Alhaji Bamanga Tukur
National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, recently, fielded questions from newsmen on issues affecting the nation, including the growing insecurity in the country and his relationship with governors of the party. Chuks Okocha was there. Excerpts:
How far have you gone in your reconciliation efforts?
Unity, stability, peace, oneness can co-exist through information. You all know we are in a difficult situation and that is the reason I will appeal to you the media, to really be objective in the way you present issues to the nation. I was very much disturbed when I went to my village in Ganye and I saw the damage done through evil.
Today, in this nation, we witness people bombing churches, bombing mosques, bombing United Nations, bombing car parks and bombing markets. To me, they are national attacks and we know all the reasons this is taking place.
And under my watch, the PDP is interested in filling all the elective positions. If you search anywhere, my members are affected. So, I became worried. I believe that maybe we start thinking about how to face that evil. The good always chases away the evil. We are capable of doing that. I believe all of us - what I call the coalition of the willing, can do that.
As PDP National Chairman, how would you advise the president on security challenges?
It is not about the PDP or President Goodluck Jonathan, this is a matter that should be of concern to everybody, irrespective of political, ethnic or religious affiliation; the opposition, the labour movement, religious leaders and traditional rulers. We all have to come to fight the evil that is now manifesting everywhere in our land.
As PDP National Chairman, how would you advise the president on security challenges?
It is not about the PDP or President Goodluck Jonathan, this is a matter that should be of concern to everybody, irrespective of political, ethnic or religious affiliation; the opposition, the labour movement, religious leaders and traditional rulers. We all have to come to fight the evil that is now manifesting everywhere in our land.
Those perpetuating these evil are within us in the society, it is not a matter of Mr. President or the PDP-led federal government alone. My advice is that all of us, all Nigerians, all hands must be on deck to fight the evil.
Your leadership of the NWC is a year in office. What are your major landmarks in the period?
When I came in, we had a template which was our 12-point agenda. After one year, I went round the states on a mission for reconciliation, reformation and rebuilding. I spoke about the Triple E which is, Environment Sustainability, Education, Energy and Security. The third is Triple D which is Defence, Dialogue and Diplomacy. And the remaining three is the consequences if we do what we pledged to do and accepted by our people.
When I came in, we had a template which was our 12-point agenda. After one year, I went round the states on a mission for reconciliation, reformation and rebuilding. I spoke about the Triple E which is, Environment Sustainability, Education, Energy and Security. The third is Triple D which is Defence, Dialogue and Diplomacy. And the remaining three is the consequences if we do what we pledged to do and accepted by our people.
If we reconcile, we get peace. You get peace to get security. You get security, you get investment. It is a circle. They all work together. I found out that our people are still on the ground, with their party. As far as I know, they are patient, they understood what happened and they voiced it out. They voiced out security, they voiced out economy because the idea of having the three Ds means if you educate your people, they take care of the elements of the environment - the environmental sustainability I am talking about.
I am also talking about three things; land, water and people that are God-given to every nation. But if you give the people education, they will take care of these elements. They will turn water to hydro-energy, they can turn it to get energy and they can cut wood and boil water and get energy. You have to educate them.
During your reconciliation tour, most stakeholders and governors did not attend and your statements also conflicted that of the chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum. What really happened?
The notice given to governors to attend the Abuja grand finale was very short. It is not true that they did not come because they don’t believe in reconciliation. They were ready for reconciliation and attending the Abuja event because if you met somebody in Bauchi, why should that person came to the finale in Abuja? But if you don’t come really, we don’t believe it is because it is a repetition of what took place in your state. So, I can categorically tell you that no governor of the PDP is averse to the reconciliation.
Talk about reconciliation, have you made up with those who sought the office of the chairman with you but were made to step down at the convention ground?
I believe if you come to our meetings, you will see them. They are there. It was a contest. But there is no ill-feeling with those who contested with me. And we are working together. We consult each other. I talk to them, they talk to me. If I call them, they come. So, what else can one ask for?
Moving forward from the reconciliation tour, what is the next line of action?
First of all, you cannot solve a problem unless you know that the problem exists. The fact that we work till 1am today says it all. I am happy because all my NWC members were there. They are my team. We are looking at what our members in the zones told us: to find the common denominator and try to find a solution.
The notice given to governors to attend the Abuja grand finale was very short. It is not true that they did not come because they don’t believe in reconciliation. They were ready for reconciliation and attending the Abuja event because if you met somebody in Bauchi, why should that person came to the finale in Abuja? But if you don’t come really, we don’t believe it is because it is a repetition of what took place in your state. So, I can categorically tell you that no governor of the PDP is averse to the reconciliation.
