Ile-Arugbo: Our doors still widely open for out-of-court settlement – Kwara AG

In this interview with Mumini AbdulKareem, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr Salman Jawondo speaks on allegation of spending without appropriation level against Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Ile-Arugbo and rise in cultist activities in the state among others sundry issues. Excerpts:
The governor has been accused of spending Kwara tax payers money without due appropriation and even exceeding the limit, what is your reaction to this?
Firstly, I will like to ask that those that are giving out figures that from where did they get it and was there any amount budgeted for Covid-19 in the first instance, what is the amount that has been spent. This should not be about speculation but fact and figures. Having said this, in the budget, there is provision for health itself especially for renovation and grading of hospitals and procurement of equipments. Also yearly, there is provision for emergency in the budget. These are the sources from where the government has been drawing from. We as a government has not exceeded what is provided for in the budget and if those saying it have any evidence to the contrary, they should let us know. Don’t also forget that there are other donations which are not in the budget and we can’t say the governor should not receive them.
Recently, the activities of cultists and killings have been on the rise in the state. Past administrations responded to the menace with relevant laws to checkmate it. What is this administration doing as regards the current situation?
If you look at the situation in Kwara especially with the emergence of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, you will see that not only cultism but incident of violent, hooliganism and thuggery have drastically reduce if not completely subdued. But you see, the problem is not about the existence of the laws which has always been there especially relating to cultism. But looking at the emergency situation we found ourselves now, nobody is working; students are at home instead of being in school and our security operatives are been stressed in terms of deployment to enforce protocols and procedures relating to Covid-19. Having said this, one areas that we have to look at which we are already discussing is how to make our security agencies particularly the police to be more proactive with respect to the issue of cultism. It has now transcended students alone and artisans are now even members. Cultism is like a death sentence once one is involved, the only difference is that such member doesn’t know the time they will strike. Now they have a period they called promotion period which is between May-July. What is happening in their world now is jostling for promotion and at the end of July, some will have to move up and if you don’t eliminate the man ahead of you, you will be stuck. So it’s a very sad situation some people put themselves. We have to liaise will the security operatives to be more proactive and give this period (May-July) of each year special attention with respect to the activities of cultists in Kwara when they strive and struggle to get promoted even though the promotion is towards destruction and elimination. The law is very much there but we have to sympathise with the position we find ourselves in the country today, however, we are trying to do our best.
At a stage, talks of out of court settlement on issue of Ile-Arugbo collapsed, any hope that both parties will return to that table again?
Well since the collapsed of the outcome of court settlement, we have not heard anything from the other party. But what I can only say is that our doors are still wieldy open to the issue if they are still genuinely committed to the out of court settlement.
For long, there have talks to relocate this ministry away from the Governor’s Office for a standalone building, where are we now on the issue sir?
The Ministry of Justice is the only one that services the entire government including all MDAs and in most places, its stands on its own. For years now, it has been a tenant in the Governor’s Office in Kwara State. The last administration tried to put in place a separate building for it located opposite the presidential lodge but didn’t realise it. When we came in, we try to improve on that and Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq thought the place may not be good enough. The new proposed site is the vast expanse of land opposite St Anthony Secondary School besides the state Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) building. This we believe is more spacious, strategic and would be more convenient for lawyers as it is closer to the High Court and Court of Appeal than the former proposed. This will also give the ministry the opportunity to have its own structure rather than amending an existing one. I am sure in the next couple of weeks, the survey and other things will be ready. The government is determined to allow the ministry have its own building.
Some of your critics believe you are too political for this office and you might be looking at issue on the prism of politics than law which might cause the state greatly? Is this perception not true?
I am coming from the background of a private practitioner of law. The office of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice is a combination of both law and politics and there is no doubt that I am a politician and lawyer. But politics apart, the law is always there and when you want to take position on issue, it’s not about me per see even though I concede the fact that I have overriding say at the end of the day. We have over 100 lawyers here some of whom are directors, my classmates and my seniors. So it’s the combination of input from them that constitute the opinion of the ministry. However, my interest is subject to the position of law which has to be applied on fact, so both will not affect each other.
How many people have been persecuted for Covid-19 in Kwara so far?
I cannot be specify on the number but a good amount have been prosecuted and some are still ongoing for those who pleaded not guilty. That is what we are trying to collate so that we know where we stand.
The APC appeared to have been riddled with one leadership crisis on the other since it came to power which has affected governance in the state. Why is it difficult to get over it?
Politics is about conflict resolution and as long as there is politics, we will continue to have conflicts here and there. I think all party and not just APC has internal mechanism to resolve its crisis. But I have to say that of recent, I have heard of comments made by the Party chairman and people have reacted. For those of us in government, that is not part of our business but I will say it has never affected the working or determination of the Governor to deliver. The one year celebration of the Governor has been marked with programmes roll-out which the opposition have criticised. For those saying the next level is not about schools, roads and water among other infrastructures, what is the next level for a community or people that lacked such basic amenities if I may ask? Next level is relative depending on the situation and circumstance. People should understand that not everybody can be accommodated in political offices but I agree as a politician that everybody can benefit from government either directly or indirectly.
From a private sector, you are now in the public sector, how has it been thus far?
They are two worlds apart, the only advantage I have as a practising lawyer is that we are not completely private; we do our private practice in the chambers and practicalise it in court which is government circle. It has been a mixture is private and public and has made it easy for me to adjust. Secondly, decisions now involved a lot of consultations bearing in mind that we came in on the mantra of change. Some only market the slogan but don’t believe in it while others think it’s only a change of personnel and that system is still the same. I have experienced that. Sometimes we write memo base on fact and law before us and some people are of the view that we should have said something else, however illegal their position.
What has been your greatest challenge?
The expectation of people and their attempt to use politics for everything, everything is not about politics. They don’t even have appreciation for the peculiar position of the Ministry of Justice and office of the Attorney-General. For instance, imagine some people writing that the Attorney-General did not enforce judgement on the House of Assembly tussle between PDP and APC, which shows how illiterate they are. What is the business of my office and election petition matter? Lack of understand or pretending not to understand the working of the system is a challenge but we will overcome it because the expectations are very high and we came in on the mantra of change which we must uphold.