Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN),Chief Mike Ahamba has given reasons President Bola Ahmed Tinubu might be unable to order the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.
In an interview with Stanley Uzoaru, the eminent lawyer explained that the same factors that prevented former President Muhammadu Buhari from setting Kanu free might also hinder President Tinubu. He also spoke on other issues.
How would you rate the performance of President Bola Tinubu so far?
It’s too early to assess.
What about his appointments so far? Do you think he has done well?
Well, he has selected those he feels can help him. I cannot criticise that.
Looking at those he appointed, do you sense any marginalisation?
Why must we think ethnic in everything? In Nigeria, we’re talking of the quality of the men, not where they come from. But so far, if I may speak for him, I don’t think he has ignored any section of the country.
So much has been said about former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele’s arrest. Do you think it’s justifiable?
I don’t know why they arrested him, so I don’t know if it’s justifiable or not. But I think this system of going to arrest responsible citizens of Nigeria who have held important positions in the middle of the night is not in the best image of this country. I think I detest that. If Emefiele committed an offence, I don’t see why he couldn’t have been arrested in the day time. Why in the night? There was a time they did this to Supreme Court Justices, and the nation kept quiet. And now it has happened to Emefiele and the nation still kept quiet. It’s not right. Why do we always behave in a barbaric manner? I don’t see why they couldn’t go to him in the day time. why go to him like thieves in the night? Assuming he reacted and shot one of them, then you will say he does not have the right to hold firearms. It’s unfortunate that we in this part of the world that we’re barbaric. We’re not; it’s just that there is a few of us who think that’s the only way they can make a name, Nigeria is not a barbaric country and those who serve Nigeria should stop being barbaric. I don’t defend what’s he has done but I will continue to condemn how he was arrested.
What’s your general impression of the fuel subsidy removal without palliatives to Nigerians?
That’s the only thing I quarrel about. As for removing it, I knew it would be removed and I advocated its removal. It’s very interesting that it’s APC that is removing it. When the APC was campaigning to come into power, they said there was nothing like fuel subsidy, that it was a fraud by the PDP. What are they removing now? So when we were campaigning, and this is my policy, you don’t go telling lies against your opponents. Let us start being objective in whatever we do. After saying we were telling lies, APC was there for eight years and they’re now removing it in a manner that created a lot of problem in the country. Removing it was a must, but I don’t think I like the modality. In fact, there was no modality. They did not take into consideration the interest of the people. I can buy my fuel, but what about the man in the street? These are the people I’m thinking when I’m thinking political. I don’t think about myself. There are people who need to be considered in everyday thinking. Whatever you think when you’re in authority, you think about those who cannot help themselves.
So in this area, you want to say you score the new administration low?
I score him very low. I score him high for the courage, but score him very low for the modalities.
You must have heard about the Students Loan Bill recently assented to by the President. What’s your opinion about it?
I haven’t seen it. Once you talk about any law, if I have not read it, I can’t comment on it. I want to know the purpose, the modalities for doing it and the ways to recover. Remember there are many of these projects in America. Where you do it, the person taking the loan knows immediately he comes out of the university, he starts working and refund them. But here, people who graduated ten years ago have no jobs yet, and if you give them loans, for what purpose? Rather they would go and start looking for a visa to go to Canada. There is no harm giving loans to students, but for the fact that more of them are admitted into the universities without the government providing more industries, it’s unfortunate. And I criticised this as far back as 1980. I said you’re opening up the universities for everybody to go and study. You’re making it cheap. When I was in the House of Assembly, people criticised me that I’m against it. I said I’m not against it. I asked a question of a problem that will eventually arise. I said when you have too many graduate criminals, they will always outsmart our policemen because they don’t have a good education. People didn’t understand me then, but today they can now see. Let us stop being a consuming nation and start manufacturing something, even if it’s chewing stick.
Let’s talk about the renewed insecurity in the South East. Do you think there are any hopes of coming out of it?
We shall come out of it when those who have hijacked the situation are dealt with. You see, you don’t get emotional and support it emotionally. I remember very well, when the militancy in the South-South started, they started kidnapping oil workers. I told them then that we’re introducing a culture. We’ll descend on our own Nigerians when the white men leave. Is it not happening today? So whatever might have been IPOB policy, which I warned they might not be able to stop – we don’t have the ability, facility to control what we’re starting. Today, it has happened. IPOB is denying involvement, but somebody in Finland or somewhere, ordering people not to go to work while he’s going to work in that place. I think only stupid people listen to him.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, as well as other groups and individuals, have called for the release of the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu. What do you think?
