The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • Okorocha denies fake social media statement, reaffirms commitment to APC

    Okorocha denies fake social media statement, reaffirms commitment to APC

    …says he did not say APC is no longer a political party

    Former Imo State Governor and Senator for Imo West, Rochas Okorocha, has denied making a viral statement circulating on social media in which he was falsely quoted as saying the All Progressives Congress (APC) is “no longer a political party.”

    In a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha dismissed the quote as a “cock and bull story” fabricated by individuals envious of his political influence.

    The disputed quote claimed Okorocha described APC as “a party desperate to hijack power at all costs.” However, the former governor insisted he would never make such a remark, citing his deep-rooted commitment to the party’s formation and ideals.

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    According to the statement, Okorocha was instrumental in the merger that birthed the APC, served as the only sitting Southeast governor who joined the party at its inception, and was elected pioneer Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum.

    “As one of the founding fathers of the APC, Senator Okorocha remains fully committed to the party’s well-being and success,” the statement said, urging the public to disregard the fake quote and other attempts to tarnish his reputation.

    Okorocha maintained that his politics is defined by transparency and integrity, reaffirming his loyalty to the APC.

  • Tinubu, Wike delivering tangible economic change in FCT, says APC reconciliation chair

    Tinubu, Wike delivering tangible economic change in FCT, says APC reconciliation chair

    Chairman of the Unity and Reconciliatory Committee (URC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sen. Jibrin Wowo, has lauded President Bola Tinubu for delivering concrete dividends of democracy to residents of the FCT as his administration marks its second anniversary.

    Sen. Wowo noted that President Tinubu has led the nation with the clarity and determination of a visionary leader, particularly in advancing development within the FCT, and therefore deserves commendation for his achievements over the past two years.

    He particularly commended the people-oriented policies and programmes of the APC-led administration, highlighting the directive by the FCT Minister to compensate residents affected by ongoing development projects as a notable example.

    In a statement on Sunday, the FCT Chapter Chairman emphasized that the administration’s performance over the past two years has validated the confidence reposed in President Tinubu by the electorate, especially in his capacity to guide the nation towards meaningful socio-economic progress.

    He noted that without the bold and decisive steps taken by President Tinubu, the country would not have recorded the significant progress witnessed in key sectors such as the economy, education, and infrastructure.

    “I commend the President for being courageous, such that two years down the line, our party, the APC in the Federal Capital Territory, can tell you that the temporal pains experienced by commuters in the Territory from Zuba to the Central Business District (CBD), Kubwa to CBD, Bwari to CBD and all its environs have been eased with the completion of the Mabushi Bridge.

    “Also our people have seen the changes at the Nicon Junction axis that opens the way up to Gwarinpa.

    “This infrastructural deployment by the President through the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike came out of audacious belief in growth and development and would ease movements in the FCT reducing passenger time to and from work daily.”

    Acknowledging the efforts of the FCT Minister in driving development across the Territory, the APC chieftain commended his commitment to ensuring that set targets are not derailed, saying, “The Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, who came ready to Work, requested for the President to remove all bureaucratic encumbrances and thereafter justified his mandate as Minister and transformed major arteries of the city. 

    “I say congratulations Mr. President, congratulation All Progressives Party (APC) and congratulations to our working FCT Minister”.

    While commending the ongoing developmental strides in the FCT, Wowo expressed satisfaction that no area is being left behind but appealed for the inclusion of residents in the Gishiri area to ensure they also benefit from the infrastructure projects carried out in the overriding public interest.

    “Mr President, I commend you for the swift compensation of the families displaced by this good work of territorial uplift. I am also delighted to hear that you did not leave the people behind in the area of compensation.

    “We are aware that the Minister, Nyesom Wike, empowered by your good office, was displeased over the poor handling of the resettlements and has given a stern warning that the people should be fully compensated.

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    “Only a progressive government can tow this populist line, anchored on the broken chain and symbol of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

    “With your drive for infrastructure, which your lieutenant, the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, is faithfully discharging will be recorded among the undeniable impact of the APC development initiative in the Territory,” he said.

    Wowo, who prayed to God to give the President more wisdom and strength to steer the nation, assured the President that, as chairman of the reconciliation committee, the visible impact of the government’s programmes and policies on the city and its residents has made the task of reconciling APC members significantly easier.

  • Ekiti communities endorse Oyebanji for second term

    Ekiti communities endorse Oyebanji for second term

    • Governor has lived to expectation, says Mimiko

    Ahead of next year’s governorship election in Ekiti State, the leaders of Ekiti West Constituency II,  comprising Okemesi and Ido-Ile communities have endorsed Governor Biodun Oyebanji for a second term in office.

    The endorsement took place  in Ido- Ile.

    According to the communique, a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Wale Fapohunda (SAN) moved the motion for the adoption of the resolutions while the Special Adviser on Media, Mr Yinka Oyebode seconded the motion.

    The communique was signed by Member, representing Ekiti West Constituency 2 in the Ekiti State House of Assembly,  Johnson Oyekola Bode-Adeoye ; Chairman, Ekiti West Constituency 2, Chief Ilesanmi Ajibade; Secretary, Ekiti West Constituency 2, Mr. Sunday Adegbaye and the Chairman, Communique Drafting Committee, Dr. Tai Oguntayo

    The leaders explained that the administration of Governor Oyebanji in two and a half years has positively impacted on lives of the people across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state especially in the constituency.

    The leaders acknowledged the governor’s developmental projects in the two communities including road infrastructures, human capital development, health care, education and agriculture.

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    They called on party members to be united and work towards the progress of the party and solicited the support of the people for the administration of Governor Oyebanji in his quest to deliver on his shared prosperity agenda for the state.

    It reads:” The meeting noted the unprecedented developmental projects that are ongoing in the Constituency, specifically in the areas of road infrastructure, agriculture, health care, and human capital  development, including  an impressive number of political appointments.

    “It is in the interest of the Constituency to continue to support Governor Biodun Oyebanji in furtherance of the socio- economic development of Okemesi- Ido ile communities as well as other communities in the state.

    “We support the state wide clamour for a second term tenure for Mr. Governor in view of his sterling performance in office. We will immediately begin the mobilization of all the different interest groups in the constituency  on a continuous basis to ensure 99.9 per cent of votes cast for the Governor in 2026 governorship  poll.

    Mimiko urges support for Ekiti governor

    Also, former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko h praised Oyebanji for his impactful leadership and dedication to the state’s  development, stressing that the state has witnessed unprecedented progress under his leadership

    Mimiko, who gave the commendation in Ado Ekiti during a courtesy visit to the Governor’s office said Oyebanji has successfully combined competence and character to drive meaningful development in the state.

    Mimiko applauded the giant strides made by Governor Oyebanji in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and youth empowerment.

    He said Oyebanji’s rare blend of qualities has enabled him to implement impactful policies, foster unity among stakeholders, and prioritize the welfare of the people.

    Reflecting on his long-standing relationship with Oyebanji even before the creation of Ekiti State,  Mimiko expressed satisfaction with the pace of progress in Ekiti, noting that Oyebanji had shown preparedness for governance, having undergone the required tutelage and imbibed essential political values.

    “What I have seen in terms of outcomes, I am not disappointed. I feel good about it and like I said Biodun Oyebanji is prepared for the job, he went through required tutelage because apart from the technical competence, there is also the character. This is a man who is good in the head and is good in his heart and that has translated to the transformation we can see in the state.

