The Governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress [ADC] in the last general elections in Kwara State and the immediate past chairman of the Nigerian Bar and Association [NBA], Ilorin branch, Barr. Issa Manzuma speaks in this interview with our JUDICIARY CORRESPONDENT, KAYODE ADEOTI, on the plan to mop up arms from paramilitary and private organisations by Federal Government as a way of fighting insecurity in Nigeria among other sundry issues. Excerpts:
The major issue generating discourse among members of the public is over the calibre of people make the President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet, what is your take on this?
The first thing the President should consider in selecting his cabinet is people whose records of commitment and experience are in accordance with the goals of his administration. Probity, transparent and the zeal to fight corruption should be given premium. One major challenge in the country is insecurity. Most importantly, I will emphasise that the Minister for Interior and Defence should be those who have experience to man the sector. Recently, 50 people were killed in Taraba State by bandit, also in Kaduna, Katsina, Nassarawa, Yola, and in the South-South. We want people who are equal to the task in tackling the security challenges. Something dramatic must be done as a matter of urgency to salvage Nigeria from the hand of insurgency.
What is your view on the argument of members of the public that the present government is using EFCC to humiliate and fight its perceived enemies?
I may not totally agree to that, I think certainly, corruption is fighting back. It’s not easy to fight corruption in Nigeria, it’s something that has been with us since independence. The situation appears overwhelming.
How do you see the recent operations of the EFCC especially in Kwara State?
It is until investigations are concluded and people are arraigned in court then we can judge the agency, especially their operations in Kwara, but, if at the end, no conviction is secured, then, we can conclude that EFCC has only come to witch-hunt certain government officials in our State. The agency is still at the stage of taking people to court, it will be too early to draw any conclusion as regards their performance.
Community, state police, are you in support of it?
I’ve suggested in many fora, the need to have community even state police. Whatever we think state police will do for politicians, federal police are also doing the same. Kwara State Road Traffic Management Authority [KWATMA] and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority [LASTMA] are doing better in terms of traffic control, discipline on the road than Federal agencies saddled with the responsibility to control our traffic. Even the federal police are subject to governors who can do their biddings. To have effective security control in the country, we need it. It’s time for us to have it.
How do you see the withdrawal of Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa from the presidential election Tribunal?
That’s the basis of our system, the administration of Justice, once there is an allegation of bias against any judicial officer, the proper thing for such person is to step aside from the case. That is exactly what she has done. It doesn’t mean that the allegation is founded but to give transparency to the process of the adjudication at the Tribunal. The appropriate thing for her is to withdraw so that justice will be seen to have been done.
[Cuts in:] Are you suggesting that the former CJN, Justice Samuel Walter Onnoghen ought to have resigned immediately criminal allegation was established against him?
The situations are not the same, Onnoghen’s case was an allegation of criminal offence which was subject to proof. But in any case, if Onnoghen had taken that step too, it would have served the system better. But Bulkachuwa established the principle of law, once there is an allegation of biases against judicial officer over a case, the best for such person is to transfer the matter away from his court.
Do you see withdrawal of firearms from paramilitary, private organisations as a way of curbing crime in the society?
The issue of proliferation of arms in West Africa, Nigeria in particular has been for long. Efforts have been made in the past to mop up small arms in the country but it has not yielded desired result. Unfortunately, there is heightened security situation in the country, everywhere across the country, we hear of communal crisis, abduction, kidnapping, armed robbery and the likes. I think it’s a step in right direction to mop up small arms in the country. There appears to be many security agencies bearing arms in the country. The Civil Defence is playing complementary roles to the police, for private citizens, it is better, licenses are withdrawn from them. There are arms everywhere, especially AK47 riffle, we don’t know where they’re coming from.
