POLITICS: “This Is A Fraudulent Government”.........HASSAN HYET
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| FELIX HASSAN HYET |
“This is a fraudulent government”.
“Fraudulent in the sense that, up till now, nobody has
confirmed to us, without prejudice, that President Buhari was qualified to
campaign and run for election as President, based on the pre-qualification
criteria that was laid down. And, if he was cleared without having the
prerequisite requirements by law, then certainly, this is a fraudulent
presidency”………………..Chief Felix Hassan Hyet.
In the political permutations of Kaduna state, the name of
the incumbent chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Chief Felix Hassan
Hyet stands out as he has become a force to reckon with, especially as he cuts
all political divide; religion, tribe and politics.
Regarded as the “Last Man Standing” in the political
calculations of his people from the Southern Kaduna axis, this former Minister
of State (Aviation) Transport has carved a niche for himself as a versatile and knowledgeable personality with strong
grassroots acceptability.
His passion for a better state and country knows no bound.
In this exclusive chat with NAIJNEWSALERT editorial crew led
by its Managing Editor/Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Onotevure, this
likeable politician speaks on matters of security that has taken the people of
Southern Kaduna in Kaduna state into global limelight and, the fate of his
political party in the state and nation.
Read on:
Let us talk a little about the APC and political situation we
have found ourselves in today.
The APC has been in power for about two years now and Nigerians
have continued to express frustration, anger and agitation over the seemingly
lack of direction by the government of the day.
As a high ranking member of the opposition PDP, how is your
party planning to take advantage of this disenchantment of the people which is
against the APC and the loss of confidence of the people and re-launch itself
back into reckoning?
Well, the issue is that, first and foremost, the PDP as a party,
sympathizes with Nigerians, because, this is not the “change” they bargained for.
But, now that they have realized that this is the “Change” that has come that
is being forced on them; just like in 2015 where they had a choice to make
adjustments, in 2019, they also will have that choice. Let them adjust.
But, the whole thing that the people must understand is that,
this
is a fraudulent government. Fraudulent in the sense that, up till now,
“nobody
has confirmed to us, without prejudice, that President Buhari was qualified to
campaign and run for election as President, based on the pre qualification
criteria that was laid down. And, if he was cleared without having the
prerequisite requirements by law, then certainly, this is a fraudulent
presidency”.
Two: I saw in the Social Media of recent that the
former Chairman of INEC, Prof. Maurice Iwu said he was cleared because they
didn’t want crises. Clearly, if you look at that statement and you see
what happened in 2011 that he did not win and the nation was engulfed in fire,
then you must also have to realize that his Presidency is not about Nigeria
but, about himself. Because, if you did not win election and you set the
country on fire, simply because you lost election, certainly, you were not
contesting election because of Nigeria.
Since Nigerians have the rights to chose, I would like Buhari
and anybody that is close to him, to reassess the statement that Goodluck made
that his; “political ambition is not worth the life of one single Nigerian”. He
made this statement. And when the election turned against him, as fraudulent as
they were, shortly after the votes were counted, he did not even challenge the
outcome of the results but gave in.
Prominent Nigerians hailed him to say that, he (Goodluck
Jonathan) saved Nigeria from another civil war. This included many prominent
retired military leaders and former Heads of State, confessed this.
So all along, they knew that Buhari is only out for himself
and does not care for the country; if he doesn’t win election, the country can
go to blazes.
Sir, there have several calls in many quarters for the PDP to
re-strategize and restructure its machineries if it has to endear itself to
Nigerians and regain its lost glory.
How far has the party gone to regain its lost glory ahead of 2019?
This has become necessary, following the allegations of impunity, imposition
and several other allegations which resulted to its resounding defeat in the
2015 elections?
You see, the PDP cannot absolve itself from such allegations
and it was the ruling party at that time and the whole thing about this
politics is not just the party re-strategizing but individuals within the party
re-strategizing because of their individual interest.
Now, you are aware that the National Caretaker Committee
headed by Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, set up a very high powered committee
comprising of not less than 150 prominent politicians from across the country.
And of great importance, it is on record that nobody whose name was penciled
down; from the initial ninety-something to that one hundred and fifty or sixty,
nobody rejected participation.
In fact, it was the clamour for participation that led to the
number being increased; nearly a hundred percent. That’s to show you that
people are still very interested.