I’m a lawyer and what I promised myself is the truth. I can’t tell the public a lie. I have always said, I have made public statements which nobody challenged, because you find out that I’ve spoken the truth even though it might not be convenient to you. I’ve told them openly that the President of Nigeria has no power to release anybody in court remand. He has no such power. Let their lawyers find a way to do it. I’m sorry about it, but that’s the fact. And anybody who says I’ve not spoken the truth should stand up and challenge me. You don’t go playing politics with a man’s future. You say it and people clap for you. I understand the governor of Enugu travelled to Abuja to tell Tinubu to release somebody in court remand. Nobody knows everything. I want to be told. I have been a lawyer for 50 years, of which 32 years of it is as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). I have not seen the power the President has to release a person remanded by the court. I don’t mind Nnamdi Kanu coming out, but calling on the President is not the answer. Let the lawyers sit down and find a way to do it.
So many have been complaining of the demolition of Alaba Market in Lagos, owned mostly by Igbo traders. Do you think it was a wise decision by the state government?
I’m angry about it and it’s good for us, since we believe in establishing outside our homes. It’s unfortunate, assuming the Igbo decided to retaliate to burn markets owned by the Yoruba, will Lagos survive? So let’s stop all these emotional and eccentric behaviours. We’re all Nigerians, but if we’re tired of being Nigerians, it can be done. But to go and start harassing somebody who’s a Nigerian by establishing outside, you do things that will make you regret doing it. How many Yoruba industries do we have in Igbo land? But there are Igbo people who have spent their money there. Most of them don’t go home; they’re Omo Eko, and time has come for them to think twice. Another thing is this. Why is Port Harcourt Port not working? When people say they’re being ignored, look at why they are saying it. When people say they’re being cheated, find out why. Why is Calabar Port not functioning? Why must it be Lagos Port only, forcing businessmen to concentrate in Lagos? In Rotary, we say, ‘is it fair to all concerned?’ Let us think about it. If we separate and establish Port Harcourt Port again, allow Calabar Port to function, then people can come here to establish their own markets, which is what I believed in all the time.
Are we even sure demolishing Igbo concentrated markets in Lagos, some people are not benefitting? Is the Yoruba man losing because of Alaba? I want us to become Nigerians in reality. But we must overcome this policy of over-contact. When we have too much contact, it becomes a heat. Nigeria was structured in a way that one can do things while being a Nigerian without friction. The way we’re causing friction like an iron to iron, this is what is causing the heat and the heat would always end up in fire. Those who call Nigeria their own, have they called their own compound their own, let alone Nigeria?
Let’s come back home. I don’t know if you’re concerned about what is happening in your party, PDP?
What’s happening?
At least seven members of the exco of your party resigned, dumped PDP for the ruling APC. Don’t you think it might also affect the chances of your party winning the November 11 governorship election in Imo State?
Very speculative. Let’s wait till the elections are conducted. People have had cause to move from APC to PDP and from PDP to APC. This is the Nigerian way of doing politics. If you’re in a party, you don’t have to leave because of the immediate circumstance. I’m a party member; I won’t leave the PDP because I didn’t win the party nomination or because I did not win election, but will leave if it becomes undemocratic because this is a democracy. So if they decided to go, let them go. PDP remains. I’m PDP; I’m not leaving and there are so many who are not leaving either. If they think that because of little agreement they want to run away, they can go. Ihedioha himself is still in PDP. He has not left PDP and he told his supporters not to leave. It’s a free society, but let nobody think that PDP will be jeopardised by it. The next election in November is not the only election that would be conducted. There is another election in four years time. In any case, the last election has not been concluded. Election begins from registration of voters to election petition judgements. So let’s wait and see what happens.
Are you worried that Ihedioha would not be part of those contesting in the November 11 election?
Who told you so?
But he’s not a candidate of any party?
Yes, he suspended his aspiration like a good party man. He said, okay, let my opponent be nominated. I can rest. What is wrong with that? Ihedioha is still in PDP and it has a candidate, and Ihedioha has not said he will not support the candidate. But I wish he was running. He was my candidate and Sam Daddy knows that he is my candidate. Ihedioha is no longer contesting. He voluntarily stepped down and I salute him for that. What happens at the election is a different thing. Let’s wait and see.