Senator Ameh Ebute, member, Board of Trustees of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and President of the Senate in Nigeria’s Third Republic, speaks with Dapo Olaosebikan on salient issues in Nigeria’s political journey since 1999. Excerpts:
Newswatchplus: Almost a quarter of a century of uninterrupted democratic governance in Nigeria since 1999; what is your general assessment of this political journey so far?
Ebute: It has been a fantastic experience. We fought for it. We expected it; we wanted it and we got it. As I always say, when the struggle was on, many people were being indifferent, nonetheless, we achieved it. It is a thing of joy that one was a part of the struggle for an enduring democratic governance in Nigeria. It is also a joyful thing that one witnessed its takeoff in 1999 and one is still here as part of the process.
Newswatchplus: Are you implying that all is well with our current democratic governance in the country and that Nigeria has got to her Eldorado politically?
Ebute: No, not at all. With current shape of things, which of course, began almost at the takeoff in 1999, one may be tempted to say that what we have now, I mean our politics and governance at all the three tiers of government, etcetera, etcetera, are not what we fought for and expected.
Newswatchplus: What did you really fight for and expected?
Ebute: I believe most Nigerians; the governing and the led, politicians as well as observers of our ongoing political development, will agree with me that the democratic Nigeria of our dream is where rule of law will determine and prevail in governance; where social justice will be the order of the day and where minority rights will not be permanently subsumed or subjugated by majority rights. The terrifying thing about our democracy as we speak is that everything is now by the rule of money. All over the place, we seem to have forgotten about the culture of political sagacity and decorum. Quite very frightening to say the least.
Newswatchplus: Are you implying that money politics was not there in our body politic before and during your time as Senate President of the country?
Ebute: Your question cannot be answered in absolute terms. It is a fact you can’t be in politics without spending some money. Before and during my time as the Senate President, money was not brazenly spent as it is now. The quality of leadership was essentially determined and based on character. As it stands now, character and integrity have no place in the scheme of things in our politics and leadership in Nigeria. In Nigeria today, it is very sad and outrageous that money determines who gets what, when and where.
Newswatchplus: Is then right to say that money Is the root of crises and violence Nigeria has experienced since 1999?
Ebute: That’s right. The greed by our politicians nowadays and the corruption of the political process as well as our institutions is very bewildering; that’s why people kill and engage in all sorts of criminalities to win elections in order to get to elective posts all over Nigeria. In some extreme situations, people have taken our fragile unity to the brink because they felt they should win at all costs.
Newswatchplus: But, the General Abdulsalami Abubakar led National Peace Committee has made some interventions to douse tension in election disputes, hasn’t it been relevant?
Ebute: It is a good thing that this institution came up and to some considerable extent, it has acted in the best interest of the nation and development of our democracy. But, overall, I have not been able to deal with the corruption of our electoral system because of money. One can only pray that its interventions will be good for our democracy at the end of the day.
Newswatchplus: Are you saying that politics and governance are all about the highest bidders?
Ebute: That’s what I am talking about. But, the good side is that, in terms of provision of social amenities, there has been some remarkable improvement. Overall however, money has largely become the bane of current democratic experience in Nigeria. Compared to our time, the greed of politicians of today is something else. Politics in Nigeria today is bereft of ideology. This is my honest assessment because as a national political leader, I have seen it all as I began in my active participation in the political process as a local government chairman.
Newswatchplus: How was the office of a local government chairman then?
Ebute: The office of the local government chairman was not as constituted now, though it is still the same thing symbolically and in nomenclature. The local government chairman at the time was not the accounting officer. We didn’t control any funds. We had an officer who controlled the vault; but we had to make decisions for them to implement. They couldn’t misappropriate funds because there were checks and balances.
Newswatchplus: How would you compare the local government system then and today?
Ebute: The problem with the local government system then was the person in office as governor. There was not much money as we have now. Funds came from the state government. After paying civil servants we embarked on projects. From my own local government’s funds, we built the headquarters that is still there today.
Newswatchplus: As a local government chairman, did you operate a joint account with your state government?
Ebute: There was no joint account because the 1999 Constitution had not come into existence. We operated under the 1963 Constitution.
Newswatchplus: How do you feel about the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as President of Nigeria?
Ebute: I feel happy. As I always say, his becoming our president is the hand of God in the affairs of men. It is God that said it is the person who highly contributed to democratisation of Nigeria that would have the day. You know I co-shared the detention experience with him and four other colleagues who fought for the de-annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Bashorun MKO Abiola.
Newswatchplus: There have been open and hushed voices about current economic hardship being experienced by a large percentage of Nigerians; have you been able to get to discuss this with President Bola Tinubu?
Ebute: No, I have not. The last time we met was when he came to Benue State to campaign for the presidential election which he eventually won. After winning the election and sworn in as president, it has been somewhat difficult to reach him. But, I understand that he has been trying very hard to fix the rot in the economy and other issues which he inherited. Honestly, I believe he will make a difference in our nation’s governance. I wish him good luck.
