GOD BLESSED ME SO THAT I CAN TOUCH MORE LIVES --DR. BARRISTER OLUMUYIWA ADU a.k.a CUBANA

Read Time:28 Minute, 28 Second

GOD BLESSED ME SO THAT I CAN TOUCH MORE LIVES –DR. BARRISTER OLUMUYIWA ADU a.k.a CUBANA

…As Ex-Military Officer, Legal Icon, Oil and Gas Magnate and Politician Speaks on his Commitment to Philanthropic Gestures

Barrister (Dr.) Sylvester Olumuyiwa Adu, fondly called “Adu Cubana,” is a renowned legal luminary, ex-military officer, and philanthropist from Akure, Ondo State.

His career cuts across service at the Nigerian Defence Academy, consultancy in the Oil and Gas sector and impactful community development through philanthropy.

In this interview with Weekend Hope, he speaks on Aiyedatiwa’s 18-0 victory, godfatherism in politics, and state policing.

Question: Sir, I would like you to reflect on your experience during your stint as the Deputy State Director-General of the Aiyedatiwa Campaign Council. Within two months of an intensive campaign, what lessons did you learn, particularly in light of the opposition’s allegations that the election was unsatisfactory?

Answer: Thank you very much. For any project one embarks on, it is crucial to conduct a thorough risk assessment and develop strategic, tactical, and operational policies before execution. Additionally, it is essential to continuously review each step taken in the course of executing the plan and remain open to feedback to ensure necessary adjustments are made. This approach led to the introduction of new initiatives, resulting in continuous improvements that ultimately secured our 18-0 victory. Running a political campaign effectively requires strategic thinking, adaptability, and a commitment to ongoing improvements. This ultimately contributed to the victory of the APC candidate, who is now our governor. The key lessons learned are the importance of strategic planning, listening to people, embracing innovative ideas, and maintaining a mindset of continuous improvement, especially in a competitive political environment where scrutiny is high.

Question: Now that Governor Aiyedatiwa has received the mandate of the electorate to continue in office, as a strong party leader and opinion moulder in Ondo State, what are your expectations of the governor?

Answer: Well, first and foremost, there are two ways of looking at this. It is one thing to say we want him to build a hospital; a 20-storey building, for instance or to establish community health centres in underserved areas. We could also consider setting up industrial hubs in strategic locations, which could lead to the creation of a water corporation where households are metered and billed monthly, similar to the electricity sector. I might say, okay, I want him to engage in discussions with banks to secure funding for about 2,000 BRT buses, some operating within the streets and others running between local government areas. These could be my expectations of him. However, it would seem as though I were making demands without considering the federal allocation or the state’s internally generated revenue.
Sincerely speaking, these are the fundamental determining factors. I expect him to make the most of both federal allocations and internally generated revenue to ensure lasting infrastructural development and leave a legacy that people will remember. In addition, I believe he needs to establish an advisory council comprising individuals with proven success stories, people who can introduce innovative ideas that may not necessarily require government funds but could be bank-funded. Such initiatives would, in turn, generate revenue and sustain themselves through investment returns. So, these are my expectations of him.

Question: The Nigerian Constitution outlines specific conditions for declaring a state of emergency. Based on your legal expertise, does the current situation in the state meet the criteria for such a declaration?

