He did what he did because he thinks it is in the interest of the state. After all, most of the people working with him were those who worked with the suspended governor. The SSG and permanent secretaries now still working with him were those who worked with Joshua.
What steps are national legislators from Plateau taking to ensure that democracy returns to the state soon
We must identify with the Administrator to ensure that peace is restored and that he does not exceed six months. We must identify with him; beyond verbal identification to constructive linkage with the grassroots to ensure that proper mobilisation is done. We have to ensure that those who are victims of the crisis are not short-changed; there is disarmament, and the reports of commissions of inquiry are implemented. These are the issues on the agenda for peace, and those of us in the National Assembly from Plateau share these.
How would you described the call by some elders in the state, for an extension of the state of emergency
Whether we like it or not, if peace is restored before six months, the Administrator must go. If after six months there is no peace, the Administrator will stay. I think it is a bit premature to begin to canvass for extension even when the man has not exhausted the first six months. We have to wait for the first six months to end. The final say, however, rests with the National Assembly.
What is your view on the position of the state House of Assembly taking the Federal Government to court over their suspension
It is their constitutional right. Everybody has the right to go to court and seek redress for whatever perceived injustice he feels he has suffered. The House has not done anything that it should not have done; it is for the court to say they are right or wrong.
Is it too early to assess the administrator
I see that the man is sincere. I see too that he has identified the sources of continuous crisis in the state. I am satisfied with the steps he has taken so far. A proper appropriation law was not in place for the state when he came. He has sent that for the President's endorsement, which was a step in the right direction. He has come up with a budget for youth empowerment and for a token compensation for the victims of the crisis. I think these are steps in the right direction. He has said that all those who were displaced should returned. When other things are in place, normalcy would return. I am impressed with his grasp of the issues at stake and the steps he has taken in trying to implement them. I am also impressed and grateful to the National Assembly for approving N2.5 billion for this project.
Is the N2.5 billion approved for the Administrator all right
The N2.5 billion that the National Assembly approved for the Administrator will not even be adequate because by the time he dispenses N100,000 to each of the estimated 100,000 displaced persons, about N1 billion would have gone. That has not addressed the issue of cash allowance of the security personnel involved in the surveillance in the southern senatorial zone. It has not addressed the issue of communications and transportation. You do not just keep soldiers in the bush because they are soldiers, you must keep them to live with civilians and then transport them to areas where their presence is needed. This of course imposes a very heavy burden on the administrator. Therefore, if you look at all these things, I think that N2.5 billion will not even be sufficient. There is an interesting component, which is the programme for youth empowerment along the line of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) apprenticeship programme. That is the only way you can reduce unemployment among the youths and I think the administration needs a lot of money to be able to prosecute that and we should encourage and support him.
How do you see the cash reward to those who voluntarily surrendered their arms, although many of them have now refused to collect their cash rewards
Government did the right thing by monetising the rewards for the return of arms. Those who surrendered their arms did it in the interest of peace; they should not be shy or afraid of being filmed. Anyway, it could also be seen that anybody who has submitted his arms and refused to come for his reward was simply not interested. They cannot be forced. It was good that the government has made it public because if government secretly pays these people, many people would not be convinced of the sincerity of government. The essence was to ensure that government was sincere and committed to the restoration of peace. If in the end, too many people fail to turn up, the administrator would have no choice but to redesign his approach to the whole thing.
What is the merit of the bill before the National Assembly seeking to proscribe the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)
I will not support that bill because before this time there were laws nationalising the trade unions. In 1988, something like that took place. NLC has shown that with unity and with an umbrella organisation, the workers can be properly mobilised. Moreover, it is not in the interest of democracy and the government to proscribe NLC. When you have people who are organised and who have grievances, it is easier to manager them. It is easier to deal with one set of leadership, than to have about 48 different leaders from 48 different trade unions. I think what President Olusegun Obasanjo is doing is wrong and he is being ill advised because NLC has consistently opposed the increases in the prices of petroleum products. Whether you proscribe NLC or not, the disaffection by Nigerians against the continuous increase in the prices of petroleum products will remain. If anything, it will even be more dangerous because by the time NLC talks and calls for a strike, you can call them and negotiate and normalcy is restored. Now if there is no NLC and all the unions spontaneously decide to react, then it will be more dangerous. What government is doing is courting trouble and I think that somebody should advise Mr. President to drop the idea. We will try to ensure in the National Assembly that the bill does not cross the second reading.
All the fears about the NLC are misplaced. What has NLC done The fact is that the president and his party men are not used to opposition and because the opposition parties are not as vibrant and vociferous as the NLC, they think NLC is becoming a parallel government for example. The other implication of what government is doing is to force workers to metamorphose into a labour party, and when they are registered, it would be worse for government.`
The man was sent to administer and that means he is to take charge. Anyway, we did not need 20 ministries in Plateau due to our financial position. I think that it is a decision that should have been taken a long time. I think that he did not exceed his brief. His mandate is to take any action or decision that will ensure the restoration of peace in Plateau and put the state back on course for progress
