‘Ndume’s suspension will affect southern Borno’
As a youth leader, what is your take on the current call for restructuring?
I feel that it is not the solution to the current political tension in the country. I feel that we should look at the reasons why people are calling for it, which is that some parts of the country feel they are marginalised in terms of governance and sharing of the national resources and things like that. So, these are the issues we need to look into. Nothing is wrong with the political setting. But we need to restructure our mindset. Then, we need to have all-inclusive governance, where all parts of the country will feel the impact of governance.
What is your take on the call on the Igbo to quit the North?
On the issue of quit notice given by some northern youth, it is truly worrisome. I feel however that what the Acting President has done so far is very good. He has gone round to manage the tension. I give him kudos for that. The northern leaders, including the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State have condemned it. The current effort of the South-east leaders is also to ensure unity and stability in the country. All the South-east governors and traditional rulers attended a recent stakeholders meeting. Prominent Igbo leaders like Chief John Nwodo and Chief Osita Chidoka have spoken out on the issue. But one thing that is left Barrister Usman Garba is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The youth leader and a key stakeholder from Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, in this interview, speaks on the call for restructuring, the plight of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the quit notice given to the Igbo among other issues. Excerpts: out is that the Acting President has to find a way to reach out to the northern youth that give the quit notice to retract their statement.
Will it have any effect if they do not retract the statement?
It is not about whether it will have any effect or not. We don’t want to take chances. We don’t want to leave any stone unturned. In every society, it is not everybody who is civilised. One man can create a problem that can lead to a huge one. I feel that we shouldn’t neglect it even if we know that a lot of northern youth are learned. But I’m pleading with government to find a way to make these people retract their statement. Then, we will know that we have a lasting solution to that.
What are the effects of the suspension of Senator Ali Ndume on your people?
The suspension of Senator Ali Ndume is an event that the entire country frowns at because of the procedure for the suspension. What the senator did was to draw the attention of the Senate to a newspaper publication. But Senator Ndume has done much to his people, because if you can recall, during the suspension, there was a large protest in his consistency. Thousands of southern Borno youths protested. It is because he has done well for his people. He has built over 70 boreholes across the nine local governments.
Last year, he gave nine tractors to farmers and sponsored a lot of youth empowerment. He has done same thing this year. There are solar street lights he provided in all the local governments. So, these are some of what he has done and people are behind him.
We know some senators are stoned when they go to their consistencies. Some cannot even go and we know of a senator who is facing a recall process. And I believe even if he scales through, 2019 is a nightmare for him. These are the people who call for the suspension of Senator Ndume.
On the effects of his suspension, of course, we are affected. During the period of his suspension, the 2017 budget has been passed. And in the budget, there is room for zonal intervention, known as constituency projects. I don’t know if he has been given that right because it will definitely affect the people of southern Borno axis.
But you have other representatives in the National Assembly from Borno South, like Rep Muktar Betara Aliyu. What are they doing in view of Ndume’s suspension?
Yes, you are right on the issue of Honourable Muktar Betara Aliyu. He is a member representing Biu Federal Constituency. He is also the chairman House Committee on Defence. He is doing a lot. But what he is doing is limited to his constituency, which is the four local government areas in Biu. He has done a lot for them. In fact, he has donated food items and mosquito nets worth millions of naira to the most vulnerable people, the IDPs in Biu axis. He has done his part within the area.