Alhaji (Dr.) Mohammed Abubakar Bambado is the Sarikin Fulani of Lagos State. He is also Chairman, Association of Fulani Chiefs in the entire South-west of Nigeria. In this interview with Razaq Bamidele, he spoke on several issues, including how to tackle the insecurity menace, the industrial action of the university lecturers, the Sokoto ‘blasphemy’ crisis, as well as the zoning system as regards 2023 general election.
What is your view about the security challenges in the country; is there any improvement as far as you are concerned?
For me, we are still where we are on the matter of security challenges and it is a big problem. You know security is paramount to any nation of the world. And because of that, our government needs to buckle up. The government needs to sit up properly to make sure the security challenges, confronting the country are wiped out completely. The problem is eating up the nation and if security is not adequately provided for the nation and its citizenry, we will one day cease to exist.
What then do you think is the solution?
The solution, to me, is the military. I mean the entire security agencies need to change their tactics. I think, maybe because they are doing the same thing, is a reason we are not getting the desired result and so there is the need to change their tactics and become more proactive. They need to be more responsible and more responsive to be able to tackle the menace. They should be reminded that everybody in this country relies on them for the security of their lives and property.
And if things remain as it is, it means something is wrong somewhere and that is why I am of the conviction that they must change their tactics. They have to change the way they are doing things towards tackling the security challenges in the country.
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Do you agree with insinuations from some quarters that there may be saboteurs within their ranks and files?
I am not in the position to know so; I wouldn’t know. It is the security personnel that should know if there are saboteurs within their ranks or not. But as far as I am concerned, there is somebody that is responsible for the problem and if we know the person we would all point our fingers at him. We have some agencies that are supposed to work together. That is talking about the National Security Adviser, Chief of the Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff and Chief of Naval Staff as well as the Inspector General of Police (IGP). All the responsibilities of security duties in the country are on them. I believe if there are saboteurs within them, they should know and fish them out. So, I am not in a position to know if there are saboteurs or not among them.
If security matter is a collective responsibility of the citizenry, the question is, are the masses doing their best?
Well, I agree with you it is the responsibility of everybody. For instance, if you see bad things happening in your community, there must be an insider. And people are not reporting to the relevant authorities. For me, truly, the masses have to be very vigilant. They need to know who and who comes to their areas or community. So, it is very key for us to work with the security agents to fish out the bad eggs among us. Another thing is that parents have a very big role to play. You know your children very well and you know the kind of persons they are associating with. So, when you suspect a strange behaviour, you should report it, especially when the behaviour is a serious type that you cannot control. That incident should be reported immediately.
University students have been at home for some time now because their lecturers are on strike, what does that portend to the country?
On that issue, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) problem has been there ever since. When I was in school, I remember we spent more than a year at home at a time. Yes. And I don’t know why every government that comes faces the same crisis. We should have a lasting solution to it once and for all. We should find out where the problem is real and decide how to tackle the ASUU problem because it keeps on recurring. Remember, I told you that there is no period we don’t face the problem with ASUU in our education sector. It definitely means that there is something we don’t want to look at or that there is something we don’t want to resolve in that regard. So, all the relevant stakeholders should wade in and do something tangible and concrete to tackle the problem. This should be a priority because it has to do with education and without education, we cannot move far as a country. Education is very paramount in any country in the world because, without it, no nation gets to where it wants to be or where it should be. When we talk about our youth, if they are idle and not gainfully engaged, that is the beginning of where the evil starts to rear its ugly head.
ASUU is on strike; students are at home but the politicians are falling over themselves to buy nomination forms worth millions of naira. Don’t you see that as annoying?
I will not say it is annoying because the truth of the matter is that they have the money to spend. When you say politicians, they have much money and it is the party that decided to take from the money they have. So, for me, I don’t see anything wrong with the right of the party to put whatever amount on the form for whoever wants to contest on its platform. It is not a position that anybody from nowhere would just come and aspire to be. Let me say in a lighter mood that the position is for the Big Boys (laughter). Having said that, truly, I agree that these are some of the things that provoke the people. People are talking of falling education standards, ASUU on strike and so on and on the other side, the same politicians that are supposed to implement some policies to address the problem are busy spending millions of naira to purchase a form to become president. Definitely, we expect people to talk.
Can we have your view on the alleged blasphemy that led to the death of a student in Sokoto recently?
For me, the issue of what happened in Sokoto is very complex. It is complex in the sense that both two parties are wrong. The lady that was alleged to have committed blasphemy, if truly she did, with the audio we saw, was very serious because we should learn to respect each other’s religion. By the time we respect each other’s religion, that problem would not have arisen. Having said that, jungle justice is not allowed, even in Islam. What they should have done when they realised the girl had said something that was wrong was hand her over to the appropriate authorities that would take her to court. And I am very sure that there are provisions in our law to take up such cases along with the appropriate punishment. But taking the law into your own hand is very wrong. Even Prophet Muhammad (SAW) does not support anybody taking justice into his hand. So, we need to be very careful to respect other people’s religions and opinions so that there would not be a mistake of provoking one another. So, the other side that took the law into its hands is also wrong. The Sultan of Sokoto has spoken. And the reason he spoke was for nerves to calm down and tension doused. And the Sultan said the sad incident must be investigated. The investigation does not mean supporting one side against the other. When people came out rioting and taking the law into their hands, let me tell you, it is not right.
On a lighter mood, are you part of the Miyetti Allah that purchase the N100m presidential form for the former president Goodluck Jonathan?
(Smiles) Well, let the people really know what actually happened. It was not Miyetti Allah that bought the form for Goodluck Jonathan. Whoever says it was Miyetti Allah that bought the form for Jonathan is wrong. A Fulani man that went with a group, because you heard the man; he did not mention any Fulani group. He said Fulani and Almajiris gathered money to buy forms for Jonathan. Well, he was on his own. He went there to speak for himself. He was not speaking for the Fulani. I am a Fulani man; he never consulted me and I am sure he never consulted so many people before he went to buy that form. The group or who gave him that money, I don’t know. I am assuring you that no Fulani man or Fulani group asked him to go and buy form. He went there on his own and he is entitled to his opinion.
With the crises here and there in the country, are you confident the 2023 elections will hold?
It will hold by the special grace of God. We should be optimistic that it would hold. Political activities towards that have started. It is in the constitution and that provision is being followed to the letter. And we have the body that is overseeing and controlling the processes. And the body is still on the right track. For me, I don’t see what would stop us from having the elections as scheduled. Politicking has reached a feverish crescendo; everybody is seeking to contest for offices and nobody is asking where anybody comes from. Those in the South-west are going to the North to campaign; those in the North are going down South to seek support. So, that is Nigeria for you; nothing suggests that the election would not hold.
What is your advice on the utterances of the contestants and their campaign groups?
Utterances are very important to be cautious about. That is what I said about the Sokoto scenario. You need to be very careful about what you say because whatever you say when it is out; it is out. You cannot take it back. We need to show love to one another. It should not be a do or die affair. And remember only one person will govern this country at a time. Just do your own thing. Tell the people what you intend to do for them as president. And if they are convinced, they will vote for you. And for me, I don’t care who becomes the president. I don’t care wherever he comes from. I don’t care whether he is a Muslim or Christian, I don’t care whether he is from the South or from the North so far he is a Nigerian, who is ready for the good of all of us and can move the country forward. That is my own position.
