Former Kaduna governor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa has come hard on the acclaimed czar of Kwara politics and former Senate Leader, Dr. Olusola Saraki, accusing him of being part of the northern elite that impoverished the North, as such he (Saraki) has no moral right to blame anyone for the north’s woes.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Daily Sun in Kaduna recently, Musa said “he (Saraki) is part and parcel of the northern elite that did what he was saying to the North,

so it is hypocritical for him to say that, because he really benefited more than those who are actually calling themselves northerner from key positions in the North, especially that of leadership. Is he not one of the northern leaders? Is he not one of those who are rich and powerful who manipulated things? He is one of them. So, it is hypocritical for him to say what he is now saying. People who are patriotic in the North have shown their patriotism, what patriotism has he shown?

“What reasons has he to blame the elite; Sola Saraki is just a medical doctor. What has he become now? How did he become that? It was through bureaucracy in the North and the evidence is quite clear. For instance, who decides the political fate of Kwara State? Is it not the same Saraki? So it is hypocrisy for him to say what we have been saying about the leadership in the North.”
He also spoke on kidnapping in the North and other issue of national interest.
Excerpts:

Kidnapping is creeping into the North. It is strange that kidnapping has come to Kaduna, the capital of Northern Nigeria. What have you to say?
It is unfortunate that it has started coming to the North, but it is not surprising because we are talking about North and the entirety of Nigeria. Kidnapping is already in Nigeria and it is a question of time for it to exist in other parts of the country. Look at the issue of armed robbery; for years armed robbery was happening only in the South, but around 1980 it started coming to the North. Now armed robbery is in the North and the rest states of the country. It is the same thing; kidnapping started in the South and because North is part of Nigeria like the South, it is bound to eventually come to the North. Don’t be surprised about it.
What does it speak of the leadership especially in the North?
Well, it is not a question of leadership in the North. It is a question of leadership in the whole country. Security is the responsibility of the leadership of the country.

Dr. Olusola Saraki recently accused the northern elite of depriving the region of good things of life. What have you to say?
He is part and parcel of the northern elite that did what he was saying to the North, so it is hypocritical for him to say that, because he really benefited more than those who are actually calling themselves northerner from key positions in the North, especially that of leadership. Is he not one of the northern leaders? Is he not one of those who are rich and powerful who manipulate things? He is one of them. So it is hypocritical for him to say what he is now saying. People who are patriotic in the North have shown their patriotism, what patriotism has he shown?

What reasons has he to blame the elite; Sola Saraki is just a medical doctor. What has he become now? How did he become that? It was through bureaucracy in the North and the evidence is quite clear. For instance, who decides the political fate of Kwara State? Is it not the same Saraki? So it is hypocrisy for him to say what we have been saying about the leadership in the North.

But he established the Northern Union (NU), to still further the interest of the North?
He started Northern Union because he fell out with those in ACF, Arewa Consultative forum. So what is there about Northern Union? He should share every blame in all practical ways with the rest of them in the North, the people who really benefited from the northern feudalism and northern bureaucracy. He is now rich and powerful and controls politics in Kwara State to the extent that it is only through him that one wins election in Kwara State, and the same man is turning around to blame other people? Haba! This is someone whose son is a governor, and the daughter, a two-time Senator.
Is that not the king? Has he not been the king? So what right has he to blame northern leadership for the rot in the North when he participated and benefited from it?

What have you to say about the Sarduana Foundation put in place by the northern governors?
Well, they can do it, everybody can identify with his hero. Everybody has the right to say this is my hero. But it is up to Nigerians to say he is not our hero. We can say it.
What we are saying is that with the level of poverty, low education, mortality rate, is it not better for them to address these issues than for them to gather and form another foundation?
They want to honour their hero irrespective of the roles of their hero. He is their hero, and we are entitled to say that he is not our hero.
So who is your own hero?

That is another matter for another day. That is not what you came for.
But let’s go into it, who is your hero?
No, no (general laughter).
Your gate is always flung open. Are you not afraid especially in this time of kidnapping?
I can’t afford a security man; I can’t afford it, simple. As a matter of fact, I can’t afford it. I am not being stupid, I am not being naive, I am not unaware of insecurity in the country but I can’t afford it. That is all. In any case even if I can afford it, what can they prevent? I mean for instance, if I can possibly afford one security man at the gate, but can he prevent anybody who is determined to come in and box me up, can he? So what is the point?

Are you not afraid of being kidnapped?
No, certainly not. But it can happen. In my own case, if anybody kidnaps me, it will not be for money, it must be for political reason. But, certainly, not for money; of course, if they do it, may be someone will pay money for my freedom. But if this thing continues, nobody will be saved whether you have it or you don’t have it. If you kidnap a peasant farmer who is known, whose condition is known, it is possible for some people to pay for his freedom. The reality is that nobody is safe in this country.

There is insecurity, nobody is safe from the bottom to the top. Those who are directly responsible for this negative state of the nation, they are not safe either, they are not secured. Take for example, the security agencies, they are supposed to protect us, but are they safe themselves?
As we approach 2011 general election, what are your expectations?
Let the opposition that is patriotic, credible unite to change the negative state of the nation by seizing the neck of PDP in 2011 election because PDP can be legitimately blamed for this level of decay in the country. Let us unite and see that PDP is voted out in 2011 election. But we can’t do it by just wishing, we have to unite on principle.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/oct/26/national-26-10-2009-004.html