‘Fatah Ahmed Government is a Waste’

Mohammed Dele Belgore, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN and gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)in Kwara state

Mohammed Dele Belgore, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN and gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)in Kwara state
By Olawale Abideen
The April general eletions have come and gone and there was a big commendation that the elections were free and fair. Could you please share with us your personal assessment of the elections?
I don’t want to talk much about the elections simply because, as far as Kwara state is concern, we are challenging the outcome of the elections. But generally, I would say the elections were far from free and fair and it did not seem to me, and to a lots of dipassionate observers that there was any improvement from 2007 elections.
What is the latest development of your petition before the tribunal?
We in the Action Congress of Nigeria have presented our case before the tribunal and now the first and second respondent are Governor Ahmed and his deputy are now presenting their own case. After that, it will be the turn of the PDP (People’s Democratic Party) and then INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission).
Still about the elections, is there things you think you could have done if giving the opportunity again?
There is always thing that one would have done better especially in term of getting our messages and visions across the people but we don’t want to think that way because we believe we campaigned thoroughly to win and we actually won the election.
As a lawyer, we believe you are conversant with the post election crisis within the judiciary. Do you think the present state of the judiciary still warrant your confidence?
We always have confidence in the judiciary. Inspite of what happened in the system, we still need to repose confidence in the judiciary otherwise a society which lacks confidence in the judiciary is open to anarchy. Until otherwise proven, I have confidence in the judiciary. There may be problem in the judiciary in some cases but that does not mean there is no confidence in the entire system.
Your emergence as the gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in Kwara state threw up lots of controversy that almost split the party. What are the issue then that made some of your party member to defect to other parties?
That thankfully is history and we have clarified those issues. But by the time I joined the race, there was this feeling that I was a candidate imposed by the national leadership of the party. Undoubtedly that generated brief commotion but it was resolved even before the primary election.
Former Governor Bukola Saraki was reported in some quarters to have given the state a big lift, what do you think you are going to do differently from Saraki’s administration?
First of all, we are going to govern for the entire people and not for sectional interest. We will govern for people’s interest and not for our own interest. We will embark on projects that have direct impact on the people such as free education, free medical services, creation of employment for 20,000 youths within the first hundreds days. These are the main plans of our programmes. These are all we put before the electorates that made them to support us. And all these we can do within a short period of time.
You have spoken of things you can do but did you also consider the financial capacity of the state?
In making such projects realisable we have to cut down the cost of running government. The huge cost of running government is at the detriment of the people. The cost of maintaining government house and government offices in this state is estimated at about N8.5 billion and that is even government stated figures. About N1.2 billion went into travelling. So, by blocking lots of wastages and prudent utilisation of the state fund, we believe we can deliver all our numerous projects. Our free education program will cost us less than a billion naira per year. What I am saying is that with the state lean purse, Kwara state can achieve accelerated development if our priority is set to develop the state rather than selfish interest. In term of revenue, Ekiti state is close to Kwara but the state implement free education and affordable health care.
Before the election, a lot of people were of the opinion that you are an ally of the Sarakis. How do you reconcile the opinion of the people with your current stance?
I always been myself. And when I was campaigning, I did not say people should vote for Belgore alone. We told the people of the state that we want to transform the state under a particular party with certain positive programmes. So, it has nothing to do with individual. We are also saying that we reject PDP continuity agenda.
The ACN has a very good political campaign before the elections and despite the division between the Sarakis, for the past four decades, the Saraki hegemony has not been broken, why?
We believe that the Saraki hegemony was defeated and as I’m talking we are still in court.
Did you win that election?
That is why we are in court.
Despite the fact that you are in court, the new regime’s 100 days in office is being celebrated. How would you access what they claim they achieve?
Even if you access their claims, they have been able to show nothing. If you recall, the PDP candidate because we reject the PDP legitimacy, to that office, as we never regard him (Governor Ahmed) as governor. When he (Governor Ahmed) was being inaugurated he listed his priority to be youth empowerment but he had nothing to show for it. Of recent, the PDP government claimed they’ve employed 2000 youths, where are they? Where are they working? These are claims that lack substance. What we are saying is that the so called continuity from Saraki to Ahmed is a continuation of misery, under development, continuation of impoverishment, poverty and waste of our collective resources.
How would you react to the assertion that opposition parties in Kwara state have never been united to give the Sarakis a run for their money during elections?
That is true to some extent, but again, that is why we come in, we came in because of certain belief. We are not seeking power for nothing. We are seeking power to effect a change and uplift our state and we shall get there.
We learnt Kwarans are critizing your mandate because they felt that you are going to sell the state to a Lagos politician. What is your view on this?
I think that is totally fallacious. Of course nobody can deny the fact that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is an inspirational leader who encourages some of us but there is no intention that Kwara will be govern by a Lagosian. There are other states under the control of ACN. The PDP government is unable to fault our policies. When we promises free education PDP claim it already has free education but we show them school fees receipts of students in the state. ACN government will bring development to Kwara state just as Tinubu and Fashola combination did in Lagos.
Your party is now under threat for certain internal and external crisis, Tinubu who is a strong pillar of the party is facing trial, don’t you think that may affect the party in no small measure?
Not at all. The road of life is not always smooth. There is bound to be challenges. We know we are going to face some hitches and we have prepared for it. So far, some of these allegations against our party’s chieftain is nothing but allegation. It has not been proved. You see, the only functioning party in Nigeria is ACN.
One issue that is affecting state governors today is the minimum wage, if you are a governor how would you handle it?
I made a pledge to pay minimum wage while I was campaigning and our party, the ACN also came out with a position on the minimum wage because we believe the workers even deserve more than that. It is the law, if I am a governor I will pay.
Some PDP members allege that both the ACN and the PDP attempt rigging the last general elections in the state and that the ACN are making noise because they were rigged out (cuts in)?
Absolutely that’s not true. Although I have said I don’t want to talk more on the elections since the case is before election tribunal but if anybody has evidence against the ACN, I think the right place to channel their grievances is court.
As a lawyer, how would you react to justice Ayo Salamis Saga?
It is an aberration but hence the case is in court I believe it will be resolved. Undoubtedly, the judiciary is going through a trying time but let just hope that justice will prevail.
What do you think is the most challenging problem facing Kwara state?
Poverty, lack of empowerment and basics infrastructure. A responsible and responsive government in the state must strive to eradicate these three problems.
What is your vision for Kwara?
I have the vision of a state where there is prudence in governance because there are leakages in the current system. I have the vision of a state where state resources is fully utilised mainly for the total uplifment of the state.