Answer: As long as the specifics of any law are not explicitly stated and there are no judicial precedents from court rulings, it may be difficult to categorically declare that such a step is unlawful. Most of the differing opinions on this matter stem from individual interpretations of the constitution rather than clear constitutional provisions. The constitution does not explicitly state whether a state of emergency requires the suspension or non-suspension of government.But again, we must consider the circumstances surrounding that decision. If it is in the best interest of the people and the nation at large, then that is what we should focus on. When we examine the laws, we can see that they can always be improved upon. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, we are not doing enough in this regard. That is precisely why we have legislative houses, they are meant to constantly review, repeal, amend, suspend, or even abolish certain provisions of the law where necessary.
So, when issues like this arise, it challenges the legislative houses to reassess these laws and establish precedents that can guide future decisions. Those who argue that the decision is wrong and those who insist it is right may both have valid reasons. But is there a clear constitutional provision stating how it should be handled? If such a decision is made in the interest of peace and national progress, I would not oppose it. That is my stance on the matter. I will not categorically say those arguing against it are wrong, nor will I say those supporting it are entirely correct. To the best of my knowledge, both perspectives are based on interpretations rather than explicit constitutional provisions.
Yes, there is the power to take such an action, depending on the prevailing situation in the country. If a situation threatens to bring chaos or anarchy, such measures can be taken. However, the debate is about whether the government has the right to suspend governance during a state of emergency. This is not explicitly stated in the constitution. Nowhere does the constitution categorically say that when a state of emergency is declared, the government must or must not be suspended. Therefore, the circumstances surrounding the decision should ultimately determine what course of action is taken. This presents a challenge to our legislative houses, both at the lower and upper chambers, as well as at the state level to review the relevant laws and consider necessary improvements.

Question:: Sir, when we talk about godfatherism in politics, many believe it hinders true leadership. What is your perspective on this?

Answer: You see, this is precisely why Nigeria is not progressing. This is why we are where we are today. I have said it time and again, and I will continue to say it. Whatever I do today is not because I want people to vote for me, I do it because I am thinking of my accountability before God. If you share the same parents with me or bear the same surname, or even if you have lived with me for 30 years, I will still not support you for a position unless you are more qualified than others contesting for it. Because you have to think about the interests of society at large, not just what I will gain from supporting that man. And that is what we see today. It is not only at the highest level; even at the lower level, on the streets, you see individuals saying, “He doesn’t know me, so why must I vote for him?”
They do not even think about analysing, I mean, comparing those contesting the election to genuinely consider the best candidate, whether they are close to that person or not. And this is exactly what those we call godfathers do. Why must you insist that your candidate must be put in a position against the will of the majority? That is why we are where we are today. They dictate to them and do not allow them to work.
Recently, was it not just yesterday, I heard a man saying that they want to unbundle INEC so that other agencies can take on some of its responsibilities to frustrate this issue of godfatherism and also take the power of conducting local government elections away from governors, who dictate who should be made local government chairmen in their states. We should think about our future, not just today. I should not continue supporting a system simply because I am a beneficiary of it. It would be a mistake to think I will remain in politics forever. We should think about our future, the people coming after us, and our society as a whole. We are suffering because of all these issues.
Why must an individual dictate who holds positions in society against the will of the people? That is why people say, “If you don’t give me money, I won’t vote for you.” Because, most times, they believe their votes do not count. So, for me, I do not think we should continue like this. What we need is to start thinking about introducing good legislation to put an end to this system. Godfatherism often places incompetent people in positions instead of those who can truly work in the nation’s best interests. We are going through a lot.

Question: What do you suggest the state government should do in the coming years?

Answer: he problem is not from the state government per se; it is the federal government that controls security affairs in the country. They only allocate security votes to them mostly to lubricate their palms and perhaps provide support for the police officers they recruit. The quality of the state-owned security outfit depends on what they currently have.