Talk about reconciliation, have you made up with those who sought the office of the chairman with you but were made to step down at the convention ground?
I believe if you come to our meetings, you will see them. They are there. It was a contest. But there is no ill-feeling with those who contested with me. And we are working together. We consult each other. I talk to them, they talk to me. If I call them, they come. So, what else can one ask for?
Moving forward from the reconciliation tour, what is the next line of action?
First of all, you cannot solve a problem unless you know that the problem exists. The fact that we work till 1am today says it all. I am happy because all my NWC members were there. They are my team. We are looking at what our members in the zones told us: to find the common denominator and try to find a solution.
Second, we will go to the states. After Easter, we are going to embark on individual state visits and I hope that you will also have the opportunity to come with us to see what we need to do. And you know that anywhere we went, we told them “the party is yours. We are bringing it back to you. No imposition. Send to us your representatives. Our own is to process what you believe is your own choice, and then we can work.” What I intend to do now is to give us all a clear indication again, so that all of us can really have our programme of action in terms of solutions.
One year in office, what have been your major challenges and when is the next NEC meeting?
NEC is the overall body of the party. It is like the supreme body. You don’t go to NEC like that. You go to NEC by giving them all the information so that you can ask them what you believe they should do. When I came in, I gave them the 12-point agenda. Now I am going to call the NEC and tell them this is what I want and suggest to them the solution and ask for their approval.
Towards 2015 elections, what’s your party’s plan for women?
PDP is gender sensitive. And PDP under my watch has been fair to everyone because, yes, God has given us two hands which means, we should work together, men and women. In the PDP, it is our agenda to encourage women that is the reason we exempted them from paying for forms. But you can take a horse to the water; you cannot make it drink from it. It is an opportunity given to them. There is no imposition. They should go and fight for election.
One year in office, what have been your major challenges and when is the next NEC meeting?
NEC is the overall body of the party. It is like the supreme body. You don’t go to NEC like that. You go to NEC by giving them all the information so that you can ask them what you believe they should do. When I came in, I gave them the 12-point agenda. Now I am going to call the NEC and tell them this is what I want and suggest to them the solution and ask for their approval.
Towards 2015 elections, what’s your party’s plan for women?
PDP is gender sensitive. And PDP under my watch has been fair to everyone because, yes, God has given us two hands which means, we should work together, men and women. In the PDP, it is our agenda to encourage women that is the reason we exempted them from paying for forms. But you can take a horse to the water; you cannot make it drink from it. It is an opportunity given to them. There is no imposition. They should go and fight for election.
How do you intend to check the excesses of some members and address the issue of indiscipline?
We don’t tolerate indiscipline. It is work in progress. A party is a family actually. Why should you go out and tell a stranger you couldn’t get justice or whatever you feel within the family? So, it is in all these areas that I said work is in progress.
Some ministers are not on the ground in their states, especially the non-PDP states, but are critical to the reconciliation exercise. How do you intend to handle that?
We are a party and a party should give what we call patronage. That is what it is actually. We are a family. People who work in that family should be looked after. But it has happened to that extent and it is one of those complaints made and we are looking into it.
What is your relationship with the governors of the PDP?
I am 100 per cent with my governors. They call me. There is no place we went that the governors did not come out to say specifically that they are in support of me and my NWC. The governors, all of them, respect me. Even when there was a misrepresentation in the newspapers, they tried to correct it. How can we have dissension anyway? A PDP governor and a PDP chairman, are we competing on anything? No! We are complementary of each other. There is no competition between the chairman and the governor. Therefore, there is no dissension anywhere. It is just an imagination.
We don’t tolerate indiscipline. It is work in progress. A party is a family actually. Why should you go out and tell a stranger you couldn’t get justice or whatever you feel within the family? So, it is in all these areas that I said work is in progress.
Some ministers are not on the ground in their states, especially the non-PDP states, but are critical to the reconciliation exercise. How do you intend to handle that?
We are a party and a party should give what we call patronage. That is what it is actually. We are a family. People who work in that family should be looked after. But it has happened to that extent and it is one of those complaints made and we are looking into it.
What is your relationship with the governors of the PDP?
I am 100 per cent with my governors. They call me. There is no place we went that the governors did not come out to say specifically that they are in support of me and my NWC. The governors, all of them, respect me. Even when there was a misrepresentation in the newspapers, they tried to correct it. How can we have dissension anyway? A PDP governor and a PDP chairman, are we competing on anything? No! We are complementary of each other. There is no competition between the chairman and the governor. Therefore, there is no dissension anywhere. It is just an imagination.
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