I’ll My Father’s
Enemies Very Soon
… Murtala Nyako jnr.
Rear Admiral
Abdul’Aziz Murtala Nyako (rtd.) is the first son of former governor of Adamawa
State, who recently won the central senatorial seat of the state on the
platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview with Uzo Chikere, he speaks on his arrest by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC), his plans for the people of Adamawa Central
Senatorial district and the reason his father was impeached among other issues.
Excerpts:
You are certainly going to be one of the youngest
senators from Adamawa State, how do you feel?
I feel honoured for the respect accorded me by the good
people of Adamawa State who found me capable and worthy for this noble course.
I cannot thank them enough and I promise them a good representation that will
sharpen my constituency and the country at large.
If you were given a choice in the red chambers to select
your committee, which one will you prefer?
All my life, I have been a military man under the Nigeria
Navy, shouldering many responsibilities at one time or the other. Having gone
through military discipline in my life, right from nursery up to Nigerian Defense
Academy (NDA), I also received international military training with the British
Naval training and USA. When I discovered things were going arbitrarily during
my father’s administration, I retired as a Commodore from the Navy and his
Royal Highness, the Lamido Adamawa gave me a traditional title of Sarkin Matasa
(Youth leader) of his Emirate. I began to educate and enlighten youths in the
Emirate on the negative effects of all the social vices most especially the
serious dangers embedded in drugs abuse. I reawakened them from their giant
sleep to discover that they are the present leaders we need.
You can see that I am a full blown military man and full
blown civilian man. To answer your question properly I want to tell you that I
love to be in a committee that has to do with security in the National Assembly
where I can fit in to pass laws and bills that can tackle the issue of
insecurity which has been a big challenge to our government; insurgency had
badly affected my immediate constituency. I will work hand-in-hand with my
serving friends in the Navy who presently are wearing the ranks of Brigadier to
cut off all the problem of insurgency in Nigeria especially the north east.
You dedicated the success of the past election to your
father, describing it as victory for Adamawa people. Does it mean you are
placing your father first before the people of Adamawa central?
Many people will tend to get it wrong. I am trying to
appreciate my father for being the best father in the whole world. I know if my
father today was a labourer or a wood hewer, he will still be a good father. My
father had done so much for me. Since I was young, he made sure he allows you
to do what you are doing to the best of your knowledge. I remember when I
passed out from Nigerian Defence Academy and needed him around to decorate me
with my rank but he refused saying: ‘my son you did it alone, I was not there;
you got all the praises from me. I thank God I was not kneeling down to beg you
to do that. From that day, I realised my father does not interfere with your
choice of life or whatever you are doing, all he says is to be the best you can
in whatever thing you are doing.
I am trying to let you understand that my father is out of
the game in this my new assignment. Thank God the people of Adamawa central
voted me without him being around that some would even say he influenced my
votes. Without him, the people spoke, so I owe them all it takes to bring
change to the state.
Despite your discipline as a military man, you still look
soft and gentle?
(Laughter)… Considering what I’m doing now, meeting people
and listening to their complaints on a daily basis, some will hurt you and some
will encourage you, and you still have to go along with them, so having a
virtue of vegetable as a politician is an added advantage to help you meet
people’s needs. Everybody needs those qualities to succeed in whatever thing
one is doing.
Now that I have the traditional structure as Sarkin Matasa
and the new office as a senator, I have to marry the two in a more organised
way to help my people.
How did you see your contest with a female opponent?
I thank God for A’ishatu Binani, she gave me a good fight.
In fact, I respect her for the good policies, pet projects and she is
maintaining a good working relationship with the electorate. Binani is a big
name in our senatorial zone. I came to discover that she is more of a sister to
me only that along the line, we pitched our tents in different political
platforms. With the kind of courage she has in politics, the sky is going to be
her limit.
What exactly led to your arrest in Gombe by EFCC?
Don’t worry, I am preparing for that, when the set time
comes, I am going to expose my father’s enemies; my enemies and those behind my
father’s impeachment.
Do you have plans of arresting
your political enemies?
No! I cannot do that, I’ve left all things to God to
vindicate me.
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