Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), in this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, speaks on the insecurity challenges in the country, former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter, and what the Federal Government and state governors can do in making the country secure. Excerpts:

What is your take on the current letter written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Muhammadu Buhari on the insecurity in the country?

As far as I’m concerned, Obasanjo’s main motive is publicity, the capacity to embarrass the President, and for adulation. He sustains a mentality of being superintendent-general of Nigeria and not accepting that he is no longer in power. It’s all part of it. What he said could have easily been communicated by phone; the letter could have been delivered privately. I find writing it to the whole country immature and childish. He made a serious point, and then spoilt it by the way he presented it. If he had said it quietly to the President, it would have been acceptable. Is he not embarrassed that he’s the only former president doing it? Gowon and Abubakar are there, just to mention two. Even Jonathan, who was defeated by Buhari, is there. It’s too childish and immature. It takes away from the quality and the strength of the message he’s trying to deliver.

Don’t you think the President should add more vigour to the war against insecurity?

Is the President not already doing that? Can he be the President and not be concerned? Already, the Vice President has spoken of steps being taken – that the roads are going to be heavily monitored by the Police and soldiers.

I don’t disagree too much with Obasanjo on substance. It is his style that I disagree with, as well as the so-called conference of ethnic stakeholders. I don’t see its relevance. We’ve held so many other conferences out of which nothing came except mutual abuse and insults. I think what the President should do is to sustain a very vigorous onslaught and not rest until the bandits and insurgents are rooted out and Nigeria is made safe again. He is already doing it and he must sustain it so that we can be free of this menace to our freedom and peace of mind.

Some Nigerians are calling for the Federal Government to implement the reports of the 2014 national conference especially the aspects that deal with the security of the country especially relationship between herdsmen and farmers. Do you think President Buhari should consider that?

To confess the truth, I have not read the report of that 2014 national conference convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan. I have asked for it to be given to me several times but nobody has let me see the content. So, I don’t know what the security contents are but I have no doubt in my mind that we really need to beef up security in this country now because the level and frequency of kidnapping, banditry and almost terrorist attacks in some villages have increased. The attackers carry out their acts with impunity as if they are challenging the federal government to do its worst. I really think we need to be more mobilised than we were before. Let everybody in the armed forces and associated bodies including the Civil Defence corps should join hands together so that we can get rid of this ugly incident.

We should also recruit because I don’t think we have enough security personnel manning this country now. We should recruit massively. In addition to that, it is my belief that the state governors are not doing enough. They are too fully dependent on the federal government. These people are earning colossal security votes every month. They should use it to equip private security personnel and youth who will be trained to complement the existing security forces in the country. We really need a lot of people. Right now, Lagos State has this Neighbourhood Corps, I think we need more of that in other parts of the country. They should all be armed and let them comb all the forests, patrol the roads so that every five minutes, a security vehicle is passing. We must do everything possible to destroy these bandits before they destroy this country. I agree that there is need for very intensive and increased security activity to smash these bandits because they are threatening the very existence of this country. People cannot travel by road anymore and that means one cannot go anywhere because how many people can afford to travel by air? How many towns have airports? So, we are not going to allow these bandits bring the country to a standstill. We are not going to allow them. So, I agree with all those who are complaining that something needs to be done. They are very right but let them have the correct political motivation and not do it on ethnic, political, religious or hate basis. There are those who are secretly rejoicing at what is happening so that they can heap blames on the federal government. All that has to stop and we must all work together to eliminate these threats to our existence.

Will you support another conference on insecurity where these issues can be addressed?

No I am not in support for a national conference on insecurity. It will just be a chaotic and anarchic type of conference where people will be speaking with a thousand different tongues and be insulting each other, bringing sentiments and ethnicity and religion issues into it. I think we should leave the government to handle it. They know the extent of the problem. They have been elected to solve the problems for us. Let us give them a chance.

There are also calls for the replacement of Service Chiefs?

That is an idea that if you have new faces, there will be new ideas. I think that is one reason why they have specific periods they can serve. Although that is not guaranteed, it is a general belief. Intact, I think the federal government is more proactive now. This kind of thing before it escalates; it will have a certain level of energy or resources you put against it. But suddenly it has exploded in the last three weeks and I understand that it is being met with the full force of the federal government now. I think the federal government is responding.
https://www.independent.ng/governors-not-doing-enough-to-address-insecurity-challenges-sagay/

Sa gay

nairavsdollars:
Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), in this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, speaks on the insecurity challenges in the country, former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter, and what the Federal Government and state governors can do in making the country secure. Excerpts:

What is your take on the current letter written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Muhammadu Buhari on the insecurity in the country?

