My own blueprint, as Malam Ali Wakili, or what? But as the chairman, Senate Committee on Poverty Alleviation, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not exist outside the laws of the country.
The constitution of Nigeria is very explicit as to the functions and responsibilities of the Senate viz-a-viz the legislators sitting in the chamber. They are there to make laws; they are there to have an oversight function. It is the responsibility of the executive to bring about policies, and it is our responsibility to ensure that laws are enacted for the fulfillment of those policies. We are not going to operate outside the constitution. Section 2 of the constitution, the directive principle of state policies is very explicit. Government is for the social wellbeing, economic prosperity and social development of the citizens. If you are talking about poverty, those are things that we are talking about. There will be nothing outside what the constitution stipulates. On the issue of poverty in Nigeria, each and every successive government since 1960 or from the military era has always had a policy. Remember we had Operation Feed the Nation, we had the green revolution, we have the NEEDS, LEEDS, NAPEP, Family Advancement Programme, SURE-P and so many others. We are awaiting the direction of Mr President on how to go about tackling the issue of poverty and unemployment. Remember the four most cardinal principles of Mr. President when he was campaigning were tackling insecurity, youth unemployment, issue of mineral resources and infrastructures. You can see from those he has assigned, he has taken very serious people that are tested to deal with such kinds of things - Babatunde Fashola, Kayode Fayemi, Rotimi Amaechi, Adamu Adamu.
Are you bringing out legislative measures to address poverty issues, having enumerated some of the policies that were pursued in the past?
That is for the future. Let us not be pre-emptive. You know the president is expected to have submitted the draft budget. We expect that all these things will be taken care of. Definitely, the Senate has discussed issues of unemployment and poverty. We agreed that we will look into the past palliative measures taken by government, most especially the YOU-WIN, SURE-P and others. We want to see what were their impact; why they were derailed, how much money was invested into them and how successful they were. We shall soon call for memoranda; we will enter a public hearing. The Senate has passed that resolution.
Your party made promise of N5000 monthly allowance for the unemployed. The opposition is hammering on the fact that it has made a promise it can’t fulfill?
That is not what happened. You remember that in the 7th assembly, we discussed the social security act where it is expected that unemployed youth, people of advanced age in terms of men and women and others with infirmities should be helped with certain resources from the state as obtained in other countries. The PDP are the opposition, they want to box us into a corner. They have to test our integrity. They have to incite the people against us because they have started the campaign for 2019. So, it was in the process of debate that one of the distinguished senators brought the issue that Mr. President was alleged to have promised that he would pay N5000 to the unemployed and others. I am not certain if Mr. President said that even though I know the present minister of information has come out to make some clarifications, that it is within the purview of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government to ensure that Nigerians are catered for.
We threw out the motion not because we don’t want Nigerians to be given N5000 but it was ill-timed. They were just playing to the gallery. It was a sort of political craftsmanship so that they can box us into a corner; to challenge our integrity as a party, and our leaders in the name of Mr. President.
Ideally, if they were very serious, they had the opportunity to implement the social security law. Secondly, Mr. President is implementing a budget he inherited from them for the year 2015. You know he has not reviewed the budget. That is not included in the budget. Thirdly, if you look at it, it is just being assumed. Everybody has his own different statistics of how many Nigerians are unemployed, ranging from 72 million to 112 million. If you are taking 112 million Nigerians that are unemployed and you are paying the N5000 monthly, so, if you tabulate N5000 times 112 million, you are running into over N543 billion. The last time the federation account money was shared, it was not up to N400 billion; if we look at the statutory money meant for the federal government, states and local governments and add it. Where will you get that money? You just have to plan for it. Those are the issues. But Nigerians are saying that some of us are heartless; that we don’t want them to benefit because we are taking jumbo pay and such things.
No, we did it for the best of intentions. There must be plan, there must be budget, and there must be money. As of today, everyone has heard Mr. President complaining of a lean treasury.
Is it not better to create industries that will bring salaries instead of giving N5000 stipends to the unemployed?
I didn’t tell you that anybody is paying the youth N5000. I didn't tell you they’re not paying. I am not from the executive. I have told you that ours is to make laws and to have oversight functions. We shall await the 2016 budget to be laid by Mr. President. It is from there that we will have the take-off fund. It is known to everybody that the solution to Nigeria's problems is not the issue of payment of stipends. I have said it that we have the oil that has become a curse to us. We need to diversify our economy; we need to have power fixed, we need to improve our agriculture, we need to exploit and explore mineral resources that are available. If we do all these, the people will not be interested in any stipends. They will not be interested in any white collar job.
Look at the agricultural potentials of Nigeria, if the government will prioritise this, most of the problems will be solved. We are even talking about alternative energy and other things. I quite agree with you that payment of N5000 stipend is not the issue but an enabling environment where power is fixed, where agriculture is prioritised, where education is taken seriously, where the various resources are exploited.
What is your opinion on the ministers recently inaugurated by the president?
I wish them well. Nigerians are waiting to see how they will steer the ship of the Nigerian state.
Tell us your expectations and areas you would want them to give greater attention to?
All Nigerians have spoken through their representatives during the screening. Everybody knows what Nigerians are expecting; good governance, we want our roads to be built, we want power to be fixed, we want them to generate employment, we want security and we want peace.
Some people are saying that some of the ministers are not qualified?
That is belated. The president has the discretion to assign those that will help him to govern, whatever the constitution says.
Local government elections in the state have been delayed. What is your take on this delay?
It is very sad. I know the APC will not allow such things to happen. It is undemocratic whereby you appoint sole administrators or caretaker committees. Where there are extant laws, there should be elections. The state assembly has control. God so kind, there are two courts, the federal high court and the state high court. The federal high court sitting in Lagos and the State high court sitting in Lokoja have outlawed caretakers running the affairs of Local Government Areas (LGAs). I will use this medium to urge the leadership of the party at the national level to ensure that the APC states comply soonest by ensuring that democratically elected chairmen are put in place by conducting elections. They should ensure that APC controlled states are not part of this charade because it is anti-democratic. Some of the governors continue to complain of funds. There is a monthly statutory allocation that comes for each and every local government; the 774 LGAs of the Nigerian state collect money from the federal government and they have other sources.
What plans do you have for your constituency?
I have always said we are expecting good governance, we are expecting good representation, Nigerians themselves, should take up the responsibility of checkmating their leaders, by ensuring that good governance is provided for them.
Source: Daily Trust
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