Basiru: People Crying More than the Bereaved over Rivers Crisis

National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Senator Ajibola Basiru, in this interview speaks on salient national issues including the state of emergency declared recently in Rivers state by President Bola Tinubu and politics in his home state, Osun. Hammed Shittu brings excerpts:

What’s your take on the recent declaration of state of emergency in Rivers state by President Bola Tinubu?

You see there was nothing President Bola Tinubu can do under that circumstances than to declare a state of emergency in that state because the president has given the parties involved an opportunity to be statesmen and resolve the matter. Even the Supreme Court, the highest Court in the land, had made pronouncement that there was no government in Rivers state again because  Governor Siminilayi Fubara was running the state without the House of Assembly.

The scheme of power under the 1999 constitution is three. You have legislative powers section 4, executive powers section 5 and judicial powers section 6. And when you have an arm of government that does not allow the most critical arm of government to run, of course, you cannot say there is a government.

Secondly, the situation had degenerated into imminent and actual danger to life and security of the people in Rivers state having in mind that the president swore to uphold the nation’s constitution. Section 14 of the constitution talks about security and property of the people. I will say unpatriotic politicians would oppose what the president had done in Rivers state. With what president had done; even the gladiators are not even contesting the exercise of the power of the president on the matter.

So you have a situation where people are crying more than the bereaved on the issue, taking panadol for the headache of someone. Also, so far people seem not to understand, with due respect, even the members of legal profession seem not to understand the ramifications of emergency powers. When you look into section 305 of the constitution, it talks of extra ordinary measures. Just take the dictionary, what is extra ordinary measure? It means something not in contemplation of ordinary circumstances or ordinary scheme of affairs.

So people are saying they are looking for ramifications and amplitude of emergency power within the framework of constitution so that even you don’t know the nature of the power is about to the extent say that the president does not has the constitutional power to suspend legislature or executive  because the constitution talked about extra ordinary measure  that entails any such thing that has to be done to ensure that the imminent or actual danger to see to the security will need to be addressed and in this circumstance, the main gladiators that are the roots of the danger to the security in Rivers state will be addressed, even to the entire country and economy of the country. Extra ordinary measures is a key word and Mr. President has acted within the framework of his power. The National Assembly has approved and any other thing becomes mute and those that have taken the matter to court then we wait on what the court will pronounce on the matter. So far the court is not having opportunity of pronouncing amplitude and extent of emergency power in Rivers state on the merit and three cases had gone to the Supreme Court were decided on threshold of the locus standi of those that have gone to the court but in the absence of pronouncement on the issue, I think they are just making unfounded comment and as far some of us are concerned the key word is extra ordinary measure and that is not contemplation of the constitution.

Looking for justifications and extent at which the president can act within the context of the emergency, to say the least, showed lack of understanding of the constitutional provisions.

There is the belief that President Tinubu acted on the premise that Governor Fubara was to be impeached, what is your reaction to this?

Some people talk as if they have power of  clairvoyance or star watchers. I don’t know how people know what is on the mind of Mr. President and what we know was that there was a state of insecurity and threat of insecurity particularly threatening the production of oil which is the main stay of nation’s economy and at the last check, Governor Fubara is not  a member of the political party of Mr President and those who are saying he should not exercise power of emergency then are they in support of Governor Fubara?

And they now realise that ostensibly the exercise of the power was to favour Govenror Fubara. And anytime national issues crop up in Nigeria, most of the commentators make  comments based on ulterior motive devoid of consideration of facts and circumstances and devoid of patriotic analysis of situation and they end up with irrational conclusions.

What benefits will accrue to the people of South West region in view of the recent signing of South West Development Commission Bill into law by President Tinubu?

Let me say that, this is not the only Development Commission to be signed by Mr. President, South South Development Commission was also done on that day and prior to that day, we have North East Development Commission, we have Niger Delta Development Commission and of course, North Central Development Commission. I think what the president is doing is to use the amplitude of the federal power and resources to ensure that the meaningful development is brought evenly to all the parts of the country so that certain germane infrastructure and projects that will catalyse development will be brought to the doorsteps of all the regions of the country and this will help the development of the economy, enhancing productivity and focus on the problem of the unemployment of the youths. As you know, president is more concerned about the future of the society before planning for the development of the future that will catalyse into engagement productivity of our youths.

As a former Spokesman of the Ninth Senate, what can you say about the recent suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Senate?

There is no doubt that the suspension was in order. The senate has its own rules and has its own procedures and if a Senator decides to act in the way that is not distinguished, I used the word adversely because we see ourselves as distinguished Senators and if you have complaint about sitting arrangement, it is a level of conduct and respect you ought to give to the institution. It is not about Senate President Godswill Akpabio or members but about the institution itself. 

I was once a member of the Senate and left there now, the dignity and integrity must be protected. And I can reconnect when I was in the senate, at least two or three times my seat was relocated by the former Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan and there was a time my seat was moved from the main chamber to one of the committee rooms but what matter is to see to the smooth conduct of senate business because nobody brought seat to the senate proceedings and ofcourse, even the one reserved for committees assignment, it is the prerogative of the Senate leadership to decide what committee to use them.

I was once Chairman, senate committee on Diaspora, moved to committee on Public Affairs as spokesman of the Senate.

As far as I am concerned, the senate has followed its rules and procedures and has the right to maintain privileges, maintain integrity and sanctity of proceedings of the institution.

What is your take on the recent resignation of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola from APC in Osun?

