A former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Professor Usman Yusuf, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had nothing to celebrate after marking one year in office, and so, he latched on to the June 12 celebrations instead.
Yusuf said this in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Saturday, where he also addressed the Emirate Tussle in Kano State, saying that the timing of the scuttle is suspect as it is a huge distraction to the real issues occurring around Nigeria.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s democracy, Yusuf said, “There is a saying- what does democracy mean to a hungry person? It’s been 25 years, unbroken democracy. What does it mean to a hungry person? Fellow Nigerians, we need to ask ourselves, is our life better today compared to 28th of May, 2003? The answer for everybody in this country is no.
“Our democracy is very fragile, and democracy needs to be nourished. It’s like a flower, it needs to be nourished, it needs to be watered, it needs to be given fertilizer. But our politicians are taking this, our democracy, our hard-won democracy, for granted, just like they are taking Nigerians for granted. The ordinary worker’s salary cannot pay for his food, cannot pay for rent, cannot pay for shelter, cannot pay for other necessities of life. And here we are celebrating. What do we have to show?
“For me, what I said is because President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had nothing to celebrate after his one-year anniversary, he latched on to the June 12.”
He then said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should have known better. He is no more a NADECO President, he is president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and acknowledge Nigerians more than any other person on June 12 and let’s move on. So for me, June 12th celebration was just he wanted to celebrate his one year failure of democracy. He needs to do better, Nigerians are groaning, there is hunger in the land, everywhere you see it.”
Yusuf the addressed the controversy surrounding the Kano Emirship, saying, “So on the Kano tussle, for us out here, we’re very circumspect about discussing the Kano issue, not only because it is before the courts of law, but this is a fight between brothers, blood brothers. Kano Emirate has been around for over 1000 years. So for us, we are starting to see the circus playing out in Kano, and we just hope it gets sorted out. Kano politics is not politics anywhere, so the federal government and the state governments need to be mature and do it right, and even security agencies. We should not meddle with Kano and allow the process to go through.
“But this is a fight between brothers and if you get involved, you get burnt. But for us, this, what we see is another big distraction, it’s a huge distraction, just like the change in national anthem. The timing is suspect. Our people are suffering. Millions go to bed hungry with no certainty of having anything to eat when they wake up. But here we are, Emirs that have never known what poverty is fighting it out. So please, Nigerians and people in Kano are not in the mood for all of this, and I applaud the maturity of people of Kano and elders, and they are going about their mind and minding their own business and not getting involved in any violence.
“The leadership, the government- both state and federal- need to be mature and handle this properly, and that’s all I’ll have to say.”
The medical doctor then went on to discuss insecurity and banditry in Nigeria, especially with the ongoing issue in Zamfara state, as he said, “Zamfara is the banditry HQ. It’s the hub of banditry. Over 70% of all bandits have their return address to Zamfara. This was long before he (President Tinubu) came, so this is not new news. We shouted that to the President, President Muhammadu Buhari, his NSA and all the service Chiefs, and all the governors at that time, because we know the facts, we were in the bushes, we see all the bandits, we can get their address back home. So it’s not new and he should know that.
“Another thing, the reason we’re having all these problems in Zamfara, which is really really concerning to all of us that know this thing, is that the governor of Zamfara is not good terms with the immediate past governor of Zamfara, who is now the Minister of State, Defence. So, if the governor of a state, you are not in good terms with the centre and you need help, how can they help you?”
Offering his opinions on the solutions to the issue of insecurity in the country, Yusuf then said, “I’ve always said, and it’s very true, problems are local. Solutions must be found locally. All the big plans from Abuja we’ve been doing over the last eight years have not worked and will not work because there’s no consultation with the local. The banditry in Zamfara is distinctly different from what you see in Katsina, from what you see in Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, and Benue and Plateau.
“So, every governor must understand- what is his local issues? Who are the main actors? Where are they? Who are the interlocutors? Who can you talk to? What you have as a governor is to find peace and reduce the bloodshed.”
“Banditry is not a military problem, and it can never be won in the battlefield. The role of the military is to provide an enabling environment for dialogue, and dialogue must happen, and the federal government needs to come in force and own this dialogue, and make sure there is peace,” he added.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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