Recently, I was in the bank and met a soldier there. He got a biro, and while I was filling out my form, he kept looking up, struggling to complete his form. Since I had been in the military, I greeted him and asked, “What is the issue?” He said he needed help filling out the form, so I assisted him. When I left, I asked myself, “Should this man really be in the military?”
On the road at Esso (a major area in Akure), you see a traffic warden dancing in the name of controlling traffic. Where we should have a traffic light, that man should be in the control room, monitoring those who violate or breach traffic laws not standing under the sun, dancing. And I was made to understand that he was given an award. As far as I’m concerned, we lack the capacity to manage national security. If I were given the power today, my first directive would be for everyone in Abuja to return to their respective states and support the police command. I would start with Abuja, appointing a competent individual to lead the city’s police force.
If states are still not allowed to establish their own police forces, this approach should still apply at the state level. I would mandate that a minimum qualification for police recruitment be an HND. Recruit them. I would begin in Abuja, where you would no longer see police officers stopping vehicles to check documents. There must be a way to connect the database so that a computer alerts the authorities when someone’s vehicle papers have expired. If the police are checking documents on the road, it should not be those of innocent people. In fact, there should be no need to stop anyone on the road. A representative of the law enforcement agency should simply deliver a notice to the vehicle owner’s home, as their details are already in the system.
If you fail to renew your papers within a month, officials should come to your house and confiscate your vehicle. That is the standard practice elsewhere. I am talking about modern policing. You cannot expect someone who cannot even fill out a bank form to function effectively in the police force and meet the demands of contemporary policing. Officers should be equipped with in-vehicle computers to conduct security operations efficiently. Communication-wise, they should have a network that allows seamless coordination. If an officer at one location reports an act of insecurity via radio, all nearby officers should immediately converge on the area, operating on the same frequency. Illiterates cannot execute such operations. Currently, three-quarters of those managing our security system in this country are unqualified. However, if we implement this system in Abuja first, officers will no longer need to chase criminals. They will stand by their vehicles, using radios and computers to conduct their duties effectively.
We also lack the required data infrastructure. Since 2014, I registered for NIN, yet I have not received the card to this day—only a temporary one. Meanwhile, when you open a bank account, you receive an ATM card the same day.If we had the capacity to manage our policing system effectively, we wouldn’t need Amotekun. When we were younger, we often heard of the CID. You could have a CID officer operating a vulcanising shop right in front of your house, gathering intelligence for the police without anyone suspecting. But what you see them doing today is just staying on the road, disturbing the people of New Zealand. Whereas, if crimes are being committed, the perpetrators are somewhere else in the bush. So, we have a lot to do in this regard. This is not Aiyedatiwa’s problem alone. Aiyedatiwa cannot now go and repair the foundation of a house that already has a roof, unless the house is to be brought down completely. We need to start afresh to overcome these problems.
And what are the causes of this insecurity? You are telling a herdsman okay, for example, assuming now that the crops on the farm are killing the cows, would you tell the farmers to stop farming? You want these people, who have been living off this livelihood since before we were born, to remove their cows from the bush and bring them into my sitting room? Meanwhile, when we travel abroad, we see how things are done. How difficult would it be for the government to use bulldozers to clear vast land, fence it off with wire, build stables, and tell the herders: Move your cows there; we will support you with grass? This can be done for five, six, or seven months. Then, later, you sit down with them and establish a proper system. We see such solutions on television all the time.
So, we need to tackle these issues from the root. We also have to work with what we currently have. The security agencies are not capable of handling the situation because they lack the necessary resources to do so. That is my position on the matter. We need to address these issues from multiple angles—ensuring that we have competent personnel to provide the security services needed for our nation and also tackling the root causes of these problems. This is not just a problem in Ondo State; it is spreading. They are being driven out of the north. Tomorrow, you might hear about it in another region. Recently, we saw what happened in Bad out of Oyo. Now, it is reaching Ondo State. Before we know it, it will affect Ekiti as well. In fact, I believe it started in Ekiti before reaching Ondo State. They have been raising the alarm, saying people are being killed there. So, this is a national issue—it is not just a problem for Ondo State alone.

Question: Okay, in the course of your analysis, you almost suggested that we now need a state police system. We recall that President Bola Tinubu actually started advocating for state police when he was the Governor of Lagos State, urging the Obasanjo administration to decentralise the system and allow states to have their own police commands.
Now, Tinubu is the President of Nigeria, and we are almost two years into his administration. In your observation, what is impeding him from implementing it? What do you think is actually responsible for the fact that we have not had a state police directly since he came on board?

