POWER IS NOT GIVEN, BUT TAKEN

TWW Meets The Game Changer

Our interviews always promise to be hot and sizzling, and this one is no different. It’s our second interview in the month of August, and we told you we are bringing you exciting chats with student leaders and youth activists. Last week, we chatted with Comrade Michael all the way from FUTA, and this week, we are closer to home.

We met up with an active stakeholder at the youth level of the ruling party at the national and state level, the All Progressive Congress (APC). He had a lot to say about the state of affairs and government in Plateau state and Nigeria as a whole. He is popularly known as the Game Changer, and I’m sure even in this interview, you would see why.

Join us, this is guaranteed to be very interesting:

TWW: Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

CNB: Well, my name is Mr Chamdang Nathaniel Bako, a youth who has a passion for politics. I am a Geologist by profession, an indigene of Plateau state from Kanke LGA. 

I am Ngas by tribe and can speak my local dialect, Hausa and English fluently. I am just a young man who is contributing his path in nation-building. I am a Christian, not married, and easygoing.

TWW: Can you also tell us about your journey in politics? What made you choose this path and how has the journey been?

CNB: While growing up, I discovered that I had a passion for solving society problems, community issues and so on. Whenever I see a problem, I would try to find solutions to it and if I could not provide it, I would ask my parents who is responsible for this, and who is responsible for that. They would either tell me the governor, or the chairman or whoever it was. So I gradually got used to what government is and its responsibility to citizens. That's basically how I got the drive to be politically aware, but my full journey into politics came much later when I started university.

In the university, we had Student Union Government; we had faculty and departmental structures of students’ leadership. When we came in, we had seniors who were actively involved and they introduced us, they thought us the rudiments of unionism and activism until we got to the wider world. So my passion began to grow and it got to the point that our seniors had graduated and we stepped into their shoes in various capacities. That moulded my perception of leadership, loyalty, reciprocity, commitment to duty and reward for support.

My flair for POLITICS had now grown, so I began to connect with seniors who are already in the system. I began to get mentors for myself by following the politicians at my disposal one after another, I said to myself that if I would stay long in this game, I will need me a mentor that I will need to be following, so I linked up with them and began following them even without them noticing me. I was just consistent in my followership regardless of the treatment meted on me which sometimes could be frustrating but I remained resilient because I know I need the learning process to build me for the long run. And gradually I began to ascend the ladder until I found myself here with the help of God.

TWW: We would like to clear the air on a few things from your perspective. First, politics in Nigeria is seen as a dirty game. Is this true; and how have you dealt with the conception yourself?

CNB: Well, it depends on what you mean by being dirty. I have watched people during protests and sometimes when trying to express their dissatisfaction with the system and those in power, people have described even advanced democracies as dirty; dirty game, dirty politics, etc. But I understand that when people are not satisfied with the system, they will vent their frustrations on those who they feel are responsible for their misfortunes.

To come back home, politics in Nigeria is quite different from what I have read and have watched from other climes, it is within your right to say politics in Nigeria is dirty. My perception of politics in Nigeria is that I feel that the system has been made in a way that there are only limited opportunities for the masses and the political class has so much power it has winnowed for itself.

 What I observe with the Nigerian problem is the system and institutions that have been abused and bastardised, patriotism has been brought to zero all because of ethnic and primordial sentiments that ordinarily should not be considered. Today, the entire system is getting more sophisticated in its dealings without considering the plight of the masses; this is the fundamental problem to me. If a nexus can be created between the political class and masses and the core values of the nation be upheld, then I think our politics will be said not to be dirty in your context

TWW: Not only is politics seen as a dirty game but it is also seen as a game for old men who sit back and use the youths as pawns. Is this narrative also true; and if yes, is it shifting or has it come to stay?

CNB: I am part of those who believe power is not given but taken, you must wrestle it with the old, and we must show them superior reasons as to why the youths should be given opportunities. But of the truth, even amongst the youths, you don't sit and say power should be given to you as an individual. You are to go out meet the people, sell your manifestos to them, show them what you have for them, and try to get the majority on your side. That is how it is done, that is what is done in the Youth Council, and other unions which is often a collection of people within the same age grade and sometimes same qualifications.

However, my second point about this is that of a truth, there is no age limit to PERFORMANCE. Though I am a youth activist, I strongly believe that being young is not a guarantee that when given the opportunity, one would perform exploits. There's no age too young to do well if given the opportunity and there's no age too old to perform wonders if given the opportunity provided that one is in a good state of mind and body.

Though in Nigeria, the generation that ate their fathers' own, ate theirs, are now wrestling with us trying to eat ours and our children's. They are the old that before we were born, their names are there. While we were in primary school, we read about them in social studies. Today we are in the same space with them competing for the same positions under different circumstances. If the youth are not comfortable with this, we will not fold our arms and watch them continue to eat deep into our wounds, but we will all join politics and flush them out.

