This man was granted an interview...
Alhaji Bashir OthmanTofa is a former Presidential flag bearer of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), as well as the Elder Committees Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
In this interview with Kano Bureau Chief , TED ODOGWU, the elder statesman lamented the persistent bomb attacks on so many government establishments, stressing that these acts of terrorism is alien to the country.
He dismissed as baseless and untrue allegations that Boko Haram sect were behind the bombing, pointing out that the planning and execution of the high-tech bombing is far more sophisticated and above the intellectual capacity of the Islamic fundamentalists. Tofa, who expressed worry that President Goodluck Jonathan is afraid of certain Nigerians challenged him to seek external help in his efforts to unravel the mastermind behind the heinous crime. Also, he commented on the President’s 100 days in office and many more. Excerpts:
What is your reaction to the persistent bomb attacks on government establishments, ranging from the bombing of the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja to the recent similar but more devastating bomb attack at the United Nations Headquarters in Abuja?
The reaction of anybody, not only Nigerians, who wish this country any good would be to be sad, this country Nigeria is degenerating into a terrorist country. This is terrible, it tells so much about lack of security, lack of equipment and incentives for security agents. Maybe, we may have well trained security personnel, but they are not motivated and they lack the equipment for the satisfactory discharge of their duties. They too do not have security for themselves and how would you therefore expect them to pay any attention to the nation’s security. I think there are so many lapses, you take the Police for example, the fact that they are underpaid has turned them to a corrupt institution and you cannot expect them to do what they are required to do. The same thing goes for all aspects of our national life, corruption has permeated the system and has destroyed the fabric of our society and we have to do something about it. All these are symptoms of corruption. If we are not corrupt, we would do the right thing for our country, we have the people and we have the talent to do anything that we want, but corruption has stopped it. So, this is the situation of the country, which is very unfortunate.
Do you think that the country’s security operatives are trained to handle matters related to terrorism?
What I know, based on facts is that our security agents are well trained, they receive thorough training abroad and they also had local training to ensure security of the country but between the last 15 and 20 years or thereabout, it has degenerated into a situation that we are presently grappling with, because like I earlier said, there is no sufficient motivation for them to do their job. Even when our houses and vehicles and other things and offices were being burnt, I spoke to one soldier, who said, the army of today, is not like the military I knew years back, he said if he dies his family would be lucky to receive his two months’ salary and by the time he is buried, they are already making arrangements to re-allocate his house to some one else and ditch his family, so why should he go and get himself killed and jeopardize the welfare of his family? This is the way they are because they are not well paid. They are not well taken care of, they are not paid their pension, when they die, nobody cares about them, so all these bottleneck amounts to lack of security in the country. And I am sure this goes round and it is beyond them.
What is your reaction to the statements credited to certain Nigerians that they would make the country ungovernable if Jonathan contests and wins election in defiance of the PDP zoning arrangement?
If some people said that and it was publicised, why did the government not do anything about it? If anybody threatens the security of the country, why must the government just look at them and fail to bring them to book. Like I said even when our houses and vehicles were burnt, nobody as far as we know was arrested, nobody communicated that to us, who were the victims that Mr. A or B has been arrested, they are in Police custody, and nobody briefed us of anything, just like nothing happened. In this country, people die, people are killed, important people are even killed, have you ever heard any news that anybody is arrested for this madness that we have seen in the last 10 years. You can do anything, you can perpetrate any evil in this country and nobody will arrest you. So if people have made statements threatening the government and these people are known, why must somebody sit and start complaining, why must they not arrest those people, whoever they are. Are they bigger than this country, so you see, the bottom line is that the government seem to be afraid of some people. The government itself is afraid of certain individuals and if such individuals are above the law and the rest of us below the law, how do you think there will be a just society, one that can be fair and prosperous, there cannot be, so if the government is aware that there are people threatening them, or trying to cause trouble in the country, why don’t they go for them. It is their fault. It is their slackness and their fear of these intimidators that may have brought us to this worrisome situation.
Are you saying that the government should assert its authority?
Absolutely, the primary function of the government is to ensure the security of its citizens. Second, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that peace reigns among its citizens; if any of these three is unavailable, then what is the function of the government? This is anarchy.
Are you saying that the government has failed in its responsibility?
Absolutely, if they know that some people have made statements, threatening it or threatening the President and nobody does anything about it and these people are known, then whose fault is it? Do you know what would happen tomorrow?
So what is your worry about the development as it is now?
