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Why ANPP is in crisis �Useni
Lt. General Jerry Useni (rtd) told
correspondent VINCENT EGUYANGA in Abuja that Chief Don Etiebet remains suspended
and that some northern governors are fuelling the crisis in the party.
The All
Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) have been having some problems lately and you are
deeply involved in the crisis. What is happening with ANPP.
As far as the National Executive Committee
(NEC) of ANPP is concerned, the former chairman Chief Don Etiebet has been
suspended as chairman since September and remains suspended since September, all
these noise about September resolution has nothing to do with Etiebet. The
resolution of 10th September was in respect of Bafarawa and Katuzi the former
national Secretary when we said the procedure for removing the secretary was not
followed, and therefore had to be recalled, but the suspension of Etiebet where
majority of NEC members met and brought out all constitutional breaches which we
used to suspend him.
But the Etiebet group is in control of
Party secretariat.
They are not in control of the party
secretariat. It is the police. This crisis was fuelled by Zamfara and Kebbi
state governors because they supported Etiebet. They arranged and moved the
police there. So the police had been there since the 9th of September.
Sir why are ANPP governors divided on
this issue. What are the external forces controlling the crisis.
They have their grudges starting with
three governors that are supposed to be brothers. Thats Zamfara, Kebbi and
Sokoto; they were all Sokoto State before, one expected that they should be
moving together like triplets but somehow they seem to be jealous of themselves
to the extent that the other two Zamfara and Kebbi are accusing Bafarawa, Sokoto
State governor of being pro-IBB whereas they are pro-Atiku and they have been
visiting Ota in Ogun State. They are not thinking about that when they go to Ota
they are not going to visit the farm. They are going to see the owner of Ota.
They are not talking about that. So they have this wrong notion that Bafarawa is
trying to take over the party and hand it over to Babangida. There is even
evidence that one of the governors, the Jigawa governor had already declared
intention to go to the PDP and to work particularly for Atiku. So the governors
try to bring their misunderstanding into the party. We all agreed that Etiebet
had not been working in the interest of the party. He had not been working
according to the constitution of the party, but some of them felt that if
Etiebet is removed it means that Bafarawa has won the battle.
Even though they agreed that things had
not been going well, they will rather stay with Etiebet so that people will not
say Bafarawa had taken over the party. So Etiebet remains suspended irrespective
of what some governor think or feel.
By the constitution of our party the most
senior member of NEC will take over in acting capacity until the next
convention. So not that the NEC decided to call on General Useni because he is
General Useni. General Useni, just happened to be the deputy national chairman
North. The deputy national chairman South had been under suspension for two
years just because he disagreed with Etiebet. So this is what he has been doing.
Once you disagree with him you are suspended. So that�s how I came to be. Not
that I looked for it or I wanted it. But I had to accept the provision of our
constitution.
Where does General Buhari belong in all
these.
Well Etiebet tried to rob Buhari in. He
tried to make people believe that some governors especially Bafarawa is not in
support of the Buhari�s court case, and that he Etiebet is in support of Buhari
case, Bafarawa doesn�t like him. But they forget that he cannot as a person say
that he is supporting Buhari. It is a party affair. If the party doesn�t
support, he can�t go there against the party. So to try and get unnecessary
attention or support or sympathy from Buhari by blowing this type of lie is very
unfortunate.
Talking about peace in Plateau State. You
are a member of the peace committee set up by the federal government. What is
all these talk about prolonging the tenure of state of emergency in Plateau
State. Is it part of the recommendation of your committee.
We didn�t talk about extension in our
report. What some of us said is that people should stop talking about whether
extension or not extension. But people should be praying hard that we get peace
after the declaration of the state of emergency was very clear. That there will
be state of emergency of six months in the first instance, not just six months.
That means that if peace is not achievable within that six months we will go
into another six months for the second instance. But some people don�t care if
there is peace or not. Those who are making noise are those who have been
benefitting during the dark days and they want it to continue. Even the
president said so during the inauguration of the peace committee that we should
not be deceived that a state that about four years to be destroyed you cannot
repair it in six months. So we have submitted our report, they have not yet been
implemented. We have said that those that are federally related should be sent
to the federal like some areas are talking of local government of their own. The
state government cannot create local govt.
It is a federal govt affairs. The police
need to be properly equipped and motivated, it is also a federal related
problem. Then those that are state owned problems will be implemented in the
states. So we are waiting for the implementation of our reports.
Talking about 2007. There is this talk of
power shift, power rotation etc. The people of the South East are also
clamouring for the presidency and the North too. Where do you support.
We took a decision during Gen. Abacha.
Because there was a properly constituted body that time. We foresaw this
problem. The committee set up by the government then under Gen. Abacha made a
recommendation that because of the call from every corner to be president lets
have five year one term. Every term it goes to another zone, with that by thirty
years every zone would have produced the president of Nigeria. After which we
now sit down to continue like that or look for the best material no matter where
it comes from. We accepted that recommendation. But when Abacha died the next
govt changed it so we do not go back to the problems we foresaw. I hope it is
reviewed.
So where do you think it is supposed to go
now.
Well it depends on the party.
What will you advise your party ANPP.
We will look at the best material. Right
now as far as our party is concerned General Buhari is still the presidential
candidate. In fact we still have between now and properly end of 2006. When we
shall have our convention to confirm. If more qualified people come out that
will be different.
General Yakubu Gowon a former head of
state from Plateau State like you had been going round apologising for what
happened during the civil war do you think there is a need for apology for the
civil war.
I don�t know if he apologised.
Especially the killing in Asaba.
Who killed in Asaba. It was war which
apology did he make. I am not aware of it. Since it was war, if you are trying
to shoot me will I leave you to shoot me. Its either I shoot you or you shoot
me.
Why was Aguiyi Ironsi killed. He was not
one of the first coup plotters. I mean Nzeogwu�s coup.
Well it was Nzeogu�s group that appointed
him head of state. So how do you interpret it. If I plot a coup and appoint you
as head of state its because you agreed with the coup. I can�t appoint my enemy
as head of state, if I doubt you I won�t appoint you.
Does that justify the killing of Aguiyi
Ironsi.
Well it was a coup just like you justify
the killing of Abubakar, justify the killing of Ahmadu Bello; it justify the
killing of former minister of finance, they were all killed in a coup. I will
only say that we should forgive ourselves. Thats all.
Do you think its time for Nigerians to
forgive one another over what happened in the past.
Thats why Justice Oputa panel was set up.
But they didn�t allow it to work or
succeed.
I didn�t kill it.
Would you support a National Conference on
Nigeria.
The National Assembly is there. No tribe
is absent at the national Assembly they should dialogue on how to move Nigeria
forward.
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