Answer: For me, it would be wrong to begin criticising him now because Nigeria’s problems are enormous—there is no doubt about that. If you look at what he has been doing, he is focused on generating the resources needed to function effectively. He is still working on that and has not yet completed it. We have seen the kind of resistance he faced from the people regarding tax reforms and various other policies he introduced to ensure that the nation has enough funds to manage its affairs. Since he has not yet concluded that process, it would be unfair to say that this period is already too late for him to implement everything he initially proposed.
We just need to be a little patient, and I am confident that he will be able to conclude most of the tasks before him. There is no doubt that he may revisit the issue of state policing. In fact, I believe he mentioned it recently. I am not certain, but yes, it was discussed recently, and I think he is also working towards it. But let’s be patient. I assure you that, over time, we will get there. Nigeria’s problems are vast, and no single president can solve them all at once. However, we can see that the country’s revenue is increasing. Over time, as those funds are put to good use, the idea of state policing may be revived in such a way that individual states will have enough resources to establish their own police forces. I do not think he has ever opposed that idea. And regardless of his political approach, from what I observe of him, I do not believe he would allow an idea he has nurtured for so long to simply die.
First and foremost, if I were to list everything, we would not leave here today. But let me say this: the oyinbos who see us as slaves today are not more disciplined than Africans. On their streets, oyinbos can walk naked, drink beer openly, and do as they please. Do you know what controls them? Their laws and policing systems. That is what we need here.
First, look at our judiciary and policing system. If those two institutions are strong, they will serve as the foundation for our development. It’s not as if you’re my brother. Somebody came two days ago and said something, and I suspected that the individual was up to something fishy. I said, “Okay, help me talk to them.” Then I told him, “Come later, I will talk to them.” He gave me the number of his team, but I wouldn’t call because if I did, that man might think they were the ones working for me and giving me money.
Secondly, I can tell you that the resources we have in this country surpass those of the United Kingdom and the United States, which are considered developed today. They take our wood, process it abroad, and bring back plywood for us. That’s why I said that if I start listing things, I will mention transportation. What is so difficult about telling banks, “Let us have 2,000 RT buses”? When you get to a garage, you should be able to see the buses going to different destinations.
All you need to do is leave your car at home, carry your ATM card, tap it, and the fare—whether five naira, ten naira, or whatever—is deducted automatically. You won’t even need to think about the fuel price at the filling station. If banks sponsor this, all the money collected daily will still circulate back to the banks. Are we thinking about that?
I also mentioned something about the Water Corporation. Get industrial boats across the country. Lay pipes in front of every house. Then, if you want a water connection, you get a meter and pay just like you do for electricity. We have abundant resources. Instead of these young men they call ‘omo ibo’, gather about 500 of them, put them in coveralls, and take them to rubber plantations. In two years, after maturity, companies like Dunlop and Michelin will start producing tyres in those states.
We have rocks everywhere. Some people go to China and Germany to bring stone-crushing machines. Establish stone-crushing industries. I have about 50 sites. Banks can support 50 to 200 trucks. You factor in valuation, drivers, site engineers, HR, accountants, weighing personnel, and labourers. Soon, Las Vegas will be sending billions here, and we’ll be exporting granite to them. From there, we can construct drainages, build hospitals, estates, and many other things—all without relying on government allocations. Banks can sponsor these projects. It’s not about receiving money without reinvesting it in something that will generate even more. If we keep listing problems, we won’t leave here today. There are roads everywhere. Skilled workers like bricklayers, carpenters, and iron benders are stuck riding okada (motorbikes). If we allocate five major roads across the state and assign five carpenters, five bricklayers, two iron benders, and 15 helpers under one engineer, they can complete drainage work in five months.
