Yakassai hits Northern elders over ultimatum to Jonathan on Chibok girls
■ Tanko Yakassai blasts Northern elders
Former Political Adviser to ex-President Shehu Shagari, Al­haji Tanko Yakasai, has declared that the ultimatum given to Pres­ident Goodluck Jonathan by the Maita­ma Sule-led Northern Elders’ Forum to produce the over 200 abducted Chibok girls or forgo his 2105 presidential ambi­tion, is irrational.
Yakasai, who spoke with Saturday Sun in Abuja, said the elders were only making such statement to amuse themselves. He added that such people would always blame the president for whatever action he takes to free the schoolgirls who were abducted from Chibok in Borno State since April 14 by Boko Haram insurgents.
According to the 88-year-old Yakasai: “I think they are only making such statements to amuse themselves. By the provision of the constitution of Nigeria, the North alone cannot produce the president; and also the South. It will require the combination of efforts from the North and the South for anybody to be elected as president of Nigeria. Therefore, those who are making this statement are either deliberately ignoring the provision of the constitution or are ignorant about the constitutional requirement for the election of a president for Nigeria.
“I don’t think it is rational because you don’t give a time limit in an effort like this if you really want a successful outcome in this effort. You push somebody to do something in a rush and you are not sure of the end result of such an action.”
Yakassai, a member of the ongoing national conference, also spoke on the outcome of the conference and other national issues in this interview with AIDOGHIE PAULINUS in Abuja.Excerpts:
The Northern Elders’ Forum gave President Goodluck Jonathan, ultimatum to produce the abducted Chibok girls or foreclose his 2015 ambition. What is your reaction to this?
I think they are only making such statements to amuse themselves. By the provision of the constitution of Nigeria, the North alone cannot produce the president, and also the South. It will require the combination of efforts from the North and the South for anybody to be elected as president of Nigeria. Therefore, those who are making this statement are either deliberately ignoring the provision of the constitution or are ignorant about the constitutional requirement for the election of a president for Nigeria.
I am concerned about the orchestrated campaign on the release of the Chibok girls by some people. I have my fears whether some people are deliberately pushing the president to take a precipitate action which may not help in getting the Chibok girls back to the society without any harm. They are pushing for action that may not ensure the safety of the girls themselves for them only to turn round and blame the president for the consequences of such an action.  So, I hope that the president would bear this my fear in mind whenever people are trying to rush him into precipitating action on this matter.
re you saying that the ultimatum given by the Northern Elders Forum is not rational at all?
I don’t think it is rational because you don’t give a time limit in an effort like this if you really want a successful outcome. You push somebody to do something in a rush and you are not sure of the end result of such an action.
What is your view about the general insecurity in the North?
First, it should be noted that the problem of insecurity is not universal in the North. It affected certain areas, limited areas and in particular, three out of 19 states in the North. And it is really not a welcome development to have insecurity anywhere in the country. But I think what Nigerians need to do is to assist the government with ideas as to how the government would overcome this problem.
What is the root cause of the problem?
The government is doing that. If anybody has any assistance to render to the government, I think it is a good idea. Let him go and tell the government. If you know the root cause of this problem, go and tell the government. I am sure the government will welcome you.
As a credible voice from the North, what in your opinion, led to this problem?
Everybody knows the root cause. The root cause is the activities of certain religious group, which started way back in 2002. That is a period of 12 years now. And it is developing because initially, it was not taken seriously by the government and a situation like this, once it is out of hand, you only need to command all efforts that would assist you to bring it to an end. It happened in the Niger Delta area. It took a number of years before the government of the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua was able to tackle the issue and settled it amicably. And I am sure as time goes on, the government will be on top of the situation by getting the right approach to the issue and also, by getting the insurgents themselves to realise the need for dialogue. Anywhere in the world when a situation like this arose, usually, it is only resolved through dialogue. You know of what happened in Britain, the Irish Republic Army insurgency. It took more than 25 years to quell it. But through dialogue, by involving the international community and by stringent effort on the part of the British government, a dialogue was conducted and the outcome of the dialogue was the resolution of the problem. Now, they live in peace. I am sure we too, can achieve that objective if we get the correct ideas and if the insurgents themselves agree to come to dialogue with the government.
Do you see them agreeing to come to dialogue with the government?
Sooner or later because what made the Irish Republic Army and Britain to come to the negotiation table after 25 years of struggle, I think, will make also the insurgents in Nigeria, sooner or later, to agree to come to dialogue with the government in order to find a way out of the situation.