I don’t want  to comment on that but the party politics in Nigeria is a free entry and free exit and former governor Aregbesola has the right to join any political party he wants and can leave any political party anytime too. I can only talk about the people of my own political party, APC.

As one of the leaders of APC in Osun state, what are you doing to reconcile some perceived aggrieved members of the party ahead of 2026 Guber poll?

Let me say here that this is not election year season but what the party is doing now is on how to ensure that the APC meetings are held on regular basis and party leadership engage in interactions with members and of course as an opposition party, we are trying to spotlight the inadequacies and incompetence of the ruling PDP led by Governor Ademola Adeleke and what will be seen as credible alternative to take over power from the PDP come 2026 gubernatorial election in the state.

The APC is also cohesive with well articulated structured party across the state with constant meetings so as to bring new leadership to the state during the period.

What do you have to say on the general assessment of the ruling PDP administration in the last two and half years in Osun?

Of course, you will say, my assessment is biased because you will say it is not the government of my party, APC but objectively the government has fell of expectation and even the promises it made during campaigns to the people of Osun and I will pick some of the sectors. In the education sector, there is abysmal performance in the sector. If you go across the state, you will see the dilapidated schools infrastructure, you will see inadequate teaching staff. Teachers that were employed by the previous administrations on account of politics, the present administration of Governor Adeleke laid them off and even if you are not happy  with that, we had expected him to replace them with the people and we don’t mind if they are the members of their political party, PDP,  at least average students of Osun will  have access to quality education.  When you look at the key subjects like Mathematics, English Langauge and Sciences, you will see shortage of personnel for those subjects. And of course that is one aspect of education. Then, in terms of health infrastructure, you will see that the administration is just hell bent on siphoning the state’s resources over what is not necessary. Prior to the coming of the PDP administration in the state, the 332 health centres had been renovated and revitalised by the past administration of our party, APC.  We had expected that since these health centres have been in place the administration ought to have put personnel on ground, give medical supplies so as to make the health facilities functional. We also see a situation of health insurance scheme that has been put in place by the previous administrations is nothing to write home about in Osun state now in terms of getting benefit to the people. You see that diagnosis at the health sector is at comatose and you know that the act of medical practice is about diagnosis.

In the area of public infrastructure, you will see that what we have is what I will  call executimg absolute white elephant projects rather than addressing infrastructure deficiencies in the state. Let me ask you what is the direct benefit of so-called flyovers in places where there is no traffic problem and roads that leads to the heartlands of Osun state where people are engaging in agricultural activities are left undone.

When you go to places like Ifedayo, Boluwaduro local government council areas of the state, Aiyedade LG especially Orileowu area, go to Anlugba axis of Ode Omu and some of the key areas of Ife South LG where real economic activities are going on in the state, the roads in these affected areas mentioned are not done and even neglected and even the where the flyovers had been done, they are not well constructed with good management sense that would not negatively affect the people in the affected areas.

Many businesses in the area where flyovers had been constructed have been killed. Of course, in the area of peace and security, the PDP government has performed abysmally low. I discovered some of their attack dogs have been calling for my heads because I called for a state of emergency in the state. The reality is that Senator Adeleke administration has performed abysmally low in the area of peace and security. He took over the state as the pride of the country in terms of peaceful coexistence. What we see now is the instigation of communal crisis by the Adeleke administration over chieftaincy matters in several communities in the state especially towns like Iree, Ikirun, Igbajo, Esaoke and several areas of Haleluya, Idoosun in Egbedore local government area of the state, all just to grab everything in the affected areas. And of  recent is the incessant attack, the total decimation of the three communities of Ilobu in Irepodun local government council,  Ifon in Orolu local government council and Erin-Osun in Irepodun local government council and you ask yourself which government, a serious minded government, will set up a 100-member panel on communal crisis, this shows a pedestrian government that is not thinking on what such government need to do appropriately.  When there were signs that there is possibility of reprisal attack on a community and even when the government declared curfew, security was not on ground at all and when you look around the affected communities, you will see resurgence of thugs and area boys that had been used as political cohesion and intimidation of people. Recently, you will see there is controversy over the equipments and training of Amotekun in the state, as you will see only political consideration was used in the recruitment of the security outfit without taking into cognisance capability and experience of the personnel required for such security outfit as PDP stalwarts are being considered in the recruitment exercise.

The government also failed in  youth engagement as Osun youth empowerment scheme was abolished and replaced with Imole Corps which is part of nepotism of the  Adeleke administration in the state.

And when I saw the pictures of the Imole Corps, most of them are as old as my mother and you called them members of Imole youth corps and what are they doing in the first instance? I have not seen them doing anything because by the time the exercise was done, some of them were engaged to teach, employed in health facilities, roads clearing and some other menial jobs in the state.

In terms of probity and accountability, the government has been less credible. In the celebration of the administration’s 100 days in office, the PDP-led government claimed to have sunk boreholes across the local government areas of the state and as journalists go round and find out whether such boreholes exist or functioning. It is just a way of getting out money from the treasury. Another area the administration failed is that of agriculture. The main stay of Osun state is agriculture. No investment is going to that sector, no coordinated approach to the sector to be able to ensure that the farmers’ yield are increased and to boost food production. 

We see what other states in the country like Niger is doing in terms of agriculture and nothing is on the ground here despite the arable land and fertile land available in our state. It is just matter of getting allocations, sharing and putting the allocation on bogus projects that have no direct impact on the socio-economic well being of Osun people.