My honest feeling is that some of these terrorist acts are far beyond the capacity of Boko Haram sect. I cannot see a local Malam acquiring the training in the use of machine guns, fixing bomb, detonating it and the like, just like suicide bombing. All these are alien to our people, because one needs to be mentally sophisticated to know how to handle bombs. The Federal Government should invite and allow the United Nations themselves to investigate the bombing, because I am yet to find people in Nigeria , who are capable of investigating the sophisticated bombing of the UN building.
They can find scape goats if they want but that doesn’t mean that this bombing would be stopped but if they allow the UN to come in, whomsoever that it is that wants to help us can come in to help in investigating the brains behind the UN building bombing, who are the people internationally, who are against the UN? And who has the resources to sponsor such a sophisticated bombing? They have the resources but I don’t think they have the education to carry out such a sophisticated operation. These are people who say they are against Western education and you must have Western education for you to have the knowledge of making bombs and how to detonate bombs, how to commit suicide, how to do sophisticated things, you need an education, especially Western education to be able to do that.
There are some people somewhere outside Nigeria that want to see the back of this country and this government must be up and doing to ensure that wherever they can seek help, whether in the US, UK, Russia but especially the UN, they should go and seek this help and bring these people, let them do their investigation, give them free hands to operate. But if they will rely on Nigeria ’s security operatives to carry out the investigations, people who could not find murders, how could they find terrorists. If the Attorney General of this country would be murdered for the last 15 years and nobody up till today can find the murders, while so many people have been killed and robbed, nobody has been arrested, how could they even think of been able to find who these terrorists are.
Are you insisting that it is beyond the capacity of our security agencies to find out those behind the bombing of the UN building in Abuja ?
That is exactly what I am saying, I am saying it is beyond the capacity of Boko Haram sect members to bomb the UN building. Boko Haram sect members may have claimed responsibility which is evil but they know its not them. The security agencies may assure Nigerians that they can unravel the mystery of the bombing of the UN building but they know they cannot because they lack the resources, they lack the motivation, and they don’t even know where to start from. For how long has it been happening? For the last two to three years, we have been experiencing one bomb blast after another. To date, who has been arrested? Tell me or identify one single person who has been arrested.
What in your opinion, is the implication of Nigeria been listed as a terrorist country?
This is part of the sabotage against Nigeria . If it is some people within who are collaborating with some people abroad, I know it is beyond our capacity to even find the people within, not to talk of those abroad, that is why I am saying the Nigerian government needs to seek help outside the shores of this country. They have to get help from wherever they deem fit. They also have to give a free hand to the UN or to whoever they are seeking help from to unravel the bombers of the UN building in Abuja . Nigerians are not terrorists; they can be involved in certain crimes but certainly this is beyond them.
Let’s digress, President Goodluck Jonathan is now 100 days plus, in office, do you think it is enough time to assess his performance?
If you had asked me what somebody has achieved in office, some body who is supposed to be in power for four years, I will say it is a very stupid question because this 100 days in office is a gimmick. People are elected into office and even before their election, they already know how to rush to assess their 100 days in office and beyond, you don’t see anything. I think if you come back in six months and ask me what you think this government has achieved, then, I will be able to tell you. Frankly speaking, 100 days is too short, especially for a new government to appraise its performance.
By the time they settle down to think about what to do and find out how they can do it, where to source the money and who is going to execute it, how are we going to tender it, 100 days would have passed. To this extent, I think it is unfair to say we are going to assess Jonathan’s 100 days in office. What can he do in 100 days, if he has to think about it? So, I think it is a very unfair question. If you ask me what somebody has done within six or even nine months, then we will be able to have a better and fair assessment of his achievements.
Are you seeing a positive direction?
I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt, I will say in this 100 days, he must have mapped out details of what he intends to do and how he will have it done and secured the finance to do it. I would like to see him do it within the next six months.
And when that time is completed and nothing has happened, then I will say that he is not even thinking about it, not to talk of implementing it. But for now, I would like to say that he is not that stupid, he is a thinking man, he means well, he want to do something and he wants to do it well and that he must have completed his plan and will begin to implement it and we hope to see something happening. within the next six months.
Alhaji Bashir OthmanTofa is a former Presidential flag bearer of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), as well as the Elder Committees Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
In this interview with Kano Bureau Chief , TED ODOGWU, the elder statesman lamented the persistent bomb attacks on so many government establishments, stressing that these acts of terrorism is alien to the country.
