‘Why NIPSS graduates are called Kuru mafia’

Culled from The Nation Newsonline sunday January 6,2008

What informed the establishment of NIPSS?

The Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) was established at the tail end of General Obasanjo’s tenure of office as Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in September 1979. Our understanding at that time was that the man knew he was going to hand over to President Shehu Shagari. And government had a feeling that the ensuing government may not have the type of skilled manpower to run the administration as its greatest competitor, which the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was already assembling. So, some people said one of the reasons the military government or Obasanjo at that time decided to establish the NIPSS was to get first rate public servants and other professionals in the public service of the country like the Army, the Navy, the Air force, the Police Force and a few slots were allocated to the organised private sector (OPS) like labour then three or four statutory corporations that were not purely civil service establishments like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), NEPA, NNPC and the NPA. So we were told brilliant young men who might likely make it to the peak of their respective careers to be sent to or assembled at the coolest and quietest part of the country for a period of six to nine months to consider what were the challenges facing Nigeria, what were the problems confronting the country and what solutions could be proffered for them? These were the criteria for establishing the Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, at Kuru, near Jos.

Composition of the first set at NIPSS

These people (first set) 40 of them went there and for the next six to nine months brainstormed and ruminated on pressing national issues. They got the Head of the Education Corps of the Army, at that time, Major-General Ogundeko, to be the Director-General and a very versatile intellectual, Professor Olusanya, as Director of Studies. They got them (seasoned instructors) and assembled us. 12 came from the Army, they were all colonels at that time and during the course they got promoted to the rank of Brigadiers among them was former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, David Jemibewon, Mamman Vatsa; then two from the Navy, including Admiral Olumide. I think he was captain or commodore at the time he came, we had two from the police force – Prince Eweka from Benin, the other police officer, Alhaji Dan Madami, was my predecessor as President of Kuru alumni association, he also became the Chairman of First Bank. On the whole, we had 18 participants from the Armed Forces; we had nine from the Federal Public Service; and four of us from the statutory corporations. I remember Amu represented the NNPC, I was sponsored by the CBN, and two other gentlemen represented the Nigerian Ports Authority and NEPA respectively. So, we had 40 of us and it was most interesting. And there were invited guest lecturers, like Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, who came to discuss with us about the Army beat: problems within the Army and we brainstormed on the way forward. There was Prof. Olikoye Ransome Kuti, who later became Minister of Health. He gave a most illuminating lecture on how the country could tackle the health hazards without going into huge expenses by getting trained doctors to be itinerant doctors going to villages and remote parts of the country on market days. And he identified three diseases that were ready dangerous for the country that could sap the energy of the country and yet could be solved with little tablets and a few injections namely, malaria, measles and water-borne diseases. These were the practical things we learnt. Then we were divided into four groups in a 10 per syndicate and we had our areas of coverage, talking of geographical coverage. Each of us went to different parts of the country, probably not particularly your own state of origin, the West African tour, the African tour and then the World tour. We visited two countries each. In my own group, I was in syndicate one throughout. And we visited Algeria and Morocco for the African tour and Brazil and Britain for the World tour. So the whole purpose was to find the problems facing the country and how to proffer solution. By every standard, it is a very laudable initiative and we have carried it on over the years.

Quality of standard in NIPSS today compared to the past

I suppose the NIPSS is still doing the same now but as you would agree with me, there has been decadence in all spheres of life in this country, comparing standards as of now with the past, even in the university. So, what befell the universities could have befallen NIPSS itself. And that’s inadequate funds or whatever you might find in a standard school are not there today as they were years before. The quality of people who went to Kuru at that time might not be the same quality as of now. There is no need pointing accusing fingers against any particular person; it is a general malady in the country that standards have fallen because up to the time I was president of the alumni association in 1988 and had only one term of two years between 1988-90, that time was the peak of activities of the alumni association in collaboration with the institute itself so much so that Gen. Haruna jocularly called our initials mni, the acronym for Member of the National Institute, to Mafia Nigeria Incorporated, because they thought we were very influential. In fact, one of our members and my own classmate, IBB, was the president of the country; Ibrahim Gambo was Inspector General of Police. In fact, mni fellows headed almost all the key positions at the time. So the alumni was very influential and powerful, that’s why we were nicknamed mafias but we were never a mafia as a matter of fact but we made useful contributions to government so much so that I remember one of the occasions I led the team to Gen. Babangida, he implored us to be coming more frequently than once a year. We used to do our own research on topical issues either on how to solve the problems of power generation, distribution, education, foreign policy, domestic policy, transportation, road network, and any topic whatsoever. The library at Kuru, though it got burnt at a certain time and has since been rebuilt is one of the resource centres of this country.

There is a lot of accumulated information in that place that can be used to put things right. It is not the lack of information or lack of knowledge but lack of the political will at setting our priorities right that is the problem of this country.

Collaboration with the alumni association

We do have invitations for meeting still but it depends on the leadership of the alumni association. For example, last year about May/June, I attended the opening ceremony of the secretariat of the alumni association at Abuja. We do have two meetings, almost statutory every year. First meeting is held first Saturday of every March, we have alumni association get-together and at the time of ushering in new sets of our entrance into the institution or the alumni association. And the graduation time is always second or third Saturday in November and is always performed by the Head of State or President of the country. So, those are two occasions that wed use to attend without fail. Then there are other adhoc meetings in-between. For example, if the President of the alumni association has an appointment to visit the president, he could invite us. But all that has been down played; it is no longer regular as when I was president. I remember when Prince Adelusi Adeluyi was president of the alumni; he had occasional discussion, presentation of policy papers to the Head of State. But in the past three, four years now, I have not heard much of that. These were things that we used to do that gave us limelight because we addressed issues of public concern and interest like those that I have mentioned namely education, power generation, transportation, foreign policy and so on in collaboration with the staff of the institute and the research library there.

