In the academic and legal world, he is indefatigably a
reputable icon. Over the years, he tutored over 60 Senior Advocates of
Nigeria and that made him a force to reckon with. Prof Akin Oyebode, a
professor of international law does not mince words when it comes to
dissecting issues.
In this exclusive interview with Femi Ayodele of Naij.com,
the legal luminary talked about what should be the priorities of the
Buhari-led administration in the next one year; how he can turn Nigeria
to the true giant of Africa, among other sundry national issues.
Recently, President Mohammadu Buhari marked 100 days in
office. What is your assessment of his performance in the last four
months?
There is nothing really heart-shaking President Buhari has done
because it’s just a couple of days he sworn-in his key kitchen cabinet
members. But I think his personal has impacted on his goings-on.
His anti-corruption stance has impacted on the consciousness of quite
a number of Nigerians. He is still revering for a take-off if you ask
me. Until we see the key members of his cabinet, we will be able to put a
finger on his mindset. He can’t do it alone.
A president is as good as the men and women surrounding him. We don’t
know who the ministers are. He promised to elect them in September and
we can leave by rumors or hearsay.
Nigerians are all ears and they have postponed their verdict on PMB
until they see the whole team he will use to actualise his promises he
made to Nigerians.
”Buhari can’t do it alone. A president is as good as the men and women surrounding him”
Don’t forget, this is the first time in the political history of the
country that a sitting government will be defeated. The Ghanaians have
had it thrice.
They have demonstrated greater political panache than Nigeria.
Nigerians might be late in coming but they have effected change of a
government peacefully and four months after, you now ask me to pass a
judgement? I think he is still preparing the ingredients of the soup. It
is after the soup is done that we will judge if he is a good chef or
not.
It’s been four months since the president assumed office but
he is yet to appoint his ministers. Do you feel this is ideal? Does the
constitution support his action?
It is clear the constitution says he has to appoint ministers to help
him actualise his policies. Not only that, there should be regular
meetings with the ministers. Since the ministers are not appointed,
Buhari has not carried out the letters of the constitution.
Although you can say his spirit is in tune with the law. When talking
about meeting, I’m not saying we should go back to Wednesday meetings
for contract awarding like we had during Jonathan’s administration. Life
is more than contacts.
There should be agenda setting; accentuating the game plan and
elaborating the strategies and tactics of effectuating the agenda of his
administration. To bring together the savvy and knowledge of the men
and women he would engage as minsters.
He must be able to engage very brilliant and competent people who
through their inputs he would make well-informed decisions coupled with
the impact of other decision makers. Governance is not a one-man’s band
however brilliant or smart.
READ ALSO: Prof. Oyebode Warns Buhari Over His Appointments
I know his combination with Yemi Osinbajo who I consider the brain
box of Buhari’s administration is good as it comes, but he needs synergy
with other incisive people.
Apart from his special advisers and special assistants, who you call
the spain doctors, he needs well-owned, competent and incisive people to
form his team. That is how modern governance works. God help him
because he has put his foot in his mouth with his recent appointments.
He lost tremendous support among those who were prepared to give him
the benefit of doubt because the message he is putting across is that he
is an irredentist. A leader of a particular hegemony in Nigeria which
is not healthy, dysfunctional and counterproductive. So the earlier he
goes back to the drawing board to cut his losses the better.
Take it or leave; he earned tremendous loss especially from the
southern part of the country where I believe you have the concentration
of the best and the brightest. That is the truth he might not want to
hear it.
”I
know his combination with Yemi Osinbajo who I consider the brain box of
Buhari’s administration is good but he needs synergy with other
incisive people.”
He is giving ammunition to his opponent. Look at the statement made by Fayose who is not qualified to talk on meritocracy.
In terms of the political equation in Nigeria, the calculus is wrong
and he has to be told that on certain terms he blew. He has to cut his
losses by making adjustment. He was ashamed to make a speech after the
swearing-In. He actually made a political misjudgment.
He needs to watch it so that he would not burn the overdraft of
goodwill that he had when elected. He can’t continue that way.
Definitely if he does, APC is done for it and they will never be
re-elected because nobody wants any cabal or hegemonic forces to hold
Nigeria by the Adam’s apple.
Nigeria has gone past that. You must operate an inclusive government
that will carry everybody along in the various consistencies. I
personally I’m not amused; I’m not impressed at what he has done thus
far.
If you are in position to advise the president, What do you think should be his priorities?
We have a president who came in with a pan Nigerian mandate. And who
during the political hustings told us he had three priorities;
insurgency , corruption which, like the way people say it here, has
become a canker-worm that has eaten deep into the social fabric of the
polity (if I may borrow the cliche).