He dismissed as baseless and untrue allegations that Boko Haram sect were behind the bombing, pointing out that the planning and execution of the high-tech bombing is far more sophisticated and above the intellectual capacity of the Islamic fundamentalists. Tofa, who expressed worry that President Goodluck Jonathan is afraid of certain Nigerians challenged him to seek external help in his efforts to unravel the mastermind behind the heinous crime. Also, he commented on the President’s 100 days in office and many more. Excerpts:
What is your reaction to the persistent bomb attacks on government establishments, ranging from the bombing of the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja to the recent similar but more devastating bomb attack at the United Nations Headquarters in Abuja?
The reaction of anybody, not only Nigerians, who wish this country any good would be to be sad, this country Nigeria is degenerating into a terrorist country. This is terrible, it tells so much about lack of security, lack of equipment and incentives for security agents. Maybe, we may have well trained security personnel, but they are not motivated and they lack the equipment for the satisfactory discharge of their duties. They too do not have security for themselves and how would you therefore expect them to pay any attention to the nation’s security. I think there are so many lapses, you take the Police for example, the fact that they are underpaid has turned them to a corrupt institution and you cannot expect them to do what they are required to do. The same thing goes for all aspects of our national life, corruption has permeated the system and has destroyed the fabric of our society and we have to do something about it. All these are symptoms of corruption. If we are not corrupt, we would do the right thing for our country, we have the people and we have the talent to do anything that we want, but corruption has stopped it. So, this is the situation of the country, which is very unfortunate.
Do you think that the country’s security operatives are trained to handle matters related to terrorism?
What I know, based on facts is that our security agents are well trained, they receive thorough training abroad and they also had local training to ensure security of the country but between the last 15 and 20 years or thereabout, it has degenerated into a situation that we are presently grappling with, because like I earlier said, there is no sufficient motivation for them to do their job. Even when our houses and vehicles and other things and offices were being burnt, I spoke to one soldier, who said, the army of today, is not like the military I knew years back, he said if he dies his family would be lucky to receive his two months’ salary and by the time he is buried, they are already making arrangements to re-allocate his house to some one else and ditch his family, so why should he go and get himself killed and jeopardize the welfare of his family? This is the way they are because they are not well paid. They are not well taken care of, they are not paid their pension, when they die, nobody cares about them, so all these bottleneck amounts to lack of security in the country. And I am sure this goes round and it is beyond them.
What is your reaction to the statements credited to certain Nigerians that they would make the country ungovernable if Jonathan contests and wins election in defiance of the PDP zoning arrangement?
If some people said that and it was publicised, why did the government not do anything about it? If anybody threatens the security of the country, why must the government just look at them and fail to bring them to book. Like I said even when our houses and vehicles were burnt, nobody as far as we know was arrested, nobody communicated that to us, who were the victims that Mr. A or B has been arrested, they are in Police custody, and nobody briefed us of anything, just like nothing happened. In this country, people die, people are killed, important people are even killed, have you ever heard any news that anybody is arrested for this madness that we have seen in the last 10 years. You can do anything, you can perpetrate any evil in this country and nobody will arrest you. So if people have made statements threatening the government and these people are known, why must somebody sit and start complaining, why must they not arrest those people, whoever they are. Are they bigger than this country, so you see, the bottom line is that the government seem to be afraid of some people. The government itself is afraid of certain individuals and if such individuals are above the law and the rest of us below the law, how do you think there will be a just society, one that can be fair and prosperous, there cannot be, so if the government is aware that there are people threatening them, or trying to cause trouble in the country, why don’t they go for them. It is their fault. It is their slackness and their fear of these intimidators that may have brought us to this worrisome situation.
Are you saying that the government should assert its authority?
Absolutely, the primary function of the government is to ensure the security of its citizens. Second, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that peace reigns among its citizens; if any of these three is unavailable, then what is the function of the government? This is anarchy.
Are you saying that the government has failed in its responsibility?
Absolutely, if they know that some people have made statements, threatening it or threatening the President and nobody does anything about it and these people are known, then whose fault is it? Do you know what would happen tomorrow?
So what is your worry about the development as it is now?
My honest feeling is that some of these terrorist acts are far beyond the capacity of Boko Haram sect. I cannot see a local Malam acquiring the training in the use of machine guns, fixing bomb, detonating it and the like, just like suicide bombing. All these are alien to our people, because one needs to be mentally sophisticated to know how to handle bombs. The Federal Government should invite and allow the United Nations themselves to investigate the bombing, because I am yet to find people in Nigeria , who are capable of investigating the sophisticated bombing of the UN building.
