By Henry Uche
Senator Ali Ndume in this interview monitored on Channels TV, spoke about insecurity in the country among other issues.
How was Gwoza yesterday?
I just came back from Gwoza yesterday, (Sunday), I spent two nights there. I went there purposely to condole with our people after the 29th of June incidents where multiple bombs exploded and killed over 32 people and injured about 85 people. So, I went there to console the people, but what I’m happy about is the resilience of the people because as we were going back, we got into Gwoza around two o’clock, and people who were busy on their farmlands, the military were there giving them confidence and support. So, life is picking up in our place. And we are hoping that if the rainy season comes down well, people will get out of this problem. Normally, we are subsistence farming people and we are praying to Almighty to give us a bumper harvest during this rainy season. And so far, so good.
What could have been a major cause of these suicide attacks?
Well, let me say that we have learnt our lesson. What has happened was destined to happen. But it was I think, because of our overconfidence that virtually these incidents of especially IED blowing up has come to an end, and the insurgents or the terrorists took advantage of that and that people are relaxed, otherwise in those days, people walk through screening by the military when they are going to their farms in the morning and when they are coming back. And that one was relaxed because we thought that everything is fine. Suddenly, we had this shock and fortunately, as I said, the military intervened quickly and swiftly and that also reduced the level of casualty. As you can see, the last suicide bomber was arrested. And when she was about to be arrested, she donated the bomb and killed one civilian JTF and even a soldier lost his life. So, our people are more vigilant today. Now, as I told you, I spent two nights and the people are so vigilant, there is a curfew for now. That is what they are doing. And also, they have reintroduced some measures of having identity when you go out to farm. Before eight o’clock, you line up and you get your token, go to your farm when you’re coming back at 5:30 or from 530 from five o’clock, you surrender the token at the checkpoint and that is a very good measure and the military are doing patrol in the night to ensure that no strangers is lurking around. I can tell you that just as we’re in Maiduguri here, if you’re outside you hear about Maiduguri, you think is a hell, I’m just coming from my house to our studio which is about I think four or five kilometres away. Inside Maiduguri I can say is safer than Abuja. I said it before, and now Gwoza is very safe too and my concern was with the level of confidence whether they are demoralized, but they still go back to their farmlands. Fortunately, one of your reporters was with us, he saw everything himself and he was amazed. He slept in my house.
Are these suicide bombers identifiable, who exactly are they?
Well, let me tell you, as at yesterday before I came, I had a meeting with the brigade commander. They are still doing their investigation but one thing was sure, I interacted with the women and the remains of the suicide bombers, their faces don’t look at all like people from Gwoza and be rest assured, somebody would have identified them. So, these are people that were brought in because the woman plated their hair and their hands. They are indoctrinated to believe that once they detonate the bomb, they are going to heaven straight. The first one was with her daughter, she was holding the hand of her daughter and people thought they were beggars. So, as she detonated the bomb, it was then instantly eight people that lost their lives and just nearby, when they were preparing the dead ones for funeral, the second bomber detonated the second bomb and when the people were evacuated to hospital again for treatment, the third bomber detonated at the hospital. Fortunately, there was no casualty but people sustained injuries. And the fourth one was the one that was to be arrested and she detonated the bomb again killing one soldier and a civilian JTF as a result of the swift reaction of the security agencies, asking people everybody to go into his house. So, they will know the other one but the last one, they didn’t know. She was just coming in as a stranger, so she has no house to go and therefore the security agency confronted her and that was how she detonated the bomb. So, I can tell you that these people are from outside and not really from within Gwoza. But we’re suspecting highly, that maybe they have connivance with people that are informants or whatever because you can’t get somebody coming out directly from the bush or from the mandara mountain, because we’re suspecting that maybe they are from the mandara mountain which is one of the bad spots all from Sambisa all the way which is not far away from Gwoza. We still have some security challenges, but the military are up to it.
Leadership failure? Have the people learnt any lesson?
