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'Bot-Mang is an Unsurper'(AllAfrica.com English Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Lagos, Apr 02, 2007 (This Day/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --More than two weeks after Chief Joshua Dariye was restored to his governorship position, via a Court of Appeal's ruling in Jos, nothing seems to have changed in the power equation in the state. As his former adviser, what is your view? First of all, the verdict of the Appeal Court is a triumph for democracy; it is a triumph for the less privileged; it is a triumph for those who do not have connections, it is a triumph for the common man. This verdict has shown that it does not matter how long it takes, but that justice must always prevail. And therefore for us, the judiciary has shown beyond any reasonable doubt that it is the anchor, the linch-pin for the survival of democracy. Because whether you like it or not, there will always be differences in camps as long as democracy is there, and it is the general view that democracy thrives in our society. But where these differences have reached a level that it will lead to litigation it will lead to strife, then, the judiciary steps in to interpret the constitution of the land. The judiciary has therefore taken firm step in this direction. And it is consistency in the reformed judiciary that we have seen of late. In-fact, I personally see the appointment of Justice Kutigi as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, as an added advantage to democracy, because he is a man that is known for his integrit. He is a man known for standing up for the truth; a gentleman par-excellence. For somebody like that heading the judiciary, which is the last hope for people who do not have connection, I believe that it is a welcome development. Let me state the fact that the struggle for the recall of Joshua Dariye is not only rooted in the person of Dariye. It is rooted in the defence of democracy, it is rooted in the fact that democracy has a procedure.And that procedure, if it is not followed, means you have contravened the due process. The judiciary has done extremely well in the interest of our nascent democracy. You know the statement that says the judiciary is the last hope of the common man or those who don't have connection; it is absolutely right in this regard. What all this means is that as far as the law for now is concerned, Joshua Chibi Dariye is the excecutive governor of Plateau state. As at today, he is the legitimate governor of Plateau State . However, we do know that a governor is not made on the streets like that. He does not move on the streets like that. You know that there are people that are gaining so much politically, economically or socially, from the non - return of Joshua Dariye. Nobody can underestimate the extent to which they can go. Secondly, the issue of the non-appearance of the governor, is hinged on the fact that he needs to have his security details re-instated. And he is not asking for the security details because he is afraid of the people of Plateau State. No! He is asking for the security details because of statements that have come from people like V.K Dangun, because when people like that who are self - serving, who historically have only been interested in themselves, come up to say they will resist, then,_you never can tell what method they will want to use, because we have heard of people being killed. Bola Ige was killed, Harry Marshal suffered the same fate; the fellow in Ekiti also was murdered. You will recall that in Plateau State, a gubernatorial aspirant of AC, Arc. Pam Dung Gyang, was attacked at one point in time. You are also aware that in Plateau State, one spirant from Bassa was killed.You will also recall that in Lagos and other parts of the country, prominent people just died like that. The death of Bola Ige has remained a mystery because his killers are yet to be found. We can still remember that of Funsho Williams in Lagos State. The death of all these people are yet to be unraveled. So it will be stupid for Joshua Dariye to come out and begin to walk about without any protection as the court has directed, when there are miscreants like that, more so when some of these people are currently parading themselves as commissioners in government. So I believe it is clearly an indication for his regard for peace and orderliness and that is why he has not shown up.Nobody should take statements like that lightly. So, when somebody says he is going to resist, it is either he has either amassed some weapons for which he wants to use to resist, or has gathered some miscreants he wants to use. So, if I were the security agents, it is very, very important for them to effect the arrest of V.K Dangin with immediate effect. In-fact the Police Commissioner in Plateau state should ensure that they arrest people like the state commissioner for information, because when you talk of your desire to resist, you are talking of a coordinated approach to resistance, and we need to know what your plans are. We have said it clearly that Joshua Chibi Dariye wants the Inspector General of Police to direct the restoration of his security details and guarantee the safety of his return to the seat of power. Dariye is not afraid of returning to power or to the state to claim his mandate, neither is he hiding for any reason. He is simply taking precautionary measures so that due process will be followed in determining his case. Have you (Dariye's loyalists) reached out to the appropriate quarters especially about the restoration of the security of Dariye? The legal team is working on that, and they have written officially to the Inspector General of Police requesting him to do just that, and we re expecting their response. Beyond the issue of the restoration of his security details, is the allegation of moral burden as earlier made by the state commissioner of Information and Communications, not a factor or you don't see any wisdom in such argument? What moral burden are you talking