    “The governor has also deployed his personality cachet which is why every past Governor in the state irrespective of political persuasion have endorsed him for second term which speaks a lot about what he has been able to achieve and also his relationship with people, I am very proud of him.”

    Oyebanji, who expressed gratitude to the former Ondo Governor for the visit, described Mimiko as his political mentor and the leader  who discovered his political talents, said the visit was long anticipated.

    Oyebanji, while explaining how Mimiko introduced him to politics and instilled in him values of honesty, competence, and integrity, attributed much of his leadership style, including his simplicity and focus on people-centred governance to the mentorship re received from Dr Mimiko.

    He said: “Governor Mimiko is a mentor to me and I used to tell people that if Ekiti State was not created, I would have been a critical part of his government. I worked with him closely and I studied him. He was my first political contact and he instilled some values in me. Values of honesty, values of competence, of been satisfied  with little, and values of living for the people were picked from him.”

  • Kalu and the gospel of Renewed Hope Agenda

    Kalu and the gospel of Renewed Hope Agenda

    • By Uche Aguoru

    In every generation, a few men rise not just to hold office but to define the spirit of their time.

    Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu is one of such rare men. In a political terrain that often rewards expediency over principle, and noise over substance, Ben Kalu stands tall: calm, persuasive, strategic, and unshakably focused on one mission  preaching and living the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    There is a certain pride a father feels when his son not only carries the family name with honor but furthers its vision with loyalty and results. President Tinubu and the APC family must be feeling that same pride seeing Ben Kalu on the national stage championing the cause, expanding the frontiers of the party, and winning hearts where once only skepticism lived.

    It takes rare political courage and immense goodwill to shift the paradigm in the Southeast. a region fiercely loyal to its values and historically wary of the APC. But Ben Kalu has done what many considered impossible: he is rebranding the APC, not through propaganda, but through performance, persuasion, and presence.

    Today, the APC is no longer an outsider in the Southeast. It is becoming a viable platform, a gathering point for serious-minded politicians, and a vehicle for development. This transformation did not happen in isolation. It happened because one man Ben Kalu decided that his region deserved more than opposition politics. He brought “Renewed Hope”, not just as a slogan, but as a deliverable reality.

    As Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, he is not just a figurehead. He is a force. Through his influence, the Southeast Development Commission has come alive, a commission positioned to channeling long overdue attention to the infrastructural and economic needs of the region.

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    His achievements in his Bende Federal Constituency are equally profound. Roads, health centers, youth empowerment programs, Ben Kalu’s footprint is visible, tangible, and undeniable. Yet, what is most inspiring is that he has not stopped there. He has taken the Renewed Hope gospel to every village, every gathering, every platform. He is not just advocating for Tinubu’s presidency, he is building a political culture of trust, collaboration, and results.

    It is no surprise, then, that leaders across party lines are drawn to him.They see in him what Nigeria desperately needs: honesty, inclusiveness, intelligence, and the will to work.

    As 2027 draws closer, and the political winds begin to stir again, one thing is already clear. Ben Kalu has become a bridge between the Southeast and the center. He has become a political fisherman, casting his net with wisdom and patience drawing in not just allies, but hope, unity, and progress.

    For the APC, for President Tinubu, and most importantly for the people of Abia and the Southeast, Ben Kalu is more than a political asset. He is a leader of a new kind, grounded, gifted, and guided by purpose.

    And history will remember him not just for the offices he held, but for the futures he helped build.

    Bende needs more of him, Nigeria needs him but Abia needs him more.

    • Aguoru, a Public Affairs Analyst wrote from Abuja

  • Benue’s leap into the future with groundbreaking initiatives

    Benue’s leap into the future with groundbreaking initiatives

    • By Daniel Anyam

    What would posterity remember Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia’s administration for?

    The administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia has clocked two years in office. And two years are enough to provide a compass to an administration’s direction and projected goals.

    An honest and down-to-earth appraisal of the governor Hyacinth Alia administration in it’s two year stint, beyond the ephemeral, will reveal a futuristic orientation in it’s policies and general direction that may be lost to the the cursory observer.

    While it is true that the government has taken proactive steps to address and stabilise immediate needs like payment of salaries, provision of direly needed farm inputs and urgent interventions in the health sector amongst others, all which have earned the administration deserved plaudits, the  long term potentials and benefits of most of the administration’s policies are not taken note of.

    Governor Alia’s joker in his arsenal in his bid to reposition the state  is the newly established University of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Ihugh. A closer look will reveal this university as not just merely another institution of higher learning but the pivot of immense socio-economic potential and long term benefits.

    With new world courses like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, ICT and others in its compendium of courses, it is an institution that is poised to not just produce degree holders, but to reshape the quality of  the state’s intelligentsia.

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    In the words of Prof Qrisstuberg Amua “the Benue State University of Agriculture, Science and Technology (BSUAST), Ihugh, is purposefully conceived not as a conventional comprehensive university, but as a pioneering research-intensive institution with an Agricultural, Scientific and Technological transformative vision for Benue State, Nigeria and Africa. Anchored on the imperative of development-driven knowledge, BSUAST is pioneering a redefinition of the higher education landscape by placing research, innovation, and technological advancement at the core of our institutional identity. Rather than merely disseminating knowledge (which is good in itself), BSUAST is designed to generate, deploy, and incubate solutions that respond to local needs and global aspirations.

    “To give structure to this aspiration, the University has established a constellation of specialized Centres and Institutes, each tailored to address critical developmental challenges while fostering excellence in research, community impact, and sustainable innovation. These centres will serve as intellectual hubs – fusing science, tradition, technology, entrepreneurship, and creativity – while projecting BSUAST as a bold nexus for African renaissance and global relevance”.

    According to the National Universities Commission (NUC),  “the establishment of Benue State University of Agriculture, Science and Technology Ihugh is another bold and strategic move that will undoubtedly empower the youths, develop the work force and promote knowledge-driven development in the state.“

    The new university, with its ICT driven focus is in fact, a reorientation of the educational projection of the state in tandem with global trends against traditional but obsolete courses which now burden the society with multitude of degree holders not properly equipped to effectively function in our fast-paced world.

    This is one of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s far sighted projects that may be misconstrued on the face value, but which the state stands to reap immense benefits from for a very long time to come.

    Overall, the Benue  University of Agriculture, Science, and Technology has the potential to transform the state’s agricultural sector, promote food security, and contribute to economic growth and development. These initiatives underscore Governor Alia’s commitment to harnessing agriculture and education as drivers of economic development and improved livelihoods in Benue State.

    Other projects like the strategic underpasses and overhead crossings in the state’s major townships like Makurdi, Gboko and Otukpo are visions which fruits would be better appreciated long after the present moment.

    Apart from the aesthetics of the infrastructure, these monuments are designed to accommodate the accompanying boom, urban expansion and projected population pressure in the years to come.

    Beyond this projects, we have others like the new Benue brewery and the introduction of Benue produced drinks like Zeva and Oyi bitters. Have one ever sat back and wondered about the capital that goes out Benue state every day from alcoholic beverages alone?

    The brewery will not only provide desperately needed jobs but is also an economic and revenue generation cash cow for the state.

    Posterity will remember Governor Hyacinth Alia not as a governor who doled out hand outs to privileged cronies, but one who looked into the future and built a self reliant populace who could comfortably sustain themselves on well thought out  smart climate Agricultural practices, cutting edge technology and ICT as well as innovative business ideas.