Mni as a military stereotype

The foundation members in 1979-80 course one were 40; I belonged to senior executive, Course one. At that time, 12 became Brigadiers before we finished the course. Also two from the Navy, two from the Air force and two from the Police force. So 18 out of 40, how would people not say it is a sort of militarised organisation. That’s what gave that impression but it was never an arm of the Army or the Navy or the Air force. It was never a military establishment.

What’s your view on the raging controversy on whether Nuhu Ribadu should proceed on the NIPSS course?

To be candid, let me say this emphatically that I’m for the fight against corruption. I’m in support of the fight against corruption and whatever Ribadu is doing is most welcomed to me. But let Nigerians not have the impression that only Ribadu can fight corruption. In fact, it takes all of us to fight corruption. So, if he is asked to go for a course at Kuru, I think it’s good for him knowing what Kuru is. And I suppose eventually, it will be good for the country. But there might be motives in terms of the timing. Why at this time when the fight against corruption is at a crescendo, people are really hammering more on it?. Why is it now that you want him to go? That’s a different question. I’m not addressing that question at all as to timing. But I know as an alumnus of Kuru that it is most beneficial for anyone to have the opportunity to attend the training course at Kuru because it makes you know your country better. The whole country is x-rayed before you, you are able to see Nigeria in her nudity and you cannot but love Nigeria when you see the potentials that we have and then you see lamentably our problems and then we all brainstorm and we find that these are not insurmountable problems. It’s only the human elements that are our headache. Even Mike Okiro, now IG is an alumnus of Kuru, so he must know what is good for his men.

Criteria for graduation

To get the mni accolade, you must have gone through the prescribed programme of producing a paper on the public policy of the country. I took the number one subject on the list at the time we did our first course, which was on security and safety in the country, that’s what I wrote upon. Every person who graduates out of Kuru must produce a policy paper. The course that produced eminent Nigerians too apart from our own was the third and fourth courses, where we had the likes Generals Tunde Idiagbon, Sani Abacha, Zamani Lekwot, Ike Nwachukwu, Tunde Ogeha, Rear Admirals Augustus Aikhomu who later become chief of General staff under IBB, Mike Akhigbe and a host of others like Ambassador Segun Olusola, were among the prominent people who took the course at Kuru.

Fond memories at Kuru

I remember vividly that during our course at Kuru somebody like IBB proved to be a very fine gentleman, very pleasant, very friendly amiable person, soft-spoken and intellectually sound.

Strength of the foundation members

Some of them like Mamma Vatsa, Brig-Gen. Umar Muhammed, Show Sylva, a medical doctor, he too died. He was in our course. I think Modibbo who represented the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) at that time also died. I’m not sure we are still up to 36 still alive today. Not many of us used to turn up at meetings. But as a past president and by my own nature, I identify myself with whatever I believe in. I believe the course is one of the best things that can happen to any person in his career. That’s the way I take it. Going to know is one of the best things that happened to me because NIPSS is the highest institute of leadership training in this country, you can quote me on that. It is regarded as the highest institute of leadership training. In my CV, that’s the way I wrote it. I feel proud to be a foundation member and everywhere you see me, you will also see the broach on my chest. I don’t go out without wearing the insignia of the institute. I believe in it. Like we used to say those who pass through Kuru and Kuru passes through them have the best of the two worlds because it transforms you, it makes you more patriotic, you will see the great thing the Good Lord Has done for Nigeria.

It’s almost 30 years since Kuru came as an experiment. I also remember that in the early years of the course it was dominated by the male folk. For instance, in my set, which was the first intake, we were all men. But over the years, there have been a balance of gender. So many prominent women have also attended this course including, Mrs Francisca Emmanuel, Mrs Agbeke Taire, one-time permanent secretary in Lagos who later became a commissioner in the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and so many others. So, really, Kuru is an opportunity of a lifetime for anybody who is fortunate enough to attend the course.

Comment:
If our past leaders and alumni of NIPSS were so well trained, why then did they on ascending the throne throw knowledge to the winds and became wantom thieves and gluttons

If our past leaders and alumni of NIPSS were so well trained, why then did they on ascending the throne throw knowledge to the winds and became wantom thieves and gluttons

it is easy: they were already corrupt so nothing can change that.

Thank you for the info about NIPPS kuru,Jos

I think most people agrees that it is a good training and in any event one of the mandatory for senior civil servants to learn about leadership.

Before AGF/IGP with acquiesce of the office of the Presidency most people have not hear of NIPPS or its relevant.

Again, it is not the relevant that well meaning Nigerians are about but about the timing of asking RIBADU to go when all the big boys are needed to come and see him or they are about to be arrested. Don't forget that between the AGF and IGP they have tried two stunt to get rid of RIBADU or the power of EFCC, so the suspicion is rightly so.

For me personally, NIPP Course for RIBADU is d decoy, before they were going to be sending both him and LAMORDE and now because of the cry everywhere they have left LAMORDE to continue.

If they, AGF, IGP or the Presidency have anything incompent or dubious on RIBADU it will be in THIS DAY by now on 2 full pages on why he must go.

Whoever knows Yar A'dull very well should tell him that 3 people he needs to get rid of are the AGF, Secretary to the FGN, and IGP, within the next 12 months of so they would disagrace him. especially the defence counsel for IBORI who didn't know now that he is now the AGF and Mnister for Justice.

And he the AGF also need to explain how an AGF will be writing a reference for an ex-governor whom he knew he is under serious investigation and whom he has acted for in the recent past as defence attorney. pure conflict of interest.