STAR ARTICLE: The Waku Who Wants a Coup (TELL, 7 February, 2000)
Mobolaji E. Aluko
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COVER INTERVIEW
The Waku Who Wants A Coup
TELL, February 7, 2000, pages 10-13
Senator Joseph Kennedy Waku (Benue) is an old soldier who is intent on
fighting the next war with the battle plan of the last one. He is a
member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which controls the
presidency, the federal parliament, majority of the states and local
governments, and yet, Waku regards himself as an outsider. He prances at
the corridor of power, an angry rottweiler, seeking forceful entrance into
the innermost recess of Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, and other
precincts of power. He wants a return to the good old days when those
with the right names on their complimentary cards could pick up gold on
the streets of Abuja. He believes the one man who is standing between him
and that land of yore is President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was elected on
the platform of the PDP, like Waku.
Waku has been a recurrent decimal in Benue politics since the Second
Republic. He was a member of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe's Nigerian Peoples Party,
NPP. In 1983, the year of Umaru Dikko's "landslide and moonslide", he was
elected into the Benue House of Assembly. He sympathised with the
National Party of Nigeria, NPN, and was one of the Northern die-hards who
disagreed with the caucus of the old NPN, over its zoning formula. By
that formula, a Southerner would have emerged as president by 1987 and the
favorite candidate then was Vice-Presidennt Alex Ekwueme.
But Waku and some others were not happy with the arrangement. "Why should
the North surrender power when we are in the majority?", they were asking.
"After all, in India, the Hindus are always producing the majority." When
Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, retd., along with his collaborators, Sani
Abacha and Ibrahim Babangida, toppled the Shagari regime, not everyone was
unhappy.
Many coups later, Waku is back and roaring like a tornado. He has worked
hard for this second coming, participating in the Babangida transition
programme, when he was a member of the Social Democratic Party, SDP. When
that experiment collapsed, he quickly joined the new Abacha train. He was
elected a senator in 1998, but could not take office because of the timely
(?) death of Abacha. He has reclaimed his lost ground and now finds
himself in the same party with Obasanjo, the man who would have been
killed by Waku's old friend, General Sani Abacha. Now, he is joining
other leaders of the old North to recall the lore of those days of the
Northern Peoples Congress, NPC, with the motto of One North, One Destiny
and one God.
The core of the lore is power. Since Nigeria became independent in 1960,
the North had produced all Nigeria's heads of government except
Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, the first military ruler, Obasanjo
and Ernest Adekunle Shonekan, head of of the illegal Interim National
Government, ING, which was foisted on the country in 1993, by the
dictatorship of General Ibrahim Babangida, which was then in full retreat.
Since 1960, Southerners have ruled for less than five years. Ironsi ruled
for only 200 days before he was gruesomly assassinated during the coup
carried out by Northern military officers on July 29, 1966. The first
Southerner to be elected president was Chief Moshood Abiola, whose victory
at the June 12, 1993 presidential election was later voided by Babangida
and his Northern and military cohorts. Despite coups, a bloody civil war
during whih one million Nigerians, especially Easterners, perished, civil
unrest and other upheavals, there are many top Northern politicians who
believe, like Waku, that military rule helped the North to maintain its
political hegemony over the rest of the country.
The opposition, though still a hotchpotch of interests, is united in its
opposition to Obasanjo and the desire to return power to "its traditional
base." So far, the leading lights of this group have failed to create a
phalanx of forces in the North. They are having more problems in the
Middle-Belt, Waku's zone, whereas Obasanjo also has his greatest base in
the North. After a meeting of the Middle Belt Forum, held at the Hill
Station Hotel, Jos, capital of Plateau State, January 8, the leaders
re-affirmed thier belief in "the corporate existence of Nigeria and the
promotion of a stable and sustainaed democracy." The forum pledged "its
unalloyed support for Chief Olusegun Obasanjo's administration which has
provided the strongest and best opportunity for Nigerians to realise their
dreams and collective aspirations, nationally and internationally."
Despite that, the communique of the forum read to the press by Isaac
Shaahu contained the seeds of the opposition's bile. "The forum notes
with great concern that despite the massive electoral support enjoyed by
President Obasanjo from the Middle Belt, the highest in the North, and
second in the whole federation, there has been no commensurate and
reciprocal patronage, or gesture in appointments and contract awards," the
communique stated. "For instance, the North-west where Mr. President
garnered the least number of votes in the North has been rewarded with the
choicest ministries: namely, ministries of communications, external
affairs, agriculture, water resources and solid minerals." It continued:
"The case of the South-West is more puzzling. In this zone, they
performed woefully at all levels, yet they reaped the benefit of political
appointments more than any other unit.....No wonder, cynics tend to
believe that it pays more in this country to resort to belligerent
opposition than to remain a party loyalist."
