Nigeria @58years : “Nigeria we want depends on the leaders we Elect”~ Gambari

                                          Professor Ibrahim Gambari, (CFR, OCORT)
Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, (CFR) Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and a Scholar-Diplomat; who had served the United Nations in various capacities for over two decade,  shuttling between tough terrains, mediating crises, resolving conflicts as well as preaching the gospel of global peace. He is the Founder/Chairman of the Board of Directors of Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, a Non – Governmental Organization on Policy Research, Conflict Prevention and Resolution as well as Democratization and Development in Nigeria and Africa. In this Exclusive interview with Editorial Board of Arewa Elites Magazine – Tijjani Ibrahim, Editor – In – Chief; Suleiman A. Muhammad, Editor and Ganiyat Abdulganiyu, Head of Operations, the Scholar-Diplomat bares his mind on the insecurity challenges in the country, mostly the North and possible solutions; his adventures in public service; the vision for a new Nigeria and the kind of leaders Nigeria needs at this particular period etc. EXCERPTS:

AEM: - Sir, how are you coping with life after leaving public office both at the National and International scene?
First of all, I thank Almighty God for giving me the opportunity to serve the country and the international community; the wisdom, protection and knowledge granted me which I utilized to the best of my ability during my experiences in public service. Secondly, over two decades of working in the UN and shuttling between tough terrains, mediating crises, resolving conflicts as well as preaching the gospel of global peace, I once more decided to offer my experiences and expertise to assist in the enormous insecurity and developmental challenges that our country, ECOWAS and Africa are facing presently. This idea gave birth to the establishment of Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, (SCDDD) to focus on the nexus between peace, democracy and development. Often times, most ‘think tank’ are established to deal with one or two of the stated three important issues. The Centre was established on the underlying principle that peace, democracy and development are inextricably linked. The name “SAVANNAH” is reflective of the geographic location of the Centre within the Savannah Belt of Nigeria – ABUJA. Our mission at SCDDD is to be a Centre for Policy Research, Dialogue, Advocacy and Training in key areas of Diplomacy, Democracy and Development. We envision a prosperous, politically stable and globally respected African Continent entrenched in the culture of good governance. Our programmes in SCDDD is leading strategic discussions on inclusive governance for sustainable development by targeting initiatives that will guarantee human security, sustainable peace, rule of law and human rights in Nigeria and Africa. For example, our role in the successful conduct of the 2015 General Election in Nigeria which ushered in the present administration; this is based on the Post – Election violence experienced during the 2011 General Election. With the support of MacArthur Foundation, we established ‘Council of the Wise;’ a panel of eminent Nigerian. Through the Council, we had interactive sessions with former Heads of States, Presidents, Traditional Rulers or Leaders, Members of the Legislative Bodies, Professionals, Youths, Women and Citizens in virtually all parts of the country where we preached peaceful co – existence among each and every one of us towards observing a peaceful, fair, transparent, accountable and freest general election in the country. At SCDDD, we work as a team and members of one family. Everyone is carried along and each person is valued for his/her competences and contributions towards the collective success, growth and development of the Centre. So you see, I’m still in public service but unofficial. My life after service is in good shape by the grace of God and of course, my interactions with my staffs at SCDDD and my people who have confidence and trust in me.
AEM: - Prof, how will you reflect on the challenges of your public office as a Minister of Foreign Affairs under the Military Regime?
That’s a good question, my son. For my service, one should just give glory to God. I’m happy with the sustained support and confidence I got from the Military Government while I was serving as a Member of the Federal Cabinet at a tender age of 39 years old. Well, the major attraction actually is the commitment. Commitment to my duties and also my being firm and also the type of character I exhibited. The Military Administration believes that I’m somebody that can be trusted, resourceful and productive towards the progress and development of the administration and country at large. For instance, when we came on board, the foreign relations and policy of Nigeria with other countries was at its lowest ebb. But before the end of our tenure, I was well assisted by the Supreme Military Council, (SMC) to introduce and implement new strategies and programmes for the nation’s foreign policy and relations with other nations of the world. My proposals were always tabled before the Highest Decision Body, SMC, who duly approved the execution of all these initiatives which yielded positive results which promoted the integrity, sagacity and foresight of Nigeria to the other countries. For anything to be enduring, ultimately popular and beneficial, the government must naturally respond to positive advice or ideas that would impact positively on its citizens, the government and the country as a whole. So, it is not possible for one to sustain the level of enthusiasm that ushered the Military Regime in, but without exaggerating, I can tell you that the people were very much with the administration in terms of support, enthusiasm, acceptance of our progressive policies and our commitment to them. Also, I was happy that the Military Regime who came in as our successor appointed another competent and experienced personality to succeed me as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the person of Professor Bolaji Akinyemi whom I succeeded as D. G. of Nigerian International Affairs Institute, Lagos. To me, I’m satisfied with the level of support we got from the people during this Military Regime and consider our stewardship as a call to service for our fatherland.