Well, let me tell you, this is not an issue of blame. It’s not a blame game. The only mistake that we as politicians take responsibility for is when these things started, and I think I was a victim when I was raising the concern about this Boko Haram earlier in the previous government even during Jonathan, late Yara’Adua and people who are politicizing it, it is not an issue that you can only blame the politicians. We also in our place are blaming ourselves because by the time this thing was going on, people were not coming out to expose these people nor provide information that would have led to nipping it in the bud until it started getting out of hand and now that is out of hand and we even have external forces joining them. That is the ISWAP from the ISIS and we have the Boko Haram, and we have criminals among them. So, one cannot say that this thing will be brought down to zero level but as it is now in Gwoza, Gwoza is coming back. As I said when journalists visited me today, so far during the government of Professor Babagana Zulum, in my local government- 10 villages, including Gwoza itself, were resettled and we’re still going on because next now, there are villages to be settled. So, as you can see, there is a tremendous progress being achieved by the state government, especially under the leadership of Professor Babagana Zulum if all these efforts are sustained, and he has more support that he requires because everything will require resources.
You headed the Committee on the army, what do you think is the right thing to be done in fixing this problem?
Well, I can’t say I can exactly answer this question straight out. But I can tell you that one of the major issues that I had, and that led to my removal as the chief whip is my complaint, that the President is not very accessible. If he’s accessible, I would have told him this in a close door, not on TV, but I can tell you that I made effort. For myself. I made several efforts, I wrote severally so that we can discuss some of these things, but I didn’t have the chance but I have no grudge now that we don’t have any communication. But definitely, we are moving forward in terms of security in one area in other areas like Zamfara; what is happening in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna. I can’t speak that much about it. But we know that the security challenges are still there. Even recently. What I’m saying is this, security matter is a collective matter. Everybody should come out and talk about it. Everybody should do something, say something so that we can bring it to an end. The earlier we keep on deceiving ourselves, that it’s all over or it’s under control, then we will not get the control. But so far, I can’t say the government is not doing anything. They are investing into it. Like in my place, as I said I can talk about Gwoza. I went to Gwoza and slept. I did not sleep with the soldiers in my house. I did not sleep with the soldiers roaming around. So that means there is improvement in Gwoza. But as for other areas, this is not something that I can say, you have representative from other areas that know what is going on. But in conclusion, every government should take care of the security and welfare of its citizens. So, the government should concentrate more on that before any other thing, any other thing is secondary.
You are one of those who brought this government into power, how would you face Nigerians who are disappointed by this government?
When as you said, putting all, the APC is nine years old, isn’t it? And the PDP which was the former ruling party spent 16 years, four terms. And most of the damage started from them. As I told you, I’m not good at the blame game. No. Our APC, I was one time in PDP. It’s not a matter of party now. It’s not a matter of party, it is a matter of security and welfare of Nigerians; it’s not matter of party but a matter of hunger and insecurity that are facing us. So, if we start the blame game, we will not get a solution. Tinubu as you said, is only one year old.
You promoted this government from the beginning, did you lie to Nigerians?
No, I’m sure if you will be fair to APC, we’re, just one year old. Tinubu’s government is just one year old. So, if you will give him a chance, I’m sure he’s listening to most of these complaints out there and he is a reacting person. You can see after we shouted on this issue of anger, he released 20 trucks of grains to each state, he agreed to raise the minimum wage to 70,000. All these are progress, but because of the severity of the problem we are in and because of people like you, you still say that nothing has been done. If somebody can achieve even these few things in one year, everybody was shouting that the fuel subsidy should go and that was what triggered this problem. So, it’s not a single decision. Most Nigerians were asking for it. And I think the best thing is to encourage Mr. president to listen more to open his doors more and then to do what he needs to do more because there are indications that he is winning, or he should take responsibility or whatever we find ourselves. Unfortunately, globally, there is issue of hunger, there is issue of poverty and it is global, but then, that is not an excuse. We have taken government.
Planned nationwide protest
I told you this situation my people are. We’re 21 days or 22 days since these incidents happened on the 29th. We are struggling to go back to farm. We are struggling to survive. And we can see that the state government and other agencies are coming here out to help us. We are dealing with that situation. Do we have time to go and protest and protest to who?
So, I don’t think that protest will happen in Maiduguri. But that is not to say that people should not show their grievances. My fear is, in most cases, looking at what happened during the ENDSARS, I hope it doesn’t get out of hand and more especially when you cannot identify the leadership, that makes it more difficult. Now we only see the warning to go on strike. And we don’t know who are the faces. But as I said, that is not in my place. We are dealing with security issues.
NLC leader asked the President to listen to Nigerians in the light of the planned protest, do you think the president is listening.
I so second his motion. Tell him I second his motion that the President should listen to the cry of Nigerians
How would the President show that he listens?
Let the president talk. I think the president should talk to Nigerians or the youths.
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