    • Anyam, a Principal Staff ot the Executive Governor of Benue State

  • Why crisis persists in PDP, by Anyanwu

    Why crisis persists in PDP, by Anyanwu

    The National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, spoke with reporters on the protracted crisis in the party and how it can be resolved

    What are the issues that led to the internal crisis in the PDP?

    We’ve had a lot of negative press for some time now, and it’s very disheartening, and I feel very concerned about it. So, for me, there’s only one group of people that can make or mar a situation or in the organisation, and that’s the press. But, so far, we’ve not been able to manage our party’s crisis. There is no doubt our party is in crisis. I’m a realist. All the crises are man-made. It’s all about ambition, and it’s very disheartening.

    I was elected in October 2021 as National Secretary of this party. According to the zoning, it was zoned to the South, and micro-zoned to Southeast. And just like every other state in the Southeast, it was zoned to Imo state.

    Every state in the Southeast has a representative in the National Working Committee (NWC). For instance, the National Deputy Treasurer comes from Enugu State; the National Auditor from Anambra State, and the Deputy National Legal Adviser, Abia State. So, you can see that it is wickedness for anybody who wants to take something from Ebonyi State and give it to Anambra State, when positions are evenly disputed.

    But assuming that I am no longer the National Secretary, for instance, whoever replaces me must come from Imo State. Besides, the National Secretary of a party is for the entire south. I was not elected by only the Southeast. I was elected at the convention by the entire nation. I represent the nation, but it’s very disheartening that the governor of Enugu State insisted that this must go to Enugu State, when Enugu already has somebody.

    By the way, is there any vacancy? There’s no vacancy. In 2023, I wrote to the party that I’m going to run election and I took leave. I wrote to INEC that while I’m on that leave, my deputy will act, and so he did.

    All these are happening because the then National Vice Chairman (Southeast), whose tenure was elapsing, wanted to remain a member of the National Committee. He went and conjured, manipulating the governor of Enugu State, to believe that he could become the party’s national secretary. I’m sure that the governor himself is not aware that the offices are shared according to the state.

    They jumped into it because he knows that the next National Vice Chairman of Southeast is supposed to come from Enugu State, and he knows that he will not get it back. So he wanted to return, because his tenure ended on March 3rd or so. That’s how this whole issue started.  He now connived with his friend, who is Governor Makinde of Oyo State, to pressurise Enugu to bring Ude-Okoye in, and they went to court.

    During the flag off of my campaign, the Enugu governor came and asked me to resign, and I told him, I will not and he was so angry. How can I resign on the day of my flag-off? He became angry and said that I was going to resign. So it’s about ego. So I should trade my position because of somebody’s ego.

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    I wonder how my office will endanger any of them because by December, my tenure will elapse, if, of course, I choose not to come back. So, why don’t you allow a sleeping dog to lie?

    Each time they talk about people destroying the party. All these PDP leaders who go on national television to demarket the party. Instead of saying issues that can build the party, you are saying things that will destroy and demarket the party and accuse the Minister of FCT, because he’s my friend.

    I will not take it if anybody ridicules me. I will never tolerate it for any reason. In every position everybody is having now, in the next two years, a few of them will leave and all of us will meet at the lounge of the airport.

    So, it’s a man-made thing up to the extent of sponsoring staff of a party to choose whom they want. That is very, very low. It’s a very low thing to do. But I will not give in to anybody trying to mess me up or mess my career up.

    It took me time to build my reputation. I’ve been a two-time local government chairman. Two times, a House of assembly member went to the Senate, and ran for governor twice and national secretary. None of them ever said they supported me in my last election; all the governors contributed money to give to other candidates of the party, but they refused to send even a dime to me. Rather, they demanded that I resign, and I ran my election without their support.

    So, for me, I’m on the side of the law. Now, let me give an example: Ali Odefa, they are parading up and down, is not a member of the party.  This is a High Court judgment. He was expelled by his ward, affirmed by his local government and then, of course, the state.

    They went to court and got a judgment. This is part of the judgement: ‘An order of perpetual injunction restraining the first defendant, Honourable Dr. Ali Odefa, from parading himself as a member of the PDP and or as its National Vice-Chairman, Southeast zone and from performing the roles or exercising the powers of the position.’

    It goes further to say, ‘This court ruling not only fortified the decisions of the party structures at his ward, Local government and state levels, but also permanently banned him from presiding at or even attending any PDP-related meetings. It is thus established that any meeting conveyed or attended by Honourable Ali Odefa remains invalid and infected by the virus of fundamental illegality.’ This is the judgment of the High Court.

    So, you will not go to the Southeast and say you are convening a meeting, who was there? I am the National Secretary; I am from the Southeast. What meeting will you convene when I am not there? What justification do you have? Assuming today, I am no longer the National Secretary, I am a member of the caucus, I am a member of the Board of Trustees, and I am a member of the NEC based on my position. In politics, the governor of a state is the only governor. He’s the only governor in the Southeast, but not the leader of the party, and the party is supreme.

    My question is, what will Governor Makinde say that I did to him? Have I stressed him for any reason? Have I called him funny names? What’s my sin? What’s my problem with him? Have I done anything against him? What have I done against him? I consider him my friend.

    Let me tell you, nobody can sign a document outside of me. They came to find it themselves after doubting what I told them. I sent a message because I know that the committee of Saraki is still meeting, and they were supposed to round up.

    I have now sent out a letter signed by me stating that the NEC is postponed pending when they finalise. So what they had there was not NEC, it was a stakeholders meeting, because NEC had not signed for it. If it is an NEC meeting, any decision taken there is illegal because PDP is a party, an organisation, ruled by law, and we should respect our constitution. And they make it look as if I’m one person causing problems with PDP.

    When people have a motive, a vision, what would my vision be? Whether you want to be president, whether you want to be governor, what would my position do? My position will end by December. The election is in 2027, and the primaries are scheduled for 2026. I will not be there. So, what would my position now be?

    The FCT Minister is my friend and my boss, and I can never deny him, no matter the intimidation. Nobody can make me deny my friend because, after position, there’s still life. Even you, as journalists, I don’t know where I’m going to meet you tomorrow. Your job may not be as a journalist. So I cannot under-rate any of you, because this journey is still very far and nobody knows how it will end.

    This is what I tell my NWC members. We came here as a united family. It would be nice for us to go as a united family.  So that we can still meet tomorrow and say we are brothers. We served an organisation. Let nobody try to fragment the NWC. We’ve been here for three years plus. We just have four months to go. Let us do it and go in peace. Assuming the convention is in August or October. Nobody has fixed anything yet.

    We just have a few months to go. Why would anybody want to break their head? So, for me, the position of the national secretary is very clear. I’m the secretary of the caucus. I’m the secretary of NEC. If NEC says I am so and you do anything to the contrary, you are shooting yourself in the leg.

    Some people will say Senator Anyanwu is pro-Wike. What is pro-Wike? Everybody knows his role in this party. Everybody knows when it mattered most; he was there for the party. He is working with the APC government, and they have forgotten the way he was appointed. He wrote a letter to his party in the state.

    The party at the state gave him a go-ahead. He wrote a letter to the then-governor, who also gave him the go-ahead. He wrote to NWC. And he is appointed. I would not stop him from holding that position.

    The Supreme Court has spoken. And what did the Supreme Court say? That the person who went to court is a meddlesome interloper; that is the judgment of the Supreme Court, and that the judgment of the high court is nullified. All my reliefs sought are meritorious and sustained. And what are my reliefs? I am the national secretary of the PDP.

