I warned Nigerians about Buhari – Yakasai

Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, 92, a chip from the old block, served as President Shehu Shagari’s Liaison Officer to the National Assembly. In this interview, he reviews the state of the nation and critically dissects the arguments for restructuring. He submits that insinuations of northern objection to restructuring are unfounded upon the claim that the blueprint for the process has itself been etched on imaginations that have not been properly articulated. Yakasai also pooh-poohs moves to delineate the Middle Belt from the North saying that the concept of a Middle North toeing a separate political path as unrealistic. Yakasai who supported President Goodluck Jonathan against Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election concludes by saying that his warnings that Buhari lacked five critical elements of leadership have crystallised for all to see.

Excerpt: What is your evaluation of Nigeria in the past 12 months?

By and large, I will say things were as they were before, except that at the end of the year, the price of crude oil has appreciated considerably, and that impacted on the economy of oil-producing countries including Nigeria. The result was that we got more money and this can be seen from the way our foreign reserve is now augmented; it’s higher than what it was before; otherwise everything is more or less the same. But in some cases, things were less than what they were a year before.

How has the controversy of Buhari’s ill health, Biafran agitation, and agitation for restructuring affected our unity? 

As a matter of fact, I won’t say it had affected the polity very much because when President Buhari was sick, he delegated power to his deputy and he discharged his duty creditably, and I think the efforts by Professor Osinbajo at the time the President was away for treatment actually made things to improve, most especially if you look at the crisis in the Niger-Delta which actually led the Acting President to undertake a visit to the area, and as a result of that visit and the consultation he had with the stakeholders and opinion leaders, the crisis decreased. So the crisis in the area was reduced to the minimum. You remember the vandalism of pipelines to refineries and depots which affected the generation of power in the country during the crisis stabilised because of that deft move by the Acting President. That act made the governance within that period hitch-free when the President was away for treatment. 

Why is it that Nigerians still find it difficult to live together as one? 

No, no, Nigerians are living together as one without any difficulties. In all honesty, take a visit to Enugu and find out if there has been a clash between the host and their guest communities. Take another visit to Ibadan, Ogbomosho, Abeokuta or any part of South-West and find out whether there was any clash between the local people and guest community. Come to Kano, Katsina or Sokoto and other big cities in the north apart from areas where the insurgents have taken roots; you don’t find the local people having clashes with other Nigerians. Nigerians are living in peace with one another, and unfortunately, it is the elites who have access to the media that are creating a crisis which is non-existent.

Do you feel embarrassed by the appointment of dead persons into boards of Federal Government agencies and parastatals by the Buhari administration?

How can I be embarrassed? I think those in authority should be embarrassed, certainly not me. But what I learnt was that the list was submitted long ago by various branches or chapters of the ruling party to the President who handed over same to the former Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), and he sat on them, and we are now getting it out because the new SGF, Boss Mustapha, seems to be more active, and in addition, elections are approaching and the President needs something to tell people that if he is not able to appoint common membership of boards,

You hardly criticise President Buhari’s style of governance these days, is it that the government has bought you over?

(Hearty laughter). Well go and get money for me, and I will take it. I’m 92 now, and if at 92, I cannot use my common sense when will I deploy it again? When I made that statement against Buhari, it was attack from left right and centre, insult here and there, particularly from this part of the country. Since then, I have kept quiet because I knew I would be vindicated one day. I don’t have any more to add. What I said is now confirmed by events. What I said then was that President Buhari was not prepared to govern and that his party has no programme for Nigeria, and it happened. Why should I waste my time anymore? I said it; you have seen and every other Nigerian has seen it. Why can’t I rest and I deserve some rest, and I will allow them to do the talking. I did the talking when it was necessary for me to do and now, it is no longer necessary because Nigerians are doing the talking now.

Vanguard