Ahmed Makarfi

It is slightly over two years into the life of this administration and how would you assess the performance?

Let me go back to Kaduna State- a few days ago there was a football match which government’s representatives were present, but the crowd chased them away. It was not a political gathering. It is a football match only by the youths. And you can see the anger of the youth against a sitting government.

So, you are in a major position to even answer this question. I don’t know if you have been able to pay your children’s school fees, your medical bills or your car is in a good order? And it is because there is really no effective government in place. The government started with a crisis, it has continued to be in crisis. Under PDP when Obasanjo was in power, there was central authority, under Jonathan, there was a central authority, I am not saying there were no clashes here and there, but everybody knew where the buck stops. In a system in which people are creating cleavages of powers and interests and exercising them, how can you run the country effectively?

Many believe that the illness of the President has contributed to the situation you have just described now. Are you also in support of the argument that the President should resign if he cannot continue so that the country can move on?

Those that are saying that are politicizing the situation in my opinion. Once you have the Acting President, who says he has limited powers? Who is stopping him? Maybe he is one that is not capable. When Jonathan was Acting President, didn’t he even dissolve cabinet? So, why should we be talking about a person who has transferred power to another person? It is because this government is used to excuses. If it is not PDP, it is this, it is that when they have everything in their hands, they want to continue to give excuses. I will not buy that.

There are reports of some cabals not allowing the Acting President to fully exercise those powers…

Let him come out and tell Nigerians who those cabals are. That’ why I said, excuses, excuses, excuses. Imaginary things. If I were there and somebody is trying to stop me, I will fight the person