Related Posts
A former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), now Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse, speaks with FRIDAY OLOKOR on the work of the committee and his term in Lagos, among other issues
Q: Now that President Muhammadu Buhari has been re-elected, what do you think the regime accomplish in the next four years?
I expect the execution of the Next Level programmes, which is the intensification of the three components of governance – the economy, security and fighting corruption. The President has said there will be more work on infrastructure, that is power, rail, roads and good water supply. We pray that the Mambilla project and the second Niger Bridge will be completed. There is an expressway linking Abuja to Lagos through Ibadan; it will be completed. The eastern railway, linking Port Harcourt with Maiduguri, will also be completed. It will link Yola and Jalingo in Taraba State, passing through Enugu. It will link Akwa, Nnewi, Abakaliki. From Lafia, it will come to Abuja. From that corridor, we will be able to go to any part of the country.
The western rail corridor also will be done. The coastal corridor from Lagos to Calabar will be done.
In education, there will be serious work as we have been told – 10,000 schools will be remodelled every year and hundreds of thousands of teachers will be re-trained.
In the health sector, the health insurance scheme is going to be completely changed in favour of the poor who will not need counterpart funding. Forty per cent of the poor will not need counterpart funds; it will be almost free. And in the area of security too, Boko Haram will be nailed finally by the grace of God.
Q: Why did the Buhari administration abandon the Almajiri education, a project started by the previous regime?
It will be modified and it will form part of the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse, which I chair. The Almajiri syndrome needs to be squarely addressed. It will be a combination of Islamic school and the western education. We will also make sure that where they go to school, the teachers will be qualified to teach the children so that we will kill two birds with one stone. It will be in our recommendations.
Q: Why do you think contributed to the victory of Buhari in the presidential election?
The massive support of the citizens for President Buhari is a clear testimony to the fact that democracy is alive in Nigeria. The people actually trust and believe in him as a leader. This is based on his impeccable character and the work that he is doing. Looking at the results of the presidential election, you will find out that the gap that is created in 2019 between Buhari and the loser of the election (the runner up) is wider than what we had in 2015. We are very encouraged and excited about it.
Q: Are you not worried that the candidate of the People Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has refused to congratulate President Buhari on his victory?
That is his own decision. The President, I am sure, will begin to consolidate on his outlined plans and what he wants to achieve for the people and the country. I am personally on top of all that the drug abuse elimination committee, which I chair, will do. We will make sure we get our reports before this government is out in May so that it will be part of the work in the new administration. As you know, drug abuse is a very devastating thing; it is everywhere and we are very excited that he won this election and this will be part of what he will do.
Q: What are some of the recommendations of your drug abuse elimination committee?
We have not yet submitted the report. It is not ready; we are still working. But I will tell you very quickly that we are facing it from two sides. Firstly, from the supply side in which case, how we can cut down on the supply. Institutions, such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Police Force, will all be strengthened in order to find out why the drugs get in. And you have seen that these institutions are working. Over 100 containers of Tramadol were recently seized.
On the other side is the demand by the drug abusers. They need treatment facilities, rehabilitation and counselling centres. They need to get back to their families and reintegrated into the community. The school system needs to tackle this problem.
We also need to face those who are not yet taking drugs so that you block them. And then we will face those who have started but are not yet addicts. Then of course, we will face the drug addicts. These are the things we are working on in the recommendations.
Q: Is it true that you don’t have a house in Lagos where you were a military administrator for many years?
I don’t have a house in Lagos. I don’t have even a plot of land. I used to have a small place which I obtained from the Federal Ministry of Works. It was called New Design. It is like a hollow shell, which you would build up. I owned it for a few years but I had to sell it. When I go to Lagos now, I stay in a hotel.
Q: Are you afraid you could be attacked?
Definitely not! I always feel safe in Lagos. I even did my primary school in Lagos in the 1960s. I am very familiar with the environment. I did my primary school in Lagos. We were transferred from Abeokuta in 1964. We were the first occupants of the Ikeja Cantonment in 1964, coming from Abeokuta. I also schooled in Lafenwa, Abeokuta.
Q: Do you speak Yoruba, having schooled in Lagos and Abeokuta?