The committee will soon turn in its Report. Therefore, what
it has recommended is not yet known but there was active participation and it
is a clear indication that a lot is being expected and there is a lot of hope;
real hope within the party and, this is not just at the national level but also
at the state level which is on-going.
The recent gale of defections of notable politicians from the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC in
recent times has attracted concerns by stakeholders and concerned Nigerians.
What is the hope of the opposition and Nigeria in the
political terrain?
Well, politics, like every other human endeavour is dynamic.
There were times that people left other parties for the PDP, so, now, if some
people are leaving the PDP to the other party, it is not something that is
surprising.
However, when you look at who are those and what is their
relevance within their communities, you will find out that those who are coming
to the PDP are people that have votes; the ordinary people because of the way
they are suffering. And, those who are leaving are those who had held positions
in the PDP and they do not see a ray of hope of them holding another position.
Therefore, to me, PDP is even waxing stronger and we believe
that if votes should count, then, for one person who leaves PDP as a big man, I
can assure you, not less than 250 persons are coming in because of his
decision.
Godfatherism in Nigerian politics has over the years, been
described as the bane of political crises in the polity.
What is your view as regards this and how do you think this
can managed for the betterment of the people?
It is just what we can say; family discipline and values that
are going down today, in the country.
Now, you start asking; what is the role of the father in the
family and also, what is the role of the children?
“Godfatherism in politics and other spheres of life is just
an elder who has experience by age or by participation, to nurture those that
are behind him, bringing them up and training them in areas of shortcomings
that he had failed; Areas where he and his peers had failed. And therefore, let
the younger ones learn a lesson from there and use them to move forward”.
“So, godfatherism to me is a very positive thing. That it is
being abused is a different thing all together. Even in the family, we are now
having this indiscipline and moral decadence we are talking about. Is it
because the father is not doing something or, because the children are not taking
up to the father”?
These are issues to be discussed. So, the best thing I would
say is that, the only way to fight this kind of thing is; it is an issue of
social orientation and individual reassessment of what my contribution is to
the society and, what I expect of my son, or the father I am mentoring to
behave like and to act in my absence and this is by giving him, a very good
lesson to learn.
Sir, the issue of insecurity as it relates to attacks in the
Southern axis of Kaduna had seen several scores dead and many others maimed,
eitj properties destroyed, has been on the front burner of discuss in the
country.
As a stakeholder and a concerned elder from the region, how
do you view the actions of the state and federal governments? Do you think it
is commensurate enough with the repeated spate of attacks? What is the way out
of these lingering crises?
Well, the issue is that, there are so many unfortunate
comments from the government. Very unfortunate statements from the federal and
state governments!
Now, the governor has descended on the elites of Southern
Kaduna instead of calling the elites to a round-table discussion; how do we go
about it? He called them cowards simply because the women came out to protest.
He should realize that women gave birth to the elites; they are the mothers of
everybody.
So, when things go bad and the women come out to show their
strength of motherhood; which they did, he was only supposed to take advantage
of that demonstration that happened to engage them and to engage the elites of
Southern Kaduna.
Two: When he said he paid out money to stop this, and
justified it on the Report of General Agwai; the General Agwai said his report was
not one sided.
And if there was a decision on it by the government, it was one
sided. And again, he said his committee and the recommendation of his committee
was certainly not responsible for a one-sided implementation of the committee
report and, that gave the people of Southern Kaduna an added thinking, that the
Governor was playing with them in a different way and that the Governor was
one-sided.
Again, the Senior
Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Shehu Garba
made some comments (23rd Jan. 2017) on national television
(Channels) that were very surprising where he said it “was a communal clash” (the attacks and killings in Southern Kaduna
by herdsmen). Now, when you are saying it was a communal clash, it is assumed
that the people are staying there. Is that not so? Now, the people of Southern
Kaduna are said to have a quarrel with the Fulanis but “the Governor came to say that
these are not Fulanis of Nigerian origin. So, where then is the inter-communal
clash?”
