 It's still plus politics and we still have in the studio live with us the former director-general of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Ador-Peterside. Before the break we were talking about the election, of course the electoral act bill that is about to be signed into law. But let's move away from that and talk about the major problem that Nigeria has which is insecurity. Boko Haram has been around for so many years and now we have banditry, the farmer headers crisis. We have unknown gunmen and we have issues of kidnapping. And we have seen even in the southeast where police officers have been targeted. Very unknown gunmen. Exactly. And we have also had ethnic tensions, you know people agitating for the Yoruba nation, the secession in the southeast. I mean it's a potpourri of issue. The plate of the federal government is full. But my question is how well do you think that the federal government has been able to manage this issue? Because especially for the issue of banditry and the kidnapping, it's become a business. It's like a free-for-all now and we're seeing a lot more people being kidnapped. In the space of 24 hours yesterday, Canada State experienced two forms of abductions. How well do you think the federal government, especially under the Bihari administration, has dealt with this? Well thank you very much. First let me condemn in very strong terms the rate and space of insecurity in our nation. It has totally endangered the economy. It has stunted the growth of education. It has totally destroyed means of livelihood in many parts of the country. Most have been not East before now depended on agriculture for survival. Many of them can't go to farm again so their means of livelihood is gone. Even in the Middle Belt region, the Headsmen farmers' clashes has not done anyone any good at all. Down in the Southeast, not just ethnic tensions or agitations, the rate of kidnapping has also put the economy in jeopardy of that region. So it's not good for anybody at all. Then we've had kidnapping in the South-South part of the country and in virtually every part of the country. Now when any nation faces this kind of challenge, it is for the entire country to rise up to the occasion. It's not just about federal government. It's not just about state government. It's not just about local government. We're not the ones, the people, yes of course we all have to rise to the occasion, but we're not the ones who took an oath to protect and serve the people. Is this the primary responsibility of any government at any level? But the bulk does stop at Mr. President's table, doesn't it? It does. Now Mr. President will walk through people, will walk through security agencies, Commander-in-Chief, he will walk through security agencies, military police, he will also walk through intelligence agencies. And you know, very often we neglect the fact that all of us are part of the intelligence network, not just the formal structure alone. What's going on is that the formal structure and the people seem to have literally failed us. So I'd like to be very clear, it's not just the responsibility of government alone. Government should lead. But as individuals, we all have a role to play. Until Nigerians understand that all of us have a role to play in tackling insecurity in our country, we will not make much progress. Yes, of course that is important. Individuals in Nigeria have literally, gradually become their own government, and I'll tell you where I'm going, we provide our own water, we tie our own roads, we literally do everything for ourselves. Now we even have, especially in Lagos, I'll use Lagos as an example, all estates are gated now, streets are gated, they get their own private security. What is the job of a government? Why are we paying taxes? And why do you need to find a solution? It's easy for you to sit here and tell us that we all will have to rise to the occasion. But what is the government doing to show us that leadership so that we can rise to the occasion? Alright, I'm not spokesman for government. What do you sound like one? No, not at all. Not at all. Not at all. I've been rather critical of government. How do you? Oh yeah, you need to read my columns every Monday. That position is very clear. Am I satisfied with government handling of the insecurity? Not quite. Things are getting better now. Things are improving marginally. Really? Oh yes. With two abductions in one state. No, marginally. On the 24 hours. I can't tell all the statistics that marginally. Listen to me carefully. Is this another technical defeat of Boko Haram? No, I never say technical defeat of Boko Haram. Because you're saying marginally. But it sounds to me like you're saying technically things are getting better. No. In what way? My position is clear. Am I satisfied with government handling of the situation? My answer is capital no. In the past few weeks, has there been marginal improvement? Data points to the fact that there's been marginal improvement. Would you love to see a more proactive approach? The answer is a definite yes. Isn't it affirmative? Are Nigerians happy with the state of insecurity? No, Nigerians are not happy. We're worried. We're concerned. So what should government be doing that they have not done? Because I'd like to make reference to a video that surfaced when INEC members went to visit Mr. President. I have to rephrase. He started by saying that what else do we want him to do? That he has done his best. So I put it to you. The best of Mr. President. Yes, we ask that he change service chips. He has done that. We have asked that the IGP be changed. He has done that. Have we seen the action that matches those movements? No, we haven't. So what needs to be done for things to change? Now, I can say this to you. Now, security is a peculiar area. It will be unfair to expect that two months after the confirmation of an inspector general of police, things will change radically in the country. No. What we need to see? We want to see his plans. Mr. Inspector General, we want to see your plans to tackle insecurity. Chief of Army staff, we want to see your plans to tackle Boko Haram and all the insurgencies we're dealing with. Let them roll out the plans. That will give us some comfort. That will give us some hope. Not much is going to improve if they think that security is in the poor view of only the security agencies. I'm telling you that Nigerians are the ones that are exposed. They need to know. They're not actually for tactics. They're not actually for strategy. But you need to give them an idea of what you're doing, how you're thinking, how your mind is working about tackling insecurity. The issue of state police and we know we have some paramilitary outfits. We have some in the north. We have Ibuwago in the southeast. They're not paramilitary. Well, somewhat. They're paramilitary, yes. And then we used to have