I speak Yoruba sparingly. I had to do Yoruba for my First School Leaving Certificate. In those days, you had to do it. I remember very well; those were the days when religion was not an issue in Nigeria. In primary school, we used to read and sing the Christian hymns in Yoruba. It was no big deal and I would go back home as a Muslim to do my normal obligations. But I don’t think anybody will try that in Nigeria today. It will be a big issue.
Q: Do you miss Lagos in any way?
It is a great place to live. There is no place like Lagos as far as Nigeria is concerned. It is unique in its own way – very boisterous, dynamic, engaging and the people are great people. I respect Lagosians.
Q: Can you pinpoint one memorable thing that will always remind you of your stay in Lagos?
There are three remarkable things not just one. Certainly, I won’t forget December 16, 1996. It’s the bomb blast on my convoy which missed me by a whisker. I will also not forget the passing on of the great man, Chief M.K.O. Abiola. That was a very disturbing period. There was even a myth about the condolence visit I paid to his family. They said I was in military uniform and when I got there, they asked me to go and change. I was in mufti because it was after the Friday mosque. I had difficulty getting into the family house. But eventually, I got in alone, with no aides. They denied the Commissioners of Police, State Security Services, my ADC and orderly entry. Nobody was allowed to go in with me.
Q: Looking back as the administrator of Lagos State, were there things you would have loved to do differently?
Nothing comes to mind that I would have loved to do differently. Maybe, if I think more. But right now, there is nothing. We have to be grateful to God and the people.
Q: You once sent ram as a gift to the late Chief Gani Fawehemi, which he rejected. How did you feel then?
Maybe it was a little mischief on my part; it was like let me taunt this good friend of mine. That was why the rams were sent from me, not from the government. The little mischief was that maybe he would think it was the government that was wasting money, giving the Great Gani rams which he could afford, to compromise or bribe him. But at that time, I didn’t need any favour from anyone in Lagos; there was no need for me to bribe anyone. In fact, if you review the story when Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar came to power, Gani Fawehinmi was in detention. I made a case to the Head of State then and he (Gani) was released. I still remember it had something to do with the demonstration for the June 12 struggle. Eventually, it ended well and we (Gani and I) remained friends till he died.
Q: Now that President Muhammadu Buhari has been re-elected, what do you think the regime accomplish in the next four years?
I expect the execution of the Next Level programmes, which is the intensification of the three components of governance – the economy, security and fighting corruption. The President has said there will be more work on infrastructure, that is power, rail, roads and good water supply. We pray that the Mambilla project and the second Niger Bridge will be completed. There is an expressway linking Abuja to Lagos through Ibadan; it will be completed. The eastern railway, linking Port Harcourt with Maiduguri, will also be completed. It will link Yola and Jalingo in Taraba State, passing through Enugu. It will link Akwa, Nnewi, Abakaliki. From Lafia, it will come to Abuja. From that corridor, we will be able to go to any part of the country.
The western rail corridor also will be done. The coastal corridor from Lagos to Calabar will be done.
In education, there will be serious work as we have been told – 10,000 schools will be remodelled every year and hundreds of thousands of teachers will be re-trained.
In the health sector, the health insurance scheme is going to be completely changed in favour of the poor who will not need counterpart funding. Forty per cent of the poor will not need counterpart funds; it will be almost free. And in the area of security too, Boko Haram will be nailed finally by the grace of God.
Q: Why did the Buhari administration abandon the Almajiri education, a project started by the previous regime?
It will be modified and it will form part of the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse, which I chair. The Almajiri syndrome needs to be squarely addressed. It will be a combination of Islamic school and the western education. We will also make sure that where they go to school, the teachers will be qualified to teach the children so that we will kill two birds with one stone. It will be in our recommendations.
Q: Why do you think contributed to the victory of Buhari in the presidential election?
The massive support of the citizens for President Buhari is a clear testimony to the fact that democracy is alive in Nigeria. The people actually trust and believe in him as a leader. This is based on his impeccable character and the work that he is doing. Looking at the results of the presidential election, you will find out that the gap that is created in 2019 between Buhari and the loser of the election (the runner up) is wider than what we had in 2015. We are very encouraged and excited about it.
Q: Are you not worried that the candidate of the People Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has refused to congratulate President Buhari on his victory?
