Only a judicial commission of inquiry can resolve the October 1 bomb blast

Retired Col. Mohammed Inuwa Bawa had worked for the better part of his military career in the intelligence unit of the Nigerian Army before he was appointed military administrator of Ekiti and later Gombe State by late General Sani Abacha. The former member of the DMI here speaks on the recent security challenges in the […]

Retired Col. Mohammed Inuwa Bawa had worked for the better part of his military career in the intelligence unit of the Nigerian Army before he was appointed military administrator of Ekiti and later Gombe State by late General Sani Abacha. The former member of the DMI here speaks on the recent security challenges in the country like the bomb blast and arms importation and proffers solutions on how the issues can best be resolved. He also speaks on his ambition to govern his home state, Kebbi.

As a former intelligence officer in the Nigerian army, how would you react to the Independence Day bomb blast and how the matter has been handled by the security agencies and the federal government?

 

The whole issue is very unfortunate. This is the first time we are experiencing such a thing in  our Federal Capital Territory and what made it more painful is the number of people who lost their lives and those who were wounded. From what we are hearing, our security agencies had a prior knowledge of the possibility of the incident and the measures they took was not enough to prevent the incident from occurring. It is unfortunate, because it happened on the day we were celebrating our 50th year of independence and if we cannot learn to resolve our problems through dialogue, then I think we are heading to anarchy in this country. The handling of the matter right from the security agencies and the president left much to be desired, because having got intelligence report that the incident was going to happen, they should have taken proactive security measures to prevent or even if it must happen, the damage shouldn’t have been much as it was. Politics and many things came to play. The security agencies instead of working together to save the country the embarrassment and to save the innocent lives, were rather working separately but during my years in the military we did not operate that way. We shared intelligence with all relevant security agencies. There is a need for the intelligence community to device a means of having security weekly meetings, where they can share intelligence reports irrespective of their differences whether as police, army, or Air Force. In that way, they will be seen to be working for the common existence of the country instead of trying to outdo one another. Unfortunately, the president who is the commander in-chief of the forces, which means that all the security agencies are answerable to him, came out openly and made the kind of statement he made, giving MEND a clean bill of health over the bomb blast even though he came back and made clarifications which even worsened the situation because as a president, you don’t talk any how and therefore, any time you are talking, you talk authoritatively with facts. And before you talk, you must get inputs from the relevant authorities for you to say things the way it happened and not to bring in personal opinion or political reasons whatsoever. It was a very immature way of handling the situation by the president. There is every evidence that MEND are responsible for the incident and for the benefit of the hindsight,  it is the same MEND who are being prosecuted for the crime. And if our president talks any how, then I think we are in trouble in this country.

People absolved MEND because they say most of their demands have been met and the president is from the Niger Delta.

Their statement and subsequent events proved that they were the ones who did it. The issue of the Niger–Delta is a very complex issue and is more than just having a ministry, the Niger/Delta Development Commission and so on. It was late General  Abacha who first started approving funds for the Niger-Delta states but subsequently, so many things happened. You may be surprised that most of these things that have been done to the Niger Delta region may not actually reach the grassroots in the Niger–Delta and it is not just giving them Niger–Delta Development commission or a Ministry that matters. Most of the militants and their leaders are used to living big. They not only milk money from federal government but they are also involved in oil bunkering.  In fact, they are into so many things and they live an extravagant life.

What is your take on Okah’s trial behind camera?

Secret trials are not done anywhere in a democratic country and doing it means they have something to hide. I don’t support secret trials because the bomb blast was not a secret thing. It was a public thing which claimed lives and property. Let there be an open trial for people to come and contribute which may even aide in unearthing the truth of the matter.

What is your advice on how to get to the root of the bomb blast?

We are in a mess with doubts cast here and there. It is unfortunate that politics has been brought into the situation. If the president had not said what he said, the northern elders wouldn’t have taken on him the way they did. And again, Henry Okah’s statement that he was called by the president’s aides to implicate some northern politicians should not be overlooked. There should be a judicial commission of inquiry into the matter. The issue has already been politicized and the president and his handlers are having problems with their so called PDP zoning and they can afford to do anything to give their candidate a clean bill of healthand that is what is really happening. The earlier we dispatch the issue of 2011 and concentrate on the sanctity of life and security of people, the better for us. Otherwise, we are going to witness a circle of violence all over the country; particularly now that we are approaching 2011 elections. It is not going to be easy for us. The president, northern Elders forum and the people too should calm down. We are talking about the lives and property of Nigerians. It is people that you are trying to rule and if your actions are putting peoples’ lives in danger then something is wrong.

So you believe a judicial commission of inquiry is the best way to settle the matter?

Yes, because Nigerians still have faith in the judiciary. For now, we hold the judiciary in high esteem and they have some credibility.

What about its composition and leadership?

It doesn’t matter where the chairman of the committee or members are  going to come from, so long as they are Nigerians

This takes us to the issue of the arms seized recently at the port. They were said to be from Iran heading to the Gaza strip enroute Nigeria. As an intelligence officer, does this add up?

