Controversial Fed Board list: FG should apologise

Taye Oniyide is a legal practitioner in the Chambers of Bayo Ojo & Co. located in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. He speaks with KAYODE ADEOTI on the trending issue of eight dead persons the Presidency erroneously appointed into the Federal Boards among other sundry issues. Excerpts:

The issue of ex-political office holders becoming members of the Senate or Reps is now generating reactions from political class in the country… What is your take on the development?

We understand that some people are now agitating for a certain law that will address the issue, my answer is simple, if there is no law that debar them, there is no reason to debar them and we can’t speculate. Generally in the administrative cycle, you put a person with a measure of experience to lead, there are yardsticks, it happens also in politics. You will see that it’s quite hard to put someone who does not have deeper understanding of a community as a governor and the same goes for the national level. My take is this, since there is no law that stops a person from going into the National level then there is no law that can stop either a private person or current political office holder from pursuing his political ambition to the Federal level. I disagree with those advocating that because one is already in a position or has held a public office at the state level, he should not move ahead, I see such agitation as a retrogressive. I also see it as an opportunity for those behind to move to the position you just left. It’s just a summary of give and take

The issue of the eight dead persons the Presidency appointed into Federal board has continued to generate ripples among concerned Nigerians… and recently, Prof. Itsey Sagay posited that President did not err on the issue, can you put things in right perceptive?

With due respect, I disagree with the view of Prof. Sagay. It is obvious and everyone has realised there was an administrative error into that regards. Those critising the development have reasons to do so because government created loop holes, we can’t expect citizens not to react. Let me say this, notwithstanding government has committed an administrative error, we can’t because of that condemned it completely. It is eight dead persons in the list, we are not looking at more than a thousand that are alive who are appointed. Aside the error, we should look at where they’ve done it right. Mind you, no government is perfect. What I expect from the government and Prof. Sagay is to admit that there is an administrative error, then apologise on that basis and they should equally look for a way to correct it, that’s simple. It is expedient of a responsible government to always apologise whenever they do wrong then move ahead.

What is your take on the person of Attorney General of the Federation, Ibrahim Malami, SAN who has been condemned over time by members of the public of incompetence…?

I won’t agree he’s incompetent; I may agree that certain advices have gone amiss. The honourable AGF is a custodian of law so he will view things from the angle of law not on morals or sentiment. So, on any issue he gives advice, we must always ask the question, what does the law says concerning it. If I must relate the issue of former Head of Presidential Task Force on Pension Refund Abdulrasheed Maina, one of the error he made was that he didn’t look at that issue from the angle of law, it was an administrative excuse that he gave when he was defending his involvement, if he had given excuse on law and it was amiss, I will agree that he’s incompetent. Besides, I don’t expect him to be perfect in all areas because he is human but I will only expect him to be above board.

On the issue of Paris Club Refund, the last tranche our state received was said to have been committed into project even before its arrival… this seems to be against the directive of the Presidency that the money should be used to clear backlogs of Salamis… Members of the state especially the local government workers have however faulted the development on the basis that certain law should have been on ground that will guard the use of the fund… Can you set the record straight on this?

I’m glad you raise this issue, because there have been series of concern over it by members of the public and reason is because, they observed a loop hole. Well, states can be compelled by the federal as to how the money should be spent, they could be advised. If it is done on the advice of the Federal Government all well and good. Kwara state to my understanding is peculiar, this is because, we don’t belong to the oil rich states. The internally generated revenue cannot go any way in addressing the need of the people. The government has deemed it fit to spend the fund on capital project. What we should therefore look out for is; will a capital project benefit a common man? It is not how the money is spent. If you enrich individuals, it’s good and I love it but if it is done at the expense of a collective group, it bad. I’m only particular about the fact that it must be used to the benefit of all in the state.