Kano based elder statesman, Alahji Tanko Yakassai, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to return abandoned National Development Plans for the country.
Alhaji Yakassai, who spoke in a telephone interview with NewsNGR on Monday, also said that protesting against the Federal Government will not bring development to the country but more suffering.
He urged President Tinubu to assemble a team of experts, experienced civil servants, religious leaders, university lecturers and others to draft a new development plan for the country.
“I urge President Tinubu to set up a committee of experts and experienced people, civil servants, university lecturers, economists, religious leaders and others to draw up a plan for development of this country. If that is the only thing he would achieve in this tenure, it will be great for this country.
“You can’t develop any nation without a plan. All the great countries- China, Germany, USA, UK and others are operating on development plans. That is their road map. Let us have a road map for the development of our country. It will be great,” he advised.
Alhaji Yakasai, who’s a founding member of the Arewa Consultative Forum(ACF), said Nigeria had two previous development plans which were never implemented, adding that it will be historic if Tinubu should be the president that actualises the plan.
Speaking further, he said, “I want to advice President Tinubu to take advantage of his position as the elected president of this country to bring back the programmes of National Development Plan. We had the first National Development Plan articulated by Tafawa Balewa. He was not allowed to implement it fully. Then we had the second development plan under Gen Yakubu Gowon. The program was articulated but not implemented.
“I want to appeal to Tinubu, who was a young politician during those plans, to make use of his position now to initiate programmes of National Development Plan that were abandoned. The NDP is a proposal for the development of the country from the ward to local government, state and national levels. If we will take it back and look into it, it will be better for this country. I appeal to Tinubu, let it be his administration that will bring back the programmes of the national development strategy. “
Reacting to the nationwide protests, Yakasai said protests are counter productive because they will always be hijacked by forces outside the country of the organisers, stressing that dialogue is the best option for any country.
“I’ve never seen what positive developments protests have brought to the country since it started in this country. I took part in it when I was young. But when I grew up and cast my mind back to the past, I asked questions as to what we gained either as participants or organisers of protests or what the country benefitted. I was not able to find any good thing that we achieved.
“The protests have taken place now. What did they produce that will make the country better? I’m getting to a hundred years and I have children and grand children, and I care for their future. I feel that we should use our brains to work out a better situation for our people and for our country.
“I don’t support protests because those who’re organising the protest eventually would be overpowered and then the protest will be counter productive. It cannot produce anything good for the country nor for the organisers or participants. Dialogue where two sides will sit down, face each other, identify problems, devise solutions and way forward are better for Nigeria or for any country.
“Even those who’re organising protests know that they are not going to get anything. They’re doing it only to harass the government, not to get anything good for themselves or the country. What did the protest achieve for Nigeria or even the protesters? Some of them were killed or maimed. Those hungry are hungrier now than they were before the protest. What benefit did they derive from it?”
On the chant for return of the military by some of the protesters in the north, Yakasai said they’re ignorant.
“There are people who don’t like this country and are prepared to take advantage of anybody willing to serve as their agent to destroy the country or drag the country into a mess only to please themselves. These are anarchists. Is there anywhere in the world where anarchists made their country better?
“They have never experienced military rule. I experienced it. I took part in a military government. I was commissioner for Audu Bako in Kano State. Personally, I gained fame and was recorded as one of the leaders of the country. But what did the country benefit as a result of that? Since the coup of Colonel Nzeogwu to date, what good thing did they bring to the country?
“There are countries which never experienced military rule, compare us with them. Compare China, Russia and other countries in the world where military rule did not take place with Nigeria and others where military rule took place. They are far ahead of us. When we’re looking for solutions, we go to them now.”