Aminu Masari: Oil Exploration in the North will Help to Balance the Federation

Aminu Masarie man who set out to demystify and simplify governance and its powers. Cool headed and consummate politician, Aminu Bello Masari prepared his agenda for developing Katsina State before he got power. The man who would want to retire to his farm than retire to the senate spoke to Ahamefula Ogbu, Charles Ajunwa and Francis Sarduana on his drive to improving education, security and livelihood of his people…excerpts

In what developmental stage did you meet Katsina State in 2015 and where have you led the state to?

We christened our movement as Restoration. We knew the condition of our school system by 2015 when we came on board. For example, we know that since 2011 up to 2015 when we came in, Katsina State never recorded more than 11 per cent in the West African Examination Council (WAEC). Also, the state never recorded more than 20 per cent in the National Examination Council (NECO). 

These are the two main examination bodies that prepare students for tertiary education, and from there you can easily know the state of your education; where you presented over 50,000 and end up with only 5,000. And you know with this calculation, talking about Katsina State indigenes wherever they may be in the country once they registered with WAEC as Katsina State indigenes the totality of percentage they will carry would be given on the basis of those figures. So, public schools are the key for us because public schools are where 90 per cent of the children of the people of Katsina are. So, probably out of the 10 or 11 per cent you may find, maybe four or five per cent are children of well-to-do or those from private schools.  From the records we saw and what we were able to assess, the passes at public school level were three per cent, the rest of the state indigenes are the ones from private schools and those who are not residing in Katsina; they live in Kano, Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Abuja. So, you can see the state of our education.

Once the state of education is bad it means everything is bad. The same goes to the health sector. Most of the maternity rooms were using a small generator called ‘I pass my neighbour’, lamplighter, battery charged light but I want you to visit our hospitals today and see our (Out Patient Departments (OPDs) and admission rooms to see how we have been able to upgrade our hospitals. Most of our general hospitals have been upgraded and we are still working for their needs. We are proud to say that we have touched every sector. We have constructed new roads and rehabilitated all the broken-down roads except those that are in areas that are bedeviled with insecurity. Even those ones we have awarded contracts but the contractors cannot freely go to sites: some have already started paying mobilisation fees but because of COVID-19 and insecurity made the work to go slow but we are happy with what we have been able to do with the little resources.

Whoever wants to judge us, should judge us on the basis of what we are able to get and what we are able to do. Like I said, we have touched every sector. We promised agriculture, we have done a lot on agriculture and water. Today, the record of our performance in terms of water production from Ajiwa, which is the main stage, is performing ultimately. We have records in our reservoirs that for the last 20 years have never happened. All the pumps, generating sets, clarifiers and everything in Ajiwa Water Works are brand new. We have done the same in Malumfashi and Funtua, and luckily enough the federal government came in and completed Jobe which is adding another 60 million litres of water supply in Katsina. We are leaving our footprints in Katsina for posterity to judge us.

COVID-19 and slump in oil prices reduced funds available to states. How were you able to raise funds to execute your mandate?

We are being very prudent in terms of managing the resources that are available to us and above all, we have never missed any month without paying salary. We have never missed a month without paying pension to pensioners. Where we have arrears is in the area of gratuity which every month, we are making available about N500 million settling gratuity. So, it is about prudent management of available resources that made us achieve the little achievements we have achieved so far. 

What are the factors that you think worked against the ultimate performance of your administration?

Like you rightly said, in 2017 in the months of November and December the oil price dropped to $28  per barrel. At that time, it was not even economical to produce before the price could recover, we went into recession immediately after recession came COVID that partially shut down the world. So, the demand for even the mainstream of the economy which is oil was not there. So, that is another factor. 

Then, fighting the bandits, we are spending a lot of money in terms of support to security agencies by way of paying their monthly allowances, procurement of vehicles and working materials for them and establishment of a communication centre. Without the state these security agencies cannot even move an inch. So, that is also draining the available resources to state and local governments because as we are doing likewise the local government: the police, military, DSS, NSCDC and the vigilantes that are posted there, we are arming and paying them. A lot of resources of the state which would have gone into other developments are channeled to the security agencies. So, these three phases drastically affected the performance of our state.

