APC govt has done more than enough, and deserves a second term – Hon. Rufus Bature

Hon. Rufus Bature is the immediate past Secretary! to the Government of Plateau State. The APC candidate for Plateau North Senatorial Zone, Bature in this interview with Kingsley Chukwuka, he scores the APC government high and suggests that as a former legislator, he is equipped for effective representation of his Constituency in the senate if elected. Excerpts:

After the rigorous campaigns were to climax with voting, INEC suddenly postponed the election. How do you feel?

Bature: Well I feel very bad. It was unexpected, but they have their reasons why they postponed the elections. We were ready absolutely. We had gone round and campaigned to our numerous supporters. Honestly we did not expect this postponement, because INEC had given us its word 2-3 months ago that they were ready for elections. They should have been aware of these logistic issues 24-48 hours before election and should have informed Nigerians. Not 5 hours to the election. It is quite unfortunate, but that is how it is. February 23rd and March 9th has been chosen as the new dates. My fear is that there might be voter aparty. People had left various places across the country to cast their votes where they are registered. So if people go back now, I don’t think they will have the energy and logistics to come back. They might have the patriotism to vote but are frustrated. It is quite unfortunate that this has happened, but like I have always said, we want free and fair elections in the country. If the postponement is for free and fair elections, then we are happy. We are still ready and waiting for the next date.

Do you think the INEC Chairman still has the credibility to handle these elections? Already some persons have been calling for his removal. What is your opinion?

Bature: My personal opinion is that if you bring a new person between now and the 23th February, I do not know how that person will get the grips with the workings of INEC. I think that lessons should be learnt especially for the person at the helm of affairs. If the postponement were to be for the next 6 months, we may call for his removal, the authorities would then investigate him. But as it is, I still don’t have doubt in him. I believe he can perform his duties. I am not calling for his resignation.

Do you believe that the Federal government is privy to the postponement?

Bature: If the government was privy, would all the Senators, House of Reps members, governors and even the president travel to their various constituencies for the election? Look at my own situation here; we were told that the entire ballot papers for the Plateau North Senatorial elections were not available. So is it that the president does not want to have a senator from the Plateau North Senatorial district?

As a former lawmaker would you let us in on your time as a lawmaker and what obtains now?

Bature: There is a big difference. When we were in the Plateau State House of Assembly in 1999, we had to undergo series of courses and training programmes, seminars, workshops, within and outside the country on legislation. So if you went to the floors of the different houses of assembly then, you would hear robust discussions. They were talking from the point of knowledge on matters being discussed. How much were our allowances at that time? I think about N150,000 yet all legislators demonstrated that what they had learned in training was worth it. In retrospect, when we were asked to remove the governor at that time, Joshua Dariye, we refused to, because the people we represented had not given us such mandate and more so that the investigation did not emanate from the House of Assembly.

The current members of the Plateau State House of Assembly have been described as a rubber stamp of the governor, is it true?

Bature: I don’t think it is true. It is not when there is a fight that there is legislation. There are three arms of government. These three arms collaborate because they all serve the interest of the people. So the difference between the military and democracy is the legislature. In the military regime, you have the judiciary and the executive and no legislature which ought to ensure checks and balance to the other arms, it is not a situation of fight. The constitution allows for the independence of the legislature.

From your opinion earlier proffered, do you think this set of legislators needs more training?

Bature: Yes! They do. They don’t seem to be going through any form of training like we did. Legislature is like wine, the older the better. But here, people tend to ask why a legislator wants to return to the House, wondering if the House belongs to his father. So we change legislators at will. As you grow in legislation, you become more experienced and astute in the art of legislation. The laws are no longer strange to you thereby making amendments an easy process. I therefore appeal to people concerning legislation that we should not keep changing legislators at will, to make our legislations more robust.

What do you think will be the effect of this election postponement on our democracy and the country?