That is his own decision. The President, I am sure, will begin to consolidate on his outlined plans and what he wants to achieve for the people and the country. I am personally on top of all that the drug abuse elimination committee, which I chair, will do. We will make sure we get our reports before this government is out in May so that it will be part of the work in the new administration. As you know, drug abuse is a very devastating thing; it is everywhere and we are very excited that he won this election and this will be part of what he will do.
Q: What are some of the recommendations of your drug abuse elimination committee?
We have not yet submitted the report. It is not ready; we are still working. But I will tell you very quickly that we are facing it from two sides. Firstly, from the supply side in which case, how we can cut down on the supply. Institutions, such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Police Force, will all be strengthened in order to find out why the drugs get in. And you have seen that these institutions are working. Over 100 containers of Tramadol were recently seized.
On the other side is the demand by the drug abusers. They need treatment facilities, rehabilitation and counselling centres. They need to get back to their families and reintegrated into the community. The school system needs to tackle this problem.
We also need to face those who are not yet taking drugs so that you block them. And then we will face those who have started but are not yet addicts. Then of course, we will face the drug addicts. These are the things we are working on in the recommendations.
Q: Is it true that you don’t have a house in Lagos where you were a military administrator for many years?
I don’t have a house in Lagos. I don’t have even a plot of land. I used to have a small place which I obtained from the Federal Ministry of Works. It was called New Design. It is like a hollow shell, which you would build up. I owned it for a few years but I had to sell it. When I go to Lagos now, I stay in a hotel.
Q: Are you afraid you could be attacked?
Definitely not! I always feel safe in Lagos. I even did my primary school in Lagos in the 1960s. I am very familiar with the environment. I did my primary school in Lagos. We were transferred from Abeokuta in 1964. We were the first occupants of the Ikeja Cantonment in 1964, coming from Abeokuta. I also schooled in Lafenwa, Abeokuta.
Q: Do you speak Yoruba, having schooled in Lagos and Abeokuta?
I speak Yoruba sparingly. I had to do Yoruba for my First School Leaving Certificate. In those days, you had to do it. I remember very well; those were the days when religion was not an issue in Nigeria. In primary school, we used to read and sing the Christian hymns in Yoruba. It was no big deal and I would go back home as a Muslim to do my normal obligations. But I don’t think anybody will try that in Nigeria today. It will be a big issue.
Q: Do you miss Lagos in any way?
It is a great place to live. There is no place like Lagos as far as Nigeria is concerned. It is unique in its own way – very boisterous, dynamic, engaging and the people are great people. I respect Lagosians.
Q: Can you pinpoint one memorable thing that will always remind you of your stay in Lagos?
There are three remarkable things not just one. Certainly, I won’t forget December 16, 1996. It’s the bomb blast on my convoy which missed me by a whisker. I will also not forget the passing on of the great man, Chief M.K.O. Abiola. That was a very disturbing period. There was even a myth about the condolence visit I paid to his family. They said I was in military uniform and when I got there, they asked me to go and change. I was in mufti because it was after the Friday mosque. I had difficulty getting into the family house. But eventually, I got in alone, with no aides. They denied the Commissioners of Police, State Security Services, my ADC and orderly entry. Nobody was allowed to go in with me.
Q: Looking back as the administrator of Lagos State, were there things you would have loved to do differently?
Nothing comes to mind that I would have loved to do differently. Maybe, if I think more. But right now, there is nothing. We have to be grateful to God and the people.
Q: You once sent ram as a gift to the late Chief Gani Fawehemi, which he rejected. How did you feel then?
Maybe it was a little mischief on my part; it was like let me taunt this good friend of mine. That was why the rams were sent from me, not from the government. The little mischief was that maybe he would think it was the government that was wasting money, giving the Great Gani rams which he could afford, to compromise or bribe him. But at that time, I didn’t need any favour from anyone in Lagos; there was no need for me to bribe anyone. In fact, if you review the story when Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar came to power, Gani Fawehinmi was in detention. I made a case to the Head of State then and he (Gani) was released. I still remember it had something to do with the demonstration for the June 12 struggle. Eventually, it ended well and we (Gani and I) remained friends till he died.
(Punch)