If security and other distractions didn’t come up, what were the things that you have planned to do?

You see, we came into governance with a Restoration Programme which we pursued. We enriched our Restoration Agenda. When we were campaigning, we had committees in every known subject and during the campaign in each local government we were taking needs as requested by the communities. That was what was taking part of our budget to make sure that we incorporated those requests from the communities.

Looking at what we have been able to do under the circumstances if the resources have been available, for example, to say we have been getting between $80 to $100  per barrel throughout, to say there was no distraction in Niger Delta you could remember there was a time a country was not producing up to 500, 000 barrel per day because of activities of militants and oil thefts.  If you remember there was a celebration sometime last week that we hit 1,000,000 barrels whereas our OPEC quarter with 2.2 million and this 2.2 million has been on even before 2007 but in our own case it dropped to less than 500,000. So, I want you to imagine if these factors did not affect the revenue accrued to the state, the issue of banditry has not affected the state, without COVID where would have our state and the country be?. We would have been far ahead from where we are today.

What security model did you use in achieving peace so far in the state?

First of all, we involved everybody because security is the business of everybody. Then, we created a three-tier security structure backed by law right from the village to district, local government and to state levels. We involved our traditional institutions, religious and traditional leaders right from point zero and their involvement is backed by law. The judiciary also formed alternative dispute resolution centres to help in settling minor civil disputes within communities and above all, to make sure that every tenant is probably registered: his trade is known and where he practises that trade is known that is if he is not a paid employee. To monitor and make sure whoever sells or buys a house its particulars are properly documented, transactions of any land must register with the alternative dispute resolution centres.

We also institutionalised our vigilante system by giving them sufficient training so that they will be able to know how to handle firearms to support the security agencies. Our targets for this year is to recruit 3,000 and before December, the training of an additional 1,900 will commence because we have paid money and mobilised the instructors: they are busy now shortlisting and screening them. Really, we made it everybody’s business in our Mosque and other places of worship in synergy with the Christian community. This issue of security tops the agenda of my administration. I am talking to people, don’t be passive and don’t sit by the roadside and only criticise, what have you done? If you know an informant and suspicious movement within your community, quietly report to security agencies for investigation.

So, how do you deal with the issue of porous land borders? 

You know between Nigeria and Niger Republic, there are over 1,900 kilometres of open borders and one thing about the border is not only that it is open, the communities living along the border between Nigeria and Niger are the same. They have the same culture, speak the same language and the same religion. Unless you are from that part, you will not understand when somebody speaks but certainly people around that area when you are from the English side when you speak they will be able to know, if you are from the French side because the way they speak or write things are different. But we are the only people who know the difference.

In order to address that, last month we had a meeting with the governors of Maradi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi here in Katsina to discuss this trans-human border issue. All our security heads were in the meeting. They also came with theirs. There is a sharp drop of bandits crossing from Niger to Nigeria and from Nigeria to Niger. And the armed forces of both countries have a right to enter up to a certain level per kilometre when they are pursuing bandits or insurgents so that is also helping us. The chairmen of various local governments bordering Nigeria and their counterparts from Niger are also working together sharing information with regards to movement of suspicious persons. Everybody is concerned about the porous nature of the border. The borders are artificial so policing an artificial border of 1,900 kilometres is not easy.

What have you done on the issue of illegal drugs?

This is what is influencing bandits because without hard drugs they wouldn’t be able to do what they are doing now. I am happy to say that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Commandant now in Katsina is really working together with other security agencies. He has made more seizures than what was obtained before. Therefore, on the other side they are working and on this side, we are working. Also, some of these non-governmental organisations are equally involved in addressing the issue of drugs.