A few days later in Jos, the Northern Senators' Forum rose from its
meeting on Jauary 15, the 34th anniversary of the first coup. The
Senators' forum wants a state of emergency to be declared in Lagos State
because of the activities of Oodua People's Congress, OPC, which they
termed an "unlawful organisation." Stated the forum: " We are
particularly concerned with the activities of the illegal and indeed
clearly an urban terrorist organisation called the Oodua People's
Congress." The forum was also aggrieved over the distribution of "pork
barrel" by the Obasanjo presidency. Expectedly, it was against the call
for a sovereign national conference.
The meetings in Jos were but the public views of the clandestine political
moves by those opposed to Obasanjo. Though there are few who are ready
to voice openly that Obasanjo should be made to lose his job, Waku's
position, however, is not strange to members of this school of thought.
They are satisfied, once the "North" is in power, whether through direct
election or through a military coup. Sources say that Aso Rock itself is
not unmindful of the tapestry of intrigues being woven by the opposition
within the Northern establishment. They are working hard on three planks.
One was to find an excuse to impeach President Obasanjo. Already, there
have been rumblings along this line in both the Senate and the House of
Representatives. Late last year, however, when Senator Femi Okunrounmu
(Ogun) of the opposition Alliance for Democracy, AD, raised an alarm about
a plot to unseat Obasanjo, the entire Senate rose against him. He was
pressured to apologise.
The second plank was to ensure that, in the event that he completes his
first term, Obasanjo is barred from winning the nomination of the PDP for
a second term. The third plank is to ensure that if he passed the
nomination hurdle, then he should be made to lose the next presidential
election of 2003 to a Northern candidate. Towards the goal of stopping
Obasanjo, at all costs, some of the Northern political pressure groups are
already talking of merger. Those in the merger talk include such groups
as the Northern Elders' Forum and the Turaki group led by former
president, Shehu Shagari. This strategy had worked before when people
like Waku mobilised support for Abacha during the June 12 struggle.
Waku is honest in his views. He does not mince words about where his
sympathy lies and the targets of his love and hatred. After all, he is a
senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is also a Northerner of
the republic. It is for this, his love, that he says he would prefer a
military regime to Obasanjo's - "the worst government in Nigeria's
history."
This is an interview you will never forget. It was conducted by Major
Adeyi, TELLS bureau chief in Jos.
Excerpts:-
Q: What is this Northern Senators' Forum all about?
A: It is not a new group. It is also not a strange development. THe
South-east have their senators' forum, the South-south likewise and the
South-west too. Maybe the new thing about this meeting is our meeting for
the first time outside Abuja. We (were) in existence before our
inauguration as senators, and since then, we have been meeting in Abuja.
The recess is just over. We have all gone to our constituencies; we can
now read the feelings of the electorate as we appeal to them that they
should be patient with us for not having physical development in the first
six months. So we have to meet, as senators, to see that the people are
not discouraged. Let me tell you, this meeting is nowhere articulating
any threat to this country. Rather, our goal is to ensure the existence
of Nigeria as a corporate body, indivisible nation. And, also, the
meeting looked at the issue of Sharia over which a committee has been set
up. I am member of the committee. During our next meeting, we will
submit our report. The committee is made up of Christians and Muslims.
We shall find out what the states adopting Sharia are really up to. Are
they operating in line with the constitution, or (do) they have an agenda
contrary to the spirit of the constitution? Our meeting also deliberated
very seriously about Oodua Peoples' Congress, OPC. This actually
dominated our meeting. We also talked about the general insecurity in the
country, especially in Lagos and Abuja. About N2.5 billion was voted for
security in these two areas for proper equipping of the police but there
are no positive results. The ugly development led to our calling for the
removal of the police affairs minister and the inspector-general of
police. We are not happy with them.
Q: What steps have you taken to see that the executive reasons along with
you on these security matters?
