Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed was recently interviewed on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crises, national insecurity and other partisan issues.

What is your reaction to the allegation that you and some PDP governors are planning to defect from the party?

In Nigeria, we play politics with everything. It is not true that I am planning to leave the PDP. It does not make sense for me to leave the PDP for another party. PDP is the biggest party in Africa. Why would I be dumping a big party for a small party? It does not make sense to me, personally. Why would I move from a national party to a regional party? As it is today, PDP is the biggest party in Africa and the only national party. Other parties are regional. And by the grace of God Almighty, it is the ruling party in Kwara State. So, there are the reasonswhy I will continue to remain in the PDP. I will continue to strengthen the PDP because it is the only fair platform today that has been able to manage its differences. Other parties also have differences, which have reduced them to the regional levels they are.

They all started as national parties, but became regional levels because they could not manage their differences. We take opinions and try to correct our stance because we do not have monopoly of wisdom. We are open to corrections from well meaning Nigerians who can suggest alternative ways by which we can deliver service.

Plans are underway to grant amnesty to the members of the Boko Haram sect. What is your opinion?

It is unfortunate that, in Nigeria of today, we are faced with an unprecedented security challenge. I must commend the Federal Government in its effort to check all sorts of violence, whether in form of Boko Haram or attack on ethnic groups as we have in the clash between ethnic nationalities and nomads. We have other security challenges in forms of kidnapping, attack on Federal Government installations such as crude oil pipelines. They require a very critical look.

Amnesty is very simple. What do we mean by amnesty? It means that we should pardon those who have committed crimes against the state. That is what it means. Start with our brothers and sisters in the Southsouth. They had a grievance about degradation of their environment, largely from exploration and exploitation. On the strength of that, they felt that they needed something to make them feel part and parcel of the country, hence they tried to frustrate the lifting of crude oil.

The Federal Government suggested amnesty for the militants at that time. It could be recalled that when amnesty was suggested for the militants, it was vehemently opposed by Nigerians who wanted to know why we give amnesty to those who have wilfully taken up arms to destroy Federal Government and oil companies’ installations?

However, it became clear that the path to amnesty was a possible path to peace because the whole essence was to achieve peace. When there is peace, then we can talk about justice. When we talk about justice we can now talk about equity.

Peace has to come first. As we have it today, there is an insurgence of an Islamic group in the North in the name of Boko Haram. We all know that it has nothing to do with Islam because, for those of us who are Muslims, we know very well that there is nothing that they preach that is in consonance with the tenets of Islam.

Everything they stand for negates the very principle and policy of Islam. However, they have engaged in wanton destruction of lives and property of innocent Nigerians. The question is: how do we arrest this situation? What were the problems that led these young men into taking up arms along with non-Nigerians to create havoc on our people? Destroying everything we stand for, trying to create problems that could probably escalate into civil war. We begin to see the relevance of amnesty, forgiveness of this group of people. What is the cause of amnesty and what is the result of amnesty, if we grant it? What have they brought to the table that they stand for? The Southsouth youths came out with an environmental degradation issue, joblessness, lack of infrastructure. It was understood. It was clear. And there were negotiations and amnesty was brought in. Since then, we have a peaceful environment, at least in our context.

Amnesty is desirable for the Boko Haram to the extent that they are able to bring to the fore, the issues they have against the system. These are the areas they think they have been short-changed as a people, as Nigerians. Then, we can begin to look at what manner of peace and pardon will be made available to this class of people. We can then come together again and move on as a people. So, it is neither here nor there. We cannot stand up and say amnesty is not desirable or amnesty is desirable. We must begin to look at the issues that will determine whether they deserve amnesty or not. Let us see, firstly, the face of the people we are speaking with.

Secondly, what is their grievance against the system? What is it that they have against innocent women and children that they are throwing bombs at? What is it that they feel should be done rightly that is not done right? This implies that the concept of dialogue should come in first. When dialogue comes in, then, the issue of amnesty will follow. I feel that with that kind of approach, we will begin to see some succour coming to our people that find themselves in this tough terrain where there is a high level of insecurity and they cannot on their strength carry out their normal activities. We need to give it a critical look. To the extent that we are facing a challenge which we have never seen before, we must approach it in a way and manner we have never done before.

If we begin to allow the thing to be politicised, that is, these are Muslim dissidents, or these are a group of aliens or these are just people who are just out to create problems and we try to shove them away with a wave of the hand, we will not be solving the problem. The cost of peace is not too much.

To the extent that I do not support amnesty for every group that comes up, having gone into willful destruction of lives and property, having gone into creating problems for the country and now, we begin to see it as a way of getting our own share of the national cake. It should not be misunderstood. Because, before you know it, another group will stand up in one other guise, create mayhem and ask for amnesty. On the strength of that, an armed robber could as well ask for amnesty. So let us be very careful about how we design amnesty.

We must understand what is on the table. Whoever is talking about amnesty, must bring something to the table.We will then look at it and see how they fit into driving us as a nation to desired level of progress and growth in the comity of nations.

The Federal Government is assisting the state in the area of road construction…

The issue of roads cannot be taken for granted, especially as it relates to economic growth and safety for our people. On the strength of that, from the inception of our administration we’ve taken it upon ourselves to ensure that all our state and rural roads are put to proper useable levels. We have also made several efforts in getting all Federal Government roads rehabilitated and made motorable for our people in Kwara State. Our effort is already yielding fruits. We have drawn attention to the Ilorin-Kabba Road that is in a state of disrepair. This has not only hindered movement of our people but also encouraged armed robbers to attack vehicles plying the road.