Why I want To Be Senator-AVM Bali Rtd

      AVM Bali Rtd

In an Exclusive interview with selected Journalists in his Rayfield residece of Jos South Local Government Area, Air Vice Marshal Binkap Bali Rtd, a core military personnel who rose to the Rank of Air Vice Marshal,  discussed his political aspirations, trajectory, liberation ideology and other sundry issues. 

Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Napoleon Binkap Bali (Rtd) was born on 28

November 1963 in Langtang, Langtang North Local Government area of Plateau State. He attended Boys Secondary School, Gindiri from 1977 to 1982 and gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1983 as a member of 33 Regular Course. He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer

in 1986. AVM Bali had his Basic Flying Course in 303 Flying Training School (FTS), Kano from 1990 to 1992 and was thereafter trained as an Instructor Pilot (IP) on jet aircraft between 1998 and 1999 in the same Institution. On completion of his IP Course in 1999, Napoleon attended Joint Air Course (JAWC), Hyderabad, India where he graduated with an "Excellent Grade". The Air Officer also attended his Senior Staff Course at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) from 2001 to 2002 and graduated with C+ grade. He was a participant of Course 19 at the National Defence College (NDC), Abuja from 2010 to 2011 where he also graduated with the prestigious C+ grade. He has a Master Degree (MSc) in Security and Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan in 2013.

AVM Napoleon Bali has attended several Flight Safety Courses which include: Advanced Aircraft Accident and Prevention Investigation and Safety Management System (SMS) at the Southern California Safety Institute Prague, Czech Republic. AVM NB Bali also has a Certificate on Satellite Weather Forecasting with special interest on weather patterns in Africa, at Flight Safety International New Castle, United States of America. The Retired Air Vice Marshal is a graduate of Programme on Terrorism and Security Studies (PTSS) at George Marshall European Center in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. AVM Bali is an accredited PTSS Global Resource Person on Security, Counter-Insurgency and Counter-Terrorism, among others. Enjoy The Excerpts;

The Age Newspaper : Sir what inspired you to join politics and also to aspire for the senatorial seat, what conform your decision sir?

AVM Bali: That's a good question. My motivation for deciding to join partisan politics is, while I served in the Nigerian Airforce for over 35 years and rose to the Rank of Air Vice Marshall and I retired from the Airforce from as the Chief of Policy and Plan (CPP), that's the number two man in all the whole Airforce. During my career especially at the top level, ranging between 2014 upto date, I realised that as the retired Two Star General, I served in Niger-Delta, North-East and even in the North West I was the one in charge of the Air Operations in the entire North West during the 2019 elections when the bandits were at their peak trying to disrupt the election so, we tried our best with our colleagues some are still in service today and I know that they're putting their best . But I noticed there's a lot of gap because my motivation principally is that I think achievement is measurable, and how you measure achievement is not what you think but the effort you put in. What's the impression of Nigerians about security today compared to what it was in 2019. I am sure you know while the government is putting it's best. To me, I feel there's a gap which I strongly believe that instead of me to retire and go and sit down in my farm, I strongly believe that I can still use this National Assembly which is the very vital organ of democracy to tell them precisely what I think in my opinion that can be done so that we fill in those gap and guide or suggest to the Executive very well. If you check very well, the Military is over stretch and the magnitude of violence of what this non state actors are doing let's be sincere to ourselves, not all Police can handle the kind of fire power some of this bandits have. So in essence what are we going to do? We need more troops on ground that is to say you don't need to start conducting an operaton in Zamfara after Zamfara then Kaduna we need to conduct this operation to wipe out or arrest these non state actors simultaneously. It was done in Chad you saw how former President Derby of blessed memory how he did it, arrested them. So what I think is we need more troops on ground and why is so difficult for us to analyse this things we always said we need equipment, we need technology. The equipment and technology President Buhari has bought is enough to defeat these bandits. One of my motivation is security. Insecurity appears to be rearing it's head taller everyday and I think I have a lot to do on security. The only way I can go about it is through representing my people in the southern zone Senatorial seat because you know zoning is a kind hot issue and I believe very well that Plateau State people have gentleman agreement and so the best way is Senate. When I go in there by the grace of God guide my colleagues on this is how we'll appropriate money and channel it in this way. Motivation number one is insecurity generally in the country then come to my senatorial zone, I realised that alot of my people are in need of hospitals Primary Health Care so I'm going in there to use my experience having worked in the Presidential Air Fleet and I know a lot of this political players in the country to attract some projects around my senatorial zone to uplift the living condition especially the educational sector. My cardinal objective why I joined politics is that I want to contribute to add value to security of this country, contribute and add value to the Primary Health Care of my senatorial district and also education of my senatorial district.

The Age Newspaper: sir the Military is known for its integrity, and now you want to join the murky water of politics, don't you think you'll get dirty?

AVM Bali: You see this issue of dirtiness is just perception. Now if you say the politics is dirty I'm sure you're a Christian do we all sit and watch the dirty people determine how much tax we pay, how much the electricity bill we pay? We'll watch the dirty people allowing insecurity to knock at our doors? as a retired General remember I have blood too will I always have escorts all the time? even if I have, what about my relations and friends? That's a very interesting question because that's one of the motivating thing. I don't believe and I prayed over it as a Christian. Remember God in His infinite mercy has given us the grace and He is in us and I think I cannot just sit down and watch your alleged dirtiness that is leading me why can't I go in there. Even if I'm going to be dirty is just a matter of time and I think I'll be able to wash myself and clear the ground for people like you to also come and se

e.