A: Let me be point-blank with you. Obasanjo does not believe that he is
a democratically elected president. One begins to wonder whether he has
not recovered from the shock of his jail term. We are not (a) medical
authority, so we cannot declare him mentally derailed. But Obasanjo's
actions are very provocative. He tries as much as possible to blackmail
the members of the National Assembly, (and) to carry the press along with
him. He did not allow Nigerians to know the details and functions of the
National Assembly. If you go from the beginning to the end of our present
constitution, you see adequate references to the National Assembly. This
angers Obasanjo. He wants to operate as a dictator. This meeting has
resolved, and I want to tell you emphatically, we will never, never, never
take that from him. Even if it means Nigeria breaking into many (pieces)
to stop Obasanjo through the constitutional process.
Q: What are the impeachable offences committed by the president?
A: Let me tell you, we appropriated N2.4 billion for local contractors.
Obasanjo arbitrarily transferred that money to another sub-head. He took
it to education, which is completely a violation of the constitution.
Then, Obasanjo, instead of paying local contractors, went ahead and paid
Julius Berger N11 billion - the money that is not in the approved
supplementary budget. Looking at the Supplementary Appropriation Act,
Obasanjo issued a warrant on the 8th of December. He then issued a cash
backing releasing all the money on the 24th of December and backdating it
to the 16th of December. It is criminal, it is a fraud. Obasanjo later
turn (sic) round, wrote a letter to all parastatals and ministries to
close (their) accounts. It is a violation of the constitution.
Q: So, what is the implication of these (alleged) violations?
A: The implication is impeachment. No two ways about it. But will that
bring stability to the country? Obasanjo is taking undue advantage of
Nigeria's need for peace, and as a result of that (he is engaging in)
reckless utterances, reckless spending and violation of the constitution,
because he knows that Nigeria needs peace. For Nigeria to have peace,
Obasanjo, too, should be seen to slow down and respect the constitution.
Look at the OPC case: Obasanjo descended on Odi people and levelled the
place. Is it because the people are a minority and they have nobody to
protect them? We accused Obasanjo squarely on the OPC. As the president
of the country, he has all the security apparatuses at his disposal to
deal with the OPC terrorists. Up till now, there is no leader of the
Yoruba who has been arrested. This is an indication that the Yoruba are
protected because their man is president. What happened to Odi? Poor
people! In Lagos, several police officers were killed and there were more
lives lost in Lagos than in Odi. He levelled the place, why don't he
(sic) level Lagos? We believe there is an agenda.
Q: Don't you see that all your charges as the hangover of the last PDP
convention? The core North is not happy, and may likely want a platform
to pressurise the government.
A: No, no, it has gone beyond that. The issue of a Northern agenda did
not come up in our our deliberations, What came up was the issue of the
integrity of the National Assembly. But the danger Obasanjo is
constituting to his Yoruba kinsmen is that they have a different agenda of
secession. Maybe after the four years or so, they may no longer want
Nigeria. So they can continue (in) what they are doing. However, I can
assure you that, in this country, Nigeria, it will take another Yoruba man
many centuries to be president of this country, from what we see Obasanjo
doing. A man that we thought would be liberal, he is more of the typical
Yoruba who does not think of anybody other than himself. Look at Obasanjo
who came from several backgrounds - an ex-convict, former head of state, a
leader in Africa, an elder statesman, not a self-appointed leader. We
thought he would be the best. I can assure you, the worst government ever
produced in Nigeria is Obasanjo's.
Q: Even with all the appointments made from Benue State?
A: Such as?
Q: The Chief of Army Staff.
A: The chief of army staff was deliberately appointed so that Obasanjo
can do what he is doing now. Why was Benue not given chief of army state
during the military regime? Now the office is that of a guard protecting
Obasanjo.
Q: But the core North is accusing the Middle Belt of having juicy
appointments?
A: Yes. Whatever appointment is given to us shows our commitment to duty
and long record (of) efficiency.
Q: Why meeting on January 15?
A: It was a coincidence. We said we would meet three days before the
resumption of the Senate. Nobody took into account the 15th of January,
but it happened that it fell on that historic date. So another history is
born. Now from the Jos experience, we want to be rotating the meeting
round the Northern states. We are contemplating going to Gusau, Zamfara,
the Sharia headquarters. We want to go and see things for ourselves. We
have not taken the final decision yet, but for sure, our next meeting will
be in the far North - Sokoto, Borno or Zamfara.
Q: If you now adopt impeachment as a final option, what do you think will
befall the political class and Nigeria as a nation-state?
A: For me to stay in the National Assembly and have nothing to do for the
people who elected me, I prefer the military to be there. Then I will
know that I am pushed out. Not that when I am there and I am supposed to
do the right thing, and the right thing is done, then somebody (uses)
dictatorial approach and style of administration to render me impotent.
