Work for the common interest of the people – Barr. Abdul Mumuni urges Ebira politicians.

The battle for supremacy in Kogi state by the major ethnic communities; Igalla, Ebira and Okuns have taken a dramatic turn as supporters of Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and Action Congress (AC) continue to unleash terror on one another in Okene and Ayignba. In this interview with Ismail M. Kabir, Barrister Abdul Mumuni Yakub Usman, a legal practioner, speaks on Ebira political naivety and other sundry issues.

Excerpts:

Can we meet you?

My name is Barrister Abdul Mumuni Yakubu Usman, a legal practitioner, an Ebira man from Kogi central, Nigeria.

Legally, who will you describe as an Ebira man?
An Ebira man is anybody that hails from kogi central, whether from Okene, Okehi, Adavi and Ajaokuta local Government areas.

We understand you are not a politician, but can you tell us about Ebiras, politically?
It is very unfortunate that politics in my own state is not what politics is meant to be. In Kogi state, we play politics of mischief and hooliganism. Politics where few money-bags hijack power and lodge it over the people. Politics is meant to be a service to the people but like we all know, this is not the case Kogi politics.

Could this be the reason for the current crises in your community?
A forward and backward trace of Ebira crises will stop at the bus stop of Ebira politicians because they empower ‘the boys’ with their money who perpetrate all the troubles experienced in Okene and entire Ebiraland today.

What can you say about the recent annulment of Kogi state’s governorship election by the Supreme Court?
The judiciary has just displayed what is expected of a true democracy because we all know that the April 2007 election was no election. It could be described as selection by the ruling party, PDP. In the first place, the reason for annulling the election arose from INEC’s unilateral exclusion of a particular gubernatorial candidate, denying him of his constitutional right to contest in the election. Beyond this, even if the aggrieved candidate has not contested the case in the court, the election would still be annulled as it was marred with irregularities including riggings and ubiquitous violence.

There are reports of agitation for power shift to Kogi central; do you think this recent development could help in realizing this long agitation?
It should if my people can get it right. Are they united in this agitation? This is the question. There was election in April 2007 and immediately, they started killings and destruction of property. They lost at the state level; they have lost at the national level long before now. They have control of their own senatorial district, yet the violence continued. They have to get things right in their senatorial district before contesting any position in the state.

Your people have been marginalized for too long. What is the legal implication of your people being denied their political rights in the state?
Let me first of all talk of the marginalization at the state level, in order word, in the state’s civil service. There is what we call federal character principle in the civil service semployment. If you look at the composition of the civil service in Kogi state, you’ll discover that one senatorial district has about 60 percent of the work force in the civil service followed by another senatorial district with about 30 percent leaving my people with just about 10 percent. This is very pathetic.

If my people stand to challenge this legally, they have every right to do so. The federal character commission can assist them in reversing the anomalies. But unfortunately, my people are not taking it legally.

On the issue of political ascension, we all know the reason for rotational presidency and rotations of political positions among the people in Nigeria. Obasanjo was elected in 1999 because the south-west felt cheated when late chief M. K. O Abiola was denied his mandate as Nigerian president. The North agreed that there was need for power shift to the South. In 2007 general election, we had three prominent Northerners contesting the presidential position because the South has ruled for eight years. It was only natural that power shifts to the north. But are the people of Kogi state united in this course? If they are, Audu has ruled for 8years and Ibrahim Idris spent 4 four years, both from the same senatorial district. Is it not natural that power shifts to another senatorial district? But like I said, the people of other senatorial districts have to be untied and speak with one voice but this change can be effected but not by struggling with the barrel of the gun.

How would you rate your people politically?
When you say my people, you are referring to Ebiras…right? They are politically naïve. They lack political calculations and strategies.

Could these have adversely affected their ability to wrestle other senatorial district in Kogi state?
It is the reason they cannot even utilize some the glaring advantages. If I may go into details, Kogi state has 3 senatorial districts. My people produce one implying that, they are in control of at least one senatorial district. We have three major contestants in this election, two of them from a particular senatorial district. What should be expected of my people is to negotiate with the senatorial district without a candidate for a consensus to unite behind a candidate.

Sir, will you like to go into politics?
Not the type being played in my state, not even this time!

Will you support non-Ebira candidacy in the gubernatorial pursuit in Kogi state?
I will always support the best candidate, personally. But as it is now, the balance of covenant, place it on an Ebira man; he will emerge as the Governor.

What is the advice for your politicians?
They should treat each other as friends. They should work together for the common interest of Ebira people, not for their personal interest because that is the major cause of the current crises in Ebiraland.