‘Why Power Should Shift To Southeast In 2023’
Ebonyi State Information and Orientation Commissioner Uchenna Orji, a lawyer, spoke with Deputy Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU on the agitation for power shift to the Southeast, anti-open grazing law, controversy over Value Added Tax (VAT) and how his boss will tackle the challenge of succession in 2023.
How feasible is the quest for presidency by the Southeast in 2023?
The presidency of this country is the doing of Nigerians. That is the dream of the Southeast. A very clear message is that equity is brotherliness; is confidence, is all about living together. So, it is the wish of the Southeast that at this point in our history, Southeast should produce the president of the Federal Republic. That is going to be giving a sense of belonging to all the parts of the country. While we know that Southeast has given a fair share of their support to every part of this country, this time around, every part of the country should give Southeast that kind of support to become president. This is because the PDP has been at the centre for 16 years. Southeasters dominated that party. They gave their support to the first president in this dispensation, His Excellency, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. I also know that they have continued to support Mr. President and much more Southeasters have continued to defect to the APC. We can to be at the centre. So, we support Mr. President. In all that he is doing, we know that he is also equitable in terms of distribution of social amenities and empowerment programmes. So, we have a duty to support him. That support will also give confidence to Mr. President to giving an opportunity to the Southeast in 2023.
How is your government managing the sit-at-home that has disrupted socio-economic activities in the Southeast?
Since the IPOB agitations heightened, the government of Ebonyi State under His Excellency, David Umahi, has been working hard interfacing with necessary stakeholders, including actors in this agitations, to see how everybody can talk to those agitating and causing violent attacks, to lay down their arms and embrace peace, and engage government most constructively on whatever issues they are agitating for. Government has also moved beyond the state level and gone to the rural communities to interface with traditional rulers and religious leaders, to see how we can identify these our brothers and sisters, who have been brainwashed into believing that violence is what it takes to achieve the agitation.
So far, Ebonyi is relatively peaceful and calm. The sit-at-home, to an average Ebonyian, is not from the relevant authority and the order cannot be obeyed. To an average Ebonyian, it is only government that has the power to order for sit-at-home or impose restrictions in the interest of the safety of the people, the interest of the health of the people, the interest of the security of the people. No organisation has that kind of mandate.
However, it is still a bit hard to get everybody to see the need to go about their businesses. This is because the barrel of gun is nobody’s friend. Nobody knows where it would come from and when it would come. But, with advocacy, sensitisation programme, we think that everybody will get to know that the so called sit-at-home is not in the interest of the economy of the Southeast. It is not in the interest of the social existence of our people, I mean the people of the country. So, we will continue to work hard to ensure that people has thus understanding. We believe that constructive engagement will work. We believe that security agencies should be on their feet to work day and night to secure the lives and properties of the people. This is very important.
Above all, education is critical. They should know that this situation will not augur well fir the future of our state and our region. We, the leaders and the led, those inside and outside government, have a collective duty to secure the lives and properties of our people, to secure the future of our people. The only way to do that is by being obedient to government of the day and not to adhere to those organisations or those that are threat to the peace, security and economic development of our zone.
How legitimate is the agitation for Biafra? Do the agitators have the mandate of the Southeast?
I don’t want to continue to flog this issue of ht for Biafra. The leaders of the Southeast have made their observations known. The need of the matter is that we cannot shy away from the fact that our people are being marginalised. But, the question is: who is marginalising us? It is an issue we need to sit together on a roundtable and discuss, and identify those areas where we are being marginalised; issue of the Presidency, issue of having a fair share in economic development, issue of having a sense of belonging at the national level. But, we cannot go about it by asking for secession.
We know the efforts of our founding fathers. They brought us together under one nation. It is our duty as offsprings of the founding fathers to see those things we can do to further unite us, not those things that will divide us. It is our collective duty also to ensure that we have a sense of confidence with one another, not only in the Southeast, but in all the zones of the federation. We need to know that we are one and that Nigeria is our own. I think that the efforts of the leaders of the Southeast are yielding fruits and we only need a concerted effort. The leaders and the led should speak with one voice. This is what the leaders of the Southeast are doing. They are working on it. I think that by the power of God, the President, who has been tested and trusted, with our elderstatesmen, will address all , 2the issues of marginalisation in this part of the country. It is good that we live together as a people. We should do away with all forms of violence, criminality and all things that bring neglect to any part of the country.
