Mr. Dele Belgore is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He was the Kwara State governorship candidate of the now defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in the 2011 governorship election. In this interview with SUCCESS NWOGU of The Punch, he discusses Nigeria's insecurity and Kwara State politics

What's your view about the prevalent insecurity in the country?

Anybody that is not worried by the insecurity in the country is living in a fool's paradise. But we do not worry and fold our arms. We support those who we have elected to take primary charge of insecurity and look for meaningful and lasting solutions.

But people believe that the Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan has been clueless over how to solve the problem.

We are facing a live tiger and that is terrorism. It is not as if there is a standing army or you know where they are. Matters of terrorism are not resolved in one day. The steps and decisions, the tactical approaches are not matters of public discourse. In the end, it is the result that will determine. It is a war against the nation and the sovereignty of this country and it is being systematically fought. What we need those who are criticising the government to see is that this matter affects everybody. Whether you are in the Peoples Democratic Party or the All Progressives Congress, a Muslim or a Christian, a child or an adult, terrorism is not discriminatory. Therefore, criticisms should be constructive.

What do you consider the best options the government could take to tackle terrorism?

There are salient questions. Are we going to evolve a new security apparatus or allow foreigners to take over our security apparatus? The government works with what it has. But there should be a collaboration of everybody. People should understand that this is a matter of national interest that rises above ethnicity, gender, politics and religion. It is a common threat and we must conquer it in the same way that we have seen very meaningful cooperation between the Federal Government and some state governments on Ebola. We have taken some great steps at containing it. It is a successful model of cooperation. It is that same model that should be brought in to support the Federal Government on terrorism and insecurity.

What's your view about development in Kwara State?

Kwara State is thoroughly underdeveloped. It is one of the first generation states. It has a development that runs behind those of third generation states.

But people say Dr. Bukola Saraki's administration and the present state government led by Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed have achieved massive human capital development and infrastructural provision?

Where is the evidence of that? How have they developed human capital in the state? Let me give you an example, the current Minister of National Planning, Alhaji Sulaiman Abubakar, is a PhD holder. Everybody attests to the fact that for the short time he has been a minister, he is a very good material. But under the current APC regime or whatever they were before then, did anybody hear of him? So there are good materials everywhere. But the powers that be feel threatened by them and they suppressed them.

Can you give reasons for the perceived low level of development in the state?

It is leadership by a select and greedy few to corner the commonwealth and resources of the state to themselves. Kwara is not developed because of leaders who do not have confidence in bringing the best people forward. Rather they want to project people who will do their bidding.

So how do you assess the administration of the current governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed?

It stands to reason from what I have said that it is a monumental failure. I want to see one project that Ahmed's government inaugurated in the three years and some months he has been in power; a project that he started, completed and inaugurated. I stand to be corrected. I will like to see that. I am not talking of a project that the previous administration took six years to get to near-completion and Ahmed gets to office and within a few months completes it. I am talking of the one he started and completed. I am yet to see it.

But there are five remodelled general hospitals at Ilorin, Share, Offa, Omu-Aran and Kaiama and some other infrastructure, including road projects?

But they have not been completed.

But they have been inaugurated and people have started receiving medical services there.

Inauguration is one thing. You can inaugurate a project simply because you want to record an achievement. But are those projects actually fit for purpose? They are not. By the way, is it right for a government, in this age, to consider refurbishment as an achievement? In this age, a government should not be talking of refurbishment as an achievement.

Don't you reckon that government officials complain that the resources available to the state are meager?

At the point when you put yourself forward to be governor, you knew all these things. You knew what the resources available to the state were. So, you are not going to build the resources from the air; you work with what you have. And these meagre resources we see government complaining about, other state governments utilise them appropriately. They produce results with the so-called meager resources. Why are we not producing result with our so-called meagre resources?

You contested and lost the last governorship election in the state. You are eyeing the seat again. What's your manifesto?

I believe that the way the state is being run is designed not to produce purposeful, meaningful and beneficial governance to the people. This is simply because doing the contrary runs against the selfish interest of those who want to continue to dominate the state and continue to monopolise the resources and opportunities of the state. This type of system does not encourage the best available talents being put forward. If I am placed in the governorship position, I will bring out the best people that mean well for the state, put them at the helm of affairs in the state and run a government where there is equitable and fair distribution of resources, opportunities and patronage. That is an overriding philosophy and the first step towards bringing development. You will not hear somebody like me counting some ramshackle refurbishment as an achievement.

Can the PDP really upstage the political leadership of the state led by Saraki?

As we say time and time again, the APC in Kwara State is dead. They only exist in their own minds. They only exist in the selfish minds of the office bearers, the commissioners, the advisers, the party chairman and so on and so forth. But in the hearts and minds of the people of Kwara State, they are history. So, with the will and support of the people, APC is definitely gone in Kwara State. You will see the confirmation in February 2015.

It's believed that the Kwara PDP members are relying on 'federal might' and President Goodluck Jonathan who has vowed to recapture Kwara from the APC?

No. Our party is relying on the support of the majority of Kwarans and the support is borne out of the fact that they have finally decided that 'enough is enough.' And this cuts across the length and breadth of the state. 'Enough is enough,' that is what the people of Kwara State are saying and that is what we are relying on.

But some people feel that the PDP in Kwara State appears not really organised for now and cannot dislodge the APC?

I will disagree with that. First, this is the first time that we have had a fully functional opposition party in the state. I mean a party with structures from the wards to the state levels. These are not structures planted by the ruling party. This is a source of worry for the APC. They have never had to face this sort of situation. Second, there are strong personalities within PDP. Also, the overwhelming majority of Kwara State is now supporting a change of government which is what the PDP represents. So, the insinuation that the PDP is not organised comes from the fear that the PDP is ripe to take over power in Kwara State.

There are many governorship aspirants in the party. Will that not affect the party's cohesion and chances in the 2015 elections?

It will not. Multiplicity of aspirants is an indication of the vibrancy of the party. Tell me one state in which you do not have multiple aspirants. In some, you even have as many as 20 governorship aspirants. When we have done the primaries and the candidate emerges, if we have internal crises, then you can say that the party is in disarray. But at the moment, when we have healthy competition which in essence is what democracy is about, it is a good development. Healthy competition demonstrates the fact that the party is working; that the people see a realistic and favourable opportunity that the change will come. Also, there is a pervading atmosphere that everybody can express their views. I think all these are benefits of democracy.

But will losers after the primaries unite with the candidate?

I see other aspirants uniting to support the candidate that emerges.