Alhaji Mumakai-Unagha was a presidential aspirant in the 2019 general election on the plank of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC. In this interview, the legal practitioner expressed fear that President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years may end up a monumental waste unless he acts fast. He also spoke on how to develop Delta State. ADVERTISING By Clifford Ndujihe You seem critical of this government your party controls. Why is it so? Most politicians are bootlickers, they do not have the courage to face reality which some of us don’t have the shocks to absorb. Take it or leave it. If you see the enthusiasm and zeal with which we embraced Buhari when he came, it was as if he was the messiah but the expectation of the masses was not only turned down, but also buried. I couldn’t have imagined that an army general, known for fighting wars would not be able to address security challenges. As party faithful, we welcomed his economic and development policy, but the policy was like a beautiful bride, well dressed without character. To give it a better narrative, the government took off well with high expectations but the reverse has been the case now. The integrity of Mr. President we know him for has fast gone down. In 2014, some of us almost sold our houses and cars to prosecute the election because of the love we have for him. It has been so painful considering the present state of the country. This is a party where the president does not know the foundation members or those who stick out their neck for the party. He did not know if members are dying of hunger to the exclusion of a few, all in the name of integrity. Boards and parasatals he constituted since 2016 are still there. Worst, non performing ministers are also still there doing nothing. Those who asked Mr. President to re-contest for second term may be regretting by now. They saw his shortcoming but compelled him to contest for their selfish interest. I can tell you, Buhari was not prepared for the second term of office. Some of us, his faithful, who can trek from Badagry to Maiduguri for the love we have for him, cannot even do so from the Eagle square to the gate of Aso Villa. In the first tenure of Mr. President, his eye glass, Agbada even his cap was a threat to corrupt Politicians, making them to flee the country. Sooner or later, all went down the drain. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, became the centre of corruption where officers were on pay list of those who stole the country blind. Power play took the centre-stage over who controls the soul of these agencies. However, Mr. President still has the opportunity to redeem his image. On how to tackle insecurity in the country. I have said it times without number that northern leaders, past and present, are responsible for the current security challenges and they should be held responsible. I know they will challenge this position but that is the true situation and I stand to be corrected or challenged. The borders in the North are so porous giving room to all kinds of people to move in freely. The military should conduct internal investigation on itself; they will discover that most of the personnel are either from Chad or Niger Republic. As a matter of fact, they constitute 20 per cent of the voting strength in the North. The killing going in the North, no true Muslim will carry out such heinous crime, let alone killing his brother. The security agencies should purge themselves and genuinely carry out search light into their activities. In all the para-military agencies in the country, there are so many people from Chad and Niger recruited unknowingly. They claim that they are from the North. Nigeria is at war with itself. The North that used to be safe haven for all has turned hell fire. I, therefore, appeal to Mr. President to bring back the dignity and hounour brought by the Sadauna of Sokoto, the Prime Minister of Nigeria, Abubakar Tafawa Balawa. Unless that is done the eight years administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will be a waste. How do you see the development recorded in Delta since the state was created in 1991? Not satisfied compared to the allocations coming to the state. Twenty nine years after the creation, we are still battling with the problem of socio-political and economic development. I did not expect or believe that the state will still be foot-dragging. Major cities which by now ought to have been transformed to El-dorado are still slums. Take a drive trough Warri, Sapele, Ughelli, Agbor as well as the state capital; they are still tales of woe of under development. The social lives of the people are nothing to write home about.
