Should the National Electricity Power Authority be privatized?
My Role in Bakassi Peninsula Controversy - Agabi
12.07.2004
Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Kanu Agabi, SAN is presidential adviser on Government and Ethics, he had in the 70s resigned a commissioner ship position in the old Cross River State on grounds of principles. He has never changed as Joseph Ushigiale found out in this chance encounter You have moved from being a senator to a minister and now to your present position as adviser to the President on Ethics and Government. Are you still in politics, people don't seem to feel your impact back home in Cross River State? I'm still very much in politics and incidentally, since coming into government, my work has been more professional than political. My work in this government as an attorney general was professional and as an adviser to the President on Ethics and Good Governance, it is also very professional and leaves me with little room for politicking. As soon as I am through with serving this government in this professional capacity, why not? I am in politics to stay and would see no reason for quitting. Somebody recently questioned your choice as a merit award recipient, do you merit it? Well, I agree with whoever pointed that out on the premise that I didn't nominate or took the final decision to pick me for the award. I have no knowledge of how it is done. If you ask me to nominate or give myself this award, I would reject it. So, I agree with whoever said I don't deserve it, it is left for the public and not me to judge my conduct and performance. Let's get back to 1999, where your record, both in private and in the public sector, stood you out as a favourite to win the governor ship of the state, but you lost to incumbent Governor Donald Duke, any hard feelings? I have never felt bad. Never, ever. I am a lawyer, a senior advocate and a professional. I contested the election with the sole intention of serving and as soon as I lost it, I realized that was not God's wish for me and I went on. I have never felt aggrieved about that. Not at all. Infact, I started campaigning for Donald Duke at the field when he was declared the candidate, right there on the spot. I went to the field on television and campaigned for him. What makes people think I was and or should be aggrieved? The in-thing in your state (Cross River) is that power should shift to the Northern senatorial zone. Do you align with the claim that it is the turn of the North? I can't venture into a guess of that nature because these things reside in God's final decision. I don't think any man would claim he has absolute ability to bequeath power. In that vein, I am not in a position to tell whether power would shift either to the North, remain in the South or go to the Central. I know that it is in God's hands to give power and I believe it. Can we look at the practical step of negotiating for power. Can the North negotiate for power in Cross River State? Why not, I mean, it is a political situation, we are in a position to negotiate. How possible is it? I have told you it is not impossible and we are dealing with people. We can negotiate these things about who takes what and where. What has happened so far in the political arena, there are series of injustices and we know that very well. I mean nothing is predictable anymore, who doesn't know that. But even as unpredictable as these things have become, there is still room for negotiation. Since you said you would return to full time politics after serving this government... (interjected) I am still in it. Listen, I don't want us to go on deceiving ourselves. We have been rigging primaries, elections and congresses, where is the room for participation there? There is no room for participation there. If we do it correctly, you as a member of this community we are talking about, are you not aware of what goes on there? Are you not aware that rigging pervades our electoral processes and results are hardly determined by the electorates? Where is the room for participation, did you vote yourself the last time? Is this government a product of the picture you have just painted? It is not for me to say, use your own trained judgment. It is not my verdict that matters. Back home, people lay the blame for the ceding of Bakassi Peninsula to Camerouns on your shoulders. Would you take the blame? There is nothing in that assertion. It is errant nothing. There is no element of truth in it at all. Why would I do that? They came up with this allegation sometime ago in the state. I saw it in the newspapers, radio and television and I said there is no basis for it. I was not in the ministry of justice when the Bakassi case was being decided. I came into the ministry after the case had been concluded awaiting judgment, what had I to do with it? Is a referendum or plebiscite the answer at this point? I don't want to be involved in this matter because of the interpretations people are likely to attach to it. With the state government itself trying to stigmatize individuals, I mean why should I stick out my neck and give them something to use against me. Uptil now they have not had anything apart from their imaginations against me. But just know that of course I could never advise the Federal Government to hand over Bakassi to Cameroun. Why would I do that and what would I gain from that? Why would the President accept such an advice or do you think he is so daft that he is waiting for me to advice him along that line? There are growing fears that President Olusegun Obasanjo may succeed himself in office. The more he denies this allegation, the more it gathers momentum. Is it possible that the constitution under review could make provisions that would make this possible? It is the same thing. We are all the time spreading rumour, gossip and slander about others. Where is the basis for people to think the President wants to stay on? They are looking at the Constitution and various ideas are being proffered. Some are saying that a single term of either 5 or 6 years is preferable and so on. And just because of these proposals of a single term, rumour has started that the President has a hidden agenda. It is not correct. He has no plans to stay on for a third term. Even when the reviewed Constitution empowers him? It is impossible that the reviewed constitution would accommodate that. If the atmosphere is right in Cross River would you stick your name into the ring again? I have always served with my whole heart and it is not a question of sticking my neck. I am serving right now and that has always been my life. It is a great sacrifice to serve and live on a salary. If I am called upon I would not hesitate but it would purely be to serve. It is different from what others think that public service is all about privileges and benefits. It is not. I earn less than N1million a year, whereas if I decide to practice as a lawyer in a city like this (Abuja), I can't see myself earning less than N100 million a year. Some people don't seem to understand your nature, who are you? Well, I can't tell you. How could I? I am Kanu Agabi, that is who I am and that is all. What legacy would you like to leave behind? I live as God created me to live, as an ordinary person, without pretensions and do my best without raising eyebrow.
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