Chief (Mrs) Priscilla Kuye is the fi rst female President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA). In this interview with Ayo Esan, she canvasses, among other things, a national dialogue at which knotty issues that affect the citizenry should be discussed. Excerpts:
The Senate voted against single six-year tenure for president and governors. What is your view on that?
Personally, I think it is a good thing. I don't want a single tenure for any of the governors or even the president. This is because, assuming you have a very terrible governor, that means that state would be governed for six years in a bad state. I don't support single six years tenure. Those who are proposing it think that it will bring less controversy with election if they have six years instead of four, which will mean going back every few years. I am not for single term tenure.
The Senate also voted against the separation of states and local governments account which many people have been soliciting to give the local governments some autonomy. How do you see the Senate's decision?
I don't support them in that decision. The people want local governments to be autonomous and I think they are nearer the grassroots. They should have allowed the local councils to be autonomous so that they can get their funds to improve the quality of lives of the people. The Senate has not done well on that issue and I don't agree with them. The local governments deserve autonomy and most governors don't give them the money they should get. If they had made them autonomous they will be able to get and use their money for the development of their people at the grassroots.
There was also this argument that the offi ce of the Attorney General of the Federation and that of the Minister of Justice should be separated. This was also jettisoned by the Senate. As a lawyer, how do you see this decision?
I know some people are against while others are for the separation of these two offices. Some feel that the Attorney General should be separated from the other office, but I am for a fusion of the two. The argument is that one is a political office and the other is not. But talking personally, I do not see what is wrong with having the same person as the Attorney General and as Minister of Justice.
Towards the fi ght against corruption, there are indications that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) are going to be merged. What is your take on this?
It is good if the two are fused. They would be able to do the work more effectively. Since the government said we don't have too much money, let the EFCC and the ICPC be fused and let them use their intelligence and be effective. They will be more effective and there will be less dissipation of resources.
Are you saying that is the best way of fi ghting corruption in the country?
The best way of fighting corruption is that we (individuals) should look inwards and we must make up our mind not to give bribes. Let's say I will not give bribe and I will not receive. I think this is the best way. Then parents should rear their children in the way of God. We should teach them from when they are young and tell them that to receive bribe is a terrible thing and that it is not good. We should let them know that it is even in the Bible that we should not offer bribe and we should not collect too. We should inculcate into them all good tenets. Whether you are a Muslim or a Christian, make sure you inculcate virtues, truthfulness, honesty, capacity to work hard, patriotism; if we do these from when we are young, then you see the child would grow up disliking corruption.
Also, our present leaders must show good example. This is because what we read in newspapers about our leaders are very bad. In government, so many people are stealing billions and trillions. I am not saying all of them are bad but the few bad eggs are disgracing the people in government. So the leaders themselves must not be corrupt. They must give good examples to the people they are governing.
But the Judiciary is also being accused of corruption?With the judiciary, it is a few bad eggs. I always say this: we have excellent judges. We have very good judges but in any given society, you always have the good and the bad. Again, when they say some people are corrupt, they can never prove it against the judges. People shouldn't just say judges are corrupt; they must come out to prove it. What have these judges done because I don't like spoiling people's names? You must have facts to say a judge is corrupt. If you have such fact, you then go to the Judicial Council, they will listen to you. Some people talk without any fact; that is wrong.
You often speak about having good governance in the country, how can this be achieved?
For a country to have good governance, you have to promote the rule of law. We have the judiciary, the executive and the legislature. The three arms of government must do their work very well. For instance, the judiciary must be independent, give judgememnt without fear or favour but only in accordance with the facts of the case. The executive must govern very well. It must promote the rule of law and do everything in accordance with the constitution of the land. Nobody should be above the law. The government must govern well. Right now in this country, I don't think we have good governance and accountability. Our leaders must work for the common good. The common good an average person wants is a good life. If you are sick, you go to the hospital and you send your children to good schools. Thank God now that some states have free primary and secondary education, especially the education of the girl-child which is very important.
These things are important, unemployment is rising. Let our government look at the issue of unemployment and make sure graduates are employed. If they are employed, and others are, we would not have unrest. Education, good health, provision of infrastructure, all these will transform the country. Another thing is that the government is not looking after the manufacturing industries enough. We have a lot of industries that are dead, they should be resuscitated. They are not helping to resuscitate them. But they say they are looking for people abroad; why not charity beginning at home? Also, if we have constant supply of electricity, poverty will be reduced. The hairdresser and the mechanic will be able to work.
Election is coming in 2015 and there are crises all over the country. How can we achieve a credible election devoid of violence?
We must have a national conference before the election. This is very important. I don't know the nomenclature that will be given to it, whether a Sovereign National Conference or National Conference. But it is important that we dialogue. It is better to dialogue than to fight a war. I read in the newspapers a few days ago, the president said we cannot afford another civil war. As it is now, there is discontentment in the country. What we can do now is to sit down and dialogue. We need to know what is annoying this or that state. Like this Boko Haram issue, we can say, okay maybe they want some states to be Islamised; we can now sit down and talk and arrive at a consensus.
As somebody was saying on the television, if you want a state to be Christian, why not? But now, with the federal system, there is too much power at the centre. Some of the power should be given to the states. I don't know what sort of system we are operating. Personally, the presidential system of government is too expensive. I don't know why we cannot have a parliamentary system of government which is cheap. But I know the senators and members of the House of Representatives will not agree; they would say it is the presidential system they want. These things are very important.
We need to discuss whether we want a unitary or federal system of government. Some say Boko Haram issue is religious, others say it is political. But shedding of innocent blood which is against the commandment of God should be stopped. The only way to stop it is to dialogue about it.
So I think the president should convene a national conference so that all these discontents from among Nigerians and the states will be discussed and we will be able to find solution to them.
