.
A: Aondoakaa is elevating personal interest above national interest. That is the situation. He should have been courageous to state that this is the position of the law and the position of the constitution. I wonder what would be his fate when this drama is over.

Q: What do you make of a recent court ruling that Yar’Adua is not obliged to transmit, in writing, to the National Assembly, a letter directing his deputy to act as President?
A: Can you recall the time of Babangida when a Federal High Court judge, a lady from the Niger Delta, gave a judgment in favour of the Association for Better Nigeria? She was eventually disgraced out of the judiciary and died of heart attack.

Q: What is the attitude of people in Katsina to the President’s absence?
A: In the first place, we wish our brother speedy recovery so that he can return and do his job. But I stand on the statement we made at Daily Trust last December, that due process should be followed.

Q: Do you think the President will have the physical and mental ability to continue with his job whenever he returns considering the seriousness of his ailment?
A: I am a lawyer, not a doctor. It is not within my jurisdiction to say whether Umaru would be fit to continue or not. But as a responsible Nigerian and a statesman, I insist that due process should be followed. The provisions of the constitution should be respected. The interest of Nigeria and Nigerians should be protected.

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