about? I find it very nauseating when you see especially somebody who occupies the position of a commissioner speaking on behalf of government, and talking of moral burden on Joshua Dariye, when he knows that the onus for the proof of the morality or immorality of any person lies in the court. As of today, there isn't any conviction by any competent court of law of Joshua Dariye .And for the avoidance of doubt, Joshua Chibi Dariye did not jump any bail; he had travelled with his passport out of Britain with a time within which he was expected to report back to the Metropolitan Police . Unfortunately, at that time, he had resumed, and his lawyers duly represented him at that period.You will also note that when the Metro police came to testify at the Kangaroo Committee that was set up by the deposed Chief Judge of Plateau state, Justice Dakyen, they were not cross - examined. At the point at which the Metro Police were to be cross examined so that the truth could be told, they fled the country. So, it is an absolute falsehood, mischief and irresponsibility for somebody to keep talking about moral burden. The person himself does not have the authority as far as our legal system is concerned to declare somebody as having moral burden or not. Do you not think that the resistance threats coupled with some comments already seen as inciting, coming from Dariye's opponents, are political strategies to whittle or abort completely your resolve to re-instate Dariye? Well, it is very, very clear that their camp is in total confusion. If you look at what has happened to PDP in Plateau State, it is a house divided against itself now. You have seen how Jimmy Cheto moved to Labour Party. Of course, Damishi Sango is not actively working for the party. Senator Ibrahim Mantu himself is not interested in Jonah Jang's candidature. Jonah Jang himself has already declaredthat he would deal with Mantu if he comes to power. So, it is already a house divided against itself. V.K Dangin has a personal interest and not the peoples interests as he poses, and that personal interest is that, Mike Dapianlong (Speaker, House of Assembly) is V.K Dangin's personal staff. His office is in the office of V.K Dangin, and therefore, V.K Dangin wants a surrogate through whom he will now control the government house. But democracy abhors that! Democracy requires that if you want to speak on behalf of the people, you should go to the ballot box. Or, if V.K Dangin wants to speak on behalf of Plateau people, he should go and campaign to become the governor. When he is elected, then he represents and speaks on behalf of the people. But he said the elders have come together; who are the elders? Elders like Jeremiah Useni have come out to say he is happy with the court's decision, and that due process should be followed in removing a governor. Elders like Solomon Lar have spoken. Several prominent elders have spoken. So, what kind of elders is Dangin talking about? He wants his boy, Mike Dapianlong to continue as speaker, because he already sees himself calling the shots through his puppet - whom he believes, may lose grip of power. Therefore to him, there is the need to struggle for such power before he loses it. And so when he says, resist or that the people will resist, he is talking about V.K Dangin and his cohorts. They are non-issue as far as Plateau politics is concerned. And I can tell you very clearly, that if V.K Dangin goes to run for councillorship, today, he will crash. I can also tell you that the people who claim to be speaking on behalf of Plateau people should go to contest for the governorship or contest for house of assembly, Senate, etc. It is only when you win that you can then speak on behalf of the people. So,V.K Dangin does not have the locus standi, as far this case is concerned.Secondly, there is no case between Chief Botmang and Dariye; Chief Botmang has clearly stated he is a child of circumstance and now circumstances have changed. He should go back to his former circumstance, because a child of necessity cannot continue to be there when the necessity is no more there. It is my firm belief that Chief Botmang will go back to his position as deputy governor. Nobody is planning to impeach Chief Botmang once Dariye comes back. There is no time even to contemplate that. Once Dariye returns, his preoccupation will be to prepare a transition for the incoming government. He is going to prepare a comprehensive handover; he is going to go round saying, "thank you to the people of Plateau State for standing by me", in-spite of forces that came from outside Plateau State . He is going to say thank you to all of them. That is what is going to pre-occupy him. While he will continue with that, we expect that Chief Michael Batmang will continue with his role as deputy governor. They started together, they will end together. They will handover to a duly elected governor, and whoever God puts there as the next governor, that person will spend time understudying . looking at facts from fiction, looking at the challenge that is taking place. Let me again take you back to the issue of the statement of moral burden that was made by Sylvanus Namang. I think if Namang and his cohorts really want to talk about moral burden, the first place to start with will be the office of the deputy Senate president, because there isn't any newspaper that has not carried enough of his malfeasance, issues that border on moral burden. First, the deputy Senate president is moving around because there isn't a court that has convicted him of any offence We do have cases that have been alleged against Chief Joshua Dariye, but he has not been convicted by any court of law. Now if you look at the Nigerian states, Ribadu himself did mention that out of the 36 state governors in Nigeria In fact, I've lost count of how many of them he said have grievous cases to answer. But he actually said about 14 have cases concluded against them. So, are those governors not on their seats today? So, what is happening to them? Why are they still in government today?Don't