Why I don’t agree with Tinubu – Police minister
Police Affairs Minister Abdul-Jelili Oyewale Adesiyan, in this interview, explains the political situation in the South West and why he does not agree with Bola Tinubu. Excerpts:
Nigerians seem to have lost confidence in the ability of the security forces to rescue the abducted schoolgirls of Chibok…
No nation has ever grown without its own problems. In the 19th century, the British were faced with the terrorism of the Irish Republican army so much that it was difficult for citizens to walk on the streets because bombs could explode anytime. But after so many years, it was overcome. What of the USA? Terrorism was more pronounced there leading to the 9/11 terrorist act killing about 5,000 people. But that has strengthened them today. It made them invent more technology and that’s why it’s so difficult for anyone to enter their airs and land space. I don’t know any country of the world that’s immune to terrorism. It’s a global problem. If all these calling for is the one that would be an instrument in their hands to terrorize their subjects. The calls are mainly from governors echoing the genuine issues and aspirations of our mature regional leaders of those days. But some of these governors, particularly those from the South-West, are calling for state police in order to have an instrument to terrorize people. That was why when I was made minister of police affairs, they became jittery because they thought I’ll do what they would’ve been doing if they were in my position. But I’m matured enough to know that I have a responsibility. As a minister of police affairs, I should be seen to be above politics. It would be unpatriotic of me to use the instruments with which I was blindly entrusted, to terrorize people. Police commands can’t take from me instructions that are not in tandem with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. These people are calling for state police for the sake of elections. If they (governors) have state police, exhibit fears where there is none. The problem of the opposition in the South-West is that those of us opposed to them had been in the same vehicle with them before, and we know they’re liars. The SouthWest used to have good leaders like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Samuel Akintola, Adesoji Aderemi, among others. These were political icons that brought out the process of development through free education. The South-West is a geopolitical zone that does not harbor indolence. People assess you to take decisions during elections. But those in charge today have put the people in a death-ridden state; we’re going back to the state of penury now under the guise of deceit.
Could you substantiate this allegation?
In Osun and Ekiti States in particular, our educational system has been completely bastardized. When I was leaving as education commissioner in Osun, the state ranked between 13th and 14th in public examinations; but today, it’s booths on June 21 as regards Ekiti and on August 9 as regards Osun, to change bad governance.
The PDP is seen to be too desperate to take over power in the South-West….
The PDP was in government there before, It’s the APC people that are desperate to hold on to such illegal power. In the past, they’d say the PDP is a nest of killers; but they’re the ones killing our people now. They’ve been doing their campaigns without the PDP raising an eyebrow. Just because we went for our campaign in Ekiti recently, the following day, the governor led a protest with brooms trying to insult the sensibility of the PDP. They were walking towards where the vice president was resting. And their frivolity led to the death of one person who was going to church. I laugh whenever they call themselves progressives. What’s progressive in their acts? Ahmed Tinubu is a leader of the progressives, and he’s the richest Yoruba man. I and Tinubu were in exile in 1994 in the US. I knew his capacity. If he had money then, he’d have brought it out when they wanted to register the Alliance for Democracy (AD). But because he had no money, they had to take money from Senator Iyiola Omisore. Today, Tinubu is so rich that he can destabilize the Yoruba nation and he’s doing it using the instrumentality of propaganda.
Do you see the recent defection of former Governor Isiaka Adeleke to the APC as a blow to PDP’s chances in Osun State?
Adeleke’s defection from PDP is good riddance to bad rubbish! I served under his administration as a director general. He wanted to become a minister, but President Jonathan said he wanted me. I didn’t know him; he gave me a blind trust and appointed me a minister. I never lobbied for it. That was how I offended Adeleke. He sent a lot of signals to people to say that I was not educated. He wrote a lot of petitions to the Senate against me. We knew he had been in the APC since he lost the Senate seat. I swear to Almighty God that he later called me to say he apologized for all he did against me while the Senate was screening me. He said it was because he too wanted to become a minister and that now that I have been appointed, he is hungry and that I should not forget him. And I was working towards that. He has always been engaged in anti-party activities and I know the APC will not trust him.
Did you assault him in Osogbo before the PDP governorship primary as he alleged recently?
He just woke up one night to embarrass me when I visited those who came to conduct the recent gubernatorial primary of the PDP. He accused me of ordering the police to arrest his people. I didn’t know anything about it. At a time, he wanted to attack me, but my chief detail condoned him off. It was then one of our members, a retired customs officer, challenged him to be a gentleman, he held that person and the person then slapped him. It was not on my instruction. He then accused me and Omisore of beating him. If I ever touched Adeleke, may I never succeed in my life, but if he lied against me, God will punish him and show him what he never expects till he passes away.