The Age Newspaper: sir can you commend on the issue of this direct primaries how do you look at it?

AVM Bali: To me, honestly the issues of direct primaries and indirect primaries there are people who have been involved in all those process before me. This is the first time I'm going in to it so what I'm going to tell you now is what I've heard from seasoned and senior politicians and what I have read. To me, like what the speaker House of Representatives said and I quote him he said if I want to be selfish and I vote for indirect primaries I have all my delegates intact and unquote I don't want to be selfish that's why I'm supporting direct primaries to open the doors for the youths because direct primaries gives powers to people to choose who they want to represent them. So if I'm to commend on it, the speaker House of Representatives and the Senate President I think they're seasoned politicians because among the ranking they're there and many of my friends are in support of what I read. Like in America that we are copying their democracy are using the direct primaries so to I will honestly support direct primaries it opens the door for you. You don’t need to be a god son to a god father that will now carry delegates and go and hide some where to determine what those delegates will do. To me, direct primaries is very explicit. The direct primaries will be conducted at the ward level by ward chairmen supervised by the INEC a lot of people are saying is expensive but sometimes a very good delicious meal must be expensive let's think about the outcome when somebody buys his way there, he is not going to be accountable to the electorate. So when you look at this what you'll spend to get the output to me, its better to spend that money and let's get leaders with competence, capacity before integrity. So to me, I support direct primaries and I think it opens the door for young people with capacity because we've always been glued to this issues of integrity "ba Mai sata ba ne" when somebody is integrity "Mai gaskiya" he doesn't have capacity integrity benefits just an individual. If he doesn't have that capacity and the capacity to rule honestly, people sorrounding will steal so there will be more quantum of stealing. But where you have somebody with capacity and he does not have integrity, he steals alone will he steal the whole country? but will not allow people to steal he will ensure that there's adequate Security. So let's elect leaders with capacity and competent. Democracy cannot built competence and capacity but democracy can check made integrity. If you are a leader and you're competent capacity and you're stealing, institutions will check you. But you a leader that you only have integrity you don't steal how will the instititution check people around you because they always said "wannan Mai gaskiya ne" meanwhile they are stealing.

The Age Newspaper: On the issue of direct primaries sir, looking at the pros and the cons, how do you place yourself in the Southern zone?

AVM Bali: As I'm talking to you now, when I declared formal interest into contesting for Plateau South Senatorial seat, all along, I've been working on this issue of delegates going round meeting stakeholders try to see how many delegates do we have in this ward. Immediately with the recent amendment bill that was passed in to law for direct primaries, what I told my campaign council, let's change strategy. We're working on indirect, we will also now introduce on the direct primaries as I'm talking to you now, I've introduced another level because all along, I have what we call local government coordinators then we are working with the party chairmen in all the local government. But I have my local government coordinators to try and see this delegates in this ward how are going to go about it but immediately they talk about this, I've inaugurated Ward Coordinators in Qua'anpan entire state wards, the entire state wards in Shendam I have, Mikang I have. As I am talking to you now, they're inaugurating Wase, Langtang North and Langtang South today. The essence is that, since this direct primaries will be done at the ward levels, let me have coordinators then God's willing around January when the time table for the primaries must be out, all the One thousand and something polling units in the entire southern zone I will call them polling unit mobilisers. So with these kind of structures I have, by the grace of God I think I will be able to pick the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Age Newspaper: What plans do you have for the youths you know often time, the youths are relegated to jobs of thuggery, ballot snatching and all of that. Now, coming as somebody who is ambassador of change from old practice to a new one, what will be your plans towards co-opting the youths?

AVM Bali: Thank you for that question! If by the grace of God I'm able to pick the ticket of PDP and I win the main itself in 2023, one thing I'll do even as Senator Elect, I will ensure that I have functional senatorial liason offices in the entire Six local government areas. Honestly, youths and women are my priority. What I have for youth and women is to empower them. Another step I will take is the issue of school, what I mean is not just Primary school because I strongly believe that any society that is well educated you'll not hear the issue of thuggery. I'll renovate some classes where our youths can get in there and study well. We have a lot of Federal Government Loans here and there through CBN intervention I'll try and enrol alot of them then the issue of securing them jobs as a Senator, I'm sure from my background, no matter what it takes, I'm sure I will be in a committee around defence or any security forces so I'll try as much as possible to get as many youths as they can provided they are healthy, from Wase, Langtang North and South, Mikang, Shendam and Qua'anpan get them jobs into the Military. Like I told you, if I'm able to convince my colleagues and we agree on this issue of to nip this security, of course definitely I'll try and give them jobs and at the end of it all, I'll discourage thuggery and how I'm I going to do that? That's why I have these liason offices and I'm going to have like monitors and there will be soft loan for women to start their businesses. I will set up where they'll train these boys on how to lay tiles and instead of going to Togo, they'll be going to Wase. These are some of the plans I have If given the mandate to represent the good people of the southern Plateau.