    So I never resigned. And don’t forget that from November 23rd, after my election in 2023, to January 9th, when I got a judgment at the federal high court, till today, this is one year plus, I’ve been working. I’ve been doing all the congresses.

    If they say that I have resigned, that I’m not a national secretary, then every congress, in all the states, even the governorship candidates that I signed their documents will be a nullity.

    That means PDP has no structure at the ward, local government, and state levels. So, I think that our parties should be very careful. They should be very, very careful.

    You see, I respect our governors. I respect them because I know it’s not easy to be a governor. But that you’re a governor does not mean that you cannot come out and tell your colleagues the truth.  They know the truth. Why are they shying away from it? They know the truth.

    The chairman of the governor’s forum went to INEC and confirmed. They said, Oh, it’s not true. The National chairman went to INEC, they said it was not true. The legal adviser gave his legal opinion. He said it’s not true.

    Now, people who say it’s not true. They went to INEC, and INEC confirmed it to them. So, he now went to a stakeholder’s meeting. Instead of him saying, we are not going to say it openly. Maybe some time, I would demand an apology because I’ve gone through psychological trauma, unnecessary blackmail, Media blackmail, and Insults because I don’t talk, because I’m not the publicity secretary of the party.

    So, I cannot talk to the press corps all the time. That’s why most people think I don’t talk. Because I confine myself within my own office. As the National secretary, I know much about this party. I know a lot and as a very responsible man, I keep a lot to myself, but when I’m provoked, the things I will say will shock them.

    Did Ali Odefa Appeal the judgment?

    The judgment was delivered on the 26th of January 2025. (26:49) In suit number FFC/AI /227/2024. The judgment has not been appealed as we speak, up till now.

    Is the PDP part of the ongoing effort to form an opposition coalition?

    No, the PDP is not part of the coalition. It cannot merge with another party. The PDP is the first party and the one that helped to retrieve power from the military. There is no nook and cranny of this country that you will not find a PDP stalwart. So, it is other parties that should be subsumed into the PDP, rather than a merger.

    Today, I look at the people who call themselves Southeast leaders. The day before yesterday, the chairman of the BOT was in the coalition meeting. He went on air, on Arise television, to disparage me, but it’s only a threat.

    It started when I was working as chairman while he was a governor. He suspended me because I supported Ararume’s aspiration to be governor. So, that threat has been there. He said we were doing a coalition. He went to Daura to see Buhari.

    Then, on Sunday, they were all doing coalition. They’ve come to do stakeholders’ meeting because they want to remove the National Secretary before they leave for their party. Ben Obi was there in the coalition.

    We in the party said that we are not part of the coalition. So, who is deceiving whom? What is going on? Who are the people paving the way for the APC to continue? Who are they?

    According to the court judgment, any PDP activity that involves Ali Odefa becomes a nullity. How can you check his participation, keeping an eye on the Nigerian constitution that allows freedom of association?

    I will repeat the language for you. The court says that any meeting convened or attended by Odefa remains invalid and ineffective.

    If he wants to attend any party event, he has to go back to his ward to be re-admitted as a member of the party. That is just a true, simple truth.

    By the way, there is a court judgment too that has brought in a new national vice chairman, a replacement.  Whatever he is doing is illegal if we are to be serious and honest, and want to uphold constitutional responsibility.

    There is an internal mechanism for resolving issues. We have a resolution that believes in the rule of law. And if you don’t do that, then why will we accuse another party of violating the rule of law, when you cannot uphold your constitution?

    Are you prepared to make any sacrifices for the party can move forward if the NEC meeting insists you are no longer the National Secretary?

    This is very simple. I campaigned, I went to all the states campaigning for this position, and I was elected, and my position is for four years with the constitutional guarantees. And the next convention is in August or October. And we have just five more months to go.

    Why would you want to put a party into turmoil? Why would you sacrifice me and a man who has been rejected by his people and by the court, is attending a meeting? What kind of sacrifice is that? And you think I will stand and I will sit and watch? It’s not about making a sacrifice. It’s about doing the right thing. It’s only when you do the right thing that somebody can make a sacrifice.

    What would I do between now and the convention to injure the party at all? And why would I be irresponsible to injure a party that gave me a platform?

    Some of these people have left the party and come back. Some of them came to this party midway. But I have been with this party since 1999.

    I’ve never gone out and come back. I’ve remained. In my state, we’ve had a government. We are PDP. For eight years, Rochas was governor I was in PDP. I defeated his candidates in the state assembly, and went straight to the Senate. That’s how my popularity is. So, for me, I don’t see the reason why we should injure this party. And that’s why I want you to know, is there anything going on that they don’t want to tell us?

    I don’t know. I don’t know what they’re trying to do.

    Otherwise, I don’t see the reason. This is uncalled for. All these problems are uncalled for. That’s why I said it’s a man-made crisis.

  • Two years of Aliyu Sokoto’s foot prints in Rural Development

    Two years of Aliyu Sokoto’s foot prints in Rural Development

    By Abubakar Dan Ali

    State governors often locate the bulk of their infrastructural projects in the state capital and other major cities of their states. Though it is not the best policy, it is quite understandable why it happens that way. Locating projects in the urban centres where many opinion leaders reside offers higher visibility and better publicity, the very photo optics that politicians need to campaign for the next election cycle and also shuts up the opposition. If a governor cares more about showmanship, rather than focusing on the actual needs of the people, investments in the rural areas would appear to be a waste of public funds, even though the rural population are the ones that go out to vote.

    In this regard, the Governor of Sokoto state, Dr. Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, sits apart in a class of his own, totally different from most of his peers. He is one governor who pursues rural development with the zeal of a Trojan horse, in the evident conviction that opening up the rural areas is crucial to overall growth of the economy and well-being of the people. Indeed, channeling resources to the rural areas often proves to be the most effective way to create productive jobs, expand infrastructural spread, and increase access to basic social services like healthcare and education, and ultimately lifting more people out of poverty.

    A glance at the second anniversary scorecard of Dr Ahmad Aliyu reveals that his multi-pronged inclusive development policies, under the 9-Point Smart Agenda, have all dovetailed into a comprehensive rural development package, the sort of which has not been seen in the North West zone, or anywhere else, in the recent political history Nigeria. For instance, through increased budgetary allocation to agriculture, and the subsequent judicious application of such funds on initiatives that support increased food production, the administration of Ahmad Aliyu has raised the productivity of all classes of farmers in Sokoto state, increasing farm gate incomes, thereby contributing to the state’s economic growth.

    Also, the renovation of 63 jumu’at mosques, payment of monthly stipends to Islamic preachers and the allocation of funds for the support of the less privileged ummah, in pursuit of an item in the 9-Point agenda, have helped to channel resources to the people at the grassroots, apart from promoting worship in the Seat of the Caliphate.

    Overall, the administration of Governor Aliyu Sokoto has birthed over  250 impactful projects under two years, which the Aminu Tambuwal administration never achieved in its 8 years. These projects are carefully spread across the 23 local government areas and 87 districts of Sokoto state. Not a single one of them could be tagged as white elephant project, unlike some governors who install flyovers where there are few cars to drive on them, or construct gigantic hospital blocks for a show, but fail to install the necessary equipment or hire doctors to render the needed services to the people. Governor Aliyu’s projects are people oriented. He focuses on the people and their real needs, and he consults with the people to determine what they really need.

