There’s nothing wrong punishing corrupt persons with death, says former Lagos deputy gov, Ojikutu Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu is the former deputy governor of Lagos State. In this interview with AYO ESAN, she speaks on the insecurity pervading the country and agitations for the restructuring of the nation, among other issues of national importance. Excerpts:
Many Nigerians are of the view that President Muhammadu Buhari should not delay in putting up his cabinet unlike what happened during his first term, when it took six months before the cabinet was put in place. What’s your take on this?
I agree with those who are saying that President Buhari should ensure that his cabinet is quickly put in place for the task ahead. In 2015 when he was elected for his first tenure, it took a long time before the cabinet was put in place, and then I started wondering whether there was no think-tank in place to give the President the necessary advice on why it is very important to have cabinet in place as soon as he’s inaugurated in office.
The practice all over the world is that when you are contesting an election, and you have it in mind that you can win, then by that time you would have started assembling a team that you believe will help you actualise your vision and goals as soon as you are elected. Then, I will advise President Buhari that when he is assembling the team that will work with him for this second term, everything should be done on the basis of merit and competence. It should not be job for the boys.
He should look for highly skilled and qualified people, and people of integrity that can help him to turn the economy round. He should look for patriots, who will help him to actualise his vision and goal of taking Nigeria to the next level.
He should look for people who believe in one Nigeria, and not people whose loyalty to the nation is in doubt. I pray for President Buhari that God will give him the wisdom to assemble the right team that will help him not only to move Nigeria forward, but also help him to restore Nigeria’s lost glory.
It is not possible to be everywhere, or see everything; so he has to pick the right people that will help him to succeed. If Buhari is able to pick a good team, posterity will record it, and if he doesn’t get it right, posterity will also record it, but my prayer is that the Almighty Allah will give him the wisdom to assemble a cabinet that will make Nigeria proud.
On the issue of the fight against corruption in the country, some people are suggesting that we may need to adopt radical measures like death penalty to curb the vice as it is being done in China and some other nations of the world. Do you subscribe to this?
If you jail anybody for corruption in Nigeria, the next administration will release that person, and this is what has been happening in Nigeria. But I believe that if some people found to be corrupt after thorough investigations are made to face the firing squad or are hanged, this will serve as a deterrent. We need to start making examples. But like I said earlier, thorough investigations must be carried out and the trial must also be fair. It should not be a case of vendetta or persecution. Due process must be followed. If after all these criteria have been followed, and a person is still found guilty of corruption, then let him or her face the music. There is nothing wrong with death sentence for corrupt elements because through their own acts of corruption, they are also killing some people by being corrupt. If you are stealing money that is meant to buy drugs and put some vital equipment in place in hospital, through your selfish and unpatriotic action, you are killing some people or if you are diverting money meant for road construction into your personal accounts, you are also killing some people because the bad roads you fail to fix will cause accidents, which will result in the death of some people. It is high time we let Nigerians realise that corruption is evil, and that it doesn’t pay.
We have to start from somewhere. I’m not one of those who is against death penalty for corruption, but there must be thorough investigation and trial. It must be established that the man that is being sentenced to death for corruption has through his action of being corrupt caused the death of others. It should not be a case of somebody being sentenced to death, then later investigations will reveal that he was wrongfully convicted and meanwhile the man has been executed, it should not be like that. There must be thorough investigation devoid of vendetta or persecution.
But if you cause the death of others through corrupt practices, then you also deserves to die. It should be an eye for eye, tooth for tooth, like in Mosaic laws. If we can do this, sanity will be restored fast. Corruption is thriving because some corrupt elements believe that they will always get away with a slap on the wrist, but when you introduce death sentence, everybody will fall into line. Nigerians don’t want to die, they love life. The moment you introduce death sentence for corruption, everybody will sit up. But then you will still have people who want to dare it, but when they dare it, then they should go for it. We need death sentence to serve as a deterrent in the fight against corruption.
On the issue of insecurity confronting the nation now, especially the attacks by bandits and kidnappers in many states in the North, what is the way out?
Some people are linking some of these security challenge issue to unemployment, but I believe that when the economy improves, some of these things will be naturally resolved. Federal Government should act fast to make the economy work better.
But at the same time we should think deeply over some of these things happening. There is no smoke without fire. The Federal Government should do more investigations into what is happening now. Those in charge of the nation’s security architecture and intelligence should do everything possible to nip in the bud all these vices, including kidnappings and banditry. We need to make Nigeria secure and safe for the economy to thrive and also to attract foreign investors.
The institution of state police as a way out of the insecurity challenges currently facing the country is gaining ground. What’s your position on this?
State police is what some people also refer to as community policing. There is nothing wrong with it, but it is a double-edged sword. State police can be turned into instrument of terror against perceived opponents by state governors. State police is a good idea, but the fear of it being abused by state governors is there. State police is ideal but the question is this, are we matured to have it in a clime like ours, where some state governors behave like emperors?
Still on the insecurity problems facing the nation, some people believe there is the need to seek foreign assistance. What’s your take on that?
Definitely, if we can’t tackle it on our own, if we can’t cope, there is nothing wrong in seeking foreign assistance. But the terms have to be clearly spelt out before we seek foreign assistance so that we don’t compromise or lose our sovereignty in the process.
The calls for Restructuring is also gaining momentum in view of the recent challenges facing the nation, and even recently President Buhari was reported to have stressed the need for a true practice of Federalism in the country. What’s your view on this?
True practice of true Federalism is not only ideal but will help Nigeria to attain the desired greatness as it was in the First Republic, when each region was thriving and developing without interference by the central or what we call Federal Government. The regions were autonomous, but what we are practising today is unitary system, which the military bequeathed
to us.
True practice of Federalism is what we should return to. There is no region or geo-political zone that is not endowed with natural resources. There is no reason for any zone to fear. The natural resources are there for them to thrive and excel.
I still remember with nostalgia the era of groundnut pyramids in Kano, cotton, skin and hides in the North. All these were being exported in commercial quantities. The North is also a food basket of the nation through agriculture.
In those days, the West was also known for cocoa production, and it was through the export of cocoa that the then Western Region was able to achieve many firsts, including building the first TV station in Africa. The then Eastern Region was also known for coal and rubber production. But the discovery of oil, and exploitation of oil on a commercial scale made us to abandon all these. There is no region that is not blessed with natural resources. What is left is for us to harness these resources for the common good of all. Restructuring is not only ideal for us, it will help us to move forward. It will also help President Buhari to achieve his goal of taking Nigeria to the next level with ease.
Of recent you have been canvassing the setting up of a Truth, Restitution and Recovery Commission. Are you still insisting on that ?
We should set up the commission. Its set up will help the nation a lot. The commission should be fashioned after the Truth Reconciliation Commission in South Africa, where those that did wrong during the apartheid period came out to confess their evil deeds, and made restitution.
In the same line, people who stole Nigeria’s money and are afraid that they may be caught, jailed and be shamed, will come to the commission and be given immunity from prosecution after they have coughed out what they have looted.