As far as I’m concerned, Obasanjo’s main motive is publicity, the capacity to embarrass the President, and for adulation. He sustains a mentality of being superintendent-general of Nigeria and not accepting that he is no longer in power. It’s all part of it. What he said could have easily been communicated by phone; the letter could have been delivered privately. I find writing it to the whole country immature and childish. He made a serious point, and then spoilt it by the way he presented it. If he had said it quietly to the President, it would have been acceptable. Is he not embarrassed that he’s the only former president doing it? Gowon and Abubakar are there, just to mention two. Even Jonathan, who was defeated by Buhari, is there. It’s too childish and immature. It takes away from the quality and the strength of the message he’s trying to deliver.

Don’t you think the President should add more vigour to the war against insecurity?

Is the President not already doing that? Can he be the President and not be concerned? Already, the Vice President has spoken of steps being taken – that the roads are going to be heavily monitored by the Police and soldiers.

I don’t disagree too much with Obasanjo on substance. It is his style that I disagree with, as well as the so-called conference of ethnic stakeholders. I don’t see its relevance. We’ve held so many other conferences out of which nothing came except mutual abuse and insults. I think what the President should do is to sustain a very vigorous onslaught and not rest until the bandits and insurgents are rooted out and Nigeria is made safe again. He is already doing it and he must sustain it so that we can be free of this menace to our freedom and peace of mind.

Some Nigerians are calling for the Federal Government to implement the reports of the 2014 national conference especially the aspects that deal with the security of the country especially relationship between herdsmen and farmers. Do you think President Buhari should consider that?

To confess the truth, I have not read the report of that 2014 national conference convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan. I have asked for it to be given to me several times but nobody has let me see the content. So, I don’t know what the security contents are but I have no doubt in my mind that we really need to beef up security in this country now because the level and frequency of kidnapping, banditry and almost terrorist attacks in some villages have increased. The attackers carry out their acts with impunity as if they are challenging the federal government to do its worst. I really think we need to be more mobilised than we were before. Let everybody in the armed forces and associated bodies including the Civil Defence corps should join hands together so that we can get rid of this ugly incident.

We should also recruit because I don’t think we have enough security personnel manning this country now. We should recruit massively. In addition to that, it is my belief that the state governors are not doing enough. They are too fully dependent on the federal government. These people are earning colossal security votes every month. They should use it to equip private security personnel and youth who will be trained to complement the existing security forces in the country. We really need a lot of people. Right now, Lagos State has this Neighbourhood Corps, I think we need more of that in other parts of the country. They should all be armed and let them comb all the forests, patrol the roads so that every five minutes, a security vehicle is passing. We must do everything possible to destroy these bandits before they destroy this country. I agree that there is need for very intensive and increased security activity to smash these bandits because they are threatening the very existence of this country. People cannot travel by road anymore and that means one cannot go anywhere because how many people can afford to travel by air? How many towns have airports? So, we are not going to allow these bandits bring the country to a standstill. We are not going to allow them. So, I agree with all those who are complaining that something needs to be done. They are very right but let them have the correct political motivation and not do it on ethnic, political, religious or hate basis. There are those who are secretly rejoicing at what is happening so that they can heap blames on the federal government. All that has to stop and we must all work together to eliminate these threats to our existence.

Will you support another conference on insecurity where these issues can be addressed?

No I am not in support for a national conference on insecurity. It will just be a chaotic and anarchic type of conference where people will be speaking with a thousand different tongues and be insulting each other, bringing sentiments and ethnicity and religion issues into it. I think we should leave the government to handle it. They know the extent of the problem. They have been elected to solve the problems for us. Let us give them a chance.

There are also calls for the replacement of Service Chiefs?

That is an idea that if you have new faces, there will be new ideas. I think that is one reason why they have specific periods they can serve. Although that is not guaranteed, it is a general belief. Intact, I think the federal government is more proactive now. This kind of thing before it escalates; it will have a certain level of energy or resources you put against it. But suddenly it has exploded in the last three weeks and I understand that it is being met with the full force of the federal government now. I think the federal government is responding.
https://www.independent.ng/governors-not-doing-enough-to-address-insecurity-challenges-sagay/

What do you expect a governor to do when he has a police commissioner who is answerable to Abuja?

Restructure this shit*ole and introduce state police with commissioners who won't disobey governors because Abuja has not asked them to move.

Fools will see the systemic and beraucratic problems facing the country but won't be able to speak lest the Fulani fiefs be offended.

This sagay can blame anybody except buhari his pay master! You wil become clueless and stupid when you have a clueless and foolish master to defend.

Anybody that tries to blame our powerless governors for insecurity is wicked ? Give them state police and see if they don't protect the people .. As long as Buhari is 100 % incharge of every single security personnel in this country the buck stops at his desk !!!!!

Little wonder Magu said the governors usually cause crisis so that they can get more security votes

To think I grew up reading and hearing the name itse sagay as an erudite legal professor but see what APC has done to him. Living essentially to defend a dullard of highest order in power.

It's a shame.