Muritala Sambo: Protection of Human Rights Needed for Peaceful Society  

Barrister Muritala Sambo is the Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights and Social Justice, International Peace and Governance Council of the African Continental Chapter of the United Nations International Peace and Governance Council of Africa, (UNIPGC) Africa. He is also a former Special Adviser on Legal Matters to the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. In this interview with THISDAY, he discusses current political issues in the country

Are you satisfied with the quality of the screening of ministerial nominees by the Senate?

What option do I have when there is no provision of law on how they should be screened? The major screening of ministerial nominees is conducted by our security apparatus like the Department of State Services (DSS). The National Assembly screening is a mare pageants parade. This is so because no known law set the template for screening. It is appropriate that there should be a template passed as a law to give a directive to members of the national assembly as to how the screening of ministers is conducted.

Many of those who have been confirmed as ministers are former governors, former ministers and former senators or former House of Representative members, who were actively involved in past administrations that have been adjudged as unsatisfactory. Do you think, they can make any positive impact in Nigeria which currently yearns for good governance?

Appointment of ministers is at the discretion of the President and no known law precludes the President from reappointing former ministers or governors. In our political culture, ministers take their instructions from the President and their existence, performance and relevancy of the ministers is determined by the President who appointed them to the said position. It is too early to castigate the cabinet that has not been given a portfolio, not to talk of commencing work. I think we should give this new government time.

Shouldn’t new and competent people have been given the opportunity to manage the country?

The majority of the ministers appointed by the incumbent are very new and have demonstrated excellence in their various spheres of life. Until this administration brings them on board, we would not know what they can offer. The pudding taste is in the eating.

 Nigerians are languishing in hardship and poverty. Also, businesses are undergoing hard times because of the removal of subsidies on petrol which has led to high inflation in Nigeria. What measures should the government adopt to alleviate the suffering of the people and cushion the effect of subsidy removal?

Nothing good comes with ease. Removal of subsidies is tough but is a necessary decision. If we can endure this current hardship, there will be an immeasurable gain for the country and the hardship will naturally melt away. It is important to make this clear that government can do little to alleviate the pains of the people.

Labour unions have been clamouring for palliatives from the government to cushion the effect of the pains consequential to the removal of subsidies. My fair take is that no palliative of government has ever reached the targeted audience since the introduction of the concept. During COVID-19, a lot of money was wasted on palliative which do not reach the target audience. The looted palliative seems to have been the only government palliative that was reported to reach out to the masses. Nigeria has no reliable data system to enhance good planning. Government should promote a good data system to enable sustainable economic planning. Sharing of money is not really a bad idea but it will not reach the target masses.

What should Africans expect to from you from your membership of numerous peace bodies?

My approach to peace is to ensure everyone gets what he deserves in the right measure. Human rights are the fundamental rights and freedoms to which every individual is entitled, regardless of race, religion, gender, nationality, or any other status. These rights include civil and political rights, such as the rights to life, liberty, and fair trial, as well as economic, social, and cultural rights, such as the right to education, healthcare, and adequate standards of living. Stripping autocrats’ necks of the sweat of the deprived persons he is clothed with is a better strategy to enshrine the institute of peace. Let human rights be protected and social justice upheld, and the environment will be a peaceful one.

Upholding human rights means respecting the inherent worth and dignity of every person and ensuring their freedom from discrimination, oppression, and violence. It promotes equality, social inclusion and non-discrimination which are essential elements for building peaceful societies.

Social Justice refers to the fair and equitable distribution of resources, opportunities, and benefits within a society. It seeks to address the root causes of inequality, marginalization, and discrimination.

I am using this opportunity to thank and appreciate H.E. Ambassador Dr. Jonathan Daniel Ojadah the Global President of the Supreme Council of both IPGC & CIPG, the Executive and other members of the Supreme Council for the opportunity to serve.

The Kwara State Governor who you served under, is currently the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. How do you feel about this? Do you not think that it will be a distraction to him from rendering quality services and good governance to Kwara State indigenes and residents?

Leadership in government is understanding what to do, when to do and how to get things done. For the sake of time, I will quickly discuss only the last of the strategy. Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is an intelligent governor, who has seriously departed from the conventional ways of administering the state. He has been able to standardize and stabilized the governance of the state effortlessly. He is an action man with his team intact for the work any day any time sir, including the leadership of NGF will surely not affect the gubernatorial role in the state. His additional role will rather be beneficial to the state as his influence will attract numerous bounties to the state.

Is there any hope that things will be better in the state as some people are already complaining of a lack of attention by the government to governance issues in the state?

Everyone with his own style of governance and the fact that Mallam Abdulrahman does not follow the flamboyant ways of his predecessors is not a yardstick to underrate his performance. Much has been said against his leadership style, but the electorates vindicate him through his second coming with an overwhelming margin in the poll. The Latin will say: Rex Ipsa Locutors (the fact speaks for itself).

The radical transformation of the state under his watch is a matter that called for discussion. The very best assessment of any political leader is through election and that has been exhibited by the margin of the solidarity displayed by the Kwarans to reaffirm Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaz as second-term governor of Kwara State. The purposeful and beneficial projects of the incumbent Governor of Kwara State is there to assess for those who care.

What should the Federal Government do to prevent another protest or strike by the organized labour?

The federal government is too secretive with governance. I don’t see any reason why union leaders would not be carried along in some policy formulations. When the government is too secretive with its style of governance, there will definitely be a whole lot of agitations, speculations, and insinuations as to what is going on in the government. When these persist, the masses may take irrational steps, and union leaders will demand the impossible. Call for dialogue, inclusion, and sincerity of purpose will make unions buy into government projects once they are made to appreciate the project.

A 2022 report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) noted that approximately 20 million Nigerian individuals of its approximately 200 million population are not enrolled in school. This amounts to 20 per cent of Nigeria’s entire population and is more than the overall population of various African countries. What is the import of this to security and national growth and advancement? This will depend on what UNESCO calls school. This country is dominated by Muslims and there are Muslims whose children attend Madrasat (Islamic school).

The Madrasat can be formal or informal and over seventy-five per cent of Madrasat operate in an informal way. Formal education should not also be limited to four walls of school, and I am sure the assessments of UNESCO did not capture this. Should education be limited to Western education? This should also be considered while embarking on a project like this. The assessments of the organizations like this called for verification as their yardstick is unknown.