AEM: - You served the United Nations as a Diplomat in different capacities for over two decades. What are the challenges of this responsibility, your achievements and the importance of this World Body?
Yes, it has been inspiring. Because if I say it’s been challenging, it won’t capture it. Public service to those who see it as a call to duty can be very stimulating. And for me, it’s just a continuation. It all started when my tenure as Nigerian Permanent Ambassador at the UN was coming to an end and the then Secretary – General, Kofi Annan, in his usual jovial character asked, “Ibrahim, what do you intend to do after retirement? I answered, “I will go back to the academics.” He then responded, “I will fix you somewhere in the UN Body”. Of course, most of the challenges of my public offices under the UN and under four UN Secretaries – General –  Perez de Cuella; Boutros Boutros – Ghali; Kofi Annan and Ban ki Moon were based on accurate decision making which is an unavoidable activity in the life of the individual, the family, the society, the government and in global activities. My duties under the various offices in the UN are to offer sincere advice on the political situations or settings mostly in Africa and how to improve such democratic principles; serve as a Mediator in bringing lasting peace to some of the troubled countries in the World. For example, my memorable role in the Myanmar return to democracy and towards the release of the Political Detainee imprisoned for 12 years; the Zimbabawe, South Africa, Somalia, Sudan, Darfur etc episode. Thus, at each point in time, the UN and my offices was faced with the challenges of choosing the decision that would be most appropriate. More so, in making decisions politically, and at the Security Council on Appeasement, Mediation, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Management, we are always conscious that some decisions can be a major or minor, long term or short term, and that decision making is a continuous and unending process. We believe our decision and actions affect ourselves in one way or the other. We must consider the outcome and repercussion we want. We must avoid decisions that will be a disappointment or disgrace to ourselves, the country and the World. We must also be courageous to take responsibility for our decisions and actions. As regards the importance of the UN, it was created after the last war to replace the League of Nations. Its declared purpose was to maintain international peace and stability… to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of peace; it has so far established itself in this capacity. The period spent so far at the UN is a period of assertion, exerting myself to the duties that I’ve seen myself doing for a long time before now. I have contributed my quota to the country, government and UN in impacting on the lives of the people and on the environment.
AEM: - Sir, the peace and unity of this country, Nigeria is threatened by increasing violence, killings and destruction of properties; do you see Nigeria as an indivisible nation despite all these challenges?
First of all, the major bane of Nigeria’s predicament is the collapse of the infrastructure or collapse of the whole system. If these systems are working very well, if the common man wakes up and see public schools being properly funded, structured and strikes are not there; if our health institutions are properly funded and structured and we have drugs and equipments in place and people will have access to them; if our roads are motor able and we have effective power supplies, people will create job for themselves. Though, it is not necessary that everybody should be working with government, but government must create a good conducive environment that will lead to the creation of job opportunities, whereby young and vibrant entrepreneurs are produced in the country. When the basic infrastructures are not there while the only means of getting money is by joining politics in order to amass wealth, obviously people will focus all their attention on government for job opportunities and everything they need. People who are working with government are not helping the matter as they always think on how to short change the country instead of thinking on how to formulate policies that will assist in the unity, progress, harmony, advancement and development of the nation. Our Founding Fathers in the country such as Zik, Awolowo, Sardauna and Tafawa Balewa gave their best and left worthy legacies in the country which can never be matched in terms of sense of direction, focus, harmonious co – existence, commitment, transparency, accountable and selflessness. They don’t believe in materialism or amassing of public wealth but rather, what they can offer the country.
Secondly, I believe in the unity of Nigeria. We have come a long way. We have inter – married and inter – settled throughout the nook and cranny of this country despite the ugly incidences such as the Boko Haram; Fulani/Farmers Crises, Kidnappings, Bombings etc. As to the challenges, I want to say that challenges are faced in the life of human being and nation. So what is happening in Nigeria is not a new thing in the world. Many countries of the world had war chapter and all sorts of challenges in their history but they were able to come out of them stronger. I want to assure Nigerians and urge every one of us to see what we are going through as a temporary moment of our time but sooner or later it will be a thing of the past.
AEM: - What is your position on the issue of finding a lasting solution to the insecurity challenges for the peaceful co – existence of citizens?
