The governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Kwara State in the April election, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), is pessimistic about President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, given some names being bandied about as ministerial hopefuls. He spoke with some select reporters in Ilorin, the state capital. ADEKUNLE JIMOH was there. Excerpts:
Kwara people are used for one-way politics. But some believe that your entry into politics has really changed the face of politics in the state. What is your opinion?
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| Belgore |
I will find it totally ridiculous for somebody in his right senses and mind to say that my coming is a way of disturbing the system. But yes, you could argue that it has disturbed the status quo people that have only served the interest of themselves.
My coming in that regard has disturbed that status quo. But what we have done is to give Kwarans a genuine choice. We have opened Kwara people’s minds to the fact that government is meant to serve the people and improve their lives.
Government is not looking up to one man in the hope that he may hand out some things to you.
That I believe we have demonstrated to Kwara people that life is not all about that. Whatever government has is for the people. Whoever is there is to serve and not the other way round.
What is the drive behind your unshaken belief in winning Kwara?
The drive behind it is the will of the people. I know that Kwara people have voted for change.
They want a change urgently. You can see it in the way they go about it and their mood. I have a mandate which is greater than myself. That is what keeps me going and highly determined.
What is your view on the planned removal of petroleum subsidy by the Federal Government?
I am yet to get the full dynamics of that. But I know that it will cause unnecessary hardship. I believe that while the economics of it might be right, it will be an anti-people policy. And you got to think of the social consequences. First, the same state government has said that it could not pay minimum wage, and at the same time, it is imposing further burden on the workers. If you remove the fuel subsidy, the attendant effect will not be palatable.
There is always a multiplier effect: racketeering will set in, the transporters will increase fares; food prices will also go up. Therefore, what it means is that you are taking more money now out of the workers’ pockets at a time when you promised the workers more money which you have not given them.
This will bring so many difficulties. The timing is not right, if the politics is right.
Currently, there is agitation for the payment of N18,000 minimum wage. But the Governors Forum is saying that the payment will be dependent on the review of revenue sharing formula…
It does not in any way reflect what the Nigerian people want. I am solidly behind that workers should be paid that money. Fair pay for fair work and the Nigerian workers deserve a lot more than that. The problem is that we have centralized things so much.
The issue of the minimum wage should not be a federal matter. We should let each state develop it. For instance, Lagos may probably be able to pay N50,000 a month, some other states may be able to pay something different. The timeliness and how they do it should be determined by each of the state.
But when it comes from the centre and you are not trying to standardize it, there will be a problem. If each state had evolved it, it would have been better; some others would have been getting ready to implement it in its own way but because you have one uniform standard.
And what is your feeling about the contentious revenue sharing formula?
Who is the Federal Government governing and why should it have the largest share of the revenue?
All the people are in the state and they have state government administrations. Even in Abuja, it is under the Federal Capital Territory. So, who are the people that the Federal Government is governing?
Why would the Federal Government say it wants to build schools in Kwara State, for instance on a land that does not belong to the Federal Government?
So, you want to build on school on my land?
You do not know what my immediate needs are; you do not know how many children I have and you even do not know the number of schools that I already have. So, these are the imbalances that have to be corrected and these are the things that make the issues of revenue allocation and minimum wage very controversial.
How will you assess the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan so far?
It is difficult to assess the current administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. For me, the administration is still young but if the choice of the names of ministerial nominees being bandied about is anything to go by, I am not hopeful at all.
Some people feel that the Electoral Law has changed and that the court cannot declare a petitioner winner and that what the court can do, at best, is to order a re-run. What is your view on this?
First, let me correct the notion about Electoral Law. Electoral Law has not changed in that regard. The only difference now is that if you did not contest an election, like the Rotimi Amaechi’s case, the court cannot declare you the holder of that office.
That is the only change. There is no change in the fact that petitioner comes and says, ‘I have the highest votes, therefore declare me winner.’ That has not changed.
I have heard people say that the law has changed and that the court can no longer declare somebody winner, and that what the court can do is to declare a re-run. That is not correct.
“A situation where you are fighting election petition for three and half years, is totally undesirable. Therefore, any process that will make the process quicker, so that the will of the people or the matter to who the people actually voted for can be determined on time is the ideal situation.
But at the same time, you’ve got to know that the court cannot compromise the fundamentals of fair hearing on the matter of giving the parties the opportunities to be able to present their cases.
Governorship petition, for instance, where you are covering an entire state, requires more time for one to be able to put the necessary things together and compile the evidence.
It is not the same as challenging a House of Assembly election. So, while we do not want the process to drag for too long, at the same time, it should not be too short so that the parties can present their matters. I think that at the moment, the Electoral Act has taken some measures in the sense that the petition before the tribunal must be concluded within 180 days.
That is good, then with an appeal in 60 days. That shows that a three-and-half-year situation is unlikely to happen.
Some Southwest senators, after a meeting, came up with a position that the constitution of Nigeria is actually unitary in nature and that it needs some changes? What do you think about that?
To be honest, I have been out; so, I was not aware of this resolution. But we need a constitution for the people. The constitution we have is a military constitution. When at the opening paragraph, it says we the people of Nigeria, it is not a fact because the military never consulted anyone.
They just handed the constitution over to people. It is not a people’s constitution. We need a constitution of the people.
The way we go into that is something that we all must determine. I do not the specific content of what the South-West legislators are saying. So, I cannot agree or disagree with their position. We need people’s constitution.
How would you describe politics in Nigeria?
Politics in Nigeria is still developing. We have a lot to learn. But we have moved in leaps and bounds from the stormy old days of wetie and the days whereby after a political gathering, you had to make sure that you dodged through a bush to escape because way down the road, they were waiting for you with machetes, clubs and some other dangerous weapons. We have moved on. But, we have not quite got to the point whereby it is seen as genuine discourse.
We need to move to the point where we are seeing it in terms of ideology and engaging the people with ideas on how best to improve their lives. Politics in Nigeria is evolving and growing but there is a lot more to be put into it in the interest of the people.
How will you describe Nigeria’s founding fathers and our modern-day society?
Nigeria had founding fathers with good visions but unfortunately, the next stage could not carry on with that vision. We had founding fathers like Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sarduna of Sokoto and Ahmadu Bello. When you look at these people, you will see genuine desire to serve.
Those were not people, no matter the criticisms you may have against them, that one will say were really there for themselves. Those remain role models.
Some people hold the view that the governor of Osun State is yet to have commissioners to run the government, hence that is not good. What is your view?
Look at what he has been able to achieve since he took over. He has surpassed his predecessor who was there for about seven years. If you go to Oshogbo, there is a new feeling now that things are about to happen in the state.
That is what people want. I remember a few years ago when Lagos had some good changes, people started feeling that Lagos had become a land of opportunities.
There is the same feeling in Osun State. The governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has made giant steps. The issue of running with commissioners, I am sure, very soon, that will happen. I do not believe that the governor wants to continue running like this for the rest of his administration.
But does the constitution support staying so long before having commissioners?
The Constitution did not give time-frame when a governor must appoint commissioners. The governor has not said he is not going to appoint commissioners.
He knows what he is doing, all in the interest of the people.
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