Chief Samuel Mafwuyai was a former Minister of Aviation in the Second Republic. In this interview with ISAAC SHOBAYO, he speaks on his foray into politics, stewardship as a minister, corruption, and insecurity, among other topical issues in Nigeria. Except:
CAN you share the story of your journey?
I was born as far back as 1944. I attended primary school and teacher training college here in Plateau State. I was a teacher briefly. I also attended the University of Ife, which is now Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile Ife, Osun State. I was drafted into politics, though I wasn’t looking forward to being a politician. As a politician, I served at different levels, both at the state and federal levels, and later returned to serve as a civil servant.
What position did you hold at the state and federal levels?
I was appointed as Commissioner during the military regime, precisely under the late Air Commodore Dan Suleiman, who was the Military Administrator of the larger Plateau, which included other states like Nassarawa and Benue States. These states were later carved out of the present-day Plateau State. After that, the first civilian administration came in, which was the administration of the late Chief Solomon Lar. By then, I had gotten admission to pursue higher degrees in the United States, but when I approached Chief Lar about my plan to further my education outside the country, he told me to defer the admission, saying that the state at that time needed people like me. And also that after working assiduously along with others to get him elected, I could not abandon him, so he appointed me a commissioner.
Under the military, I served as the Commissioner of Education, and later, under the administration of the late Chief Lar, as the Commissioner for Works. When there was an alliance, or what some people called an accord, between the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and the National Peoples Party (NPP), Chief Solomon Lar sent my name to the Center being controlled by the NPN as a nominee for appointment as minister. I was screened and given a portfolio as the Minister of Aviation. I was there for two years, so after some time, the arrangement between the NPN and the NPP was not too convenient, and the party directed some of us to leave the center. I obeyed my party; I resigned and returned to Plateau. On my return, I went to Chief Lar, who was still the governor of Plateau State, and told him that I wanted to pick up my course in the USA. He then told me that when the party gave an order that all of you should resign, you obeyed, and you were not the only one. There were those who were your seniors who refused to leave, but you were given a rousing reception on your arrival, so we will not allow you to go. He then appointed me again as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
What is your assessment of the present political class in the country?
Obviously, there are differences, and what we used to earn as salary can never be compared with what the present-day ministers are earning in terms of salary and huge allowances. Though there were also misnomers during our time, many of us wouldn’t want to do things in excess. We are somehow confined to the laid-down rules and regulations. We are conscious of our image and that of the country. I used to earn something like N14,000. Like when I started, I left my family here in Jos and I was staying in Lagos, and later my wife and children joined me in Lagos, so I had to manage my family with the little I was receiving. I can tell you that I coped conveniently with that amount.
Looking at the lifestyle of present-day politicians, would you say they have shown some level of contentment?
I don’t know what ministers earn now, but during our time, some of us were contented with what we earned then. I am not saying we were angels, but it may be different today. The materialistic tendency of our politicians now is high; they are judged by the number of materials they process. So today, you must have houses here and there and cars that are worth multiple millions of naira before you can be classified as having arrived politically; that was not what we practiced then. So I couldn’t comprehend what is happening now. Time has changed, and approaches to the issues of life have equally changed. In those days, what was paramount to us was to serve faithfully and to accomplish the assignments given to us. For instance, when I was the Aviation Minister, Nigeria has the largest airline in Africa, and we held the international conference of African nations here in Lagos. There was an aircraft called the Airbus. When it was first manufactured, nations were rushing to have it, and Nigeria had booked for it. Some countries came to me trying to convince me that Nigeria should withdraw so that they could get it first before we got it later on. I said no; everybody was attracted to buy it. Foreign countries were trying to entice me, and I said that was not what they brought me here to do, so Nigeria was among the first countries to get the Airbus. Those that were scrambling to get it came to me with offers, but I said no. I am not an angel; those temptations were there, and they are still there. At that time, some of our leaders were honest, including the one who brought me up, the late Chief Lar, who never built a new house for himself throughout his sojourn in politics.
As a Minister of Aviation, there was a national carrier otherwise called Nigeria Airways, but this has since fizzled out. What are your impressions about this?
That is my sadness; this cannot be good for a nation. If Nigeria had kept the kind of performance it was recording during the Second Republic today, we would still be a reference point in terms of airlines in Africa. Then we had virtually everything, but today there is no reference point again due to corruption. There is no aircraft with the inscription of Nigeria Airlines again; what a shame! The private airline came in after the military took over; some ignored it or formed their own private airline. Attempts by successive administrations to revamp it are always enmesh in controversies of corruption. Corruption kills Nigeria Airways. If other smaller countries in Africa can have national carriers, what stops us from revamping this sector? But the endemic corruption might not allow us. Also, then we had functional rail lines; if there had been consistency, we wouldn’t have been suffering on the road. We had a railway that was performing very well. If we had a functional railway system, our roads would not be in the same deplorable condition as they are today because railways would have been used to move goods from one part of the country to another.
From all indications, there is hunger in the land, and people are living below the poverty line with all manners of hardship. What do you think Mr. President can do to mitigate the effects of the hardship?
There is no doubt about it; the hardship in Nigeria now is so severe that the living standard of an average Nigerian has drastically reduced to a level that one cannot comprehend anymore. Definitely, Nigerians are suffering. Mr. President started well, but he should focus more on the welfare of Nigerians. There are certain steps the administration has taken in recent times that will bring succour to Nigerians. I am advising that the President should act fast to arrest the deteriorating situation before it gets out of hand. I also want to add that the president, governors, and all the people in positions of authority need the support of every citizen to succeed. No government is 100 percent perfect, and we might not all belong to the same party, but once the election is over, it is our duty as citizens and politicians to close ranks and support whoever is in power.
Is it possible to revive the economy without fighting corruption?
That is the number one problem in Nigeria; we cannot move forward without fighting corruption to a standstill. Most of the problems confronting Nigeria as a nation are the result of corruption. As far as I am concerned, fighting corruption would seem to be the greatest problem. The government and Nigerians have failed in this regard; there is no proper prosecution, and those unlucky to be arrested are left off the hook. You see them on the streets, and you are meeting with them on the street, even those you know. So how are we going to succeed? Our society also celebrates corruption and ill-gotten wealth. To fight corruption, the government must be resolute, focused, and pursue it with vigour without any sentiment. What we are seeing at the moment is not encouraging.
Another challenge facing the country at the moment is insecurity. What is the way out of this predicament?
There is no security anywhere as far as I am concerned—that sounds ridiculous to mention—no security anywhere in the country. If it is only in our locality that these things are happening, we might conclude that it is because there is no barracks or efficient police system, but right now kidnapping and all sorts of criminal acts are taking place even in Abuja and other major cities in the country, so no place is safe, and insecurity now pervades everywhere. People are being killed like animals; farmers can no longer go to their farms; in one of our villages, 16 people were buried in one grave. It is a sad thing that is happening. If you are traveling, just give your life to God, because you never know what will happen to you while on the road. So that is the terrible situation we found ourselves in Nigeria today. The government needs to sit up and address the issue squarely before it consumes us as a nation.
