Why are you always defending the activities of the Jonathan Administration, despite the spate of criticisms against the government?
Apart from the civil war, tell me the government that has ever ruled this country that has had the challenges of administration more than Goodluck Jonathan. Tell me the government in Nigeria that has faced the worse social disorder in any nation than Goodluck Jonathan. There is no government in Nigeria that has had the burden and the pains of carrying the challenge of terrorism than Jonathan. The problem of terrorism is enough to collapse the economy. If we didn’t have the government of Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria would have broken up.
Why are you so optimistic about the Jonathan Administration?
I see the President as a man who is absolutely committed to the welfare of Nigerians. He is a man who really thinks of how we can make Nigeria a better place. These I can say between me and my God. I’m close to him. I have had times to discuss with him. He only came at a wrong time; when there is security challenge. There is no past President in Nigeria that dedicated one third of his budget; almost a trillion, to security.
Again, let me say that, by the end of 2014, Nigerians will believe that he is a committed president.
In fact, I’m learning from some of his approaches. He is a new philosopher in the political history of Nigeria by his response to issues, and he is getting result. Some few years from now, the people will begin to see the outcome of his resilience and committment. Once a man is focused, we should pray for him to actualise his vision and mission. He would take us out of the wood.
But, people say his responses are weak?
Last year, we voted N935 billion for security, as at that time we have archaic, outdated security equipment. The securtiy services, go and ask them. The equipment they had and what they have today is far better and that is why they are able to curtail the challenges emanating from terrorism. When you say the President is weak, you have forgotten that government is not by drastic action. Good governance is not through drastic action, but putting in place the requirements that are needed to confront challenges of good governance. The people you perceived in time past as very dynamic, ask them what they voted for security? America is still improving its security vote annually. In Nigeria, go and check the barracks, the intelligence services and ask, if they had the kind of equipment they have now some five years ago. My point is that Goodluck Jonathan had a problem that was capable of derailing him and defocusing him. Do you know what it means for a leader to wake up in the morning and you hear that three bombs explode in your country? Is that not enough to give that President a mental disorder? But today, things are getting better. I am not saying that we have gotten there already, but I know we are getting somewhere. I am not saying this because I am a PDP senator, but because I have information. Do you know why many of those who are ganging up today are ganging up? Everyone of them have personal reason, not collective reason. There are some that believe that Goodluck Administration has affected their source of economic power. There are those who are nursing ambition to be President. There are those who feel that some people that are nursing ambition won’t get it, let them hang somewhere. Maybe, they would be considered. Let me tell you, we politicians know ourselves. I pity Nigerian people because they don’t know those who are committed to their wellbeing.
Are you not perturbed that your party is gradually losing grip, following the defection of five governors and 37 member of the National Assembly?
It depends on how you perceive it. Those governors, are you sure they have gone finally? Secondly, does the movement of those governors translate to not winning the presidential or governorship election? The answer is no. When you talk about winning election, make no mistake about it that one governor will determine who wins election in the state. Do you know that Nigeria of today is not the Nigeria of five years ago. There are many sentiments that will come to play when the time comes. The advantage I have is that I know Nigeria more than many of these so-called leaders. You see, many of them never had the privilege I had as a journalist and moreso, as the NUJ President. I moved across the length and breath of Nigeria. I know more than two-third of Nigeria’s local goverment areas. I know how diverse we are and the sentiments that will come when election comes. Goodluck Jonathan doesn’t need 28 governors to become President of Nigeria.
What is the reason for this gang-up against President Jonathan by some elements in the North?
It is wrong to say that there is a gang-up by the North because there are many Northerners who are in support of this government. My brothers in the North should not concentrate fighting for power because we have had power for 30 years. What should be the priority is how to liberate the North from poverty and oppression. And, when they were not forthcoming, I sponsored the Frontier Oil Exploration Bill to help the North out of poverty so that Southerners will not be carrying us as slaves. If you have power, but you don’t have economic power, it makes no sense. The person that has economic power will only take that power from you anytime he wants. So, go and tell the Northern governors that, if you have political power without economic power, the person that has economic power will ground you and collect it from you. The Yoruba in the Southwest didn’t fight with oil during June 12. They used Lagos port to paralyse Nigeria. Tell me what the North can use to paralyse Nigeria, if we have cause to disagree with other parts of the country. If the Southsouth people decide that they want to paralyse this country today, 30 minutes is enough. You will have N50,000 in your pocket and won’t be able to buy petrol.
Recently, you distributed some empowerment equipment for your people. What is your motive?
I am passionate about my people. That informed my decision to come into politics. Let me say that on monthly basis, I give out millions of Naira to meet the challenges facing my people.
How should Nigerians assess legislators?
When you want to do an assessment of a legislator, you don’t assess him based on what Nigerians call the delivery of dividends of democracy. That is not right. If you want to assess a legislator, the best way to do that is the level of his participation in his legislative duties, especially his attendance. In the sixth Senate, from 2007 to 2011, I was absent for only six sittings, and in the seventh Senate, three sittings. There were several senators who were absent for over 100 days. Every legislator can have any good reason not to sit at parliamentary functions, but attendance is my primary assignment. Secondly, a legislator must be on the side of the people all the time. For me, when I rise, I usually say ‘I speak on behalf of the masses’. This is aimed at creating the right consciousness in the minds of my colleagues that there are people who have voted for us, the down trodden people.
What is the content of the empowerment materials that you have given out?
I came from the United States with about seven container loads of medical equipment. There are twenty-two ambulances that I paid for, not donation. Each of them cost me over N450,000,000 to clear it from the port. I never allowed them to be driven here, I hired trucks to carry them and I paid one hundred and eighty thousand Naira to get each of them here, each of them cost me fifteen thousand dollar, excluding the cost of freight. I have all other kinds of medical equipment that I brought from overseas. I have spent over seven hundred Dollars on empowerment interventions. Presently, I am constructing four cottage hospitals in place like Odo Iri where I am doing a thirty bed hospital. In Igbaruku, I demolished the cottage hospital there, which the Sardauna built in 1962. I got there and I shed tears because that is still the only building that they call their hospital. I just demolish it. I am roofing the new building now as I am speaking to you. That is twenty five-bed hospital, in Igbagu, I am constructing a 15 bed hospital there. In Ogale, I am doing, a ten bed hospital there. All these equipment are meant to be shared not only to these hospitals but also to other hospitals in the state. I have about four hundred hospital beds and mattresses. I have stretchers, wheel chairs, surgical equipment. It might interest you to note that I’m donating two of the ambulances to Central and East senatorial districts. I am equally donating to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital because this district used to be part of Old Kwara State. As I speak to you, we still have hundreds of thousands indigenes of Kogi West living in Kwara State. More importantly, my wife is from Kwara State, I also have substantial amount of business interests in Kwara State. So, we have to let them know that Kwara is home to us.
Could this be the reason why some of your people are urging you to go back to the senate for the third time?
You see, as a Christian, I always believe in the saying that what happens tomorrow is in the hands of God. There is no amount of planning that anybody can do could guarantee victory. Victory in any contest is in the hands of God. If human efforts can stop somebody from becoming a senator, I should not have been where I am now. If human or government power or machinery is what is required to win an election and is capable of stopping somebody, I should not have been a senator today but when I was fighting the former administration. People asked if I could return to the senate and I said my second term was in the hands of God. My take is to tell the people to allow me do this job well so that my conscience will be clear that I have served like Baba Awolowo served, like Ahmadu Bello served. Those are the people I see as role models. Those who dont serve the people well don’t end up well. You need people’s prayer to succeed. My desire for good governance brought me into politics and not money.