    While Governor Aliyu’s mercurial achievements in Sokoto metropolis are well documented, his giant footprints in the rural areas are often overlooked or gounsung by the urban based publicity merchants. It is significant to note that Dr Ahmad Aliyu has done more than any other governor in recent times to open up the rural areas with access roads to facilitate economic and social interactions.

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    After only two impactful  years on the saddle as the Sokoto state chief executive, each one of the 23 local government areas in the state can boast of three or more road projects, either already completed or ongoing.This is impressive, to say the least. No other contemporary governor can match this record. Ironically, some uninformed political jobbers once accused Governor Aliyu of neglecting the rural areas in favour of the urban centres. This blatant lie was easily rubbished by the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Isa Sadiq Acida, who quickly reeled out scores of projects delivered by the administration in the rural areas.

    In Sokoto State,the governor is jokingly referred to as a “rural governor” due to his strong commitment for the transformation of the rural areas.

    In fact, going by the sheer number of road projects, and solar streetlights Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s administration appears to have raised the bar in rural development, as he has done in many other areas, often setting the example for his peers in the North West zone, and across the country, to play the catch up game.

    Among the celebrated rural road projects of the Ahmed Aliyu administration in his two short years in office are theAlasan-Faga-Bagassaka-Bakaya-Romo road in Tambuwal Local Government Area; the Kaffe-GidanHashimu-Tsitse Spur-Kaddi-Arawa road in Gada Local Government, and the Buzuliga-Lukuwa-Yargada-Malikawa road in Gwadabawa Local Government Area.

    It is important that these road projects are constantly listed in the public domains so that anyone in doubt could go and verify. Both the Tashar Gawo-Darhela-Badau-Sifawa road; and the Takatuku-Dandamu roads are verifiable in Bodinga Local Governement Area. In Goronyo Local Government Area, the people rejoiced over the construction of Garin Magaji- Gyattarana-Tudun Madugu-Dantudu-Alakawa and Goronyo-Kojiyoroad projects, as they promised to reward Governor Aliyu with their massive support for his second term in 2027. 

    The Gande-Mali-Gwahitto-Fako road bestrides Silame and Binji Local Government Areas, while the Illela-Kalmalo-Munwadata-Tashar Ragga road bears witness to the people of Illela Local Government Area to the outstanding capacity of Governor Ahmad Aliyu. The imposing Wamakko-Gwamatse-Kubodu-Dankala road does the same work of testifying to residents of Wamakko Local Government Area that their governor deserves another term of office to complete his good work.

    In Gada Local Government Area, the Gada-Ila Gari-Dutse-Tabanni road speaks volumes about judicious use of public funds for the benefit of the people, while the New Zawiyya-Unguwar Maidaji-Kaurare-Gwaggo Yaya-Kilgori- Tandarawa-Kanwatare-Birsawa road in YaboLocal Government Area tells its own story: that a prudent governor can strive to meet the needs of the people without reckless borrowing or plunging the state into the quicksand of debts.

  • Mr President, please halt NDDC’s rapid drifting from its mandate now

    Mr President, please halt NDDC’s rapid drifting from its mandate now

    By Richard Tariowei

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established as an intervention agency to address the peculiar development challenges in the oil-rich Niger Delta region. The creation of the agency by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, was received with thunderous jubilation. It was like a dream come through in fulfilment of the Sir Henry Willinks  Commission’s report before Nigeria’s Independence in 1960 that emphasized the need to address the peculiar challenges of development facing the oil producing region in the interest of justice and fairness.

    Sadly, the development indicators point to the grim reality, that rather than using the fund meant for the development of the region, it has become a cesspool of corruption by successive managements of the NDDC; who have converted the agency to a breeding ground for funding personal political ambitions and a cash cow for funding dissident political activities of the respective states of the appointees of the NDDC.

    For instance, with the exception of only two individuals, most Managing Directors and chairmen have unfortunately used the commission’s resources as a springboard for their overreaching gubernatorial ambitions right from the tenures of Chief Ndutimi Alaibe, Emmanuel Agwuarado to that of late P.Z. Aginagha, and Nsima Ekere. The chairmen of the board of the NDDC are not left out, from Ugochukwu Onyema, Ambassador Edem to Tarila Tebepah, the trend has become a persistent pattern.

    Senator Godswill Akpabio further escalated this by contesting the 2023 presidential election while the NDDC was under his supervision, while he served as the Minister of the now-defunct Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. One cannot forget in a hurry the scandalous public hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC, when the then acting Managing Director, Mr. Pondei fainted during cross examination by members of the House Representatives. The lawmakers had to tell Akpabio to ‘off the mic’ when he was exposing some members of the National Assembly involved in the award of contracts to themselves at the session.

    In their attempts to bypass due process, successive Chief Executive Officers introduced numerous phony and unsustainable projects under the guise of emergency works, ranging from water hyacinth clearance to desilting of rivers, to all manner of non-existing jobs just to siphon resources through proxies and cronies, all in a bid to fund political aspirations. These actions have significantly derailed the noble ideals that led former President Obasanjo to establish the NDDC, and has taken a huge toll on the development of Niger Delta.

    The rot has worsened over time. Today, the Commission has been reduced to executing projects like solar street lights – many of which are already falling apart. To Alaibe’s credit, his tenure saw the initiation of sustainable legacy projects such as shoreline protection, road construction, university hostels, water supply, and electrification – all of which still stand as rare examples of impactful intervention.

    Under the current leadership, the Commission has become a subject of public mockery with no signature projects that will impact the lives of the people of Niger Delta positively, except the laughable solar light projects that falls short of the dream of sustainable development in the region. Solar light is a project which even ordinary councillors provide in their localities, much less of an agency that controls over a trillion as its budget.

    A more alarming trend is the alleged sponsorship of political groups aimed at undermining political structures in the Managing Director’s home state, projecting the NDDC as though it is a parallel government.

    Recently, the Vanguard Newspaper carried a report in which a group known as Niger Delta Unity Forum, warned against using the NDDC to promote divisive politics in the region, as that could erode people’s confidence in the primary mandate of the intervention agency. The coordinator of the group, Comrade Ogheneavo Ogbe in the said report warned against converting fund meant for the development of the region to funding dissident political activities in pursuit of personal political ambitions at the expense of the much-needed development in the region.

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    There is no doubt, the warning by the group represents the views of vast majority of the people of Niger Delta, which is unbecoming of appointees entrusted with a specific and sacred mandate to address the age-long marginalisation and underdevelopment of the region. It will be in the interest of the current management of the commission to learn from the mistakes of the past and face the onerous task of using the commission to alleviate the suffering of the people of the region and do away with seeing the agency as a means to achieve political gains. Whatever will be, will be.

    The NDDC fund is collective patrimony of the people of Niger Delta and it beats one’s imagination that the huge fund for the development of the region has become a political cash cow. The management of NDDC should be reminded that they will be held accountable for every act of failure. In other civilised climes, ideas rule the world in wealth creation and not by feeding fat on the common wealth of Niger Delta. The richest men in the world like Elon Musk, Bill Gates and others whose wealth thrive on creative ideas and not constituting a conduit pipe to public funds.

    If there is anything true about the media reports on the activities of the current management of the NDDC, they need to retrace their steps and face the assignment given to them to develop Niger Delta. At this junction, Mr. President needs to listen to the worries of the ordinary people in the Niger Delta and call the leadership of the NDDC to order. The President needs to make a bold statement that the NDDC during his tenure, breathe a sigh of relief by breaking away from the obnoxious culture of using NDDC to fund personal political ambitions, while the region is dying because of lack of development.