something of the same nature. I think neighborhood watch in river states. So we have those things. But why is there such a pushback on state policing quickly? Well, now, isn't it the same time that it's pushing back the state police program? The answer is no. Now, our people in the National Assembly, we expect them to fear the pulse of Nigerians. The National Assembly should be an aggregate of who we are. And if there are true representatives of the people, right now they should be able to pass that law establishing state police. I believe there is the right time, is the right thing to do. I totally support state police. It may be abused, but if we don't try, we never really know how it works or how it works. I totally support state police. But you're not afraid that governors, because this is... Will abuse it? Might use it as their personal body. They fear in enacting a law establishing a state police, we should have a regulatory agency that regulates such assesses. How come state police is working in other places? In fact, how do you have municipal police? But in United Kingdom and in the United States. There are models. Nobody is asking anybody to go and reinvent the wheel. Study those models, look at the loopholes in the model, adapt them to fit our local circumstance. I mean... As long as we have one central police underfunded, not to add a source, to please 200 million persons, this is the kind of result you keep getting. Quickly, let's go to River State because I've been told that we're out of time. Let's talk about the allegations that you leveled against the River State governor. That also has been used. As at Sunday, I'd like to re-echo what the governor said. On Sunday, he was doing a commissioning, and he, I'd like to quote him directly, urged the Amayana of Bobo Kingdom to inquire from the director general, former director general, Namasa, that's you. And the former commissioner for what? To inquire from you, the contractor who abandoned the shore protection project in Queenstown after collecting 2 billion for the state government. Now, he also went on to say that he was going to your place and you were not going to be able to do anything about it. Even though you had level some allegations about his projects, you said that building flyovers was not enough to better the loss of the people. So I think I want to ask you that question. Who's the contractor? Okay, I'd like to respond this way. Typically, I don't join issues with persons who are uncultured, whose conduct are inconsistent with the office they occupy, who are uncooked, who uses abusive language in responding to issues. I typically will not join issues with them. Well, I don't see anything abusive in what I read out. So I'm asking again, who is the contractor? Okay, I'll respond to that question. The question is very clear. As governor, as a state governor, you have access to unlimited information about your contractors. You know the name of the contractor. You have access to go to CAC to unveil the contractor. But when the governor chooses deliberately to turn lights and make it his trademark, then issue be an issue of concern. I'll now take you to the issue of the contractor. It is a fact that a contract was awarded at the twilight of my tenure as commissioner for work sometime in 2010, 2011, in Liberty, 2009, 2010. Now, it was not awarded for three billion. Two, he said. No, he said three. He said three point something billion. It was awarded for less than two billion. The contractor was paid 30% mobilization. He has access as governor to those records. At the time I left office and moved on to National Assembly and I was elected to National Assembly, the contractor was on site. What happened thereafter? I do not know. But I inquired. Apparently, the contractor had issues with reverse state government. I do not know the contractor, said that the contractor passed through the process and got the job. I have no connection with the contractor. No link whatsoever to the contractor and I challenge the governor. But as a challenge him, let me also put it to him that the contractor called CISC on construction collected an NDDC contract for 3.5 billion for rumored break on internal routes. That contractor owns an afterthought at Rupuako and the contractor is connected to the governor. The contractor collected 3.5 billion from NDDC did not do any job. At the end of the day, reverse the government. Who is the contractor? You have so much information about this contractor. Why don't you tell us the name? Because there's a caveat. He said and I quote, he will continue that project if you name the contractor. So let's drop it here. Of course he has the name of the contractor. No, you name the contractor. I don't know the contractor. But you just gave us information about the contractor. Of course. Name the contractor. Of course. So you gave the contract. You awarded the contract and you don't know the name. And I won a contract. It was a working government. And you do not know the name of the contractor. And you do not know the name of the contractor. And you do not know the name of the contractor. I just twilight it. 15 years after, I remember all the names of contractors. But that particular contractor, which has cost you so much headache, you still do not know the name of the contractor. Of course I can find out. Well quickly, let's talk about your leaving NEMASA finally. Some people said. No, but you know there's something you didn't take note of. I said look, the government needs to explain to us who is CISCO construction that was given any discount of 3.5 billion for who may break on internal routes that was not done. And the money, the contractor was paid 100% by NDDC for which EFCC has investigated but cannot prosecute the person because he has some level of immunity. The government needs to explain that to reverse people. And he has used reverse money to do that same contract now. At this point, we will have to have Governor Wike on this show to give a response to this allegation. I want to thank you because we're out of time. No, you are talking about NEMASA. We can't because we're out of time. NEMASA is a former DG NEMASA and he was a former commissioner in real estate. Thank you very much for being part of the conversation. And to say that in my lifetime I've not done any contract in the university government. I'm not challenging anybody. We have to go. Thank you very much for being part of the conversation. Thank you too. All right. We'll take a short break and when we come back, it's still plus politics. Well, I hope you enjoyed the session today. We'll go on our Facebook page or on our Instagram and drop your comments. We would love to hear from you. Follow us on Facebook, on Instagram and on our YouTube plus TV Africa lifestyle and plus TV Africa. I am Mary Annickle and thanking you for being part of the conversation. Have a good evening.