Cabals frustrating Nigeria —Ibitomi, Buhari’s former teacher

Pa Raphael Adediran Ibitomi, 85 is a retired statistician from Okoro-Gbede, Kogi State. The former Chief Statistician of old Kwara State was President Muhammadu Buhari’s teacher in Katsina State. He spoke with BIOLA AZEEZ on sundry national issues. 

What is your reaction to the spate of killings in the country?

I believe seriously in authority. My religion teaches me to pray for those in authority.  I will want to link these unfortunate incidents to politics and I am putting my beam on government itself.  I want to say that there are some people in this government involved in this menace who are not fully in support of the government because of what they will get out of it. I want you to also recall at the beginning of this government that some people said that they would make government ungovernable. This is what we are seeing now. I believe they are out to truncate democracy. 

Of recent, people have been talking about security agents.  Where are they when people are being killed?  Within a few months, over a thousand people have been killed and no arrest has been made.  The local hunter, vigilance and team, the celebrated government regular security agencies, the police, the military, the civil defence, where are they whenever all these problems occur? Yet, there is no arrest.  In Yoruba, we say ‘Ejo lowo ninu’. President Muhammadu Buhari should really sit down and beam his search light on all these security agencies.

 I met Buhari in 1961 as my student for three years.  I still believe that he is what he was then; a quiet student that people would want to associate with. I think he still believes in indivisible one Nigeria. I also think he wants good for Nigeria but there are cabals around him. Do you know that for three and a half years, I tried to see him, despite my age and as close as I think I am to him, the cabals around him had made it impossible because they know that when I see him, he will make some changes in appointment. I wrote and sent memo to him.  I believe I am his oldest teacher South of River Niger who is still alive today to talk to him. But I have been unable to see him.

May we know what is contained in the memo you sent to the president?

I may not remember all the points raised in there but I remember talking about appointment to ad-hoc committees which I believe are all limited to friends and relations of ministers. And these people are always around Abuja.  There are talents in some other parts of the country. I also wanted him to find a way to upgrade living standard of old people.  They live in abject poverty.  Their pension cannot carry them anywhere, and they are contending in same market with people who are retiring now with fat pension.

What will you advise the president to do about the cabal?

I don’t think there is anything he can do. If he could, he should have done it a long time ago. I am not the first to tell him this. People don’t allow him to read his letters. That is one credit I will give to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Abubakar Atiku. No matter how many letters they got daily, they read and passed comment on all the letters. But in this case, they don’t allow to read his letters.

On complaints about his health condition by a section of Nigerians, what will be your advice?

President Muhammadu Buhari had been a man of frail look and uncertain health condition. He is a Fulani, and Fulani people don’t seem to usually look robust and strong as those from other tribes. Although they will be well, you may think they are weak. They are strong. I think he is wise enough to decide on the step to take concerning his health.

Should he seek second term in the face of cry of hard times among Nigerians?

I am not one of the people who cry against his administration. I have the privilege of knowing that all was not well at all before he came into power. And he did not know himself that it was going to be like this. He said that if he had known it was going to be like this he could have run away. You know he said so. Things were very bad. If the last administration was to continue for another three months, there may have been no Nigeria. So, I think he should be given a chance; things will definitely get better after this first four years. Any government taking over from him now will have to go and start all over again from the beginning. And they may not find it easy to continue as it would have been if Buhari is allowed to continue. I agree that things are very difficult, but if you go to draw water in the river, it will first of all be rough. If you are patient, it will settle and you get good water to take home.

There seems to be an emergence of new leaders in Nigeria’s geographical zones. What is your impression on this development?

 I think these people are impersonating. In a good clime, they should have been arrested for talking for people that they had not got mandate from. I am victim. I am from the Middle Belt. I just read in newspaper that some leaders of the middle belt said certain things on behalf of the people of the area.  Who sent them? Who gave them that mandate? I am not saying they are not qualified, but how did they get the mandate to go and talk for us. Are they talking because they belong to same political party, religious organisations or ethnic groups? They should get mandate, starting from village level,  where leaders will be selected to speak for the people. It should not be because they were former ministers, commissioners and soon. I am not saying that what they said was not correct, but who gave them that mandate? I am 85 years old and with my pedigree I humbly say that I was the statistician in the whole Northern Nigeria, a member of the National Manpower Board for the North in 1962-1968. I was the first chief statistician of the defunct Kwara State; Head, federal government delegation on the resettlement of FCT.  I was once president of resident electoral commissioners.  Who wants to talk for me should let me know.  They can be political leaders in their own group representing their group and not representing the whole geopolitical axis.   

How do you describe a cry by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that the present government wants to frame him up?

Some of my friends from other tribes call me names because of Obasanjo. They tell me they have never seen anyone so erratic as he is. Today he is here,  tomorrow he is at another place, rolling about like stone, gathering no moss. That is what I think Obasanjo is. I don’t think he is putting himself in position of respect. There were many generals before him. General Gowon is there praying for Nigeria. Abdulsalam is there. When you hear of Ibrahim Babangida, it is because of one or two important issues and he keeps quiet in his Minna residence. But Obasanjo is here, there and everywhere.  He was at the graveyard of Benue’s victims of herdsmen/farmers clash before the president.  What impression did he want to create? No, I don’t think he is doing well. Yoruba should find a way of telling him that. Is he looking for a way of getting back his dream of becoming president? Today he is in politics, tomorrow he is not. Dr Frederick Fasheun said that federal government should not use any issue to frame him up and I want to believe that he said that in the spirit of togetherness of Yoruba. It is Obasanjo that should be blamed for not coordinating his facts before talking. Why is Shagari or Shonekan not framed up? To him, he thinks MKO is not qualified to be recognised. Why is it only him?

As a former electoral officer, what is your charge to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the conduct of the 2019 general elections?

 I think INEC responsibility should include creation of awareness about the elections among people. The federal government should create an organisation like NOA (National Orientation Agency) to enlighten people about registration, PVC etc. For INEC to be responsible for all organising elections and creating awareness together is creating problem.  Another thing is that we Nigerians complain a lot. There are two particular state governors in Nigeria. They talk almost on daily basis against federal government. There is nothing you do that can satisfy them. One of them said that INEC had concluded plans to rig elections in his state when the register is not even out yet. I think INEC should be focused on its responsibility and shun distraction from any quarter and do it right, no matter whose ox is gored. When I was the chairman of resident electoral commissioners, we didn’t hear of any election rigging. Love of money has spoilt operations now. I advise people to shun corruption.

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