If eventually you are elected in 2015, how differently are you going to approach the issue of insecurity in the country?

First and foremost, as a former Minister of Defence who has been associated with the military and the Air Force and Navy, I feel terribly concerned with what is happening with Nigerian military today. Nigerian military must be supported by all Nigerians. Nigerian military has done us proud over the years, both within the country and across Africa. This was a military that was being respected by its friends and feared by its enemies; but unfortunately, over time, things are beginning to change. And that glory must be restored; we should have a powerful military in this country. No single country in the world can be proud of itself if it doesn’t have strong military. Any country without strong army, strong air force, strong navy where applicable, that country is a failed country.

Therefore, our administration can never ever take the issue of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the police, the SSS and all other paramilitary—we won’t take them lightly. In my opinion, what we are lacking today is the political will; the political will to provide the necessary ammunition, kits, welfare and of course training and retraining. I think these are the issues; otherwise, we have seen the performance of our military even when I was the Minister of Defence; we have seen what they did in Dafur, Sudan; we have seen their performance practically in Sierra Leone, in Liberia. I can assure you that once you have strong and committed leadership in this country; things will certainly take their shape, not only in terms of security, even in the economy. We have the issue of unemployment of our youths, both men and women. As we are sitting here, schools are being closed in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states; and the battle line is moving, it is not static. That is the worrying aspect of it and that is why I believe this country needs change by 2015 and we must have to work together and bring the change. Those people in Abuja want to remain there but they know they are not performing, we only see them performing on the electrical poles along the streets of Abuja, telling us funny stories and people are laughing at them.

I think they need to know that people are laughing at them. You should tell them when you see them that people are not only laughing, but are very angry over their leadership. You know, they don’t know what is happening on the ground, they are there in Abuja in the air—they don’t know the realities in the ground. The realities are that people are not eating well, people have no jobs, people are afraid for their lives, some have already been killed and the killing continues. This is what is happening on the ground, not what they write on their posters, billboards, and their surplus amount of money to take over NTA and even their privately owned TV stations. Only God knows how much they are spending. I was asking my friends, who are the sponsors of that TAN––Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria. The TAN before now, nobody had N1 million among them; but now see what they are sponsoring. It must come from the Villa!

If you are eventually elected president in 2015, what will your foreign policy to neighbouring countries look like with a view to fighting poverty and boosting the economy of border communities?

You see, some years before now, we all know that our neighbouring countries depended on Nigeria for protection and support, for their economy. The reverse is the case now, because we go to them cap in hand, begging them to help us. Our foreign policy has now come down from grace to grass. That is where we are. Those countries who were respecting us are now finding it difficult to believe what is happening to Nigeria. Countries like Benin Republic, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon were before now heavily dependent on Nigeria in terms of economy, in terms of defence and so on and so forth. Now, you have seen that our leadership is going round begging them, kneeling down to them to help us. I think these are the things that must be reversed. Nigeria must take its rightful position in the comity of nations. Nigeria and Nigerians must take the leadership that we deserve.

Of course, this should be the main focus of our government—to stabilise the security of the country, its economy, tackle the issues education, health, agriculture. Now, we have seen this country surviving on one commodity—oil! We have to look at renewable energy, agriculture, education. We have to make sure that each and every Nigerian is supported by the government to realise his or her potentials; and these individual potentials put together is what will remedy this country. If you look at our educational policy here in Kano, you can understand what I am telling you. Before now, how many people were thinking of going to any university out of this country? By now, we have over 2,000 people studying abroad. By the end of the year we would have sent another 500 people out to study, mostly postgraduate studies––master’s and Ph.D.

These guys by the grace of God will realise their potentials, and put them together and push Kano State forward and by extension, make Nigeria great. Look at our students in the private universities. We are not even talking about those in public schools and federal universities. We have free education policy from primary, secondary to tertiary level, now we have a law banning the old system of Almajiri where young men and women go round the city of Kano and other parts of the state to beg for food. All these things we are doing, in the near future we will live to harvest the positive outcome.

On the state of the nation’s economy, you said some people are in Abuja fabricating figures. Are you implying that Nigeria is broke? Second, we learnt that the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Muhammad II, paid a reconciliatory visit to President Goodluck Jonathan; are you aware of this?

You see, I don’t know why you are asking me whether this country is broke or not, because we are all Nigerians. Now, I throw the question back at you: are you happy with the economy? I don’t think you are because except for very few of them, I don’t think anybody is happy with the economy. Look at the private jets at the airports in Lagos and Abuja that always remind us that we are very rich but I don’t think the jets are owned by people from my village; they are owned by them.

So they are telling us their private economy—how they transformed themselves from where they were to where they are today. To them, that is their economy. On the issue of the Emir—the Emir told me he was going to Abuja. And of course, as usual, I gave him the necessary approvals to go. And when he came, he thought he should come and brief me and of course discuss other state issues––when I say state, I mean Kano. And that was what happened. I didn’t invite him, he booked an appointment to come and talk to me. And I am sure he will continue to come and talk to me… The Emir of Kano is the Emir of Kano. I am the governor of Kano.