Which one do you prefer: to get out of the place or be there without
doing anything for the electorate who elected you? It is better to get
out of the place. It is only the military that can act in illegality.
This is so because it has no constitutional power to take over government.
It can wake up and announce a budget, create states and local
governments without considering the feelings of the people. It is not
responsible to the people; it is not a legitimate government. But in our
case, as a democratic government, we must respect the constitution. We
must not reduce the government to a dictatorial regime. Instead of
allowing that, it is better for (the) professional coupists to take over
while we wait for a better time. We debate on budget, (and) spend
sleepless nights studying the provisions (sic). Why should Obasanjo
blackmail us with the same budget? I wish the nation understand (sic)
what I am saying. We are not delaying the budget. He has the
constitutional powers to incur expenditure(s) for six months, while
waiting for final approval of the budget, from consolidated revenue. The
provision is there. We are not holding him ransom. We just got the
budget on 23rd December. It is a big book. Not all of us got it then.
Those who had travelled to their constituencies before then are yet to see
a copy of the budget. As responsible lawmakers, we must study and debate
(on) the budget. Our concern is to alleviate poverty. The fact is that
Obasanjo wants to please the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at the
expense of Nigerian citizens. He wants to be lifted high by IMF and then
destroy the nation. See the issue of fuel deregulation. Do you think we
are going to accept that? Let me tell you a secret, this is a fact.
Obasanjo told me, as the Chairman of Arewa Frontier, during the
presidential campaign when he appeared before my committee, that if he
became president, the pump price of petrol would come down to N14.00 per
litre. He told us (so). It was in the minutes of the meeting before his
nomination in Jos. So why is he now talking about deregulation of fuel
price?
END
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Aluko Commentary
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This interview reads worse that it was previously reported in excerption,
and is a teachable moment for the nation.
It is clear that Senator JN Waku had not only a lot to say, but a lot more
to say too, except that he appeared to be biting his tongue in a number of
places. For a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to be so
ethnically hateful, belligerent, inconsistent, incoherent, insulting and
generally conspiratorial is UNACCEPTABLE. To publicly contemplate the
return of the military is unconscionable. Of course, it would be hardly
surprising if indeed he was a convicted and court-martialled ex-army
corporal/embezzler as reported in the newspapers. [By the way, was that
reported on his INEC form?]
The Yoruba, who the death-to-the-constitution-seeking, coup-seeking Waku
despises so much, say that it is through the madman's unguarded public
utterances that the secret deliberations of the unwary high and mighty and
sane are oftentimes exposed. Also, it is said that the Oro masquerade,
being inanimate, does not shout all by itself without a human masquerader.
If Joseph Kennedy Waku is the Northern establishment's madman and
masquerade, then he has no business in the senate, and the voices behind
him and the full text of their messages must be exposed for the sake of
the health of the country.
Senator Waku of Benue State, who is from the same state as General Victor
Malu, head of the Army, and from the same political zone as other high
officials of the military establishment (Ogohi and Alfa), has flown a kite
of coup-plotting. We cannot afford to behold it soaring. It must be shot
down and stamped out once and for all. We must go beyond a one-week
suspension by the Senate and the one-month suspension by Waku's party, the
PDP. He must be investigated FULLY by the National Assembly and made to
explain all the clandestine meetings that he has attended (Middle Belt
Forum, Northern Senators' Forum, Arewa Frontier (what else did Obasanjo
promise and he is now reneging upon?), etcheram, ad nauseum) and publicly
alluded to in this interview, in which affairs CLEARLY bordering on the
security of state were discussed. As an ELECTED PUBLIC official, he will
have no choice but to divulge what were discussed, or else he should be
prosecuted under suspicion of treason.
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It is refreshing to read the actual comments of Senator Waku instead of variety
of noise from several lynch mobs with anti-democratic selfish agenda. The man
did not do anything that would justify the demand for his removal from the
Senate. In as much as I may disagree with his narrow minded views, he is
entitled to voice his frustrations publicly. Nigeria's Senate should have more
serious public business to handle than trying to stop citizens from expressing
their opinions. So Mr. Waku is mad at Obasanjo and expressed his feelings to the
media in a reckless manner. SO %$#& WHAT? That is his opinion and at a minimum
he should be entitled to it.
Ugo Anakwenze
"Mobolaji E. Aluko" <mal...@scs.howard.edu>@lists.cc.utexas.edu on 02/05/2000
03:24:51 AM
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Subject: STAR ARTICLE: The Waku Who Wants a Coup (TELL, 7 February, 2000)