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Patrick Dakum, chief executive officer of the Nigeria Institute of Human Virology, an Associate Professor and a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), in this interview with BLESSING ADIMABUA, spoke on a number of issues including why he returned to the APC, and other issues. Excerpts:
Recently, Nigeria celebrated 65 years as an independent nation. What is your take on Nigeria at sixty-five years?
For me, Nigeria at 65 years is crossing the adolescent and teenage years and is moving into being a young adult. I am saying that in comparison with other countries. If you look at America that is two hundred and something years old and if we are to look at it comparatively, the development of Nigeria and the development of a place like America, then let’s go back to ask, how was America when it was sixty-five years as an independent nation and let’s compare. I am not saying where we are is where we need to be, but we can move further than where we are. However, rather than complaining about the past, let us look forward to the coming years of restoration and I think we are in that stage where we lay foundation for more sustainable growth and more human development. So, Nigeria at sixty-five years, the teenage years are over and let’s begin the real match into adulthood.
Last May 29th, Nigeria celebrated twenty-six years of uninterrupted democratic journey. What is your take?
For me, it is a very big milestone in the sense that if we look back and say that we will still be in democracy twenty years later nobody will agree with it because people will say let us give it a try but for me, I think celebrating so many years of uninterrupted democracy just shows that we are maturing. The difficult teenage years of Nigeria even in democracy is beginning to be over and very few people now will say, we hope the military will come back and they wish more politicians behave in line with what people desire and so if that is the case people demand accountability in all level and once we begin to see that as we are seeing now we are on the match to adulthood. So, for me it is congratulations to Nigeria and Nigerians for many years of uninterrupted years of democracy and in resolution to say that we have learnt certain things; let’s begin to implement those things in the adulthood stage of our democracy.
Few days ago, you decamped to the All Progressive Congress (APC). Why?
I will not call it decamping to the All Progressive Congress ( APC); I will call it a return to the APC because remember that I was in the All Progressive Congress and also remember that I even was a governorship aspirant in APC but as a result of certain things that some of us felt would have been done better we decided rather than being a clog in the wheel of the party we decided to step outside into a different space and that way we are not a hindrance to anybody’s desire to achieve certain things within the party and we stepped aside. Now, we have a reason to return and for those reasons we decided to come back to the APC where we used to be.
What are the reasons that made you in particular to come back to the APC?
Well, for me, there are two key reasons, the number one reason is that I see the economic transformation taking place. I see transformation taking place in the health sector, educational sector and I looked at it as a development expert, I saw these are sustainable things that other countries took more time to do than we are taking and therefore, if we are going to go in this direction, then I believe that there is now a foundation that other people can build on, and it is attributed to someone who laid a foundation in a different space and it worked within a period of time. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president of Nigeria laid a foundation in Lagos and if you look at it, the economic leap of Lagos State was more during his tenure as governor of Lagos State and so, if there is somebody that is a builder I see it in him currently going towards that direction and it is working and things are beginning to ease and once things begin to ease for me as a medical doctor, healing is coming and therefore, we need to persevere more to when total healing will take place and then economic boom will begin. So, number one is what the president is doing in terms of sustainable development; number two for me, particularly in Plateau State, the president has a national chairman in place that is a unifier and remember that I ran against the national chairman of the APC during the last governorship primary in Plateau State and remember that one person that pursued me to my home after the primary to seek for reconciliation was Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda and at that point in time I said no and let’s give him space so that we do not hurt each other and therefore I moved to the Labour Party and immediately after then we did not stop relating with one another and over a period of time I saw in him as somebody that will unify and bring about that consistency in the APC that is so much required for us to move ahead. So, for me, number two, reason is the fact that we have a national chairman that can bring us together and off course there are many stakeholders that already demonstrated the fact that yesterday is not today and today is a different day for the APC in Plateau State. And the leader of the APC in Plateau State is Distinguished Senator, His Excellency Simon Bako Lalong and since I started making the move to come back he has provided all the support and other stakeholders have shown other characteristics for me to see that if I come back am not going to be seen as second class citizen. We have people like His Excellency, Joshua Chibi Dariye, Paulen Tallen and others who are committed to a united party and so for that why not come into a place that has conducive environment for you to advocate for the development of your community.
So, in your own perception are you saying that the APC government under the leadership of Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done well in the last two years?
I will rate the government that has laid an excellent foundation for an excellent development as doing well for the development of the country.