Politicians will want to compensate people. I don’t need to give contracts to someone without an office. Instead, I can tell a supplier, “You will provide cement, iron rods, sand, and granite,” and the work will progress smoothly. But what do we see today? The amount used to construct one road through contractors could have been used to build five roads through direct labour. Meanwhile, skilled workers are on salary. Once they report in the morning, take a break in the afternoon, and continue in the evening, within a year, every road in the country will have proper drainage. To take it further, get some of these retired Gillespie experts—crane operators, graders, bulldozer operators—and bring them in. Retrieve all the tractors given to local governments, get more from Germany or China, and train young people to use them. They can move from one street to another without needing contracts. That’s how China developed. They didn’t rely on contractors like Julius Berger. Julius Berger is still here today. Out of 100 workers under them, you’ll only find one Oyibo (white man); the rest are black.
If I keep counting, we won’t finish. Now, look at schools. Around this area, there are about seven schools. I don’t need more than one school compound to accommodate all the students in the area. What do I need to do? I can construct ten-storey classroom buildings—about five in one compound. There will also be administrative buildings for the headteachers and staff. The maintenance building will house the drivers, cleaners, plumbers, electricians—what do they call them?—and IT personnel, so that if any issues arise, they will be available. Then, create a parking lot for about 10 buses, which I will be taking home and bringing back.
Then, you will see five landed properties open. Take one of the remaining five and build a small studio where they will be taken every Wednesday, just for talent identification. Then, use the remaining four to construct blocks of flats.
If you go onto the street, for example, and you want to dualise the road, once your house is marked, on that very day, you will be given a key to a property equivalent in size. You will live there. By the time the road is completed, both landed properties on either side will belong to the government. It is simply a matter of advertising them. If you want to build a structure of no less than five storeys, you will have access to free land there. If you want to build a supermarket that meets our standards, free land will be available. You will see Lebanese investors and other foreign investors coming in. Five years later, that place will look as if you are on Broad Street.
Who are the people that will carry out the work? All these Okada riders. We have the sand, we have the granite, and with the little we generate, along with the allocation we receive, we can make it happen. Some of these things are not just handed out for free; it is simply a way of developing with the resources we have. Nobody will loiter around in front of offices looking for free money. Everyone will be busy. It is only in this area that I see people in the morning carrying motorcycles, claiming they are heading to a leader’s house for a meeting—because there is no work.There are so many ways to improve our society. If we take this approach, nobody will go abroad. Eight out of 12 months overseas, people wrap themselves up because of the cold. They move only between their homes and their destinations; they do not have time for unnecessary activities on the road.
As I speak, I know many Oyinbos who report to me directly or indirectly. When they come here, they do not want to leave because of our favourable weather and the many opportunities we have. You see five people sharing a single duplex abroad, each with just one room and a common sitting room. But when they arrive in Nigeria, they live in spacious apartments because we are comfortable.
We have everything we need. Why should I even allow Toyota to continue selling cars in this country without setting up an assembly plant here? We are one of Toyota’s largest markets in the world, yet no one is addressing this.Even I would prefer to have a Kekenapep. I would ride it on the streets rather than wait for Toyota to come without having an assembly plant in Nigeria. Why must they have it in South Africa and Ghana while we remain their biggest market?