So, the idea that poverty led to the insurgency is nonsensical?
I didn’t say that.
But that is what some people believe, that the insurgency is as a result of the inequality in the land.
But we had insurgency in the Niger Delta area. You see, there are so many reasons that you can have, that can lead to disturbances of peace. Poverty can be a factor, but I am not saying that poverty alone is the factor.
Some also believe that the decision of President Goodluck Jonathan to participate in the 2011 presidential election contributed immensely. How true is this?
But I told you it started way back in 2002. So, it is not something that started at the time of Jonathan. If you remember, the situation started when the insurgents were engaging the police, I think in 2007 or 2008 under Yar’Adua. The matter was such that the police could not cope and the result was that they appealed to the government for the military to assist them. And the military was involved. And if you can remember, it was the military that arrested the leader of the insurgents, Mohammed Yusuf, and handed him over to the police and unfortunately, somebody among the policemen shot him dead, which exacerbated the problem. But it is not a phenomenon that happened during the reign of Jonathan.
Some have said the abduction of the Chibok girls is just a propaganda, that nobody was abducted. Is it true?
Well, I am not one of those.
What response do you have for them?
I said I am not one of them. I don’t believe them.
How do you see the response of the international community to the issue?
It is very encouraging.
In the course of the Chibok saga, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, came into the picture and said we may not have the complete number of the abducted girls back. How do you see his comment?
Obasanjo is an individual. We have 170 million Nigerians. Each individual has his own opinion. He is not a prophet. God has not given him power to foresee the future.
A former Governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia, granted an interview in which he said the North East governors, especially governors of the affected states, did not do their homework very well and that was why the insecurity escalated. He concluded that those governors deserve to be sacked. Do you share his view?
It sounded like a military language. The governors were elected.
But is it actually their fault?
It is a collective responsibility of all Nigerians. You cannot single out one or two people to say that they are responsible. We are all responsible for what happened that led to the emergence of the insurgency.
At what point did you join President Jonathan? What attracted you to him?
I did not join Jonathan. You see, I am a Nigerian. I am 88 years old.
Really?
Yes. 88 years old. I was born in 1926. If at this age, I don’t know the limit of my effort, then I am not worth my age.
How would you describe his administration?
Like any other administration in Nigeria, it has positive aspect and it has negative aspect.
Which outweighs the other?
I did not put them on a scale. Give me time and I will put them on a scale. But I know there are negatives, there are positives.
2015, will you support President Jonathan?
Let him come out. I will support the best candidate that comes out sponsored by the party. So, I am waiting. I have no candidate as of now. When the candidates are out and I see their programmes and I see their parties, then, I will be able to make up my mind.
If the president appoints you his campaign manager, will you accept?
I don’t have the energy.
Can’t you support with ideas from behind?
If he is the candidate of my choice, I will certainly assist him.
As the president’s campaign manager?
Not as campaign manager. I cannot be campaign manager for anybody because I am too old to do that. I don’t have the energy, but I have ideas. Not physical ideas, but mental.
You are a delegate to the national conference. What is going on there?
We were to resume yesterday, but when we went, we were given papers and the papers were voluminous. By my count, they are about 4000 pages. They wanted us to read them.
Is it possible to go through all of them?
This is what they think. But all the delegates said they cannot cope. However, we were told to come to go through the report of the decisions taken by the conference and if we are satisfied that the report is a reflection of the collective decision taken by the conference, then we will approve it. Instead, we were confronted with new issues – a draft constitution which we did not deliberate upon, which is running into hundreds of pages and also, a draft bill which we also did not consider as a conference. So, most people feel that these are new elements in the responsibility of the conference and I am sure that tomorrow, we will be able to express our opinion on them and whatever is the decision of the majority of delegates, so be it.
North-South dichotomy is really playing out at the conference. What this?
It is not true. It is not true. It is not true.
But there are intrigues here and there?
Well, intrigue is part of politics. If there were intrigues on North-South dichotomy, we couldn’t have reached consensus on the 20 committees of the conference. If you follow the reports of all the 20 committees appointed, when they reported, they reached decisions by consensus.
How would you describe the conference so far?
Very successful. People were afraid that the conference would signal the dissolution of Nigeria, but it has strengthened the unity. You can see the outcome. We are more united. We understand each other better now than before.
Are you sure the report will see the light of the day?
Yes. I am sure because I can’t see all these efforts going down the drain.