Bature: First, many people will begin to doubt the credibility of INEC. The cost effect is enormous at all levels of government and even to the individual and even the candidates. The candidates have exhausted material and financial resources have been used in the course of the campaigns. I hope the shift in date will ensure credible election.

What will be your focus if you are elected senator?

Bature: First and foremost, I am not new to legislation. I had the opportunity to serve my people for eight (8) years as a member of the state House of Assembly and I knew what I did for my people. So at the National Assembly, my first duty would be to see how I can unite the people of Plateau North. Plateau North is a microcosm of Nigeria where every tribe and religion has made it a home. We need to unite them to sustain the peace. Although it is not a legislative function. I think it is my duty to unite the people I represent. We must understand ourselves and build confidence and trust one another. I would also take a look at the security architecture of the entire country via the laws embedded in the constitution and look at how we can strengthen existing institutions.
How do we make sure that they work? We are in a situation when somebody who has confessed to wrongdoing is still granted bail, and he moves freely, without the law taking its course on such persons. These institutions must be strengthened by either amendments or total abrogation of irrelevant laws. These laws were not made for animals.

As the former secretary to the government of Plateau State, what were the challenges you faced and do you have any regrets?

Bature: I do not have any regrets. I thank God that I was the Secretary to the Government of the State. The attacks on the Plateau were mostly within my constituency I have lived with my people since 1999, and I know the effects of these crisis both physically and psychologically on my people. I have used this opportunity to start the engagement between the Fulanis and the Beroms and I thank God for my presence as a member of this cabinet. It helped me to advise the governor especially on confidence building and for three years we witnessed some peace. Even though there were pockets of disturbances, they were not of the magnitude of the period before 2015. I don’t have any regrets whatsoever. Many people benefit from crisis and are still benefiting. These killings have been there since Dariye’s era. But some dishonest people claim that it is government that is conniving with the Fulani. This is not fair at all. This government should be given some credit, unlike previous governments that allowed crisis to linger. But in our case, we are pro-active because the governor cares for people. He feels hurt when somebody is killed. Unfortunately people have read negative meanings into his statements. Let me give you an example of how people act. I was in my house the other day when someone called to tell me about the news making rounds is that I had been arrested with thumb printed ballot papers. These are the kind of thing. Unfortunately these are being done by my brothers and tribes men. I told them in the church that God has already destined who will be senator, we are just fulfilling righteousness. I do not go about using the lives of people and sentiments to gain popularity.

There is this allegation making the rounds that while you served as the engine room of government (secretary to the government of the state) your people suffered series of attacks and yet you could not do anything to save them. How can you debunk such allegation?

These allegations have been there. There is a difference between an appointee and an elected person. I am appointed by somebody and when I speak, I speak for those who appointed me. My position is “As directed”. If I didn’t like what government was doing, I had the opportunity to resign. So there is a difference. On my own, I know how much relief I provided for IDP camps. I and even the governor were advised by the security not to go near the I.D.P camps, because it was dangerous. So we impressed on him to visit the Anguldi IDP camp. I was there. The wind screen of my car was shattered. We were pelted with stones. If the governors’ car was not armored plated he would have been injured. I lost two people. Even during the last Christmas holidays, I lost a cousin. All those people talking, let them show me their house in the local government headquarters (Barkin- Ladi). They all live in Jos. I am a tenant in Jos. I am always in my hometown with my people, in good and bad times alike.

Do you think APC governments both at the federal and state level have done enough to deserve another second term?

The APC government has done more than enough and deserves a second term. Let us be sincere and honest with ourselves. If we don’t account for our deeds on earth, we will some day before God.

What is your message of hope to Nigerians and your teeming supporters?

Bature: I want to call on Nigerians generally to have hope and believe in government of the day, and to be objective in their criticism. What has happened should embolden them more to come out and vote. I appeal to my supporters to come out in their numbers and vote Buhari/Osinbajo and Lalong/Tyoden, so as to consolidate on what was done in the previous four years.