Alhaji Tanko Yakassai has been in politics since the first republic as a member of the radical Northern Elements Progressives Union. In the runup to the last election, the elder statesman set up the Northern Elders Council and swam against the tide of the mainstream politics of the North, by supporting then President Goodluck Jonathan. In this interview at his ‘Yankaba residence in Kano, the 89 year old politician explains to IBRAHEEM MUSA why he did not campaign for Muhammadu Buhari
Last week, you were asked to assess the All Peoples Congress-led federal government but you declined. You argued that one month was too early to do so. But what is your interim assessment of the administration so far?
I served in government for a total of 12 years; at the state level for eight years and at the federal level for four years. And I realise that government is not something that you just come in and start unfolding things. You need to understand it. If you leave government and come back after five years, you are almost a fresh person. So, you need to study various situations. I said that, I think it’s not fair to asses a government within a period of 30 days.
But I made a point, that personally, if I were the one elected to that position, at least by now, I would have appointed my Secretary to the Government, my Chief of Staff, my Principal Secretary and their supporting staff. This is because a President cannot operate on his own; he has to have those basic and necessary staff that will assist in carrying out directives. If I have any other comment, it’s only in respect of the fact that the President has not, as yet, appointed those key officers who will definitely assist in the administration’s efforts to take off. Without them, the President can’t be writing letters himself. This was the comment that I made and I still stand by it.

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Man watch your tongue.