We’ll analyse 2024 budget to ensure there’s no imbalance against North – Ndume

Ali Ndume is a top-ranking senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing Borno South. In this interview with Daily Trust Saturday, he said he would not allow the North to be shortchanged, hinting that a consultant had been recruited to analyse the budget, check and confirm imbalance, if any. He also spoke about the planned relocation of some offices of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), as well as other issues.

Daily Trust Saturday: You vowed to ensure that the North is not shortchanged in the 2024 budget. Some senators from the region even threatened to take a legal action, especially the planned relocation of some departments of the CBN and FAAN. Why are you complaining?

Senator Ali Ndume: I am there because of my people from the southern part of Borno, which is in the northern part of Nigeria. Whatever we do there is to protect the interest of our people and the country in general.

I have said that the decision to relocate some departments of the CBN is ill advised and is not going to achieve the said purpose they mentioned – decongestion, efficiency and the like.

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Let me remind them, maybe they are not aware, that the CBN was first established in Lagos, and as the country continued to grow, Lagos became highly congested and people were finding it very difficult to go to work on time. And the problem of land for expansion was in Lagos. That was what brought the idea of relocating the Federal Capital Territory somewhere else. And those that were saddled with leadership then chose Abuja because it is in the centre of Nigeria. You can come to Abuja from everywhere in one hour. There was vast expanse of land, and the environment is both good for anybody.

They built Abuja and everybody was asked to move to the seat of power. Now, after 30 years or more, some people will come and try to reverse what has been done. That, to me is wrong and unconstitutional. It is not wise.

That is why we are against it. The major fact is that it a constitutional issue.

You can see that most northerners; and in fact, Nigerians, are not happy. Since this started, many Nigerians have called me to express their support and encourage me to continue to speak out as a senator representing the people of Borno South and North in particular; and that’s what I am doing.

On the budget, I have not completed my research; that is breaking it down into zones to see which zone has been shortchanged. Until I do that, I cannot affirmatively confirm that the North or whatever region has been shortchanged.

Fortunately, the leadership of the Northern Senators Forum is also looking at the budget. In fact, we have engaged a consultant to look at it critically to see whether it is balanced. That is not something to raise our voices so much about because it can be corrected by way of supplementary or amendment.

This is the first budget and we want to give the president the necessary support. The president I know – I have a political relationship with Tinubu that spans over 20 years – is a nationalist. I don’t think he would support anything that would generate any controversy, including things that are anti North or against the interest of the country.

DT: Some people observed that as senators you were supposed to complete your research and scrutinise the document before passing the budget, why didn’t you do that?

Ndume: We had a challenge of time. The budget was brought to us early December or late November and we had to finish it before the end of December in order to keep the January to December budget cycle that most Nigerians are supporting. And as I told you, that budget is a bulky document of about 2,290 pages, it is not something you can flip over, and it is not categorised by zone.

But the Minister of Budget and Planning that headed the preparation of the budget is from the North, and in the Federal Executive Council we have enough northern ministers that will protect the interest of the North.

However, if, as I said, the interest of the North is shortchanged, you can be rest assured that we will come up with facts. I don’t want to talk without figures. This document is a bulky one. We passed the budget collectively. They are in the process of printing out the details of the budget, so until I get the details, analyse it and see whether some agencies are favoured or the budget is skewed to a particular geopolitical zone, I don’t think it is right for me to talk so much about it.

On the planned relocation of some offices, and maybe with the intention of doing more, we are trying to voice out the position of northerners and advise those in the corridors of power to know that those saying the administration should not be politicised should know the head of the administration. The head of administration is the president; and he is a politician. He was politically elected in the government of democracy. That is the government of the people, for the people and by the people. You cannot separate administrative decisions from politics, and you cannot prioritise administration over political interests. That is wrong.

I believe that the Tinubu I know is somebody that listens and concedes to superior arguments. We will definitely do something about it.

The CBN is supposed to concentrate on policies that are more important to Nigeria now. Under this CBN governor, dollar has gone up to N1,350 as at today; when he came in, it was not up to that, it was around N1,000 or less.

What I want him to do, or what Nigerians are expecting him, is to concentrate on how to bring the value of the naira up to what Mr President called one exchange rate. That is important.

The primary responsibility of the CBN is not commercial; it is not a profit making agency. So, that’s not an excuse. This decision would have to be weighed seriously. I am sure the president will look into it. I am very confident that we will reverse this unpopular decision.

DT: Some senators, led by Kawu Sumaila, have threatened to take a legal action on the planned relocation of some departments of the CBN and FAAN, do you think that would change anything?

Ndume: Of course, but we have not gotten to that; and I don’t think we would even get to that.

However, the biggest problem is that there is an emerging political cabal around the president, which is normal, but it should be cut to size, otherwise it will create damage for him. And they are not in the position to fix it because they are not politicians.

We should not mix administration with politics. In the first place, if Tinubu did not win as president, the current CBN governor wouldn’t have been there; and if it is administrative, why didn’t they sit for exams before he was selected? He is a political appointee of Mr President, so he cannot separate his job from politics; let him know that.

DT: You once said you had confidence in the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio; has that changed?

Ndume: No. Akpabio has nothing to do with that. I supported him because he is somebody I know. And that was the best thing to do at that time. It was necessary to elect somebody from the South South for political balance.  I have no reason now to say that things are falling apart with Akpabio. But I will tell him the truth every time. I will always speak my mind over what I think is right, even when I am alone.

DT: Poverty has been hitting hard in the northern part of the country; what do you think would be done to solve this problem?

Ndume: The solution is to secure the country, not only the North. People are suffering nowadays because they don’t have access to their farms. Whenever they go to their farms, bandits kidnap them and ask them to pay tax or levy before harvesting their crops. And the herdsmen will invade their farms with their cattle and eat up their produce. These are the big challenges. So, the first thing is to address security challenges in the North.

We need to have more security agencies on ground. And they must be trained and equipped. Most importantly, they must be motivated.

Government should concentrate on that because its main purpose is the security and welfare of citizens.

DT: As a senator representing eight local governments in southern Borno, what are you doing to help the situation?

Ndume: I think five out of the 9 local governments are relatively peaceful and safe for people to go to their farms. So, what I try to do at my own level is to facilitate procurement and distribution of farm inputs, especially fertiliser to enable them cultivate. Sometimes I try to get them improved seedlings so that their farming output would be more than just using the traditional system. So we are doing everything possible to encourage them.

DT: Many people have accused politicians of not concentrating on their jobs; instead they are scheming ahead of 2027 elections. What is your take on this?

Ndume: There is nothing wrong for one to aspire for a position. And that plays out in every political arena. Some of those willing to contest in 2027 have started preparing, while some will wait till the time comes. It is normal in politics. But at the end of it, it is God that gives power to who he wishes.

I have been in this system for 20 years; and this is my sixth time in the National Assembly. I am 64 years old and a son of nobody who became somebody without knowing anybody. All I do now is to thank God for the position, opportunity and the life he has given me. So I leave what comes up tomorrow the hands of the Almighty Allah.

All I do now is to concentrate on paying back to the people that supported me, my community, my senatorial district, my state and the country and thank God for giving me this opportunity.

I have 10 children with more than 20 grandchildren, and I am still counting.