Question: Sir, it is common knowledge that you are a governorship hopeful in these state. Your party, the APC, has just secured a landmark election victory for the governor. What do you think the party can do to sustain this momentum ahead of the next governorship election, especially considering that the PDP is completely polarised and in serious leadership crisis? The APC in this state will still hold its congress very soon.
How do you think the party can be strengthened, particularly to make it easier for its candidate to achieve their ambition on the platform?

Answer: This is still part of what we discussed earlier. When someone mentioned godfatherism, I said they must be very careful about that. Secondly, imagine someone saying, I am the one who will appoint the supervisor; I am the one who will appoint the ward chairman. I kept asking them, What if you have no involvement in that? And after appointing those people, do you think you will still have an impact and that they won’t vote against you, even against the wishes of those appointees?
Personally, I believe that if I am to contest an election, it is my reputation and my capabilities that should determine who votes for me. I should not have to go to the ward and say, because you are the closest person to me, you are the only one I trust to vote for me—even when there is someone else who is competent enough to move that ward forward, I will not do that. That is why I have decided not to interfere. Let the people choose who they want, someone they believe will remember them when they get there, not just someone who remembers me.
If we allow that to happen, then anyone who wants to contest an election in the future should come out and engage with the people. Let them have the freedom to choose who they want.This issue of godfatherism, if we can reduce it, it will help us tremendously. I said this four or five years ago when I entered politics: a time will come when you will no longer hear of PDP and APC. Let this be on record, you will not hear of APC and PDP again. That is why my politics is based on justice.
If you look at the last election, many of the people I worked with were from other parties, yet they supported my party to win. They were from different parties—APC, PDP, NNPP, and others. Some of them do not even believe in political leaders parties. They simply said, If it’s Adu that is running, we will follow him.They said, “Look, wherever you are going, they will follow you there.” It doesn’t nest. It doesn’t nest; it does things. Because, for example, as a leader, you are a leader in a particular area. Your character in that particular constituency is such that it cannot move 10 or 15 people to follow you. Then how will the party succeed? So, number two is the character of the leaders.Following this idea of not allowing a godfather regime to be the main reason for picking people in the congress, the character of the leaders has to change. Their character must change because they are too money-conscious.
Even when you give them something for their constituency, they pocket it. And I can tell you that’s why, during elections, people will say, “We don’t want to hear you. We will follow whoever gives us money. After all, when they give you the money, you keep it for yourself and don’t share it with us.”So that is what can also help the APC. Apart from what I just said—that over time, there may no longer be APC or PDP.
That’s number two. Then, number three: leadership. Those in leadership positions, supported by state resources, should have something to show for their offices at all levels—not just the government. The government may release money to commissioners, but in the end, it will still be blamed because it should supervise those it gives money to, directly or indirectly. But everybody should be conscious of society and the people, not just themselves. That way, the party can still sustain itself.
Number four: they must not relent in ensuring that they educate people about what the government is doing. A lot of people don’t even know what the government is doing. There should be proper engagement of all stakeholders when necessary. Very important.
So, those are just the basic things I believe can sustain the APC, God willing—if the APC and PDP don’t collapse.

Question: You are a philanthropist, and your efforts have been widely recognised, especially with the ‘Ondo State Man of the Year’ Award. What drives your commitment to community development?

Answer: It has always been me, right from when I was very young. As I speak with you, the first thing I always say is: God is watching me. When I am on the road, I say, God is watching me. When I am in the classroom learning, I say, God is watching me. When I am driving, I say, God is watching me. Because the moment I splash water on someone, the general belief is that God will punish me for it. Now, can someone with that mindset see another person who looks like they haven’t eaten all day, have money in their pocket, and not give it out? Apart from that, I am deeply rooted in Christ. The word of God guides everything I do.
Thirdly, nothing in this world holds meaning for me. I see myself like animals or ants on the ground that can go at any time. What will I be remembered for? And again, as I said, the word of God works for me because the more I give, the more God blesses me. Why must I stop? Those are the things that drive me. I never want to see anyone suffer, and I have said it time and again.
None of these people can make me win an election. If God has not sanctioned it as part of my destiny, I cannot become anything. And that is the mistake most politicians make. Many of them don’t even know God’s plan for their lives. Why should I contest an election without first seeking God’s guidance? Many politicians don’t even believe in that. They believe in human power.If something is destined to happen in your life, you will begin to receive signs—even from your teenage years—if you are close to God. Five or six years before becoming a House of Representatives member or whatever, you may be walking down the road, and someone will stop you and say, Sir, I see this position coming for you. But these days, everyone wants to play God. Even those whose destiny has nothing to do with politics—those who only want to make millions outside of it—are willing to go to any length, even to the point of harming others. That is why we have the problems we see today.
So, the things that guide my life are the word of God and the gift He has given me—the compassion never to ignore the suffering around me. And I do not help people because I want their votes. Most of the people I help speak ill of me once they leave. They say my intentions are bad. But when you focus on people’s reactions, you won’t do anything at all. Many of them—I don’t know their phone numbers. I don’t know their houses. I may not even know their names. But as long as I come across them and have something in my pocket, I will help and move on—because today is all I own. I don’t own tomorrow.
That is what guides me. And again, when you look at it carefully, any man who is blessed in this world is blessed by God, not by man. That is why I keep saying: God, if I ever seek power from a fetish priest, a herbalist, or join any cult or secret society, then everything You have given me—take it away today and turn me into a beggar.
God blessed me so that I can support others. But when you fail to do that, that is the danger. One day, you have everything, and the next, you have nothing.
Those are the principles that guide my life.

Credit: The Hope Newspaper