What would be the preoccupation of your boss between now and the terminal date, 2023?
He will focus on how to deliver on the mandate given to him by his people. The people of Ebonyi State love and appreciate very immensely the passionate efforts and achievements of our governor in the last six years. He has an eighth-year mandate. He will finish well in 2023. In line with his principles and upbringing, his concentration is on how to give Ebonyi people the best in such a way that the dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers will be said to have been achieved under him. That is how to make Ebonyi State a reference point in good governance. He is transforming Ebonyi State to be a shinning light. He is trying to make Ebonyi State a leading economic hub in the Southeast. From the records he met, one can say he is very close to it.
We, as his people, will continue to pray for him. We will continue to show him love, for God to raise him high, because what he has done in Ebonyi, he should have a mission to do it at the national level. This kind of governor is only seen once in a hundred years and if people have opportunity to see this kind of governor, they should make maximum use of him. God has decorated him with extraordinary ability to really develop the society where he comes from.
When he was party chairman, he built the biggest party office ever in Africa. When he was deputy governor, though he was a rich deputy governor, very humble, the slogan was that he stooled low to conquer. He was cracking the hardest kernel of his boss. He was even the powerhouse of the administration of his boss. God raised him and he became the governor. History has it that he is the third civilian deputy governor of Ebonyi State. He is the third civilian governor of Ebonyi State. It is very historic and symbolic. He is coming from the most populous sub-community in Nigeria, the Upuru community. Now, Ebonyi State was created in 1996. It is called the Salt of the Nation. He is now making Ebonyi State to be the salt of the nation. It is actually symbolic. And one thing that is more symbolic is that he came at a time there was nothing. He came at a time the party on which platform he contested collapsed at the centre. He didn’t plan to contest under a minority party. He contested under a majority party. The party collapsed woefully. The bridge was broken. moved on. And that was when we had the worst economic recession, with all the social vices, EndSars. But, if you go to Ebonyi State, you will see a man powered by God. He delivers his people from the shackles of poverty. You see a man decorated by God, a passionate, God-fearing, service delivery, full of compassion for humanity.
Why I am saying this is that Ebonyi State is a shinning light. Under him, we a state with the highest number of flyovers after Abuja and Lagos. We have Africa’s biggest shopping mall. Mr. Ben Bruce confirmed it when he came. We have a state Ecumenical Centre that is better than the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja. Under him, we have the construction of the airport approved by President Muhammadu Buhari. It is getting to 70 per cent completion. He has confirmed that it is going to be fashioned after the Abuja and Lagos International airports, Ethiopian kind of business initiative. And this is going to trigger economic development. Under him, we have a road construction concept no other government has ever done, except Ebonyi, Dangote is doing that. That is the construction of be concrete pavement, that has 50 years guarantee. All the roads we have constructed, we have never had issue of maintenance till today. Under him, we have Africa’s biggest life tunnel; a four-way tunnel. We call it the face of Ebonyi. If you get there, you will think that you are in Dubai, London or United States of America. It is named after President Buhari who came and did the foundation laying ceremony. Today, that edifice is standing as the biggest life tunnel in Africa. It is linking to so many facilities; the Ecumenical Centre, the shopping mall and Southeast biggest international market. It is also linking to the most beautiful Government House, like the Aso Rock. Among the 36 states of the federation, you need to see this Government House. We call it the three-arm zone that houses the Governor’s Lodge, Governor’s Office and the Presidential Lodge. Its Executive Council Chamber is the biggest in Nigeria. This tunnel is also a link to the international airport. They are linked with so beautiful flyovers. With these, one can say that the governor came, he saw and he conquered.
Why has Ebube Agu failed to take off in the Southeast?