    The infrastructure deficits in the Niger Delta are so pathetic that anybody engaging in activities inimical to the aspirations of the people of the region needs to be declared an enemy of the people. The President owes the people the duty to dispense with such characters and put in place honest men and women of integrity that will refocus the agency towards the greatest interest of the region.

    The arrested development under the current management of the NDDC is a serious concern that Mr. President needs to conduct a surgical operation and write his name in gold. Perhaps, Mr. President should not be deceived by the wishy-washy projects being touted by the management of the agency, as the general opinion is that enough is enough of the ongoing nonsense at the NDDC. A stitch in time saves nine.

  • NDDC@25: Making a difference through foreign scholarship scheme

    NDDC@25: Making a difference through foreign scholarship scheme

    By Ifeatu Agbu

    Cynthia Ebi Farka cherishes her days as the face of Coventry. She attended Coventry University in the United Kingdom as one of the beneficiaries of the post-graduate scholarship scheme of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

    For many months, Cynthia’s face welcomed prospective students at the Coventry train station as part of a “Guide to Campus “project at Coventry University. She recalled with pride: “My face was used to showcase the good features of the university, and I did this as an NDDC scholar.”

    Cynthia, who hails from Bayelsa State, studied oil and gas engineering and described her experience in UK as life-changing. She said out there, “everything is computerised, and if you don’t work hard, you will not get anything. There is this software called ‘turn-it-in’ which is used whenever an assignment or coursework is given to check plagiarism,” she said.

    “With a background in petroleum engineering, I had the opportunity to deepen my knowledge in oil and gas engineering. I also had the opportunity to go on an excursion in Glasgow, Scotland. The flow measurement course exposed me to practical experiences outside the academic sphere. Altogether, I can say that I am well equipped for the future.”

    Looking back, Cynthia said the Master’s degree programme in Coventry was challenging. “But you know, challenges come with their good part,” she added: “When I got to the United Kingdom, it took me some time to adjust to a new learning system. It’s different from what we are used to here in Nigeria. In a nutshell, I will say it was a wonderful experience.”

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    However, the NDDC scholar said she would be fulfilled when her studies translate to benefits for the people of the Niger Delta. For this to happen, she said she was looking forward to getting a platform to demonstrate her skills. “I need an opportunity to transfer my knowledge to others. Apart from oil and gas engineering, I also got involved in a media presentation project where I learnt presentation and communication skills,” Cynthia said.

    Given her exposure to a more modern society, Cynthia wants to see a Niger Delta that is comparable in terms of development to the United Kingdom. She acknowledges that it may take a while and a lot of work.

    Cynthia cautioned that blaming all our woes on the Government was unhelpful because, in her view, we all must play different roles. She explains: “You need to see Nigerians in the United Kingdom. They behave themselves; you don’t see someone eat and throw the waste on the roads, but they do that in Nigeria. So, is it the government doing that? Every individual has a part to play. You have the zebra crossing in the UK, and when there are people on it, cars stop, but here in Nigeria, they will run you over.

    “I see a Nigeria that will be like the United Kingdom, where you pay for electricity and you get light in a system that works generally. I want the Niger Delta to be a peaceful environment where the youths can realise their potentials. Our boys and girls have prospects, but the environment limits them. I wish people who have a passion for certain things were encouraged. They should go for it and not give up.”

    While thanking the NDDC for allowing her to improve herself, Cynthia advised the Commission to help the scholars surmount the initial funding challenges they face in a foreign land. According to her, the major obstacle is the late release of funds. ”I got to Coventry in September, and the money came in December. So, you have to be able to struggle and foot your bills at the initial stage. I wish the Commission could give the scholars something to support themselves before getting there.”

    On the positive side, Cynthia commended the NDDC for keeping track of the performance and well-being of its scholars. She enthused: “I was glad that the Deputy Director from the directorate running the scholarship programme came to my graduation. That is good because they check on their students. Even before I got details of my result, it was already sent to NDDC, which is also good.”

    Like Cynthia, Mr Ubong Peters, a Ph.D. student in Australia, was another worthy NDDC foreign post-graduate scholarship ambassador. He was celebrated for winning a three-minute thesis competition at his university.

    Peters’s excellent performance was among the success stories the NDDC top officials shared at every opportunity.

    A proud Chief Executive extolled some of the scholarship programme’s shining lights. He said that apart from Peters, “Mr Augustine Osarogiagbon, of Memorial University, is so brilliant he completed his Ph.D. in less than the stipulated time and has been offered a dual Ph.D. programme with two graduate assistants to work with him and a post-doctoral fellowship lined up.”

    The NDDC boss also highlighted the exceptional contributions of Mr Charles Igwe, a Ph.D. scholar in Construction Engineering at Concordia University, Canada. He said that his unique design saved the Montreal Area Municipality over $1 billion, noting that he achieved the feat by redesigning the TURCOT interchange road construction project, costing $3.67 billion.

    The NDDC education programmes were the kind of good stories that the NDDC officials loved to share. He said: “A total of 1,411 students have received scholarships since 2010, of which 1,066 were supported in M.Sc and 345 in Ph.D programmes. Five (5) of the M.Sc students graduated with distinction from Coventry University, England and one (1) from Aberdeen University.”

    According to the NDDC “these positive results show the depth of talent within the Niger Delta and what can happen if we encourage the younger ones to stay focused on their education. We must also create an enabling environment for them to return to and be productive citizens.”

    The NDDC Director for Education, Health and Social Services, EHSS, Dr George Uzonwanne, explained that the Foreign Post-Graduate Scholarship Scheme was meant to equip Niger Delta youths with relevant training and skills for effective participation in the local content programme of the Federal Government. He added: “It aims to empower the indigenes of the Niger Delta by building their capacity, especially in the oil and gas sector because this area is oil and gas driven. The objective is to equip our people to compete favourably with others in terms of employment in the oil industry and entrepreneurship in the region.”

    He noted that emphasis was placed on science disciplines because of a noticeable deficiency in the oil industry, which made it challenging to employ young graduates from the region in that critical sector.

    According to him, there was a a need to position young graduates from the region to compete globally in various professional fields, noting that before now, the oil and gas industry had discriminated against the fresh graduates they dismissed as not possessing requisite qualifications. “We also need to encourage our youths to show interest in engineering for the sake of our projects. We need qualified engineers who can manage our projects just as in agriculture, environmental science and other science-related courses,” the director said.

    Dr Ozonwanne stressed that the foreign scholarship scheme was designed to expose the graduates to other developed environments outside the country. “We believe that the skills they acquire will add value to the development of the Niger Delta. So far, we have been proved right as those who benefited from the programme in the previous years have justified the need for the advanced training programme,” he said.

    He expressed delight that the oil and gas sector has employed some of the NDDC scholars who had returned to the country, adding that some were employed abroad. “I am aware of three scholars who were employed in the UK after their Master’s programme. Moreover, A couple of them have gone into entrepreneurship,” he said.

    The Director recalled the outstanding performance of one of the beneficiaries who studied in the United Kingdom. He said that Miss Francisca Chiedu, the star NDDC scholar of that year, was elected President of the United Kingdom University Student Union.

    That feat, he said, demonstrated that Nigerian youths could lead innovative changes within and outside the country. “Her success was indeed a victory for the NDDC. It is a testimony of the capability of the new generation of Nigerians to be the change they seek and champion worthy causes”.

