1983 coup Why UK police probed me for 2 years -Umaru Dikko

In life, there are times you talk, there are times you listen. The young ones have been complaining that we don’t give them the chance. So, for sometime, we’ll decide to keep quiet and give them the chance to see how they handle things. But it looks as if they are more interested in money […]

In life, there are times you talk, there are times you listen. The young ones have been complaining that we don’t give them the chance. So, for sometime, we’ll decide to keep quiet and give them the chance to see how they handle things. But it looks as if they are more interested in money rather than governing the country properly.

I’ve not quit. I’ll never quit. I’ve politics in my line and that is where I choose to remain until death do us part.

The situation in this country is quite troubling and that’s why many can’t sleep. Are you comfortable now that you’ve stepped aside?

Mind you, I didn’t say I quit. I only take time to listen and watch how other people can shape the country.

Second, I’ve been away from Nigeria—I’ve been in the UK for quite some time. There was a time I was not feeling well so I had to go abroad. But we’re still on the ship. Now we’re back. If there is anything the country wants us to participate in, we’ll oblige.

What have you been doing to help protect the democracy you were fully part of?

I’ve been talking to people quietly—not necessarily to the press; those people who care to listen.

Once upon a time, a minister of the federal republic ran away when military officers struck and some efforts were made to extradite him. What really happened?

They made efforts to bring me back. They had no reason to wish to bring me back. I told them they could not succeed. I told them Nigerians wanted democracy so they felt I was insulting them. Any time they made any effort, they failed.

I said the presidency in this country was not for sale. Also, if you want to govern the people, you must understand. And that military rule is different from our own. Their own is shoot—shoot on sight. Our own is talk, convince. Try to convince your fellow countryman, let him understand what you are trying to do for him and let him willingly agree to go along with you.

What really happened when the military struck?

When they struck, I knew for sure that they would fail. Shagari’s administration was doing its best and everybody knew that. Today, if we’re doing a referendum on all the governments that Nigeria has had, Shagari’s government will be the best. So, I saw no reason why the military would want to come in. We, civilians, are not allowed to hold guns but our gun is our tongue and the tongue, I assure you, is more powerful than the gun.

What were those efforts they made to bring you back?

They said I was talking too much when I was in London. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) gave me the chance to talk and I was talking. I said the military will fail and that Nigerians would realise that the government the military removed was the government the people themselves chose.

If Shagari’s government was good, why would the soldiers intervene?

They found that they were not making enough money during Shagari’s administration and they wanted to be rich! Shagari’s government committed no wrong. People were happy and werereasonably alright.

You headed the transport sector. What linked you to the rice issue?

At that time, our opponents politically, to make people dislike our government, ensured that there was scarcity of rice. You know rice is one of the staple food in Nigeria. They organised and bought rice in the market so that there would be shortage in the country.

Agriculture was our main focus, so if there was shortage of food in the country, that meant we didn’t succeed. We wanted to bring rice into the country so it would be cheap. That time, American rice was sold for N30 per bag. So that defeated the programme of our opponents and other political parties. They wanted to hold unto something to blame us.

I was given the chance to head the [rice import] task force. Why was I chosen? I’m not a farmer. I was chosen because I was in charge in transport and I could allow ships to come into the ports, using my position as minister. I was in charge of the rail line. The trains could take the rice to every part of the country.

The same price in Lagos was the price in Sokoto or Maiduguri, N30 per bag. Today, they sell it for N8,000.

Why did this turn to be a point against you?

At that time, other political parties were opposing us. You can’t satisfy your competitors. But the people were happy—there was food, no hunger in the country.

Of all the military governments, which was the worst?

Hey! Kai! None of them was good. I can’t say which one was the worst or which was the best because military regime in any case is an aberration.

Muammar Ghadafi of Libya is a military ruler but his people seem to be comfortable with him.

That is different. Muamur Gadafi, if you go to his house, it is his own small private house until today. He doesn’t have a villa. Our own people came to make money.

Nigerians describe General Buhari as an honest person. The only former president without mansions like others.

How do you know?

That is the assumption.

We don’t work on assumption. You have to find out. Don’t vote somebody on assumption. You have to find out.

This country has been witnessing crises. The Niger Delta crisis, those of Jos and Maiduguri. Why is it so?

Some of these people who take to bad ways are forced to do so by circumstances. Not everybody wants to be a highway robber. People are without jobs—they are without earnings. They are looking for food. The government of the country has to look into why people are taking to bad habits. There are people who are naturally bad but there are people who are forced into them by circumstances—hunger, no food.

We’ve got land, almost limitless, empty land. Why can’t you farm? When I say farm, I don’t mean the one that you use the hoe. Government can bring tractors and employ people. If you open a large farm, a doctor can be employed, a nurse can be employed there and so on. Government is to blame for leaving people to be idle. They gravitate to robbery.

Is there anything wrong in government, for instance, setting up agricultural companies and putting investments there so people go there, operate the machines and you farm and you are paid salaries like you go to office? They are not doing that. We have open land, rain plenty, sunshine plenty yet we are sitting down.

With employment, there is no point going to steal. What is the point going to steal N10 and going to jail for 10 months—10 months for N10?

What was the late Umaru Musa Yar’adua to you?

He was my very good friend. Very obedient person. He was a very humble person only that he wasn’t well. And maybe, Obasanjo chose him, hoping that he would die early. Go and tell Obasanjo that I said so!

