Hamza Al-Mustapha, presidential candidate of the Action
Alliance (AA), says the institutions established to tackle corruption in
Nigeria are not well-equipped to handle such matters.
Speaking in an interview on Tuesday with Channels
Television, Al-Mustapha, a former aide to the late Sani Abacha, said if elected
president, he will set up structures and relevant agencies to address corrupt
practices.
“In Nigeria, I believe institutions primarily managing
security, corruption issues in Nigeria are ill-equipped. They are too small;
they are not organised properly,” he said.
“A situation with this the way I see it, where you call a
rabbit to be the chairman of arresting lions, you know it is semantics. The
rabbit will be running around the animal kingdom, but the lion will be sleeping
the way it wants and nothing will happen.
“You don’t have
national economic intelligence agency or your commission. You also do not have
a national electronic agency management of your economy to determine data of
corruption in terms of management or domestic activities, international trade,
movement of your resources, activities in your banks, central bank, ministry of
finance, ministry of national planning and in understanding what they do with
your resources.
“How come you don’t have the seeming structures and you want
to relate with the international community that you cannot drive? Who do they
communicate with? So, once they come, they don’t have relevant agencies they
are working with in today’s modern world. How can you manage corruption? So,
you have to reset the country first.
“So, we have an understanding of two new agencies to come on
board and it is bigger. It will go along with the economy.”
The presidential candidate also said he is bold enough to
confront corrupt individuals, irrespective of their social or political
standing.
“If you’re talking about boldness, God willing, I’m not
boasting,” he said.
“Boldness in rendering service for Nigeria was, first of
all, what fetched the persecution I went through yesterday because I don’t know
how you can ask me to paint white [as] black and present black [as] white.
“Many of those who believe they hated my guts were the ones
that punished me and call me names.”
‘NO PLAN FOR REVENGE’
Al-Mustapha was arrested on October 21, 1998, over the death
of Moshood Abiola. He spent 14 years in prison and was later set free.
In the interview on Tuesday, the former military personnel
said he has “forgiven” those behind his arrest and has “no plans of taking
revenge” if he becomes president.
“Vengeance is not my own; it’s not my upbringing; it is not
in my religion; it is not in my belief, love or affection,” he said.
“I have been an
advocate and I have been canvassing all across on the issue of peace and unity
in Nigeria, even as a very little toddler. In the military, as a lieutenant,
numerous associations were created or registered by me. And I brought them up
in this sense.”
When asked if he understands what it takes to rule a
democratic society, Al-Mustapha said he is versatile.
“A military officer
is trained to be versatile. And it all depends on the strength of that person,”
he said.
“It is a personality evaluation issue. If you believe from
the open programmes, the approach you have as a versatile person, primarily
what is required, are leadership qualities in an individual.
“The fact that Mr A, as a civilian, comes to say, ‘I am a politician,
and I’m promoting politics and I want to be in politics’, it doesn’t mean he
possesses the qualities of leadership desirous of this country that can have an
impact in changing the country.”
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