Reminiscences with Sen. Abba Ali
From Habibu Umar Aminu, Katsina
You started as a primary school teacher, then became a senator; how did the journey begin?
The journey started at the Katsina Central Primary School in 1953, from where I went to Katsina Middle School in 1956, then Katsina Teachers’ College for grade III in 1961. I also went for the teachers’ grade II certificate. I taught in various primary schools and rose to the position of a headmaster.
In 1967 I decided to leave the teaching profession for the Nigeria Tobacco Company as a management trainee in Kano and Jos. In 1969, I came back to Katsina as a distributor; then I went into business on my own. In 1971, I was appointed a member of the Katsina Area Council. In 1976, when the military asked for the Dasuki report on the establishment of local government councils, I contested an election and became the chairman of Katsina Local Government, up to 1979 when I contested and became a senator of the Federal Republic. I was there from 1979 to 1983. Since then I have been in politics and doing my businesses as well. I have a company.
How did you go into politics?
To be sincere, I wasn’t very much interested in politics, but the circumstances of that time forced me into it. I told you that in 1976, the military decided to have a third tier of government, which is the local government. Since there were no political parties, some of our elders decided to look for those who were bright enough for leadership positions and interacted freely with the people so that they could stand for elections. So people like Alhaji Lawal Kaita, Abu Gidado, a commissioner in the old Kaduna State, Tanimu Saulawa and others, decided to meet and identify some people that would participate in the political system. They chose me and sent a delegation to inform me of their decision, saying that as an NTC distributor I should participate in the election. I declined, but they insisted. We started looking for candidates for the local government council. That was the beginning of my political life. In fact, I was selected as a member of the area council when Musa Yar’adua, the father of Umaru Yar’adua was the chairman. The military picked some of us to be in the council. From the local government council I went to the Senate.
In terms of operation, is there any difference between the Senate of 1979 and what we have presently?
Well, there are tremendous differences. The 1979 constitution clearly stipulates the power of the National Assembly as a purely a lawmaking body and watchdog to the executive. When we made laws, we made sure they were implemented. It’s our responsibility to make sure that the budget was adhered to and operated as approved. There was a clear separation of powers among the legislature, executive and the judiciary; hence everybody knew their limitations, and we operated that way. But nowadays, politicians have polluted the political system in order to achieve their personal purposes. The executive started bribing the National Assembly to get their things pass through smoothly. For example, these days we hear of constituency projects being executed by members of the National Assembly instead of the executive. The proper thing would have been for any lawmaker who wanted a constituency project to raise a motion, and if it scales through, he makes sure that the executive implements it.
Are you saying there were no constituency and wardrobe allowances during your time in the Senate?
No. It will shock you to know that some of our salaries and allowances have not been paid till date. Initially, it was the National Assembly that fixed the salaries of the president and other committees. When we fixed a salary of N1million per annum for the then President Shehu Shagari, he rejected it outright, saying it was too much. We came down to N500,000, but he still rejected it and said that N25,000 per annum was enough for him because everything was being taken care of in the Dodan Barracks. So we went back to the drawing book and decided that nobody should earn more than the president. We decided that the vice president and president of the Senate should earn N20,000 per annum while the speaker of the House of Representatives would earn N18,000 per annum. Also, senators got N15,000 each and reps N12,000 per annum respectively. Those were the salaries we received. We were supposed to be given constituency allowances to open our offices and employ members of staff for four years. They only gave us N10,000 to open an office and buy furniture. That table you see there was my office table, but the allowances for our members of staff have not been paid. Out of our salaries, they said we would pay It will shock you to know that some of our salaries and allowances have not been paid till date. Initially, it was the National Assembly that fixed the salaries of the president and other committees. When we fixed a salary of N1million per annum for the then President Shehu Shagari, he rejected it outright, saying it was too much rents if government gave us houses. We were also given N10,000 as car loan, and we were supposed to repay within three years before leaving the Assembly. So after deductions we ended up having N780.00 per month.
People are of the view that given the economic situation of the country then, such amounts were huge.
How much is the package of a senator now? Nowadays, no senator gets less than N30million every month. Can you compare N30m with N780.00, even in the worst economic scenario. N780 was not enough to feed myself and my family in Lagos. I was lucky to have a business at home. Despite being in the Senate, I derived the subsistence allowance for my family every month from my business.
Given the huge expenditure on the National Assembly, are you of the view that the Senate should be scrapped?
No, I don’t subscribe to that. In a presidential system of government, it is excellent to have the Senate because there is separation of powers. The House has the upper hand in appropriation while the Senate
has the authority to approve nominees. However, I would like to see a fair salary structure for senators and House members. You can’t give somebody about N30m when a professor in the university is earning less than N1m monthly, and you say it’s fair. If they really want to serve this country they should earn reasonable salaries. That’s how we can wipe out corruption. I told you that corruption started between the executive and the National Assembly. The executive introduced it into the National Assembly.