Ebube Agu has taken off in earnest. I am going to speak for Ebonyi State because I am not Commissioner for Southeast. In Ebonyi State, we have over 4,000 Ebube Agu officials, duly trained. Their area of concentration is the intelligence gathering, information gathering, effective operational collaboration with security agencies and that has reduced crime. Today, we have a very low crime rate in Ebonyi State. This is brought about by the way and manner Ebube Agu is working. Ebube Agu is in each of the communities. It has units in each of the communities, 140 communities in Ebonyi State. At the local government levels, they gave their units. They have worked effectively with the police and recorded successes in nipping security issues in the bud. Ebube Agu has come to stay and it is working effectively in the state where I come from.
What about anti-open grazing……
It is the decision of the Southern Governors’ Forum at ensuring the protection of farmers from the activities of unguarded and wild herdsmen. Before now, we have been living together with the herdsmen. We believe that in as much as you have your legitimate business, you have the right to be anywhere unhindered. But, the recent attacks and counter-attacks where herdsmen were fingered, especially the foreign herdsmen who invaded the country made the anti-open grazing law to come up to checkmate the activities of criminal herdsmen. It is only correct that herdsmen should be made to stay in a confined place. In Ebonyi State, before the resolution of the Southern Governors’ Forum, we had had our laws and our executive orders that no herdsmen should carry cattle by foot and that herdsmen should be confined to a particular place and that they should not move in the night. We believe we should let businesses conform with the law of the state. That way there will be no victor, no vanquished.
And VAT…..
No comment. Wait for the Supreme Court to give the final judgment. The final judgment; the judicial decision is a form of law. Once it is done, we will obey the law. Ebonyi State is known for its obedience to constituted authority, the laws of the land and court orders. So, by time the legal matter is concluded, whichever way it goes, we will abide by it as a government that is responsible and responsive.
How do you react to this allegation by the opposition PDP in Ebonyi that the governor is suppressing the members of his former party, following his defectionto the APC?
It is a sign of lack of PDP’s existence in Ebonyi State. It is a sign of weakness, lack of focus, visionlessness. Their cries did not start today. lam sure they are not telling us the truth. They have got no followers in Ebonyi State. They lack goodwill. Some of those in PDP were once national leaders. They failed to attract a single kilometre of road to their villages. Some have held positions in the past and they failed to deliver. Now, people of Ebonyi State have a governor that is extraordinary, a governor who is passionate about his people. He does not sleep day and night to really satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of the founding fathers. He reaches out to people. He ensures that there is welfare for all He does not play a politics of exclusion. That is why he has followers, unlike the PDP ruminants. It is either they join us at the APC at the centre or they keep crying. APC in Ebonyi State is strong. They follow the governor wherever he goes.
How would the governor tackle the challenge of succession in two years’ time?
For the beginning, he established a strong foundation. He will handover to a good successor. What he did at the beginning is to lay a good example. The governor picks the calls of everybody. He knows everybody by his name. He knows virtually every community. He did a need assessment in 2015 when he came on board. He compiled the problems of every community and he started solving the problems. So, the governor, in ensuring good governance, decided to embarked on mentorship programme. He identified some talents in different fields of life. So are technical assistants, some are senior technical assistants, executive assistants. He did constitute an exco that is more than 80 percent of young minds. Thet are in different agencies of government. Beyond these, the governor’s principle has been institutionalised in Ebobyi State. What are the principles? Selflessness, passion for service, working for the intrinsic values, not fir the extrinsic values, and taking public service as people’s mandate that must be delivered with the fear of God.
Having laid this solid foundation of good governance, whoever that is going to show interest in the first place must weigh himself whether he can match the shie of the governor.
But, above all, the governor will make sure that there is sustenability of these policies and programmes. One of the ways he has done that is by privatising some of these facilities The African biggest university of medical sciences will soon be managed and run by the Catholic Bishop Conference. Some other educational institutions will also be run by the missions.
The governor wants the people of Ebonyi State to own and run some of the economic facilities. This will ensure their sustenability.
The issue of who succeeds him is between him and God, and the people. God will continue to lift Ebonyi State to the glory of his name.
