Yusuf Haruna is a security expert and former chief security officer to Adams Oshiomole. In this interview with journalists in Lokoja, this governorship aspirant in Kogi state says he is out to rescue Kogi state from its present precarious situation. OYIBO SALIHU was there for Blueprint.
What is your driving force towards Lugard House?
Just like I have always said, my driving force is the hues and the cries of Kogi people. I recognised the fact that if someone feels he is self sufficient in terms of wealth but majority of the people live in penury, I don’t think that we should turn our face the other way.
The complains and even the deaths we record here are practical issues that can be confirmed or verified. The suffering is so endemic that the people can no longer endure it. Kogi is a salary-backed state which means that it is when salaries are paid that there would be money in circulation. That is how those in construction, artisans and others would be able to earn a living. But once a government refuses to pay salaries after collecting monthly allocations from the federal government, the life support has been removed from the people and when that is done, the end result is nothing but death.
As we speak, most people dying as a result of non-payment of salaries and pension. We can no longer keep quiet and watch people die every day. This is not based on sentiment; Kogi Central has never governed the state before until God gave us the privilege and the opportunity to serve humanity. Governance must have human face to provide for the people their basic needs; it is their constitutional right because a worker deserves his wage. In Kogi state, the story is different because of what people now call satanic salary structure. Genuine workers of Kogi state can no longer asses their monthly salaries and whichever way you look at it, the problem is all over the state because nothing is really working as virtually all sectors in the state have collapsed. The education sector is completely in comatose because the real major factor of motivation is missing. When teachers are not being paid and majority have taken to farming in order to survive, the classrooms will be empty. This problem is at the three levels of educational institutions in the state where teachers have been rendered into street beggars, competent and experienced doctors have left the service of the state due to non payment of salary. The judiciary workers that are the last hope of the common man have not been paid for over one year. This is ridiculously unheard of and not healthy for the future of the state.
Most worrisome is the only university we have in the state that has been reduced to a glorified secondary school where most professors were sacked because they dared the government by asking for their salaries and other emoluments. The university has been reduced to nothing. When you look at all of these where there are no physical development that can pave ways for progress and development to the state, it becomes a huge problem to the people and a source of concern to the elders and stakeholders. So, my driving force is that having worked for a decade, I know what good governance is all about because for ten years, I have painstakingly learnt how to carry out government policies to the benefit of the masses. My driving force is to rescue Kogi state. We need to rescue APC; we don’t want people to think that APC is a government that brought us sorrow, hardship and agony. The party is not the problem but the drivers of the policies in Kogi state are the real problem.
It is obvious that APC has adopted indirect primary as against the general outcry of members. Do you think this is fair enough?
Well, the party supremacy is bigger than any individual. The responsibility of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party is to look at all the issues before them, but in this regard, I don’t think the NWC will go against the interest of the party in the state.
In the last primary election that produced the flag bearer of the party in the person of late Prince Abubakar Audu, it was the same indirect primary and Yahaya Bello did not come first, but he is the governor today which was the hand work of the Almighty God. For me, I think that NWC should have been sensitive to the demand of the people. I think the party should have a human face to be able to feel the pulse of the people so that the primary election can be free and fair.
To give the Kogi people sense of belonging, I think direct primary would be the best for the party in order to reconnect members with the party so that on their own, they can chose who would fly the flag of the party. I am sure that the critical stakeholders would still persuade the NWC to have a rethink.
Kogi is a solid mineral and agricultural state. If you are given the mandate, which area would you focus on?
One of the major problems of Nigeria is that the discovery of crude oil in the country over times has really brought indolence and quick money making syndrome that have virtually turned our face away from the mineral resources that God gave us. I think it is very clear to us now and we have learnt our lesson because even the crude oil the price is diminishing gradually and can no longer foot our domestic needs. Given the opportunity, we will bring in current technology to harness the solid minerals in the state and we will subsidise the cost of acquiring farming equipment that will aid massive agricultural production so that farmers can enjoy and there will be available food stuff for consumption. On the issue of mineral deposits, Kogi is one of the most blessed in Nigeria. We will involve the modern technology to locate the mineral deposits in the state for the purpose of mining. We will also collaborate with the federal government to give life to Ajaokuta Steel Company that is capable of generating enormous revenue to the government and creation of thousands of jobs to unemployed youth across the country through the subsidiary companies that will spring up.
Despite the effort at tackling insecurity, kidnapping and armed robbery are twin major challenges. What would you do if you become governor?
Well, what I found in a political environment is like a game of draft where everybody claims to be an expert yet, many do not know the principle and concept of the game. How can someone be an expert in an area he is not trained in? I make bold to say that I am a security expert and if you check my records, I have trained locally and internationally.
Intelligence is the best form of tackling issues of security. Deploying physical security everywhere is fine, but that is not the real core method of dealing with insecurity. Many lives have been wasted in Kogi state as a result of insecurity and up till now, the perpetrators of the heinous crimes have not been apprehended meaning that they are still around. The best form of security is crime prevention which means you don’t allow crime to occur. We can reduce all of that to the barest minimum. It is about putting all the knowledge and experience together into practice by making everybody security- conscious. What is happening in Kogi right now is reactive security measure instead of preventive that is the best form.
How will you empower the youths and women to reduce youth restiveness?
Once maximum security of life and property is being put in place, we will invite foreign investors, and once there is massive investment in the state, jobs would be created. In addition to that we will build vacation centres in every local government areas of the state where people can learn a trade so that they can acquire skills in their chosen career.
