Senator Muhammad Bima Enagi represented the Niger South senatorial district in the 9th National Assembly. In this interview, he spoke on his career as a lawmaker, bills, including the controversial proposed legislation, which sought to ban generators and his advice for President Tinubu’s administration.
The bill you sponsored on banning the importation of generators generated controversy. What informed your decision, knowing the situation of the country’s electricity?
If I were Tinubu, I would ban the importation of generators and also regulate the use of available ones, and at the same time, I would ensure that the issue of poor power supply is addressed. There is no development without power. It’s a shame that decades after independence, we don’t have a steady power supply.
We have the sun that we can use for solar energy, we have the wind for wind energy and we have water for hydropower. What we lack is the will power and the required leadership. The government is allowing some people to sabotage the development of the power sector. Till today, my position has not changed, if I have my way, I will ban the importation and anyhow use of generators in this country. Only the agencies providing essential services, like hospitals will be allowed to use generators. When there is no alternative, the government will be compelled to fix the electricity problem.
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What happened to the bill?
The bill was killed. As it was going through the legislative process, I expected contributions and review from stakeholders. But to be sincere, most of my colleagues were not interested in it. I knew that if I had gone for second reading, the bill would be killed. So, there was no need to proceed.
My intention was not personal but to see to the development of the power sector. As long as we don’t take hard and painful decisions, we will not get out of this circle. Since I sponsored the bill about three years ago, has power supply improved? We are still where we were three years ago. So, we need serious leadership that will take hard decisions. The generator ban may not be immediate, the government can schedule it.
You are challenging the outcome of the Niger South senatorial election at the tribunal. On what grounds are you contesting the result?
The issue of the last election is currently in court. I need to be very careful with what I say so that I don’t say something that the tribunal will take against me. But I can assure you that we are on the right track and we believe that the election is ours and we believe, by the Grace of Allah, that the final decision will be in our favour.
How will you assess the former President Buhari’s administration using its three-point agenda of security, economy and anti-graft fight?
The Buhari’s government did not do badly, judging from our situation now compared to 2015. The situation now is better than what it was in 2015. Nigeria has improved dramatically in the agricultural sector. We have a lot that we don’t need to import, especially rice. If you look at the infrastructure, there has been a total decadence in different sectors — roads, power and water supply — but now there has been some significant improvement. The airports have been modernised and expanded. In 2015, some state governments could not pay salaries, but the Buhari government was able to rescue them. If Buhari had not come in and arrested the situation it would have been worse. Yes, there are some other areas that he has fallen short of and that’s part of human endeavour, you can never be perfect. The Buhari government cannot be perfect. There are areas that need improvements.
Former President Buhari sought a $800 million loan at the tail end of his administration. What’s your take on that?
Government is continuum. There is nothing wrong with the government asking for a loan, what is wrong is the application. I’m not in support of what the former finance minister said the money will be used for. She had said N5,000 will be given to 50 million poor Nigerians for six months. To me, that is not good. We should not borrow money and spend it on consumption. We should borrow and spend on infrastructure or investment.
Do you support the removal of fuel subsidy?
Former President Buhari had the greatest opportunity to place Nigeria on a very good track if he had removed subsidy, the foreign exchange will not be as bad as it is today, the foreign reserve will not be as low as it is today, the rate of inflation at 22 per cent would have been far lower. Removing fuel subsidy is the right thing to do. I commend President Tinubu for taking the rare courage to remove the subsidy.
What is called subsidy in the oil sector is going to few hands. Fuel subsidy in Nigeria is fraud. We should put subsidy in the areas that will benefit the common man. If you look at the consumption of petrol, over 60 per cent is consumed in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Kaduna and Abuja. Nigeria is far larger than these cities. The subsidy was paid in dollars, that’s why our foreign reserve is not as good as it should be and the exchange rate is poor. When Buhari came, it was N190 to a dollar and now it is over N700 in the parallel market. So, I’m of the strong view that subsidy in the oil sector must be removed. The subsidy should be channeled to the agricultural sector, which will help the common man.
How will you advise the government of President Tinubu?
I have a lot of confidence and trust in President Bola Tinubu because of his track records. My strong advice is; in this country, we need a firm, strong and sincere leader that is ready to take risks and make strong decisions. And I believe Asiwaju will take those decisions in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.
After spending N200 billion planning the national population and housing census, the federal government suspended the exercise. Will you advise the incoming administration to go ahead with the census or put it on hold?
The government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not waste time in conducting the census because it is very important for national planning. We are a country that doesn’t know our real population. That is not good. It doesn’t matter what the Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa or the minorities feel about it, we should conduct a census so that we have genuine statistics that will be used for national development.
Former President Buhari, in January 2019, commissioned Baro Inland Water Port in Niger State. What do you think is delaying the project being put to use four years after?
It is sad that the Nigerian government would spend billions on the project and then abandon it with all the state-of-the-heart equipment in that facility. This is one of the abandoned projects. There are several others scattered across the country. Baro Port will be useful not only for the people of Niger State but the entire country. It will decongest ports in other parts of the country and provide employment to thousands of people. I hope the present government will take the project seriously and ensure it becomes fully operational.
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