It was in his council area that a community never saw a vehicle for more than 16 years because of a collapsed bridge which was abandoned for decades. He also spoke on other national issues. EXCERPTS:
How do you view the law passed by the National Assembly that their leadership too should enjoy immunity as well as pensions for life?
I don’t think the law is called for now as there is no need for that and Nigerians have been complaining over the issue of immunity for the governors and their deputies. Without immunity for governors, they will be in court everyday due to the attitudes of our people towards their leaders. As for pension for some of the leaders of the National Assembly, you see some of these things look funny and sound unbelievable.
Nigerians are complaining of the pain they are passing through; Nigerians are complaining that leaders, both at the local, state and federal levels including some key civil servants are enjoying a lot of benefits. Nigerians are clamouring for a reduction in the huge benefits paid to the National Assembly and people are now making laws to grant them life pension. What do they really want this money for? What is the need seeking pension with the huge benefits they are getting presently?
What we need is to see how to reduce the cost of election campaigns. The so-called party leaders and stakeholders extort huge sums of money from aspirants and candidates because our people are desperate for political positions. You are there just for may be four or eight years and you are asking for life pension when you are supposed to make laws to better the lives of Nigerians. If we can drastically reduce the allowances paid the National Assembly and other political office holders, it’s going to reduce tension in our polity; it’s going to reduce all kinds of blackmail, lies, killings and all sorts of evil against one another simply to get political power.
If we do this, only genuine people who truly love this country, who really have the desire, knowledge and capacity to change the destiny of this nation will be asking to be voted into positions of power. Honestly, we need to go back to the grassroots; Nigerians are in pains, Nigerians are suffering; we need to go back to the grassroots. The sad thing is when we get to a position when many of us don’t go to the local governments, know the communities they are representing.
Why do you think the PDP lost in the last election; what’s the hope for the party?
Yes, we lost because God loves Nigeria and does not want the shedding of innocent blood, He still wants the country to be one, still has interest in the unity of the nation. PDP lost so badly and it’s something to blame ourselves; all of us but President Jonathan should be respected and honoured by all Nigerians for allowing God to use him to save the country from the devilish predictions and desires of some prophets of doom and enemies of our nation. I hear people blame the President, the wife, NWC, some say National Assembly members, governors and all that but for me, we blame ourselves. For you to fail, it means you did not do what you ought to do at the right time or u failed to say what you ought to have said at the right time. If you look at the national level, the leadership failed to put itself together as a team, we failed to organize ourselves properly, to instill discipline, to follow constitution, we failed to look at allegations leveled against us by other political parties and by Nigerians. We were being called names like PDP, share the money and we make jokes with it without controls. There were internal issues such as lack of internal democracy, imposition of candidates, not allowing all to freely indicate interest and to participate in contests, selfish interest and much greed at the expense of the party. Some of our members became very wealthy and powerful that you cannot control them; some of our sensitive and influential members walked away and no good attempt and efforts to stop them on time. No sacrifice for the sake of the party like what president Jonathan did for the entire nation, and what played out in Enugu State where Governor Sullivan Chime declined his intention to contest for the Senate and talked out issues with the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
Also, the betrayal roles of most of our team members at all levels; the opposition party that took over, they knew what they wanted; they knew our faults as they are mostly our people; a change of power by all means and they came with all manner of intimidation, threats. PDP failed some of the states where we are supposed to win; in states where we have PDP governors and senators etc in power, which means we sold ourselves. We failed to meet the aspirations of our people mostly at the grassroots.
As things stand now sir, what do you expect of the party?
Yea, that’s why I said it is not time to blame one another; it’s time to say yes, we failed ourselves, we disappointed Nigerians here and there and plan for amendments. You see PDP has been in power for so many years and there are so many Nigerians we were expecting but the decay did not start with PDP or Jonathan. It started with past leaders and because of the much decay, people expected so much. In Jonathan’s administration, there are visible transformation and I actually saw things trying to change but our people want it now, now because they are in pains and they see the leaders across the board, APC leaders inclusive displaying wealth, wastes and flamboyancy.
Another reason for PDP’s failure in my opinion is that some external forces wanted President Jonathan to go for reasons best known to them. What I want you to know is that no western country wants your nation to make their economy viable because if Nigeria becomes good today, we won’t be going to America and UK to do menial jobs and our children will be schooling here. Huge money that Nigerians spend over there for medical treatments etc will stop. So what we need now is to stand firm, to stand as a family, look back where we made mistakes, look back where we failed, talk to ourselves, reunite our members and PDP will be rebuilt and I am sure we will bounce back to leadership in 2019.
How do you react to the reported Xenophobia in South Africa?
You see the whole world has reacted negatively to that; it sounds bad but it is real and that’s why we say basically that we are in the end time? The man you helped to feed today will come against you tomorrow; the man you accommodate in your house tomorrow, will rape your wife or your children; the man you give clothes today, tomorrow, he will take your towel when you are taking your bath because he wants to see you naked. And the bible made it clear that nations will rise against nations; son will rise against his father and things like that. So, what happened in South Africa is not supposed to be because the entire Africa rose up especially Nigeria and stood by them and liberated them from bondage during the apartheid regime and they are turning back to attack the same people who helped them. Coming back home, it’s a lesson to Nigerians, we rise up against ourselves here; we kill ourselves; we carry arms and raise guns against ourselves.
In the Niger Delta, militants are destroying the oil facilities, in the South East cultism, kidnapping and armed robbery, in the North East states, there are Boko Haram and all sorts of terrorist activities. What of the constant raids and killings in Plateau and Benue states for years now among sister communities? It’s a lesson for us to sit up and fix our country and say look, we are a nation, we are a family, and we are one entity and one people. When I see people complaining, I said ha, Nigerians never reacted like this when Igbo people were being slaughtered in the North, when people were being kidnapped here in Aba and Onitsha; when our people were murdered in the Niger Delta and they were denied of the benefits of their God given resources. We are great and a blessed nation.
Four times now, you have been asked to step down for others in your bid to go into the House of Representatives, yet you have always supported the party. Have you been promised any position, this time around in the incoming government?
No; we do not practise that in Enugu State PDP. It’s work today and tomorrow, it could be your turn. I did not stress myself nor engaged in fighting to become a council chairman, possibly due to my previous contributions, participations and loyalty. I believe much in the will of God and His timing. What God has for a man he must get it unless where he stops himself. I believe in PDP, I believe in leadership authority.
I am a Christian since 1970 and I know that there is profit in obedience and faithful service to your leaders with all your heart. I derive joy in serving and making things work out well not minding who is benefiting at the moment and as a Christian, I put God first in everything I do. My marriage, my business, my political activities, my money and time etc belong to God, and all happen by His favour. So I wasn’t promised anything but it is an honour for the leader to say please hold on. It’s a great honour and I will owe that honour and respect to my governor, my boss, my friend Barr. Sullivan Chime who from the day I came closer to him has shown me great honour, respect and great value. I will forever be grateful to him and God Almighty who brought me his way.
That was why I freely dropped my aspiration for House of Reps during the last election. Since he the governor freely dropped his own ambition, for the peace and progress of the state, why can’t every other person in the state do so including me? Again looking at it, Nkanu East has held the position for a long time and it’s also good that Nkanu West should have a test of it and that’s why I gave my maximum support and mobilized my people to make sure we give our candidate support and complementing the efforts of the governor and we were able to win all the elections in Nkanu East. It is however unfortunate that despite what PDP did for us in Enugu State, some of our people especially in Nkanu East and Nkanu West betrayed us.
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