In an interview with journalists, Ahmad Gumi, one of the clerics who accompanied former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar during the reconciliation with f
In an interview with journalists, Ahmad Gumi, one of the clerics who accompanied former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar during the reconciliation with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, says there is nothing controversial about his trip to Abeokuta, Ogun state capital, describing President Buhari’s government as a sinking ship.
Your recent visit to Abeokuta has been trending especially in the social media. What actually transpired?
First of all, the negative reactions that greeted our visit to the presidential library Abeokuta came mostly from the social media that is infested with agents of government where an individual can employ diverse identities based on ethnicity, region, religion, etc, pretending to be sometime, one hundred people. But don’t worry as there is no case. It is only malicious politicians who want to make capital out of a very good deed otherwise we do separate even animals when we see them fighting. It is a natural instinct in us to make peace as humans. When I was told that there was going to be a peace accord, I did not wait for a moment to contemplate about the political consequences and I still don’t care. Any man of peace is my man and I will support him whoever he or she is. So I don’t see anything controversial about our visit to Abeokuta
You mentioned peace accord. Was there any problem?
I was called that there was going to be peace and reconciliation between two great men who are leaders of this country because once a leader, you remain a leader. They were at war and decided that they should reconcile and forgive each other. I don’t know which religion, logic or political affinity forbids that. For me, anyone who criticizes our act of goodwill to reconcile the two leaders does not deserve to be in government because, it is only peace that can bring about development. How many people have we lost because we have not allowed peace to reign? There have been so much killings and revenge in the land. And so, when you find those at the top wanting to make peace, you will have no option than to key in. My conviction has always been that when there is peace at the top, it will trickle down to the grass root and forgiveness, reconciliation, etc, will become the themes at every twist and turn. So, I have no regrets; if I am called again, I will go. I don’t care about the consequences. So, as far as I am concerned, the noise that greeted and still greeting our going to Abeokuta is, now as then, very unnecessary and would have only emanated from the APC internet rats. Should I have objected simply because of somebody’s perception of Obasanjo or Atiku? Who the hell? Should Pharaoh of Moses invites me for reconciliation, I will not hesitate. And these people making noise have done nothing to end the killings in the land. In fact, they are accessories in the killings of innocent citizens while castigating people who do not belong to their own circle of greed. They are the criminals. Look at the governor of Kano State who was recently caught stocking money into his ‘Babban riga’. They are all like that with the exception of only one or two persons. And these are people who claim to be fighting corruption. They are simply wolves in sheep clothing. How do you object to peace on ground that it is not politically favorable to you?
But it appears to be more of an endorsement than reconciliation.
If he is a peacemaker, I will endorse him. But since they are against peace, I will not endorse them. We have to distinguish between a peace maker and troublemakers. Our good deed should have attracted their attention to call on us to make peace in some other areas but as you know, they will not. Look at Col. Sambo Dasuki they continue to incarcerate in spite of the fact that the courts have said he should be freed. They have rather continued to mention national security as an excuse. But how does national security infringes on the freedom of a citizen?
What is your assessment of the Buhari-led government?
All I see is sycophancy like the man in Kano caught stocking dollars. You see, when we went to make peace, they said it was because of dollars whereas they are the ones stocking dollars in their ’Babban riga’. It’s very unfortunate! With this government, Nigeria is a sinking ship. I therefore want Nigerians to embrace forgiveness and to as well, emulate former President Obasanjo. He anointed Jonathan and when he saw that the same Jonathan was going to destroy the nation, he withdrew his support. It is the same thing now happening between him and President Buhari who is currently destroying the nation. So will you blame him of being bias? Once Obasanjo decides, it is our duty to follow in order to redeem the country from the paths to destruction. We have seen failure otherwise tell me any Nigerian who has not seen that apart from the sycophants. And this is what I see in Obasanjo. It is not about his own interest but the nation’s. Managing this country requires intelligence, diligence and respect for the rule of law. In this case, when government does not respect its own laws, they should not expect adherence to the same law by its citizens. This is why the Fulani man will break or take the law into his own hands because government is indifferent to his predicaments. How then can you stop him? And instead of government to be remorseful and then find a way of bringing the abnormalities in the land to a stop, it has been abuses. How can you abuse someone who goes on a peace mission? Secondly, what stops me as a Muslim cleric from endorsing whoever I want? Not even Islam. In fact, to endorse the right person is a religious duty on me. Neither the Holy Qu ‘ran nor the constitution stops me from doing that. It is both a civic and a religious responsibility. Islam imposes on me the duty of endorsing the right person. I am only conscious of the ignorant and gullible ‘talakawas’ otherwise I will do more than what Obasanjo did
Now who will you like your followers to vote in 2019?
I had told them to vote based on conscience. I asked them to vote for the present government if they are happy with the present situation. And if they are not, they should change the change. So they should go and decide – I don’t care. But I also told them why I don’t care; I’m tired and will want to be sleeping well. I don’t want anybody to again come to my house to complain that he or she has not eaten and so on. They should go and complain to those they voted as I am not responsible for their budgets.
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