    Dr Uzonwanne said he was optimistic that the transparent process adopted in selecting beneficiaries of the foreign scholarship scheme would continue to produce first-class performers. “It will guarantee the Niger Delta region and Nigeria at large the likes of Francisca Chiedu, the Information Engineering and Network Management student at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, who brought glory to NDDC, the region and nation.”

    Miss Chiedu, a University of Benin Computer Science graduate, appreciated what the NDDC did for her. She wrote back to the Commission to say that “truly, life presents us with different opportunities. For me, every moment in our lives offered a door. All I had to do was choose. I chose to dream, I chose to think, I chose to move, I chose to act, and I chose to win.”

    The EHSS director said that NDDC was considering broadening the scope of the scholarship to include Nigerian universities.The plans to broaden the scope of the scholarship programme would answer the prayers of some past beneficiaries who had been urging the NDDC to do more for the numerous graduates of the Niger Delta.

    Mr. Lenin Francis, who benefited from the 2014 scholarship programme and earned a Master’s degree in petroleum engineering, suggested that NDDC should also extend the scholarship to other undergraduate students and increase the number of beneficiaries.

    Francis, from Bayelsa State, agreed that the programme was a good capacity builder that would equip the youth to join in developing the Niger Delta. “I pray that the NDDC will continue with this laudable programme, which has helped many youths in the region,” he said.

    He said that the foreign scholarship was a boost not just for the beneficiaries but for the entire Niger Delta because it would allow the youths to develop themselves and acquire technical expertise, which would benefit the people of the region.

    According to him, the NDDC made the right decision to build the capacity of the youths, rather than focusing only on infrastructure. “After all, human resources are more important than physical infrastructure.”

    He further said that the scholarship scheme needed to be expanded. “It is insufficient for the teeming youths of the region. Currently, the scholarship scheme is enjoyed by less than 15 per cent of qualified applicants, with some states getting only 10 slots. Surely, the NDDC can improve on this number,” he said.

    Giving her perspective, Miss Amaka Uchendu, who studied at the University of Essex in the UK, said that youths often found it challenging to start their lives after their first degrees. She said, “With this scholarship programme, it will be easier for us to pursue opportunities we may not otherwise have been able to because of not having money.

    So, the NDDC has helped us kick-start our lives, and we thank the commission for allowing us to move forward and improve our lives.”

  • Tinubu has done well in Niger Delta within two years – Eradiri

    Tinubu has done well in Niger Delta within two years – Eradiri

    In this interview, former President of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Engr. Udengs Eradiri, who was the immediate past Governorship Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Bayelsa State, but later defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) briefly assesses the performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the Niger Delta. Eradiri, who was also a former Commissioner for Youths and later Environment in Bayelsa points out some outstanding areas of Tinubu’s achievements. MIKE ODIEGWU was there.

    How will you assess the performance of President Bola Tinubu in the Niger Delts within two years?

    With what I have seen, I can authoritatively say that, yes, this President means well for Nigeria and let us give him the support necessary. Despite the kind of pressure and the kind of distractions from opposition within and outside the party, the President has remained steadfast.

    For us in the Niger Delta, one of the key areas that we will be applauding the President is in the area of infrastructures. The East-West Road that had suffered neglect from leadership has seen a lot of attention and a change in structural strategy and that commendation goes to the Minister for Works, who of course is doing a very good job. If you go to the East-West Road you can see that, yes, an engineer, who first did an assessment on the road, was able to come and change the design in order for us to have a lasting structure on the road.

    So, you can see areas that didn’t have culverts that allowed the flood to destroy the road now have culverts. Over 70% of the road has been dualized.  I want to use the opportunity to thank Mr. President. There was a lot of agitation as a result of the neglect on the East-West road before he came on board. While ruminating on the matter, i said now that the road is making so much progress, why don’t we also gather our young people on that road and then use it to appreciate the President?

    When you construct that kind of infrastructure you save a lot of lives because we have lost a lot of people as a result of that bad road. The economy was badly affected but today I can calculate when I will get to Yenegoa from Port Harcourt and I will be there. So, economically more value has been added to businesses. So, Mr President we commend you.

    We also appreciate the President on the issue of developmental agencies that he has put in place especially the Southsouth Development Commission. The President has announced the board. We are waiting for their inauguration and their kickoff and so I want to thank the President that as much as every region is now having development agencies the Niger Delta also has its own.

    But you see I like to be very frank. I am not too happy about the proliferation of developmental agencies. It is a demonstration that the governors have failed. States were created for development but for us to now snowball into setting up developmental agencies it means that the states have failed; the local governments have failed. The President must ensure that the funding meant for local governments, which the Supreme Court had already made a pronouncement on must be implemented without political considerations because they are still subverting the funds meant for local government.

    How has NDDC faired under Ptesident Tinubu?

    There is light everywhere at night in the Niger Delta because of the light-up initiative of Mr. President through the NDDC. The President appointed for the first time a very stable leadership in NDDC and that leadership has been able to focus on dealing with the challenges in the Niger Delta; dealing with infrastructures and dealing with educational problems. You saw what the President is doing in the educational sector using the NDDC. The U-Lesson initiative where every child is empowered with digital tools. Though they are not there yet, they are going there.

    The initiative is to ensure that every Niger Delta child has an electronic tab, where all the educational materials are installed. So the children of the Niger Delta are now going to class with their U lesson tabs that have all lecture materials. You can just scroll down and you are there. Educationally the President is adding a lot of value and preparing our young people for the challenges of tomorrow and that is ICT education. This is what the NDDC is dispensing to the Niger Delta people. They are renovating their schools and those schools they are bringing in electronic learning materials. All this is the initiative of Mr. President working through these institutions. I can go on and on.

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    How far has the President’s students loan initiative gone in the Niger Delta?

    Another commendable programme of Mr Presisent is the Students’ Loan Scheme. Even though we have a serious problem of President trying to get things moving, most of the people within that are supposed to help him move these things don’t understand the body language and follow suit. So, if the President dispenses an agenda, you find people trying to bring in their interest and use that to destroy some of these things.

    That’s why you see some of the complaints coming out from the student loan scheme. It is a scheme that the President has put in for indigent students. You find a lot of funny things but I think that it’s also a call on the EFCC to sit up. The EFCC The ICPC must ensure that while these things are put in place for the benefit of Nigerians, these phony characters do not find their pilfering fingers into the agendas of the President.

    How have the oil sector and security faired in the Niger Delta region under the President?

    In the oil sector, we have started producing above two million barrels and we are looking at hitting three million barrels per day. This is all because of the policy, the security strategy and economic engagements that the President has brought on board. The President’s National Security Adviser (NSA), I think is one of the best NSAs we have had because Ribadu is always engaging stakeholders any time there are issues. He is always on top of it and I am sure that these were the qualities that the President saw before he appointed somebody like him.

    So, in terms of security, he’s engaging to try to see how the security is stabilized in the Niger Delta. We can see what is happening in the North. Unfortunately, politicians in the north use security for politics. Otherwise, when Asiwaju came in, and if you look at the statistics, we had recorded so much progress until when we started this politics of who, will contests 2027 election. You begin to see that the security issues are beginning to come back again as if somebody is somewhere turning up the volume of it. 

    But I think that the strategy that Mr President employed added so much value and tried to reduce the striking propensity of some of those terrorists. We can see a resurgence. We know that there are international dimensions to it. You saw what happened in America where accusations were flying in the Senate showing that it is not something that President Asiwaju himself can nip in the board overnight. It needs collaborative efforts of the international society.