Now, you ask the question: how can a foreigner enter Nigeria,
transverse the length and breadth of Nigeria, trek hundreds of kilometers from
the border to the hinterlands and attack the communities. Not once, not twice
and not even three times and you follow them to their country to pay them
compensation and they still came back. Then, you ask; what type of security do
we have in the country. Where did they come from? The borders? Yes, we know
that the borders are porous but when you have identified that these are the
people, you are supposed to put measures on ground to track them and prevent
them from attacking but rather, you had even gone back to follow to their
countries and pay compensation. Did the governor pay them through their home
government or what? Because, this is an invasion of Nigeria by foreigners and
government is keeping quiet about it; it becomes very shocking.
In the same interview with Channels Television, Shehu Garba
made another unfortunate statement that really demonstrated his complete
ignorance of what is going on when he said that “people were involved in cattle
rustling”. The people of
Southern Kaduna do not rear cattle. We are not cattle rearers. The prominent
people in Southern Kaduna that own cattle only buy and give it to the Fulani
people. So, how can the natives of Southern Kaduna be accused of cattle
rustling? It is just a demonstration of ignorance and I don’t think somebody at
his level should open his mouth and speak on things that he is not versed on.
It is very unfortunate. And, he made another statement which is the most
shocking that, “Southern Kaduna is the only seat where the PDP won Senate in the whole
of the North-west zone”. Is that the reason why they should be killed?
People of Southern Kaduna are peace loving people and they
have been living with the Hausa/Fulani very comfortable and everybody knows
that. So, how comes that winning a political zone, that it became a problem.
Look, this problem that came up, if he is making references to politics; trying
to politicize the security while at the same time they have asked that security
should not be politicized, he again is coming back to politicize it.
I am a direct victim of what happened on the 24th
of December, 2016 (Christmas Eve). My wife’s village; her house, her brothers
and cousins homes were all razed down. We are PDP. Could we have gone to raze
down our structures? A one-time Chairman of the Local Government and former
member of the Kaduna state House of Assembly, Honourable Gideon Moriki also
lost his house and his 14yrs old daughter was killed in one of these attacks.
He is PDP also.
So, even if he has decided to bring in political
considerations, he is more or less telling the world that because of political
differences, Southern Kaduna is being attacked since APC did not win Southern
Kaduna.
And, I don’t think that is the way APC will win Southern
Kaduna in any future elections. But, we must note, that the Constitution
guarantees everybody the right of choice and that is what democracy is all
about.
Therefore, I condemn in totality the statement by the President’s
SA and that they were made out of complete ignorance of what is on ground.
Sir, there have been several calls that the people of
Southern Kaduna should take up arms and defend themselves from these repeated
and unwarranted attacks.
What approach do you think can be adopted to resolve this
situation before us? Do you support the call that the people should take up
arms and defend themselves?
Let us look at things from the perspective that, people that
have been attacked; not once, twice or even three times. You can say even
uncountable times. In every attack, people lose their lives and properties.
Two: Some of these attacks; like the attack of 24th
December, 2016 was made when the governor had imposed curfew and how were
people able to go and attack a whole village that was under curfew, is an
issue.
So, when people talk out of frustration that they have to
defend themselves, government must understand that it is a cry because of
Government’s insensitivity and lack of capacity to contain the situation and
since the government has admitted that these are foreigners, what is wrong if a
community says they will take up their arms and confront those foreigners that;
government has admitted, that is coming to kill them.
We are not talking of taking up arms to go and kill a Hausa
or Fulani man on the streets. No!! We are talking of a situation whereby, everybody
should go and defend himself against people who come to attack and kill. Every
country provides an army in order to safeguard the territorial integrity.
Therefore, any hostile power that comes in; if the Nigeria
army should repel a hostile power coming into the country to attack it, is it
wrong? It is not wrong.
What we are saying is that people should not go and kill
another person under the guise that they are retaliating. No! Because, the
person that you may kill, may not be the person responsible that comes to
attack you. But, if you stay in your house, even under curfew, and the person
comes to attack you, what is wrong if you defend yourself?
So, instead of government to call people for dialogue and to
show that before the law, everybody is the same, government are doing things
haphazardly; as not wanting the people to even know what is amiss.
The government is doing nothing but secretive attacks and
measures that deny the public from participating in solving the problem that
affects the public. So, the only way to solve this is to really get involved.
I grew up as a young child to see Fulanis in my village and
we never had a quarrel. They would come and go, during the dry seasons but
since we had the valleys and green grass. They would come and nobody ever said
a thing. But today, the whole thing is different. Why?