Security challenge is a world wide problem that needs holistic approach. First of all, what do we mean by security? The term security, according to the New Lexicon Webster Dictionary of English Language, “means freedom from danger or anxiety, or protective measures against espionage”. Security in general terms guarantees peace and harmony which are pre – requisites for the greatness of any human society. It is a desired condition or means to pursue a nation’s interest. It means everything to the existence of a nation or society. Security implies freedom from war, hunger, violence, damage and other harmful effects. According to the 7th Edition of Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary it defines peace as “a situation or a period of time in which there is no war or violence in a country or an area; the state of being calm or quiet; the state of being in friendship with somebody without arguing”. From the above definition, it is glaring that peace is a measurable phenomenon with tangible indicators and parameters; it is not the absence of conflicts, challenges or problems but a situation whereby something may be wrong or misunderstood, thereby requiring constructive management. There cannot be any meaningful progress in the atmosphere of fear and crisis. If we should take a look of the root causes of most of this violence, why are people taking up arms? Why are people involved in tribal or ethnic clashes, religious crisis, armed robbery, kidnappings and other criminal activities? There are so many issues that you can raise but one of the biggest issue that even the international community have accepted is pervasive poverty in the whole country, but with particular emphasis in certain section because the country is not economically or socially catered for. It must be recognized that a government should be free to pursue its stated goals and conduct the affairs of the State without let or hindrance. Any attempt to undermine the legitimate functions of government to the people becomes a threat to the internal security of the State, as well as to the existence of the government itself. Other forms of communal conflicts arising out of struggle for land have had significant impact on parts of the country. With urbanization, the demand for land has increased and some communities have been forced to engage in struggle for control of land as a means of economic survival.
In finding possible or lasting solutions to most of this insecurity challenges, we need to look around whether there are lessons to be learnt in terms of the application of force to curtail insurgency and other violence in the world such as America, Vietnam, Afghanistan and others where using force to control armed groups have failed. But insurgencies and violence like the type we are experiencing in Nigeria are not symmetrical conflicts and we cannot deal with them in a conventional way. We should avoid relying heavily on military force to resolve conflicts and should begin to introduce Conflict Management Mechanisms such as Reconciliation, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Dialogue. Reconciliation is a process of rebuilding or restoring relationships involving truth – telling, forgiveness, healing, justice and possible rehabilitation at the personal, communal or national level. It is a peace building approach for mending relationships through openness and restoration of mutual respect between individuals, groups or within groups. Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties intended to reach an understanding, resolve points of difference, to gain advantage for an individual or collective, or to craft outcomes to satisfy various interests. Conflict resolution is the process of re – establishing or restoration of normal relations between belligerents or conflicting individuals or groups involving various methods including dialogue. The term conflict resolution may also be used interchangeably with dispute resolution, where arbitration and litigation processes are critically involved. Furthermore, the concept of conflict resolution can be thought to encompass the use of non – violent resistance measures by conflicted parties in an attempt to promote effective resolution. While a lot of us would view dialogue as a type of discussion between individuals, groups, or countries especially when they are trying to solve a problem, resolve a conflict or dispute, it is a concept that has a deeper meaning. It is not just an ordinary discussion as this may limit it to an exchange of ideas, it is not just conversation which is normally of a social nature or a debate where the strength of argument or the ability to convince determines who is “right” or who “wins”. Dialogue is a form of communication or a shared opportunity whereby active listening is exploited to learn and achieve understanding in situations that demand respect, positive change, adjustment or improvement of relationships. Dialogue as a concept can take place at the individual level where an individual may engage in a sober reflection or meditation, it can take place at the interpersonal level which is between individuals, and other levels are intergroup and interfaith. Dialogue at all levels especially the intergroup and interfaith levels are better facilitated by skillful, experienced and trusted facilitators to meet objectives. Insecurity is a by – product of injustice and corruption. If we want peace in Nigeria, everybody should work against injustice and promote fairness, be his/her brother’s keeper as well as working towards common goals. The earlier we go back to the drawing board to address the problem of injustice and corruption the better.
AEM: - Many have argued that the problem with Nigeria is a defective system. As a Nationalist and Nigerian Elder Statesman, what is your assessment on the state of the nation and your view on the standard for a new Nigeria?
