Nigerians Pleading With APC To Take Them Back To Pre-2015 Period —Shagari, Ex-Minister

Alhaji Mukhtar Shagari (CFR), son of the late Second Republic President Shehu Shagari and former Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, speaks with KUNLE ODEREMI about the wave of insecurity sweeping the country, the rotational presidency, and how President Muhammadu Buhari can best etch his name in history.

In terms of banditry and other violent crimes, Sokoto State has been relatively peaceful. What do you think has been going on in the last few months that there have been killings almost every week?

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If I must be completely honest with ourselves, you recall that in the run-up to the 2015 elections, say around 2014 or so, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party that formed government at the centre, and of course their presidential and gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates, and others all promised Nigerians that the insecurity you were experiencing at the time, mostly in the northeastern part of the country and around Kano S, would be alleviated. That is the government and the party. The federal government is constitutionally responsible for the security of Nigerians’ lives and property. So, as you asked, I must say that I’m not sure what went wrong. I’m also curious as to what went wrong because, until recently, Sokoto State had been the most peaceful state in the country, with everyone content to live there. Things are no longer the same, unfortunately. In fact, I am aware that the governor of Sokoto State, Right Honourable Waziri Tambuwal, has been doing his best to provide security agencies in the state with logistics, including vehicles, as well as deploying people to areas where banditry is occurring. However, because he lacks control over the state’s army, police, and security apparatus, his best efforts will not automatically put an end to the problem. In reality, he does not have complete control over all security agencies. They’re all under the control of the federal government. However, we should not focus on pointing fingers at this time; instead, we should focus on concerted efforts by the federal, state, and local governments, as well as security agencies, traditional institutions, and the people themselves, to combat this threat that is slowly engulfing the entire country. It is past time for the federal government and the APC to make good on their promises to the people of this country, particularly on the issue of security, which is causing widespread concern.

A governor is the state’s chief security officer. Beyond your explanation, why does he have to be hampered in dealing with such serious issues and overcoming some of the obstacles?

As I previously stated, the governor has consistently done his best with the limited resources available to the Sokoto government. He has always worked cooperatively with the state’s security agencies. The federal government, not the states, has complete control over the security apparatus, including the army, police, DSS, civil defence, customs, and the air force, according to the Constitution. The state government is simply supporting whatever efforts are made. They made a promise, and now it is up to them to keep it. Nigeria needs to be safe. People must be able to move freely and safely throughout the country, which is currently not possible.

Some governors have advocated for citizen self-defense to combat the threat of bandits and other criminal elements, as these activities affect virtually all political zones. Do you agree that self-defense is the best option?

If I may ask, who said people should use self-defense, the governors of the PDP or the APC, or all governors across the country?