But, because the government has said they are foreign people,
the government should be encouraging the natives to stand firm before the
foreign people since the government itself cannot do it.
Sir, the Abuja International Airport and its proposed
temporary closure for six (6) weeks (between March and April) to enable repairs
of the damaged runways is an issue that has generated comments from
stakeholders and the general public.
As someone who has served the nation in the
capacity as an Honourable Minister of State (Aviation) Transport, what is your
view as regards the temporary closure and the accruable benefits to Kaduna
state and its likely security implications?
I think the advantage for the time being is; one, let us know
that we have a problem at hand. When there is a problem, there must be
solutions to solving it.
When government fails to instill confidence in the people and
involve them in the decision makings and programme implementations, people
resist because they are not sure of what you intend to do. Now, if you say that
the closure will be for 6weeks and with the type of government that we have
today, what is the guarantee that this temporary discomfort will last for the
6weeks?
Two: If the airlines who are the operators have aired their
views; since you are not doing it against their wish, why don’t you go into
dialogue and arrive at an amicable solution(s) and the way forward. It is the
airlines, who are real beneficiaries of the work that is to be done for of the safety
of their aircraft.
So, if they are to benefit; their refusal to come to Kaduna
is based on their own reason(s) as they have assessed. How do you make them
understand it?
I know that from Kaduna, there is a rail line that is
operational but the frequency of the train services from Kaduna to Abuja will
have to be increased.
However, let me tell you, the benefits that we are going to
have is not the benefits for Kaduna state as far as I am concerned because, the
roads that are being repaired now, since this government came on board almost
two (2) years ago; not a single pothole has been patched/repaired. Now, they
are working on it. That is the only advantage. I can say for now that, the
people who travel that road are not people of Kaduna state only. Everybody from
the Northern parts travel through that road in going to Abuja and other parts
of the nation. Yes, there will be some activities; commercial activities will
definitely improve.
The reality is that we want a sustainable job. As for the
airport in Kaduna, it is already receiving a face-lift and abandoned projects
are being re-visited and therefore, roads from a point of view, of the
structures in the airport will begin to experience some improvements.
However, I want a situation whereby the operators and
government, must come to terms under an amicable understanding so that nobody
looks at it like an issue of somebody takes it all.
And, let us understand that aviation is a heavy investment
and those who have invested heavily, there should be some accruable benefits to
cater for aircrafts, maintenance and others. It is not government money. It is
private money; they are entitled to air their pains on anything that will
affect the safety of their business.
Sir, some of the programmes of this government have continued
to attract severe criticisms and one of them is the School Feeding Programme by
the Federal Government and this also has been adopted by some state governors.
This programme which was adopted by the Kaduna state government has since
collapsed and this has been described as a colossal waste of scarce resources
and a scam.
What is view on this as many sectors of the economy are in
dire straits begging for financial support? Do you think this School Feeding
Programme is necessary considering the fact that the country is said to be
financial recession?
Even when we had few Primary schools before independence,
there was nothing like “Free Feeding”. Why would somebody just wake up and say
there is “Free Feeding Programme”? Today, we are talking of millions of pupils
and out of these millions, we have up to half that do not have roofed
classrooms while the other half, which is not up to half also of this number,
do not have furniture in their roofed classrooms in these schools.
So, the issue is an issue of priority. That is number one.
Secondly, it is a common knowledge that we have teachers that have stayed up to
one year now, without salaries and you are talking of feeding children when the
person who is to take care of the child and give that same child knowledge has
been neglected.
Really, the government has only come to destroy the
foundation of education in the state. And, if you look at how it started from
the month it was implemented, have you seen any improvement; the health status,
the kind of nutrition that it has given to the children? The answer is NO. So,
what is it all about? It is a complete scam.
Everybody knows it is a scam and again, everybody knows that
this government is a government that does not believe in dialogue. It is a
government that knows all and it is also a government that nobody should talk,
even when you are the beneficiary of that government’s programme itself.
It is self imposing and dictatorial. But, it should
understand that it is a Federal Government in a Democratic setting; a
government that isolates the public which is supposed to develop programmes for
the public. And, for you to develop programmes for the public, it must be in
consultation with the people.
