By SEGUN AJAYI, OLA AGBAJE and UCHE USIM
Monday, November 21, 2011
• Sarah Jubri

[b]Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Ethics and Values, Mrs Sarah Jubril, has become a recurring decimal in national politics.
In this interview with REMI ADEFULU, the presidential aide laments the insecurity in the country, especially the activities of the Boko Haram sect which is peopled by northern youths.

She opined that most worrisome about the development is the deafening silence of northern elders, Generals and professionals, who have somewhat kept mute on the development, despite coming from a zone that ruled the country for over 30 years.
Jubril also speaks on her political experience, fighting spirit, contesting against ex-President Obasanjo, women politicians and sexual harassment, and more. Excerpts:

Political experience
I remain dissatisfied with the quality and content of politics in Nigeria, that is why I remain persistent in the pursuit of the best standards as approved not only by us, by heaven for humanity and for creation. I have not had a fair hearing, in view of what Nigeria signed for at the UN, Commonwealth, AU, ECOWAS and Nigeria about women in politics, but if we honour our signatures, we would consider the women, not only me alone. Maintaining this quality to other people whom I may call the saboteurs or the killers of the democratic honour of Nigeria, who seem to see us as threats. Rather, I thought those women who are from Nigeria would have seen some of us, who dare to go into politics and even to contest, as asset and instruments to be used to put Nigeria right, and make her honour her signatures. Since 1975 when Nigeria was in Mexico World Women Conference, in Arusha 1985, Beijing 1995 and 2005, it shows that indeed we can raise women who can go into politics. The moment a woman wants to go into politics, she becomes an enemy to women around her and other people who don’t seem to know where Nigeria is heading.

Fighting spirit
That’s exactly what I have just told you. Its not because I schooled abroad or because I travel around, because I got married to my dear late husband, late Gen. Jubril, its the combination of a lot of references, my parents, the kind of schools I went to, my teachers, the books, objective admirers etc. These are the ideals that people have held on to and have proved worthy for the good of humanity. No matter how much the ill-informed people struggle to subdue and submerge the truth, even happen, and there is a trying that when good people keep quiet. That’s when you leave field for the evil ones, so let the good ones sort of emerge, multiply to subdue the evil that seems to be threatening our development. It’s just the logical thing to do.

Tackling OBJ
Why should vying against Baba Obasanjo be my toughest? As far as I am concerned, my life was created by God, kept protected by God and whatever I am doing in politics, is directed and will be manifested with help of my Creator who knows the details of why he created me. My future does not depend on any individual, even my parents, though they are the source of bringing me to the world, but they don’t know why God brought me. They too are discovering and waiting to see what God brought me for. So, why would I have to create any opposition to anybody. If anybody wants to be in opposition to me, they do that at their own peril, against the purpose of God in my life.

Why would Chief Obasanjo want to oppose me? What have I done wrong to him? Would he not want to support women with high integrity to represent the eminence which he represented as a former Head of State? So why would I be controversial and a threat to any citizen? Well, he has his own agenda, I have my own agenda. My own agenda is on the altar of Almighty God, and as far as I am concerned, I am playing my role as a mother who loves enough, cares enough and is going to fight on the side of God enough for this country, As an elder statesman, at least at the age of almost over 65, what else am I supposed to do? As a Christian, I am doing my job, and God is happy with me. I am so sorry if anybody feels offended by me, they have their own case to sort out. Any opposition mounted against me as far as I am concerned will not work in my life. No opposition fashioned against me will prosper.

Excruciating government policies
All these are challenges we must admit. People sound cynical, they sound discouraged, because they’ve been trusting and trusting the government, but one thing I want them to know, in the midst of all these cynicism, skepticism, the courage of Mr President to appoint me to be in charge of ethics and values, shows that there is possibility of someone that can weather the situation.

My appointment by the president is for me to raise more people that believe in Nigeria. Since my appointment, a lot of people have brought proposals from in and outside the country on how they want to work with us. That is my assignment. It is not this president that created the chronic problems about the fuel situation in Nigeria, right. The good things that happened in the past, it is possible to revisit it. It is only ethical and logical for Mr President to utilise the idea and God will help him to put people that would implement the funds that will be coming. I believe that political will with ethical will will also inform that Economic Committee will also put a structure on the ground so that people are now going to see.

My programme of community transformation centres is to bring governemnt to the people. Therefore, even the excess funds can be ploughed into the community development programme we are coming up with. It is only ethical for the president to use the strategies he has put in place through my advisory capacity and we are running that as an NGO. So, its already done. On the proposed toll gates, people should not worry themselves. If the funds are been accumulated there are lots of honest fund managers in this country. It must not necessarily be public servants or civil servants who will believe in bureaucracy.

There are people who run corporate organisations and they are working. Let there be toll gates, so that the funds will be judiciously used to refurbish or build new roads. I was just hearing that throughout the south-west, almost every village, almost every town was networked by roads, but the past 50 years they were complaining that those roads were not dualised. So, its just that of continuing with the foundation t hat were laid 50 years ago with the funds you have. N50, N100 is not too much to maintain our roads. If we have toll gates money, and you decide that that will be your goldmine, of course, I am already working with the EFCC, the ICPC, the security agents, with other people. That is my responsibility. We will encourage our anti-corruption agencies to do their jobs.

Jonathan and challenges
Yes, I believe it is achievable. Somebody was saying before you can put up a house, you need to know the depth of the foundation, even sometimes the height. Before the end of this year, with all the fire, I believe he has the wisdom to understand the challenges more. I believe by n ext year, everybody would have realised that it cannot be music as usual. Is it an issue of governance or the issue of the well being of our citizens? To me, iI think some have problem with this egos, problem with their fear of God, problem with the honesty of their goodwill, from a country which they have taken the best.

The best of protocols was accorded to all our big people all over the country, including the northerners. How come we cannot jealously arise for the well being, for the honour of Nigeria. What happened to all our industries in the north? How many industries are flourishing? How come cotton and groundnut are not flourishing in the north? What happened between the 38 years that we had rulership? These are questions we are going to ask ourselves. When we are talking Abuja, from which money was Abuja built? From which money? Why should you be agents of destruction and not agents of building and development? Is this what leadership is all about? My people say in my language, where elders are, things don’t go bad!

The retired Generals, public servants, civil servants, let them show the right way. If they don’t want to do that, let the youths take the responsibility for their own future and my advice for the youths is that they should take the responsibility to be the security agents for their own future. The more they do this bombing that they are doing, is to repel investors. The less investors we have, the less industries, the lesser the industries, the more unemployment, the more the unemployment, the more the frustration and the more people run away. So, they must also help. Another area is our IGR (Internally Generated Revenue).

How much is been raised in the northern states? How many community secondary schools do we have? How many communities do we have to network ordinary roads, not even tarred. Besides the big express roads, look at the north central area, how many of our roads are working? How many roads were dualised? Don’t we have elders who have enjoyed the best of protocols and everything in this country? We are in love with our yesterday and now don’t we have responsibility to be in love and care for the future?

If we love our children, our grandchildren, we would teach them to be disciplined, and I believe they are capable. Listen, I am talking to you, as a bona fide, full bloodied Nigerian born woman and mother, quote me, and I stand on t he oath of the child birth blood that gave birth to every citizen of this country and by the oath of the mother’s breast milk that have nurtured, suckled everyone in this country.[/b]

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