How did they do it?
When Obasanjo put security funds in the presidential office at N12billion and contingency allowance at N8b, the late president of the Senate, Chuba Okadigbo rejected that. When that happened, they included it in the office of the Senate President, putting N800m as security funds and N700 for contingencies, making it N1.5b. That was the first corruption they engaged in. To close their mouths and that of the speaker, they put N700m as security funds and N600m for contingencies; that’s N1.3b. Also, the then senators got N20m quarterly, with their constituency projects. That’s how it started.
What do you think should be the appropriate salary for them?
They shouldn’t earn more than N2m per month.
There have been agitations for self determination and restructuring, do you think the country is ripe for this?
No. The demand is selfish. We don’t need restructuring. If there is anything our constitution does not take care of, we have the National Assembly. They can amend the constitution to suit the requirements of the people, so this agitation is null and void. Every agitation should be taken to them.
But the agitators are of the view that the National Assembly is not well structured as a certain part of the country has more members, thereby placing them at advantage over others.
No, the National Assembly was created by the constitution, and it was the people that elected them, not the military. They have their constituencies.
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were known for speaking with one voice on national issues when the party was in power at the centre, but this is not the case with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). As a chieftain of the ruling party, what went wrong?
It is unfortunate. It is the weak side of the leadership of the party. In 1979 we had over one good year to campaign on the platform of our party. There was no faction. But this time around, the APC is an amalgamation of parties, so we are bound to get such misunderstanding. Unfortunately, we had no time to heal all the wounds before we went into the elections; that’s the problem. Another mistake we made is that up till now, the APC has no Board of Trustees. I was appointed a member since December 2015, but the board has not been inaugurated. It would have been a different matter if we had a Board of Trustees to see that things are done accordingly in the party. This is the situation we have found ourselves.
How would you access the administration of your classmate and friend, President Muhammadu Buhari?
Our parents disciplined us and we knew what to do when we woke up every morning. We knew we had to go to school, after which we would assist our parents at home. During those colonial days, children were allowed to return home to assist their parents in the farm, especially during summer holidays. So I used to go to the farm with my father to help out. After the holidays we returned to our various schools
I give him a pass mark. We all know how he brought down insurgency to what we have now. I also give him credit for instituting checks and balances on corruption. We found ourselves deep in corruption. He also saw the dangers ahead and encouraged people to return to farm. His achievement in agriculture cannot be matched. He has diversified the sector. It is unfortunate that people don’t appreciate what he has done.
On the issue of his health, you and I are Muslims and we know that the question of health and life is not yours. You can be healthy today but sick tomorrow.
Do you think Buhari would seek re-election in 2019?
As long as he is fit to contest election, he will win.
How has the journey of life been so far?
Well, the journey has been very good, Alhamulillah.
How do you spend your day?
Normally, when I wake up I enjoy reading the Quran. I go to my office if there are activities, if not; I stay at home with my family. The business goes on; I don’t have to be there all the time. Four times in a week I go to another Quranic school in the evenings and acquire some Islamic knowledge from 7 to 8.30 in the night, then I return home to have dinner with my friends. By 11pm I close the day.
Who were the friends you grew up with, especially in high school?
Right from primary school, I mean middle school, I had a lot of them, including General Muhammadu Buhari; Ibrahim Commasie; Justice Umaru Abullahi; the late Aminu Ibrahim; Grand Khadi Katsina, Abdulmalik Kofar Bai; Kabir Daura; Maiwada Ali Lawal; Tanimu Giao; Hassan Sada.
Can you still recall some of their nicknames then?
Sure, we used to call Gen Buhari Leko Daura. We called Suleman Maiadua Suleiman Dan Dauda, while Lawal Gwanda Kankia was known as Wonder Mirror.
How was life then?
Oh, it was beautiful. It was such a close society that you knew everybody and everyone knew you. We enjoyed ourselves. Our parents disciplined us and we knew what to do when we woke up every morning. We knew we had to go to school, after which we would assist our parents at home. During those colonial days, children were allowed to return home to assist their parents in the farm, especially during summer holidays. So I used to go to the farm with my father to help out. After the holidays we returned to our various schools.
What are your favourite meals?
Tuwon dawa (sorghum) and miyar Kuka (baobab) or okra; and fura, of course. I take it a lot.
You must have been in school during the Second World War, what were the stories?
The Second World War ended in 1945. We were just about five years old then, so we didn’t know exactly what was happening. We got to know more about the war when we were taught History in school. Right from primary school you were taught the history of your locality, province, region and country, West Africa, Africa and the world. That was how we were able to know what happened. Unfortunately, I understand that History is no longer taught in schools. During our time, you were literate right from childhood. I could remember that when I was in primary school, I used to clean the blackboard and draw the map of the world. That was geography. I could also tell you the capitals of all the countries in the world. I understand that it is now in the university that you have such form of education.