The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku
Abubakar in an interview with The African Report said the former
national security adviser, 'Sambo Dasuki is being detained
illegally'. When asked about Nnamdi Kanu, he said, 'I don’t want to be
individualistic on this issue. I reject any illegal detention, any
detention that is not based on law and order'. See excerpts from the
interview below...Are you concerned about the fate of Nnamdi Kanu, the
pro-Biafra activist?I don’t want to be individualistic on this issue. I
reject any illegal detention, any detention that is not based on law and
order.What about former national security adviser Sambo Dasuki?Dasuki
is being detained illegally. It is only a court that will say whether
he is guilty or not.Would you favour a referendum for the people of the
south-east, offering them the chance to leave the federation?When we get
there. We are going to have a conference to discuss reconstruction.
Then we will see. I don’t think there is any part of this country that
wants to leave this country. All what they want is fairness, equity and
justice.Are there any situations where where rule of law could be waved
aside for national security?No. The rule of law itself is a guarantor of
national security. How do you see Africa faring amid an international
trade war?Atiku Abubakar: It is certainly not a good moment for Africa.
The West colonised Africa, set up all the institutions in Africa, and
eventually granted independence to Africa. Now it has been withdrawing
from Africa over the years. First, they started with establishment of
the European Union (EU). The moment the EU was established, the British
started withdrawing from Africa, the French started withdrawing. So they
left a vacuum. Africa has never been a US destination. So Africa was
left on its own, whether for good or bad I don’t know. In one sense it
is better for Africa to be independent. Of course, for the purposes of
international cooperation, trade and investment Africa has to look
elsewhere.Are you happy that China is filling that vacuum?Loans from
China have [fewer] conditionalities [than] loans from the West. When you
have less conditionality, there is the tendency that the money you
borrow is likely to be misapplied, misused, misappropriated. And when
the money borrowed is not invested in a sector that can make profit,
then you are likely to default. With the West, they lend you money, and
it has to be based on an investment schedule and there must be returns.
In the case of China, they are just giving you money – “Okay go and
build an airport,” or “Go and build a railway station.” Where are the
feasibility studies? What is the return on investment? How long will it
take you to repay the money?You have called President Muhammadu Buhari’s
economic policy archaic. On what grounds?It’s not market friendly and
because of that we have not been getting much foreign investment. If
anything, in fact, we have witnessed a flip of foreign investment out of
Nigeria. Many foreign companies have closed shop in this country simply
because the wrong economic policies have been implemented.The post 'SamboDasuki is being detained illegally' - Atiku Abubakar
'Sambo Dasuki is being detained illegally' - Atiku Abubakar
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku
Abubakar in an interview with The African Report said the former
national security adviser, 'Sambo Dasuki is being detained
illegally'. When asked about Nnamdi Kanu, he said, 'I don’t want to be
individualistic on this issue. I reject any illegal detention, any
detention that is not based on law and order'. See excerpts from the
interview below...Are you concerned about the fate of Nnamdi Kanu, the
pro-Biafra activist?I don’t want to be individualistic on this issue. I
reject any illegal detention, any detention that is not based on law and
order.What about former national security adviser Sambo Dasuki?Dasuki
is being detained illegally. It is only a court that will say whether
he is guilty or not.Would you favour a referendum for the people of the
south-east, offering them the chance to leave the federation?When we get
there. We are going to have a conference to discuss reconstruction.
Then we will see. I don’t think there is any part of this country that
wants to leave this country. All what they want is fairness, equity and
justice.Are there any situations where where rule of law could be waved
aside for national security?No. The rule of law itself is a guarantor of
national security. How do you see Africa faring amid an international
trade war?Atiku Abubakar: It is certainly not a good moment for Africa.
The West colonised Africa, set up all the institutions in Africa, and
eventually granted independence to Africa. Now it has been withdrawing
from Africa over the years. First, they started with establishment of
the European Union (EU). The moment the EU was established, the British
started withdrawing from Africa, the French started withdrawing. So they
left a vacuum. Africa has never been a US destination. So Africa was
left on its own, whether for good or bad I don’t know. In one sense it
is better for Africa to be independent. Of course, for the purposes of
international cooperation, trade and investment Africa has to look
elsewhere.Are you happy that China is filling that vacuum?Loans from
China have [fewer] conditionalities [than] loans from the West. When you
have less conditionality, there is the tendency that the money you
borrow is likely to be misapplied, misused, misappropriated. And when
the money borrowed is not invested in a sector that can make profit,
then you are likely to default. With the West, they lend you money, and
it has to be based on an investment schedule and there must be returns.
In the case of China, they are just giving you money – “Okay go and
build an airport,” or “Go and build a railway station.” Where are the
feasibility studies? What is the return on investment? How long will it
take you to repay the money?You have called President Muhammadu Buhari’s
economic policy archaic. On what grounds?It’s not market friendly and
because of that we have not been getting much foreign investment. If
anything, in fact, we have witnessed a flip of foreign investment out of
Nigeria. Many foreign companies have closed shop in this country simply
because the wrong economic policies have been implemented.The post 'SamboDasuki is being detained illegally' - Atiku Abubakar