Nigerians have been facing security challenges in recent years and times. What do you think should be done to fight this menace of banditry, kidnapping and to a large extent lack of religious harmony?
You know, there are so many things experts have talked and spoken about. Non- kinetic issues like constantly working in community relationships, ensuring that livestock is contained in a modern way; so, that there are no roving herders all over the place to create distraction. But remember that one of the critical things is the fact that once you do those non-kinetic measures you also must use kinetic measures for the criminals that exist within the different goals. Among the herders you have criminals, and you have people that use religion to perpetrate evil but I must say that we must identify criminals and treat them as criminals and therefore the kinetic aspect of the peace equation must be thoroughly addressed. The other thing that must be done is that there must be justices. For example, I am coming from a village that was invaded and occupied by people and if I don’t get back to my village, forever my children and my great grand children will continue to fight until they get our village back. So, the question to that is, who has laid a claim to a place for which there are other people and let come together and return things back to them. There are peaceful ways to talk about it; so, there must be a place for justice to prevail for those that are not in their ancestral homes. So, don’t think that there is no one that is genuine resident of Plateau that wants crisis.
If there is crisis you cannot pursue your social and economic life but having said all that a good portion or ninety something percent of Plateau is peaceful because people can come to Plateau now. You can go to Jos and other towns; the street is full and Plateau is a destination of peace and tourism. There are skirmishes in some places and things that are unwarranted but we know that the majority of the places is place you can leave and pursue your life
There are divided interests in Plateau’s APC over Governor Caleb Mutfwang joining the party. What is your reaction?
I think the issue of joining the APC or not joining the party lies on the corridor of the officials of the party. I don’t have any opinion related to the governor coming or not coming. All I know is that I have come to APC and I will pursue the interest of the party and if the officials of the party have reasons to say no, they will outline it and so, for me as an individual I don’t hold any opinion related to that. My opinion is that everybody should pursue his political career in the areas that he feels comfortable and he is acceptable. If he is going to come, he will meet with the leadership of the APC and has a chat with them and if they come into agreement, he will come but if they will not come into agreement then I know it is going to be a wasted effort. You can go and interview all the governors that have joined; I believed that there have been a lot of background negotiations which we are not privy to. So, for me, I, in my own ward, will contribute to the growth of the APC and at the state level and my local government and national level. I will contribute to the growth of the party because I believe that on the vehicle of the party, we can bring development to our people.
Is it true that the APC lured you back to the party to run for the governorship seat come 2027?
I don’t have an idea of where the rumour is coming from but I have told you the reasons why I and those in the same political camp in the Labour Party came back to the APC. None of us had an agenda, the issue of Patrick Dakum becoming a governor. No. That is not the reason for coming back. Our reason is to come back and support the party and whoever the party decides that would be the candidate and if they ask me to be the director general or a member of any committee of the campaign, I will do it. So, we are here because if we participate in any of the party’s activities and when the cake is broken, they will share it with us and give us to give to our community and I will go there to work for my community. I will go there and advocate for jobs and projects for my people and the community and you know that if I am not in APC and the party is in government both at state and federal level; if I ask for anything they will tell me this one is not part of us, let us listen to our own first. But now, I am part of the party and if there is a need for anything for my village I will go there and ask for it. Therefore, the rumour that I came back to the party to run for governorship in 2027 is not true.
Few weeks ago, America declared Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern.’ What is your view?
Well, my view is that I don’t know the detail implication but I think that if the implication is that there will be resources that will be used to provide more help for the government to fight terrorism, then it is good because people are being killed right, left and centre. There are genocides that have targeted large chunk of Christians, and there are genocides that have targeted large chunk of Muslims. So, the souls that are being killed are precious souls before God, whether that soul is someone that is a Christian or a Muslim, God cares for everybody; therefore, he will not want anybody to be killed unjustly and therefore, if the American government will come to help us, they are welcomed. So, let us accept it with open hands and let us work together but above all, if there are resources both in kind and cash that will be provided to help the government solve the problem and monitor it to see that it is used for that purpose then I don’t have any problems with that.
Finally, what is your advice to Nigerians and Plateau State people as 2027 is fast approaching?
Whoever that is going to run in 2027 at whatever levels, all is in the hands of God and as long as we work peacefully with one another, the will of God will be revealed at all levels and therefore, note that whoever you are running with or running against remember that he or she is your brother and sister. And if we are going to do that in peace, in love with the concern of one another, that will bring an outcome that will advance democracy and bring about a better development.
