Elder Anthony Sani, Secretary-General of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), in this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, speaks on latest issues in the polity such as border closure, Social Media Bill, agitations over 2023 presidency and other issues. Excerpts:

What is your take on the border closure by the federal government?

If the border closure by the federal government is to enable the government find permanent solution, not only to smuggling but to infiltration of foreigners that pose some security challenges, then there is no qualm.


Nigerians must note the fact that there is no way there can be order, justice, liberty, common decency and prosperity for all without hard work and sacrifices not only by leaders but by the governed as well.

And since the closure of the borders are temporary, one would appeal to Nigerians to exercise some more patience and contain the concomitant inconveniences by cooperating with the government, while government should make haste and complete the reorganisation and open the borders as soon as possible.

Do you think the Federal Government should listen to the plea of those asking that the border be reopened?

The government has the responsibility of listening to the citizens at all times with a view to making informed judgements in arriving on decisions about policies and programmes of government. That is why I appeal to Nigerians to be mindful of, and support the government’s efforts to control the influx of foreigners that have been posing security challenges to the nation, and also to control smuggling that stymie the productivity of local industries. Supports of the citizens to government in this regard is sine qua non. That is also the reasons why I call on the government to make haste and make desired results come to pass as soon as it is possible.

What is your take on the Social Media bill which has been generating mixed reactions from Nigerians?
My take on the Social Media bill has been that there can be no cavil with the significance of a bill that seeks to regulate the practice of social media, especially when regard is paid to the fact that no occupation can progress in the interest of larger society without any form of regulation. More so, that Social Media is now beset with fake news and hate speeches which detract from the credibility of social media that are platforms for regular persons to talk to power. Fake news and hate speech also endanger national security and corporate existence of the country.

The aspect of the bill that is disagreeable to most Nigerians is the provision for capital punishment for hate speech. But I hear that aspect has been expunged from the bill. That is a good omen that the NASS has sympathetic ears.

Do you think Nigeria should continue with bicameral legislature based on our economic situation?
While bicameral structure may be costly, it is important to note that unbridled high cost of governance has nothing to do with the system but attitudes of our politicians who see politics as avenue to get rich quick.

Consider the presidential system has been working well in America which constitution is just a few pages and which has about 25 cabinet ministers. Britain practices the parliamentary system with unwritten constitution and with only about 17 cabinet ministers or also, while France practices a combination of presidential and parliamentary systems with about 15 cabinet ministers.

In America, the Vice President is the Senate President in contradistinction with what happens in Nigeria.

In Nigeria, we have a book called the constitution that is observed more in the breach. We also have a crowd called government.

I have read reports that Nigeria has one of the highest pay packages to its public officers in the world. If that is anything to go by, then the challenge of high cost of governance goes beyond the system but is due to the attitudes of our politicians that come with unbridled cupidity.

Why do you think it has been difficult for Igbos to produce Nigeria’s President since return of democracy in 1999?

Igbos are not the only ethnic extraction that has not produced president of Nigeria since 1999. Nigeria has about 371 ethnic extractions who have qualified people to be president but most of them are yet to do so.

With special reference to the Igbos, I would say it is their inability to develop a winning game plan in a multiparty democracy. Most Igbos are preoccupied with making money with their faith in limitless fungibility of money. I recall Arthur Nzeribe once said, if money made presidents, there would be no president Obasanjo.I can say the same thing of president Buhari both of whom were sandal wearing Generals before becoming president.

Multiparty democracy provides for breaking of barriers and building of bridges across sections of the country. What is more, the constitution provides that both popular votes and spread must intersect for anybody to be president.

It is for Igbos to come together and develop their winning game plans in a multiparty democracy instead of playing victim with jeremiads and being bellicose and percussive. This is because democracy is not a bullfight but a contest of ideas and reasons.

Do you think it is morally right for the North to talk of presenting a candidate for the 2023 presidential election?

I find it difficult to make out why the media is helping in promotion of politics of 2023 when the new government is just about six months old.To do so is to play down on the significance of performance in favour of politics of identity in our multiparty democracy. I think this is not right.

But what is immoral in anybody or region vying for president in a multiparty democracy where there is no national consensus that is binding on political parties on rotation or zoning of the position of president?

You would recall General Buhari from the North contested against President Obasanjo from the South in 2003.President Jonathan from the South contested against a Northerner in both 2011 and 2015.In 2019, there were more presidential candidates from the South than from the North.

If there were a national consensus on rotation and zoning that is binding on political parties, such scenarios would not play out.

How will you assess President Muhammadu Buhari’s government in the area of respect for rule of law?

President Buhari is a product of multiparty democracy that thrives on rule of law. I am not a lawyer to know the areas where the president has breached the law. I say so because if the president has not respected the laws in some areas, I believe there are enough provisions that deal with any such infractions.

That majority of Nigerians still re-elected President Buhari for second tenure suggest most Nigerians consider him as the best at this point in time of our practice of multiparty democracy.

Some Nigerians have expressed the fear that Nigeria may be heading for a one party state given the way the ruling party won the Kogi and Bayelsa elections. Do you agree?

The victories of the ruling party in Kogi and Bayelsa states are not enough testaments to the notion that Nigeria is heading for one political party. I say so because PDP’s victories before 2015 were far more than what obtains now. As a result, the party started talking of ruling for 60 years. It was such trends that nudged some Nigerians to start talking of single tenure out of fear that power of incumbency would not allow the opposition to prevail.

But elections in 2015 changed all that because the opposition party of APC unseated a sitting president. So, those who think the elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states are trends towards one party state are those bereaved of sense of history.

Do you think INEC has improved on the success recorded in the 2015 elections or reversed the gains?

Going by what happened in Bayelsa and Kogi states which recent elections were characterised by violence; one may say INEC has not improved in the two states. But the performance of INEC in 2019 general elections suggests there were remarkable improvement over those of 2015 elections.
https://www.independent.ng/nigerians-re-elected-buhari-because-they-consider-him-the-best-sani/

Which Nigerians is this man talking about? 2019 election that was rigged? Even Buhari himself knows that he is a total failure & catastrophe.

Even his diehard zombies on NL are now ashame of him.This Anthony Sanni & Junaid Mohammed have been talking rubbish in recent times.

Oga bubu no get our time

They will always get a minority to vomit rubbish

Ok

northerners are minority?

aolawale025:
They will always get a minority to vomit rubbish

BLACK PEOPLE ARE BECOMING JOKERS MORE AND MORE, IN FACT, MORE AND MORE LIKE NIGGERS