We Are Watching What Govs Are Doing With Bailout Fund – Hon Mailantarki

Hon Khamisu Mailantarki represents Gombe, Funakaya Federal Constituency of Gombe State. In this interview, the lawmaker, among other things talks about his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the President Buhari government and the internal politics of the House of Representatives. He spoke with RUTH CHOJI

Some members seem to be at logger head with the speaker since the inauguration of committees, why is it so?

We all know that quite a lot of issues came up in the build of the selection of committees which started right from the onset of the elections of speaker which brought about factions in the House. But to me, God has already chosen a leader, whether we like it or not, whether he is a Muslim or Christian, let’s leave it to God. I believe that some persons are either afraid of leading a committee or they don’t like the committees they are assigned to. But to me it is not a good omen, because we were elected to represent people, not our personal interest. The time has come for us to lay aside personal interest and political difference to do what we were elected to do by Nigerians. I will advise my colleagues to drop personal difference and support this speaker.



How will you assess the speakers six months in office?

I can say that he is trying his best. This is his first experience as a speaker and I can say, so far so good. It is the same thing he is facing as Mr President whom some have criticized for being slow. But this is the first time the APC is ruling this country and the damage that has taken place in Nigeria has been on for years. So people should not expect magic, we need to give them time to stabilize and come up with their plans.



How come the National Assembly still hasn’t deliberated on the procedures of the bailout given by the president to governors and now they (governors) are seeking for more funds?

I think it is too early to judge Mr President’s action. We want to watch and see what the state governors will do with it. Mr president followed the proper channels before releasing the funds to the governors. He is a man that follows rule of laws and will not do anything that will jeopardize the system. We find ourselves in a very tight situation and if not because of that money, I am sure that things would have gone bad, states would have been destabilized. The whole system would have been paralyzed by strikes. So that bailout was timely and saved the country lots of stress.



Do you think state governments have done enough with regards to generating revenue rather than depending on federal allocations now that oil prices have dwindled?

I will like to advice state governors, I don’t think they should continue to depend on the federal allocation. Each state in Nigeria is capable of generating at least two billion naira annually as internally generated revenue but I don’t think that we are even exhausting that avenue yet. The issue of canceling the N18,000 minimum wage is not something that is possible. The governors need to sit down and think of ways they can generate revenue. We have to lay emphasis on tax. Nigerians should be made to pay their tax constantly. The governors can help the president by creating new avenues to make money.



Talking about funds, in spite of the fact that the president is the minister of Petroleum, the sector still hasn’t stabilized. Some Nigerians think he should hands off?

That sector is very sensitive that, you cannot appoint just anybody to handle it. You need somebody that has the same vision and experience like you. We all know that Mr President has done it before and he can do it again. There is nothing wrong if he manages the sector, the damage is too much and it will need somebody that will manage it. All Mr President needs is time and support.



In Gombe State, how will you rate the PDP-led administration of Dankwambo?

Well recently the vice president who represented the president for an event gave the governor a pass mark because of what he saw on ground.



There has been reports that the governor is planning to defect to the APC, are you aware of such moves?

Well if he is planning to defect to APC, it is a good thing for us because we need people that can deliver. So the space is wide open for him and we can’t wait to have him. We have our problems like other APC states, but we believe that we will iron it out and welcome new people. It is unfortunate that people we thought will help the party in the past have let us down, but I believe they have learned their lesson and are willing to make things work now.



But do you think people coming into the party now will add value to the party?

We all know that some people joined the party because they wanted to get elected or get position in government, we also know that Buhari is our president and with his beliefs and standard, the transformation will start from him to the rest of the people. In Gombe, except for me and I came in through the court, almost everybody came in from the new PDP and so there are different interests. But I think with time, the APC manifesto will get to everybody. They will come to accept our standard or leave the party.



Do you see the APC remaining as one in 2019?

Yes, in fact it will become stronger. I see the APC lasting for the next 60years.



Mr President has told the Biafra agitators that Nigeria will never be separated. Do you think the statement is enough to stop the agitators?

It is worrisome what is happening in the South-east, and the leaders should take it very serious because that is how it always starts. Where were they during Jonathan’s administration? Is it now that they know that they need their own country? If you judge from the pattern of the voting, you will know that, they will definitely want to find a way to discredit the government. But it is not necessary because what they are agitating for will never happen. It will never see the light of the day, even Ojukwu said, the Biafra movement died long ago. To me, it is another method of destroying this government. Mr President irrespective of what happened during the election still carried everybody along. You can see that the first road he commissioned is in Cross River State. I also think the big task is for the governors to talk to their people and bring them to order.



Still on Mr President, some have suggested that he stays at home more to govern. Do you think his globe-trotting has been of benefit to the country?

These people are just distractors, they want to stop him from doing the right thing. This is the first time in years that world leaders want to associate with our president with respect not because they want to be courteous. These foreign trips will bring in lots of investors because the world leaders believe he is corrupt-free and he is running a transparent government. We have experienced where the president went to another country for birthday in the last administration. But we haven’t heard that this president travelled for any selfish thing excerpt for the good of the country. The world needs to know that Nigeria has a leader who is determine to lead Nigeria. The government is setting standard on ground that will be the bedrock of this administration. He has promised Nigerian a lot and he cannot do it alone. He will need help from developed countries who have done it before.