they have a moral burden? But there is a due process what we are saying, is follow due process. At the due process, you will have Chief Joshua Dariye handing over on the 29th of May and he will be facing the court processes if he has a case to answer. And the court will take a decision in a bid to decide whether he is guilty or not guilty, that is in adherence that the laws of the land will prevail. I can tell you very, very clearly the struggles for Rayfield is the cause of all what you hear that there will be crisis if Dariye returns to power. I think that statement was credited to Jonah Jang. He was further quoted as declaring that if Dariye is bold, he should come out. But I have said that once his security is restored, he will come out. These provocative comments and threats, we know are all politics. In any case, I want to say that if Jonah Jang is bold and politically relevant, I dare him to win this election; I dare him to win his election because if he wins it, then he can speak on behalf of Plateau people. But if he doesn't, then he has no moral justification to say he is speaking on behalf of Plateau people. He should rather speak on behalf of his campaign organization; speak on behalf of his supporters, but not for us. The people of Plateau State have taken a democratic decision by voting in 2003, a governor in place. They did not vote an angel; they voted a human being that has his strength and weaknesses and demonstrated all that, especially his strength. I did mention that whatshould occupy Jonah Jang's mind is to say: 'hey! look, Dariye in the health sector, was able to build three hospitals in his first tenure, continued with almost three other hospitals that are under construction. 'I will therefore do better, by doing A,B,C,D.' Then, he will try to see how he can outshine Dariye in the education sector, where Dariye was able to build a state university, establish a college of remedial studies, establish several junior secondary and renovated a lot, and then say, "I will do better in the sector". And then, we move on from sector to sector. I am telling you by the time you do a comparative analysis of governance of people; you will find out that Dariye is at par with anybody that has done excellently in Plateau. But let me tell you that, when the committee set up during Dariye's first tenure finished with their analysis of his administration's performance in the first three and half years, the committee in which some of these noise makers held key positions scored Dariye 75 percent. The people who are today making this noise will soon be exposed. A Hausa proverb says, "a good Friday is normally known on a Wednesday". And what that means is that we will know the person that can be a good governor by his actions today. It means then, that the statements coming from Jonah Jang just marks him out as somebody who should not govern Plateau State, but who will put the state in more crise; who will be an agent of crisis rather than agent of unity. The point to ponder over is, I want Jonah Jang, I want V.K Dangi; all these elders, to give us a score card of what they have done for Plateau State in all the different positions that they have occupied. Some of them have been chairmen of boards as well as other positions at one time or the other. Let them give us their stewardship now; I am ready to give my scorecard for every position I have occupied as Patrick Dakum. I dare them to give their scorecard. Perhaps, the matter arising from the Court of Appeal's order reinstating Dariye may not just be fear of a renewed crisis in the state, but that Dariye may embark on a witch- hunting spree if he returns. What is your response to that? Joshua Dariye does not have that time. Joshua Dariye has the spirit of God in him; he is a man with the fear of God. And if he were a man of vendetta, in the first place, the deputy governor would probably not be a deputy governor today. any statement. And if you hear what he said then , he said, "I have one leg in one leg out". The other thing to ask is, when Dariye returned after the state of emergency, where were the casualties? He did not take any vengeance step, because he is a man that has humanity and gentility in him ingrained. In fact it was his generosity and good naturedness that enabled the people of Plateau State to vote him in 1999, and again in 2003, in spite of the plots from his political adversaries. And he has remained dear to the people of Plateau State because of the good things he has done before. So, there will be no time for a witch hunting exercise. You know that as a man of due process, he will not act ultra vires. If there is anything that is done today that is within the law, Joshua Dariye will not come and begin to charge all that. But definitely whatever that is done outside the ambit of law, and then of course, he is duty-bound by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which he has sworn to uphold and defend, to ensure it is properly done. Botmang has just described himself as the legitimate governor of the state, arguing that his case is like that of the biblical Moses who was sent by God to librate his people from their oppressors and bad government of the day, though he further declared that he will abide by the decision of the Supreme Court. How do you react to that? I will describe Botmang as synonymous with Absalom who was son of king David. Absalom came to the gate and told the people that this man is bad, and David had to vacate his office, just like Dariye had to vacate his office. But if you go further in the scripture, you will find out that Absalom himself did not end well. David came back and grabbed the throne back, and I will describe it in a similar way, because if you are somebody who is not a leader, you yourself said: "I am a child of circumstance"! Then, why do you want to continue when the circumstances have changed. You should do the right thing by simply handing over. But like I did say we are waiting. Copyright 2007 This Day. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). |