    So, in terms of security, which is tied to everything that happens in the country especially in the Niger Delta, we want to appreciate the President for engaging communities, institutions in the energy sector. We have opined in the past that for you to have peace, you must ensure that our people are part and parcel of the oil and gas activities going on in the region and today that has been largely seen by the way the President is engaging and you can see our people getting involved. Most of our people are now owners of some of the oil infrastructures and they are participating in the security of oil infrastructures. We have two Niger Delta companies and the Tantita is one of them. The Tantita Security Services has performed tremendously, reducing poverty by creating thousands of jobs to engage the youths.

    The energy sector has actually seen a lot of boost from this President. He has reorganized the NNPC which has been the bane of the problem. We now have very experienced industry individuals, who have taken the leadership of NNPC. We hope that this will begin to change the fortunes of the NNPC

    Another good move by the President is the CNG Programme. The CNG initiative is designed to reduce the cost of petroleum. But what Dangote is doing as a result of the subsidy and the open market that the President ensured, you can now see that gradually the price of petroleum product is going down. Nigeria is no longer borrowing to go and buy petroleum products. You can see that our foreign reserve is going up every day because of these policies of Mr. President.

    But many people are complainng that these reforms have not really touched their lives. What do you think?

    Remenber that this country was battered before the Presidenr came on board. You don’t expect Asiwaju to come overnight and stop the ills. Even if Jesus Christ came to be our President, it will take time for some of these reforms to reflect in the lives of our people. And of course, you know, Nigerians are very impatient. What we want is now, now. But we forget that these problems were not created by this man. Asiwaju never found himself in power from the point he left as Governor of Lagos State, which is close to 20 years today. He was never involved in the system to the point where you now accuse him that he was part of those, who destroyed the country today.

    But the man is putting his best and doing everything possible to change things.

    How will you assess the Bonny-Bodo Road under President Tinubu?

    On the Bonny-Bodo Road, we saw how that road was initially consumed by politics before the advent of President Tinubu. But President Asiwaju is not talking about politics. He has gone over 70% of it. Recently, I saw the level of the bridge The bridge is almost completed and once that is done, the rest is going to be a celebration for our people. So, you can imagine the economic advancement of River State in terms of infrastructure, in terms of economy in terms of housing because a lot of people can now move and live by the Ocean.

    I want to thank Mr. President because the LNG project will now be easier to manage because when you want to move materials you move materials via sea and it is expensive in construction. The Train 8 is another credit to Mr. President.

    Do you think that going forward the Presisent should work towards establishing state police?

    Let’s go beyond this rhetorics. There are already enabling laws that have allowed for states to set up their own security outfits. Those outfits should do the job of security securing their land. But not every day we talk about state police and yet those institutions are already existing. I think that the governors need to do their job. They need to be disciplined. I wish there is a machinery we can put in place to check governors. The incompetence of some of these governors is nauseating. You can’t even imagine you go to states all they do is once the money comes they will go and buy forex with it.  We thank God that the CBN has put a lot of measures in place and you can see that they are trying to stabilize it. The federal government must devise a means to make these governors do their job. They must ensure that local governments are functioning. If they are functioning all these issues will not arise.

    We are still having epileptic power supply in the region, how can the governors solve this problem leveraging Tinubu’s reforms on power.

    Leadership at the state levels does not have the kind of individuals, who understand the nitty gritty of governance. It is always occupied by patronage without following the proper leadership selection. The end result is that you have people, who don’t invest their emotions in dealing with the problems of the state. We used to have gas turbine in my state put together by the Okilos of those days. Bayelsa is gas everywhere. Some of the institutions in Bayelsa decided to introduce gas turbines too because these days you buy them on the shelf. It’s not like the Okilo days when you have to place an order and they manufacture them. You go to Italy, there’s a company you just go to their shelf and buy according to the size you want.

    The Nigerian Content Development Board In Bayelsa State, NCDMB, that is the local content bought an 11 megawatts power plant. That’s what they are using. They have 24 hours power supply and even the Government House is benefiting from that power. Some hospitals in Bayasa are benefiting from it. They have just used 4 megawatts of it. So there’s 7 megawatts of unused power.

    In Gbarain, there is a 253 megawatts power plant. This plant is there. What’s happening? Leadership. There are issues here and there. Just go there, turn the key, the power plant is there. But like I said, the current Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri has decided to buy a turbine so that it can power Bayelsa independently and that is because of the policy of the Federal Government to unbuddle the power sector.

    Recall that before, the national grid was not within reach of Bayelsa State at that time we relied on turbine. But immediately Bayelsa was migrated to the grid, everything collapsed. But now the policy of unbundling the power sector is the reason why Bayelsa State now can independently go and buy their own turbine for the purpose of providing power.

    If I were Mr President, with the unbundling of the power sector, I would just focus on Abuja to power Abuja, if you as a governor cannot power your state then sleep in darkness. States should collaborate. If you don’t have power, you should be able to call your sister state and negotiate to buy power. Or a neighboring state that does not have gas, but has the resources, can set up plants and then collaborate to pipe the gas to them. And then they will share this power the same way Lagos State invested in Kebi in rice farming. The Lake Rice is Lagos and Kebbi. Lagos didn’t have rice environment. So they went to Kebi State, invested their money. They built the rice mill in Lagos. Today they have created a lot of jobs for people in Kebi.

    Under this administration, states have been   been given the authority to produce their own power and serious states are taking advantage of it. But some of these governors are not disciplined. Serious ones are beginning to see power as a challenge in their states. And they are doing what is necessary to provide power in their states using the infrastructure they have.

    Like insaid, the Bayelsa Government, we are seeing some progress in terms of independent power. We had independent power before, so the people already had enjoyed the constant power until we were migrated to the national grid. And then everything went south. But now with the policy that the federal government has put in place, the state government has invested, we hope that the plant will be functional on their December deadline.

    Every state must begin to realize that power is the foundation for every growth. Every economic growth has power as its main foundation and so if you don’t even want to stay in darkness, it should be a problem.

    What do you want the president to do differently going forward?

    Well, I think that for now, politics has engulfed the country. I just hope that we can put it more on the back seat and allow for true governance to take the better part of next year. I think that going forward, the President should ensure that the local governments are truly independent. The president for the purpose of electoral reforms must ensure that we breathe some sanity into that process because truly our electoral process is now nothing to write home about. So if we can deal with the electoral process and ensure some transparency in it and the independence of the INEC, I think that will solve most of the problems.

    Our problem is leadership selection process. When you have all kinds of characters getting into leadership because they can buy their way, it becomes a difficult place to propose policies that will be truly implemented because most of these policies are policies that will not allow for pilfering. Our biggest problem is the corruption and pilfering going on in public places. Government everywhere in the world is run like a business. You provide services and people pay for those services. Here we are running it as a charity, people dip their hands into the resources with impunity. Look at what they are doing as a constituency project. People are just going to buy materials and just go and distribute it. There is no machinery to check whether those materials given to those people are actually meeting their desired purpose.

    Some people, as they are carrying those materials, they are going to sell them, they are going to the market, they are supplying them to shops. It has to stop. That’s like giving fish to people. You are not teaching them how to fish and it’s federal government money, federal government institutions that are made to buy these things and distribute them .So I think that the leadership selection process, the electoral reforms are the areas that the president should now focus on.