It does as we have had similar cases in the past. Arms bound for a particular destination can pass through any channel. The matter should be handled diplomatically as it involves countries that Nigeria is having diplomatic relations with.  But the main issue to me is not whether they are heading to which particular place or not, the issue is that the arms were able to enter Nigerian territory, through the port and if not for one thing or two things, the people would have successfully entered with the arms silently and only God knows how many of such arms have been brought into the country before because one cannot say that this is the first time. I am sure that a lot of such transactions had been successful in the past. The concern of every Nigerian is that the Federal Government and security agencies should device a way of making the country safe because a lot of illegal arms have been imported into the country. In fact, in Plateau state alone, particularly during the crisis, the number of people who brought in arms were too many not to even talk of the Niger–Delta region. God forbid, should there be any spark of crisis in Nigeria, it is going to be uncontrollable because the number of illegal arms in circulation is quite alarming that they  can favorably compete with the military even though the military has its tanks. The whole problem is as a result of indiscipline and corruption and these are the things that have bedeviled this country and if not for these two things, there is no how things can come through our ports and the security and customs will not know about it. But what normally happens is that money exchanges hands and things are done abnormally and this is the problem. You may even be surprised that the recent seizure of a quantity of Indian hemp at the Lagos port imported by some Chinese and the arms seizure might be due to a disagreement in the sharing formula. There is a lot to be done on the corruption and indiscipline no matter how hard working our security are unless we tackle the issue of corruption and indiscipline, we cannot make any headway.

Investigations are going on, what will be your advice to the FG?

Well, the issue has turned diplomatic and the case is very simple. We know the people who did it and their nationality and a Nigerian who resides in another country facilitated the deal. It is left for the federal government to handle it and it is going to be sensitive because we have a very good diplomatic working relationship with Iran and Israel and these are two sides that are in a conflict as far as this issue is concerned. So, it will require a lot of diplomatic work to be done from our own side. I am still of the opinion that we have to be very careful with this. These things happening is going to be very alarming for us and innocent people might lose their lives during campaigns and elections.

What is your comment on the number of political parties in Nigeria?

I believe that in Nigeria, we don’t need more than five political parties. All the rest are mere names and nothing more. They are just interested in the grant from either INEC or Federal Government. It is only in Nigeria that somebody can single handedly form his political party to achieve certain aims and afterward, the party will collapse. Some of the political parties are formed by the ruling party in order to reduce the strength of the other strong political parties. There is a problem in the context of Nigeria’s political system. For instance, if I have money it will be very easy for me if I don’t get my way in one party I can then move to another party of my choice and in less than a month, I will be their flagbearer for whatever position that I want. In Nigeria, it is the individual that makes a party, but in advanced countries, it is the party that makes the individual. We are all talking about the miracle that brought Obama as President of the USA but it was his party that made him president because if the party did not have the courage and confidence in him, they wouldn’t have stood by him.

Internal democracy is very important and is very difficult in this country because the kind of politics we are playing is that of big name and money and no ideology. Anybody with money can just come in and hijack a party and people will start running away from the party but the issue of internal democracy is very important in this country and we need to change our democratic culture whereby money becomes determiner in the parties.

How confident are you regarding INEC’s preparations towards the conduct of the 2011 election?

As far as the readiness of INEC to conduct the election is concerned, I think we should give them the benefit of doubt. They asked for money and they have been given the money and I think it is up to them to conduct free and a fair elections. I learnt they have purchased the data capturing machine, so lets give them the benefit of doubt but I think they should be very careful with people who cannot win election and will always want to use them to rig election. Even though, the man in charge of INEC has been adjudged as credible and a transparent man, but you know “a tree does not make a forest”. There was an idea that the handling over time should be reversed to October 1st and if we want to change, let’s have the election first and swear in the new government and then see whether it is the best for us to make amendment on the handing over date or not.

How is CPC faring in Kebbi State?

Like I told you the other time that I am the first person to introduce the CPC to Kebbi State though the name was new and even our opponents were calling us jokers, but today, I am able to woo people to embrace the party in Kebbi State and we are waxing stronger and many supporters of the PDP have decamped to the CPC and as at now, we are more than 90% in Kebbi. Former commissioners, SAs of former governor and aides of the former FCT minister are now in the CPC now we very strong in Kebbi.

You are in the race to govern Kebbi. What are your chances?

My emphasis is that let there be right leadership because if we have the right leadership, we will not have problems but when we have compromised, greedy leaders we are bound to have problems here and there. On the governorship of Kebbi state come 2011, I think I am experienced having governed two states before as a military governor such that you cannot buy in the market and my chances are very bright. The infrastructure, health and educational sectors are all in a mess. I will use my experience to ensure that the the common man in Kebbi feels the  impact of  democracy and government. And if, I cannot get the ticket, then I will support whoever that is there in the overall interest of the state and party because the party has a better vision not only for Kebbi State alone but Nigeria as a whole.

 

How much will the issue of zoning come into play since this has been an issue in Kebbi more so as you are trying to take away the state from Dakingari who is from a [particular zone in the state?

We are not members of the PDP so the issue of trying to take it from Dakingari’s zone does not arise. If we succeed in taking over from him, then we are taking it from him as a party and not because of an internal party arrangement. Of course, issues concerning zoning may arise before the primaries and deciding who flies the party’s flag but we’ll resolve that amicably.