They can find scape goats if they want but that doesn’t mean that this bombing would be stopped but if they allow the UN to come in, whomsoever that it is that wants to help us can come in to help in investigating the brains behind the UN building bombing, who are the people internationally, who are against the UN? And who has the resources to sponsor such a sophisticated bombing? They have the resources but I don’t think they have the education to carry out such a sophisticated operation. These are people who say they are against Western education and you must have Western education for you to have the knowledge of making bombs and how to detonate bombs, how to commit suicide, how to do sophisticated things, you need an education, especially Western education to be able to do that.
There are some people somewhere outside Nigeria that want to see the back of this country and this government must be up and doing to ensure that wherever they can seek help, whether in the US, UK, Russia but especially the UN, they should go and seek this help and bring these people, let them do their investigation, give them free hands to operate. But if they will rely on Nigeria ’s security operatives to carry out the investigations, people who could not find murders, how could they find terrorists. If the Attorney General of this country would be murdered for the last 15 years and nobody up till today can find the murders, while so many people have been killed and robbed, nobody has been arrested, how could they even think of been able to find who these terrorists are.
Are you insisting that it is beyond the capacity of our security agencies to find out those behind the bombing of the UN building in Abuja ?
That is exactly what I am saying, I am saying it is beyond the capacity of Boko Haram sect members to bomb the UN building. Boko Haram sect members may have claimed responsibility which is evil but they know its not them. The security agencies may assure Nigerians that they can unravel the mystery of the bombing of the UN building but they know they cannot because they lack the resources, they lack the motivation, and they don’t even know where to start from. For how long has it been happening? For the last two to three years, we have been experiencing one bomb blast after another. To date, who has been arrested? Tell me or identify one single person who has been arrested.
What in your opinion, is the implication of Nigeria been listed as a terrorist country?
This is part of the sabotage against Nigeria . If it is some people within who are collaborating with some people abroad, I know it is beyond our capacity to even find the people within, not to talk of those abroad, that is why I am saying the Nigerian government needs to seek help outside the shores of this country. They have to get help from wherever they deem fit. They also have to give a free hand to the UN or to whoever they are seeking help from to unravel the bombers of the UN building in Abuja . Nigerians are not terrorists; they can be involved in certain crimes but certainly this is beyond them.
Let’s digress, President Goodluck Jonathan is now 100 days plus, in office, do you think it is enough time to assess his performance?
If you had asked me what somebody has achieved in office, some body who is supposed to be in power for four years, I will say it is a very stupid question because this 100 days in office is a gimmick. People are elected into office and even before their election, they already know how to rush to assess their 100 days in office and beyond, you don’t see anything. I think if you come back in six months and ask me what you think this government has achieved, then, I will be able to tell you. Frankly speaking, 100 days is too short, especially for a new government to appraise its performance.
By the time they settle down to think about what to do and find out how they can do it, where to source the money and who is going to execute it, how are we going to tender it, 100 days would have passed. To this extent, I think it is unfair to say we are going to assess Jonathan’s 100 days in office. What can he do in 100 days, if he has to think about it? So, I think it is a very unfair question. If you ask me what somebody has done within six or even nine months, then we will be able to have a better and fair assessment of his achievements.
Are you seeing a positive direction?
I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt, I will say in this 100 days, he must have mapped out details of what he intends to do and how he will have it done and secured the finance to do it. I would like to see him do it within the next six months.
And when that time is completed and nothing has happened, then I will say that he is not even thinking about it, not to talk of implementing it. But for now, I would like to say that he is not that stupid, he is a thinking man, he means well, he want to do something and he wants to do it well and that he must have completed his plan and will begin to implement it and we hope to see something happening. within the next six months.
No doubt Nigeria has been visited by one tragedy or the other courtesy our notorious Boko Haram sect in the form of bomb blasts with the recent and most dastardly being the UN headquarters bombing yesterday morning in Abuja.
But to the shock of many GEJ comfortably issued a statement through his Prime Mister in the person of Reuben Abati. The Nature / Magnitude of the damage and mayhem caused by this bomb blast, I believe the least Nigerians deserved was an address by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but instead our oga once again sent his Prime Minster.
This worries me that a lot that we seem to have a president that is afraid of directly communicating with his people.
But to the shock of many GEJ comfortably issued a statement through his Prime Mister in the person of Reuben Abati. The Nature / Magnitude of the damage and mayhem caused by this bomb blast, I believe the least Nigerians deserved was an address by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but instead our oga once again sent his Prime Minster.
This worries me that a lot that we seem to have a president that is afraid of directly communicating with his people.
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