Some of the bandits are also giving orders to some of their foot soldiers that they should kill anybody they see bringing hard drugs into the forests because they also have lost control over their people. They are now stealing from their parents. Certainly, there is a negative effect of drugs and the movement of small arms from North Africa to Mali, Niger into Nigeria but of recent, the most disturbing aspect is that some of these arms and ammunition are coming into Katsina and Zamfara through Plateau and Nasarawa axis.

What has happened to ungoverned spaces in the state? 

The issue of ungoverned space is a huge problem. The only way to address it is through technology that gives you information of every movement in the forest. But believe you me, if you take the entire numbers of the armed forces and the police this Zamfara forest can consume them without them even moving to some parts of the forests. And if you go to Niger Republic two-third of Niger is ungoverned. We have open ungoverned spaces all over but I believe with effective use of technology we will be able to monitor what is happening in the entire forest area of Nigeria, not only Katsina. What we need to do is to spend more and do more on technology and intelligence gathering that can give us early warning information so that we can be proactive rather than reactive. 

Is it true that some bandits’ leaders in the state have started surrendering their weapons?

I think you have to verify that with the military report. For me, nobody has reported anybody that handed over his arms and ammunition to me. I am not aware of it. And if it has happened, I would have known because the first thing I do in the morning is to read the report from the Commissioner of Police then read also the report from the DSS and a report from my SA on Security who gets daily briefing from the Brigade Commander. In all these reports, I have not seen that. What I have seen is that some of the bandits are trying to find ways where discussion with the government will resume again but who will trust them? I will not because they are never sincere. The only thing they know and respect is the superiority of power. If they know you are superior to them, they will follow you but when they suspect that they have more arms they do and undo.  When they want peace, they decide to give some people peace so that they can buy more arms and ammunition. I don’t trust them and I will never go back negotiating with them.

With the approach of involving everybody in tackling security challenges, will you now support state police?

We have made our position as northern governors very clear even in our proposal for constitutional amendment. We support creation of state police after all, the police that are here at least the minimum we can say we provide 60 to 70 per cent of their upkeeps. The issue here is we want to have a police force that cannot undermine the national police but as we grow in population so our security agencies will grow, more outfits will come working on the same thing to ensure peace.

Look, even if the police have the numbers in terms of our population, do they have the culture and tradition of whichever community they go to? No. So, one way or the other the work is too much for the police. There was a time in this country when the Nigerian police and the native authority police were co-existing. It was the military that abolished the native authority police and transferred all their functions to the Nigerian police which was a mistake.  The intention was good but the foresight was not in the sense that a policeman is supposed to be somebody who is conversant and knowledgeable with the locality he is policing, who knows and respects the culture and tradition of the community he is policing. If you take me as a police officer and post me to a community in Oyo or Enugu to be a DPO or Commissioner of Police I am seriously limited and I will depend only on what some people will tell me because I don’t have the knowledge of the area or the people.

So, the reality is we need state police. In a way, we are now training all over the country local hunters, vigilantes and arming them so what is the difference?  In the South-west, they have Amotekun, here we have various vigilantes under various names state by state. We established road traffic control agencies with certain degrees of powers in terms of supporting security. So, why can’t we constitutionalised what we have and expand it.

How do you take the issue of executives abusing the power of state police?

We cannot forever be living in the past. Do you think I can only abuse the police or the opportunity under state police? What is the role given by the state police under the constitution? Secondly, he who pays the piper dictates the tune. Like I said, we provide between 60 to 70 per cent of what is keeping them moving in the state. Are we manipulating or misusing them? And when you recruit police, are you saying that you must recruit this colour not that colour? You are recruiting indigenes of the state who may have different opinions and beliefs even politically but they have the right to be. And what is the state House of Assembly doing? There are checks and balances. We also have vibrant social NGOs and civil society organisations in this country who can blow the whistle whenever there is an attempt to abuse the power of state police.

What is your take on the recent exploration of oil in the North?

It is not about the discovery of oil in the North. Oil has been discovered in the North for a very long time. The exploration now that is starting, we hope it will help in balancing the federation and increase the revenue accruing to the federation.

We noticed that the devastating effect of recent flooding across the country didn’t affect Katsina like other states. Was it due to planning or an act of God?