The government is aware that this programme was resisted by
the National Union of Teachers, NUT in the first instance but it forced its
way. So, it is not an issue of doing it for the sake of education because the
professional teachers said no to it that, that is not the right way to go about
it. So, why is it doing it?
I only pity those who removed their children from
private schools to government schools because of that.
I strongly insist that parents should look out for the
well-being and interests of their children. It is just like when you wake up
and say that, no parent should be charged any single kobo for his child. But, go
to secondary schools now, you will find out there is no secondary school that a
roof was blown off by windstorm and that it is has been repaired. If you go,
there are no chalks for teachers to write with and the teachers are not even
getting their salaries as at when due. How then will these teachers do their
own bit?
Even the PTA’s have been banned for collecting anything or
involved in anything like that. And, these were the monies the PTA was charging
to make some repairs and maintain schools because of inadequate funding from
government for their own schools. If you go to schools, especially those in the
hinterland, it is a sorrowful sight. The government does not want anybody to
know that this is what is going on. We wonder what it stands to gain, to
further subject people into an uncertain future because, when the educational
system collapses, what do you expect of the future?
But, their children are safe because their children are not
in those schools. When he promised that “as Governor, when he wins election,
all his children will go to public schools”, where are they now? Two years into
his leadership, where are the children? They are not even in the country not to
talk of the public schools. So, what are we talking about here? Who is fooling
who?
I think the society should wake up.
Sir, it is the belief in many quarters that the weight and
burden of the country’s challenges have overwhelmed the President and due to
some of his actions and inactions, he is accused of having placed the country
under captivity.
How do you react to this?
I have already, in my earlier answers, said that he;
President Muhammadu Buhari did not come to make Nigeria. He did not come
because of Nigeria but because of himself.
His contest has lead to the shedding of blood in the country;
destruction of properties. I am a victim. In 2011, I had a structure; a
Computer Training School in Kafanchan which was burnt down completely.
The Federal Government set up a Committee and that Committee
said his (Buhari) comments inflamed the situation that lead to that. Has Buhari
ever come out to apologize to Nigerians that he never had the intention of
that? He has never done so. All along, he has tried to prove that he is a
“Saint”; blaming everybody except himself. Now, he has taken the country and is
blaming PDP for 16 years of wastage. He claimed that he met nothing and yet,
under his nose, a lot of dirty deals are being perpetuated. How can he
exonerate himself from that and clear his aides of the allegations. Let them go
to the courts.
During the administration of late President Umaru Musa
Yar’adua of the PDP, we had two Ministers who were accused of bribery and
although it was not substantiated, the President (Umaru Musa Yar’adua)
instructed them to go and clear themselves. They left their offices and went up
to the Supreme Court, to clear themselves and now, somebody is being accused by
the Senate of the Federal republic of Nigeria, you sit down in your office and all
you can say is that the “weight of evidence for the allegations , is not heavy
enough”.
So, you have decided to gratify the offences into different
levels. Is that the Oath of office that he took? Whatever that is happening, he
doesn’t care as he does not care about Nigeria as he came into office because
of himself. As long as he is having it his own way, he is satisfied.
Sir, the re-nomination of Ibrahim Magu Mustapha as the EFCC
chairman to the Senate for confirmation has continued to attract comments. Is
it right for President Muhammadu Buhari to represent Magu despite the damning
reports of the Department of State Security?
You see, there is a game here.
Before I went to the Senate for screening prior to my
appointment as a Minister of the Cabinet, I had been screened by the security
agencies (EFCC and DSS) and until they gave me “a clean bill of health”, I did
not appear before the Senate.
How come that his name has gone to the Senate? Now, security
reports are coming and these security reports were they not made available to
the President? Can the DSS send security reports about a government nominee(s)
to the Senate without the President who is the authority for nomination not
know? It is baffling.
We do not know what is even going on but definitely, there is
no transparency in the system and since there is transparency, no openness, you
cannot say whether he is doing right or wrong.
You do not what must have motivated him to do that.
I do not have anything against magi as a person; therefore, I
cannot also say that I am against his nomination.
The President who nominated him and the DSS who said NO,
should sort themselves out but, already, they have created doubts in the minds
of Nigerians. And, until they cleared those doubts, it is left to them.
There is a collapse of confidence as far as the “fight
against corruption” is concerned. Nobody can convince any other person that all
is well.
It would not work again.
//END//
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