TWW: Finally, on the notions we are trying to clear: godfatherism is prevalent in our politics as the system doesn’t really favour independent players with little to no backing. While it isn’t really a bad thing in itself, the question that hangs is this: when there is a conflict of interest, are politically appointed/elected leaders expected to favour the expectations of their followers over their godfathers?

CNB: The oath of allegiance to any office is first to the country, to the constitution of the country and not to your principal. This is what should be. The problem here in this part of the world is that some of the leaders who usually take anti-people policies most times do it for the personal things they will benefit from.

If our system was a good one, and our leaders hold on to their oath of office, they wouldn't make policies and laws that will not increase the welfare of the citizens and give them maximum protection of lives and property. If the leaders will stand by their oath of office, they will not have to do things that will make their subordinates be left with the options of either standing with the masses or going with the godfathers if they exist. For me, standing with the country is standing with the people and standing with whichever godfather.

TWW: Interesting opinion there, sir. We have already gone into politics, so we might as well continue. You are a registered member of the ruling party, the APC. The general opinion of the masses in Plateau state and Nigeria at large is that the last seven years have been very trying for citizens and that the government has failed in its constitutionally appointed duty. Do you agree with this?

CNB: Yes, I am a registered member of the APC; I am not only a member but a Youth stakeholder of the party at the state level.

Personally for me, one would not be fair to the Buhari-led administration to call it an outright failure. If you are to gauge the government's performance, you use different parameters before coming to conclusions.

TWW: Could you throw more light on this? What are the reasons for your answer?

CNB: There are many sectors that the government has done well, areas like agriculture, maritime security, Electoral reforms, INEC independence, works, power, transport etc. We must commend these efforts before vilifying the government; it's like picking beans before cooking.

However, I personally feel that the government has not done enough in some critical sectors which are the most important to the ordinary Nigerian, and that is why perhaps the ordinary man on the streets may see the government as a failure. And on this note, I may also say that we have failed in terms of security, economy, education, interior, foreign policies etc.

TWW: Tough but commendable admissions there, sir. With so much public opinion against the present government, would you encourage citizens of the country and the state to give the APC another chance in the next general elections?

CNB: Yes, of course, I would gladly tell Nigerians to vote for the APC because of its sincerity and recognition of where it is not doing well and the need to improve.

The APC is the only political party in Nigeria that takes responsibility for its failures, recognises areas it needs to improve and develops new frontiers to advance the cause of democracy in the country. Because of the global challenges in terms of security, the world economy is taking its toll on Nigerians and they are getting fed up. I wish to call on Nigerians to keep the faith, the light is at the end of the tunnel and we are beginning to glimpse the rays.

TWW: To our next question, elections in Plateau state tend to be characterised by significant unrest, tension and space for religious intolerance. Do you foresee that in this coming election or do you feel the government of the day would have the situation under control?

CNB: Elections have sometimes been marked by violence which has often turned into religious crises in the state because of how delicate the issue of religion is to our people.

The Plateau state government has been doing well in the aspect of peacebuilding which is beginning to yield results, the recently conducted Jos North/ Bassa Federal Constituency by-election was conducted in the most peaceful manner you could think of and the government is building on such gains to consolidate on the peace currently enjoyed. I am confident that with the modalities government is putting in place, and the continuous engagement with relevant stakeholders, elections on the Plateau will be peaceful, free and fair.

TWW: We’re bringing this to an end, but we must ask: are you already prepared to participate actively in the elections?

CNB: Yes, I am. I am already participating actively; I have mobilized people to get their PVCs even within my little resources. I have participated in ward congresses that got party excos elected; I am contributing my quota in calling for voter turnout on Election Day, peaceful conduct of election, and free, fair and credible elections. So I think within my rights, I am already participating actively in the forthcoming elections.

TWW: Finally, as we conclude, do you have any word for our readers, and especially for young people seeking a new Nigeria with hope for better times?

CNB: My call for young people is for us not to lose faith in the country, Nigeria is the only home we have and we must contribute our quotas towards the development of this country. I urge us all to come out of our comfort zones; politics is too important an entity to be left only in the hands of the politicians. We must be politically aware and conscious of the happenings in the polity, we must hold our leaders accountable, and we must pray and stand with our leaders in difficult moments. You are the hope, you are that one person the system needs to get back on track, you are the only hope in the wilderness, do not sit down and watch things happen. Come make things happen, come make Nigeria work.

TWW: This has been an amazing session, I must say, and I’m sure our readers would have a lot to learn from here, as well as raise a lot of talking points. You would be a busy man as the ban on public campaigns draws closer to its lifting, but I’m sure if it’s necessary, we can pay you another visit between now and the elections.

CNB: Of course, you can.

TWW: Thank you very much for having us.

CNB: It’s my pleasure