You know an act of God is to send down water from the sky but the same God gives us the wisdom to start dredging Katsina in 2017 and not only Katsina city. The Ecological Fund that monthly is being deducted from both state and local governments, we have opened an account where we are depositing this money. We spent nothing less than N4 billion every year to address the issue of flooding across the state. Currently, we are on Phase 5 of the programme and we are spending N4.3 billion this year which will end by 31 December. Luckily enough, the World Bank under NEWMAP came with heavy intervention in Jibia. You heard what happened in Jibia where over 80 lives were lost. 

Today, if you visit that place you will never say it has happened because with the participation of state government and NEWMAP the whole area has been restored: a water channel has been built and they are going to start Phase 2 of that construction by January next year. They did intervention here in Katsina which cost the World Bank, minus our contribution, over N8.9 billion. From the government resource, we have spent over N15 billion in Katsina City alone from 2017 to date in order to drain water from Katsina City.

The World Bank also intervened in Malumfashi. The town has been having that perennial flooding since when I was a boy because I did my primary school in Malumfashi, so I had the experience. When I was the Speaker of the House of Representatives, I started drainage work. We were able to even at that time spend about N165 million to drain some parts of Malumfashi but with the participation of NEWMAP and the state government flooding has become history in Malumfashi. Areas in Funtua local government that when it rains the rain water runs into graveyards exposing dead bodies, today is history. So, the restoration we have done in terms of addressing floods has significantly minimised the issues.  

Before you came in 2015 school enrollment, especially that of girl-child, was a challenge in Katsina. What have you done to change the narrative?

You have to look at what we have been able to spend under capital projects in terms of improving the level of primary schools. First, additional classes. Secondly, furniture and thirdly, rehabilitation and payment of teachers’ salary as well as all their promotions that were withheld for more than 10 years.

And above all, the school feeding programme of the federal government has improved school enrollment and retention in the state. Even today, I stopped at a primary school in Sayaya, the headmaster said apart from the infrastructure we had provided, school feeding greatly helped enrollment and retention of school children. In 2015, the enrollment was 1.1, today it is 2.2 in primary schools and the number keeps on growing. We have neglected investing where we should have invested. We had the opportunity to invest heavily in education. There was an initial attempt under the Universal Basic Education (UBE) but it was abandoned. If we had continued the way we had started maybe the issue of banditry wouldn’t have been as worse as it is today because part of what is fuelling banditry is illiteracy. Give your citizens education they will do everything for themselves.

Some people say the defection of Dr. Mustapha Inuwa to PDP will affect APC chances of winning the 2023 election, what is your take on this?

We want to know with whom he has moved because in his local government (Danmusa) we have 324 executives of the party, 26 followed him. The entire leadership of his local government was here two days ago and the entire stakeholders of APC in his local government did not move with him. You see, it is the culture in Nigeria that after primaries…today somebody will tell you that I believe in God and he can even go further to tell you that what is his own shall never miss his face. He will also say whatever is good for the state or for the country he will follow. We all say these but immediately it happens I don’t get what I want I will start saying a different thing. 

I will start accusing people that they were the ones who did not make it possible for me. Where is the God you were calling? You would have said if I don’t get it, I will get out. Look at how the primaries were conducted in Nigeria. You see we are religious: on Sunday we dress very well and go to church and on Friday, we dress elegantly to go to our mosques but that is only the attractive aspect of religion. Believing in God is believing in what is good and what is bad. In Nigeria, hardly people lost primary elections without one of them going out. It is our culture and tradition. We are lucky that we had nine aspirants that conducted the governorship primary, eight including the winner are still with us and one other person opted out for personal reasons. As somebody opted out somebody opted in so we are not worried.

What is your take on the newly redesigned naira notes?

I have no problem with the redesigning of the naira notes. Are you one of those who stacked money in their houses and are afraid of taking it to the bank because they will ask you where did you get it? I am sure when you are a young man you read James Hadley Chase who says the ‘Guilty Are Afraid’.