Then he talked about the economy; unemployment as regards masses of
young graduates pounding the streets. If he can fulfill all these, I
think Nigerians will be grateful. He also needs to focus on lapses in
infrastructure especially the power situation which people say is
improving.
If he can deliver his promise of 10,000 megawatts during his first
anniversary, Nigerians will give him kudos. I think the improvement in
the power sector is fortuitous not because of any deliberate policy.
It’s just God-sent plus for him. He now has to work on his tactics and
strategy (to borrow another cliché) of moving Nigeria forward. He has
his job cut out for him.
A group of lawmakers who are legal practitioners recently
advocated to be conferred with the SAN title. For you who have tutored
over 60 Senior Advocates Of Nigeria, do you think this agitation is
valid?
I think it is the joke of the century. The demand is ridiculous. Even
the title of SAN is discriminatory. It is not egalitarian. It is a body
of opinion among legal practitioners who frowned against this
distinction or apartheid between legal practitioners.
Let the lawyers first of all buy their confidence as affirmed by
their clients. I’m not a protagonist of SAN title. My children think I’m
in error. They are lawyers too and they ask why I’ve not applied. But
for some conclaves to sit down somewhere and canonize certain lawyers, I
think it strikes at the principle of equality that we espouse.
It is obscene for people to apply to be honored. I understand that you pay a fat sum and you will be conferred the title.
For lawmakers to now carry the joke too far by asking to be conferred
SAN title. I feel people should ignore them as rantings of people who
have misplaced priorities.
They are in the national assembly to enact laws for the peace, order
and good government of Nigeria. That is the task of lawmakers not to be
hankering honorific titles for practitioner. I think they are suffering
from what I call status panic. Why do they want to compete with those
who are in practice? For me I don’t take that suggestion seriously.
You were a delegate to the last National Conference. Since
the convener of the confab is not in power, are you not worried the
recommendations and reports of the confab might not see the light of the
day?
Honestly, I was disturbed when I learnt PMB might not look into the
reports. I remember chatting with Femi Falana during the confab. We were
talking about the arrays of people at the conference.
No election can bring these arrays of public figures together. We had
former speakers, generals, vice chancellors, professors, former judges,
among others. Mamman Nasir, former President of the Court of Appeal who
is 92 was there. Richard Akinjide, almost 90, Ike Inwachukwu,75, among
others.
We had people who are proven, tested and who had paid their dues.
Though there were few scalawags, that is expected. So when you had array
of stars, personalities and jewels, on the Nigeria firmament and they
ruminated on issues pertaining to the destiny of this country for nearly
five months and they come up with about 600 recommendations and you say
you are not looking into it?
I hope PMB should have a rethink because he can take a lot from the
report and use it to the benefit of Nigerians irrespective of the
authorship or convener.
”
I hope PMB woud have a rethink because he can take a lot from the
report and use it to the benefit of Nigerians irrespective of the
authorship or convener.”
We even challenged Jonathan and he said he had no hidden agenda. Of
course he wanted to take credit. It was too late for him but he conveyed
it. He was initially afraid of the sovereignty of the conference. He
was of the opinion we can’t have two sovereignties in a state.
PMB can’t ignore the report because the report is like an access to
the pre proceedings of various governments; you have the Obasanjo
conference, even the Abacha conference. Life is cumulative. It will be
short-sighted, myopic in the extreme.
In fact, dysfunctional and counterproductive to ignore the
proceedings of that conference. He will only try to reinvent the wheel
because practically all issues affecting Nigeria were discussed. I was a
member of the committee on foreign affairs and diaspora matter.
There were other committees: security, labour, economy, civil
service, name it. There was hardly any issue of vital importance to the
country that did not engage the attention of the conference. There is a
need to have a rethink on the issue concerning proceedings and
recommendations of that conference.
Mind you, the APC people that said they won’t participate sent their
representatives. Not directly but through the state representatives. I
represented Ekiti North. I’m not an APC member but I’m from Ikole-
Ekiti. The governor of the state at that point in time, Kayode Fayemi
nominated me.
So they can’t say the APC members were completely absent. You had
Bisi Adegboye from Ogun state, a prominent APC member. Lagos state had
its delegation too. People like Sasore, former Attorney- General of
Lagos.
We were holding meetings at the Liaison offices of Ogun and Ondo
state, brainstorming on the Yoruba agenda for the conference. The Yoruba
agenda to that conference was about 314 pages. The Yorubas were
probably the most prepared group for that conference in terms of
thinking out solutions to problems.
The representations might be skied because the old Afenifere group
manovaured their way through the presidential villa to get over
represented in the conference. You had Chief Olu Falae and others. So
for me, the conference is not a wasted effort.