What has his death caused this democracy?

First of all, all along, everybody knew Yar’adua was ill. He wasn’t well. Obasanjo knew this very well. He chose somebody who was more likely to die. Anyway, everybody leaves the time God has destined. Yar’adua was a very humble person. I visited him twice in his office. Whenever we finish and I was leaving, he would come and open the door for me. I respect him for his humility. May his soul rest in peace.

Having known that his health was failing him, we expected that people like you would advise him to redo the election?

Good, the point is he was put there for a purpose. He was put there to die. It was because he was more likely to die that Obasanjo chose him. Umaru Yar’adua did not become ill after becoming president—he had the illness before becoming president.

What is the fate of the average northerner, now, from the way things are?

The position of northerners now is that they should go and register. Get a card for voting. If you have no card, you can’t vote. Every Nigerian of adult age should go and register and when the time comes, you go and vote. Then you have done your duty. Leave the rest to God.

The motto of Sardauna’s time in the north was Work and Worship. Work first and then worship because when you work you are tired, then come and worship.

It is said that the crises in the north are politically motivated.

It’s partly true and partly not. Those that are politically motivated are politically motivated but not all can be said to be politically motivated. Some are caused by necessity—hunger, poverty. Not all thieves are natural thieves. Some thieves are artificial, they are forced. If you’re hungry and you see food you will like to go and take.

It is not every part of the north that is in crisis, some. You talk of Plateau. When you talk of Plateau, why is Plateau in crisis? Because some people think that the land belongs to them, it doesn’t belong to other people. They are talking rubbish! They too came into Nigeria. The people who are causing crisis in Plateau themselves at some time migrated into Nigeria from other countries. If they are doubting, let them come to me and I will tell them where they migrated from.

What is your assessment of Jonathan’s programmes?

What are his programmes?

He talks of power, education, agriculture…

Alright. Of all those who have ruled this country, who has not talked about these things? If I were to rule this country, I will do two things. First, security. You can go to any part of this country without robbers stopping you. Second, I will make sure there is power, electricity. Even if I achieve only these two, I will be happy.

But they take so many things: 10-point programme, one million-point programme and achieve nothing. Thirteen-point agenda in how many years? One million-point agenda. I call it one million-point confusion. Let there be security, let there be power then the rest can follow. Do you know the amount of rain that falls? If we can harness it, it is enough for us to drink and do everything for the rest of the year. The rain is pure, you can drink. Why did God do that? Look at sunshine now. Are you paying God anything?

So tell Jonathan, if he can solve the problem of power—and when he says power, they want to give power to small villages. What about the big towns with industries? There is no power, you go and give it to a village because you want them to praise you. Security, security, security. Power, power, power then two-point agenda is enough. I will vote for the person with two-point agenda if he will achieve them.

You didn’t talk about the money lawmakers collect. When I was a minister in this country, I never put money in any bank because there was no point. I was given only N1,000 a month. A minister with all the name, N1,000. After sometime they took away N100 to donate to one of these countries that was in trouble. So I ways given N900. I said there is no point opening any bank account. Always put it in my pocket. So what are the assembly people talking about? It is the same country.

What is the political interest of Umaru Dikko?

I want our country organised. We don’t know where we are going. If we can’t organise one thing, we cannot organise anything, not even water we can drink. There are places without water. Our roads are infested with highway robbers. At night, I cannot go to Kaduna. Why? I will have to sleep here. And you will say Nigeria is big, great! If you are talking of greatness by size, one state in America is bigger than Nigeria.

We keep on blaming the military for most of these ills but civilians too…

The military, they don’t come to repair anything in the country. They come because they are broke.

Are civilians any better?

I don’t know. So what do we do? At the end of counting all the problems in this world, the man in the church said let us pray. But prayer alone cannot take us to heaven. Work and then worship. If you are simply worshipping, hunger will kill you.

Which of the political parties have you pitched tent with?

We formed some political party but we had no money. We were totally broke—United Democratic Party, UDP. The only difference in PDP and UDP is the U. We can’t move. Maybe we’ll form another party. Union of Journalists of Nigeria [laughter].

What is the secret? Umaru Dikko of today looks not much different.

Once you are honest to yourself that is the secret. I urge you to check all the banks in the world if Umaru Dikko has money—any, from Nigeria to the outside world, if you find I have money in there, I beg you, take it.

You keep your money in your house?

Look, no, I’m serious. I’ll allow you, check, if you find money anywhere here, take it. In the garage here, there are three cars. Only one is mine and it happens to be the oldest one, the last one there.

When I was in England, in exile, when I was asking for asylum, they sent three police, secret service to me who said, “the noise Nigeria is making that you took money, British government cannot give you asylum if the allegation in Nigeria is true. So if you agree, we will investigate worldwide. If we find that you have money like they are saying in Nigeria, then you cannot live in this country—you are going to leave. But if we find that you are clean, we will recommend that the British government should give you the chance to live here for life.” I said agree. In fact, I cracked a joke. I said if you go round and you find that I have some money somewhere, then you will help get it then I will pay you tax. They laughed and they investigated me worldwide for two-and-a-half years. They came back and said they were satisfied that all the stories about me were lies and therefore, they were recommending that the British government should give me chance to remain in England for life. Today, I go to England without visa.

That is why when Oputa was here, I went there, I challenged any Nigerian, let them come and tell me I stole money when I was in government. Nobody came. Oputa said ha!