What we are seeing today is as a result of the inability of our governments to fathom the complexities that are intrinsic to the nation, Nigeria. Their concentration has been on politics, not governance. To that extent, they have been totally ineffective and so our nation has degenerated socially and economically, and every facet of the society has become corrupted. The inabilities to make a decision as to the difference between politics and governance because while one deal with the state and some abstract entity, the other deals with the people. The emphasis has been the state and inanimate things. People have been ignored. A nation deals with the people as opposed to a country that is just a geographical expression. So, Nigeria is like a country but not a nation because the emphasis is on land and all the things therein – oil and all the resources, forgetting that people are on the land. The reason why the thing is beneath them is because men are pre – eminent over those inanimate things. So the emphasis is wrong. In fact, our founding fathers of this country envisioned a peaceful and prosperous nation for citizens of Nigeria through their exemplary conducts; mentorship qualities; politics of inclusiveness; justice; respect for human rights and legacies. Notice that Nigeria’s best crop of leaders emerged in the first republic. Most of them had no money. Indeed many where school teachers but they gave a good account of themselves by providing stability, peace, progress and purposeful leadership, hence we miss them. Well, unless our present crop of leaders are ready to change, to actually be honest and sincere with the issue of governance, imbibe the spirit of togetherness, justice and fairness to all, avoid corrupt tendencies or practices; I doubt much if we can influence a new Nigeria positively, so there need be, not just a new Nigeria, but an African Renaissance. You cannot expect a new Nigeria with all these defective measures. Today’s Nigeria is the dream of yesterday’s leaders.
The most important over aching strategy of a new Nigeria is strengthening the state to have the capacity to build a just and harmonious society in which the human dignity of all citizens is assured, human rights are respected and basic needs guaranteed. The moral tone of the country has to be upgraded. The ethical values around which the youths are developed have to change. The overemphasis on materialism and the worship of money has to change. The moral standards that leadership should be held to must be upgraded. Nigeria must actively engage Nigerian youth in productive activities, educate them, equip them with modern production tools and empower them for self employment. The country must equip the population with the social skills to operate in a modern world while maintaining the moral and ethical soundness in our traditional societies. The country has to build a modern economy that is globally competitive and can create jobs for any Nigerian that wants one. The country should promote small and medium scale enterprises and encourage cooperatives in the agricultural sector as a means of empowering the mass unemployed in the country. The job of governance entails been able to manage the economy in a way that resources are effectively mobilized to meet the basic needs of the population. Corruption, looting of public funds, exploitation of national wealth, particularly by those who are entrusted with managing resources for the common good have undermined the country and created insecurity in the land. Greater attention should be paid to the issues of social inclusion.
AEM: - What kind of leaders or leadership do you foresee for Nigeria in the forthcoming general election come 2019?
Well, this is for Nigerians to decide despite that I have my dreams about what good leadership is all about. I think Nigerians ought to know that we need leaders who should show exemplary conducts; leaders who are honest, transparent, accountable, committed and dedicated to the yearnings of the people; leaders who are accessible, resourceful and productive. Nigerians should be able to make a decision between bad and good leadership and good governance that we have experienced over the years with an aspiration of better governance. Nigerians really need to re –examine the way they are. They must be concerned about the steady deterioration in every sphere of their life. Nigeria we want depends on the leaders we want. The political actors must, of course, love the nation and above all, disabuse their minds of those trivialities constituting ‘political ethnic inertia’. By the latter is meant the tendency for politicians to assume that their community is marginalized except their own kith and kin occupy the Presidency or governorship and their leaders and other ethnic flag bearers hold most key and lucrative posts in the polity. This gives the greatest hindrance to positive political thinking. Credible election is the bedrock of any democratic structure. It provides trustworthy and reliable leaders under properly established administration. Democratic elections therefore throw up decent and respectable officials that enjoy limitless goodwill and boundless support from their people. However, this is not the case in Nigeria where elections inevitably evoke feelings of sadness and frustration because they are always a veritable source of unhappiness and stumbling block to the crystallization of the peoples’ interests. In place of an accustomed system of government, elected by the will of the majority, there is apparent dictatorship and social inequality nurtured by a privileged class of selfish and opinionated few. In that way some Nigerians are rendered second class citizens in a country where its government is supposed to have been freely elected by all. In all democratic countries there are requirements that those who aspire to high offices must be of sound mind and without blemish. In modern democracies, it has come to be accepted without question that all those who aspire to political power must begin at a very early age to build up a dossier of good character. Thus the man or woman who will lead us must be watching their manners from the time they can remember anything to the time they present themselves for election. It will do a potential leader no good to hope that a disagreeable past can be obscured by the gloss of a political bandwagon. He or she must bear in mind that the people are always there, waiting and watching. At any moment, like a dormant volcano, dirt from an unsavory past can obliterate a promising political career. The leaders of tomorrow must be transparent to us. Governance is all about selfless service to the people. Governance is all about provision of genuine and durable infrastructural facilities to the people. Governance is about using the funds allocated to the people for the people’s welfare.