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  • Court orders Abaribe to produce Kanu

    Court orders Abaribe to produce Kanu

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and two others, who stood surety for Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu to account for his whereabouts.

    Justice Binta Nyako gave the order at the resumed trial of Kanu and three others yesterday when his (Kanu’s) lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor could not explain why his client was absent in court and where he was.

    Also ordered to account for Kanu’s whereabouts are Tochukwu Uchendu (a businessman) and Jewish Chief High Priest Immanuel -El Shalom Oka-Ben Madu.

    The judge gave the order in a ruling she delivered after the prosecution demanded that Kanu’s sureties be make to produce him and the IPOB leader’s lawyer denied knowledge of his whereabouts.

    The judge said: “The sureties are to show cause why he is not in court and why I should not issue a bench warrant against him.

    “The second surety (Senator Abaribe) will only be recused or excused from the bail suretyship when the 1st defendant is produced or if he decides to forfeit his bail bond.”

    “The prison authorities are hereby directed to allow the medical doctor of the 4th defendant access to his prison records and treatment following laid down prison procedure. I will extend this to the 3rd defendant.

    READ ALSO: Police planted arms recovered from our home, says Nnamdi Kanu’s family

    “All pending applications pending before the court will be taken in the course of proceedings,” Justice Nyako said.

    Kanu and three other member of his group  are being tried on a five-count charge of treason related offences.

    The court, however granted only the IPOB leader bail on health grounds on April 25.

    Abaribe, Uchendu and Madu stood surety for him to guarantee his continued attendance of court until the trial is concluded, failing which they would forfeit the N100million bond they each signed or be committed to prison until Kanu is found.

    Others being tried are: Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi.

    When the proceedings began yesterday, prosecuting lawyer Shuaibu Labaran noted that Kanu was absent in court.

    Labaran contended that Kanu’s absence was a violation of the bail granted him and the order that he must attend court until the trial is concluded.

    He urged the court to revoke the bail, issue a bench warrant for Kanu’s arrest and invite his three sureties to produce him or forfeit the N100 million bond they each signed and/ or be committed to prison.

    When Labaran took his seat, Kanu’s lawyer attempted to blame his client’s absence on the military.

    He claimed that Kanu had planned to attend court, but that since some soldiers invaded his house on September 14 this year, he (Kanu) had not been seen.

    The judge interjected and asked Ejiofor to limit his submission to what was before the court, particularly as it relates to why his client was absent.

    Ejiofor said he did not know why his client was absent. He also said he had not seen him since the military invaded his home.

    Another lawyer, Obiechi Ogbonna, who represented Abaribe, said his client did not also know where Kanu was and had applied to withdraw as his surety.

    As he indicated his intention to argue the application he filed for Abaribe, the judge noted that it was not yet time for that, and the senator could not recuse himself as surety when Kanu had not been found.

    Justice Nyako told Ogbonna that his client had three options.

    The first option, the judge said, is for Abaribe to produce Kanu.

    Abaribe will remain a surety until Kanu is found. He can thereafter decline to be a surety, and the court returns Kanu to prison until he perfects the bail again.

    The second and third options, the judge said, are that Abaribe either forfeits his bail bond of N100 million or appeals to the court for time to search for and produce Kanu.

    Ogbonna chose the third option and urged the court to allow his client time to produce the IPOB leader.

    The second defendant’s lawyer, Efa Ika, told the court that he was new in the case and was familiarising himself with the history of the trial.

    Mr. Adoga, who appeared for the third defendant said he had filed five applications for his client, seeking several prayers, including the transfer of the case to Owerri; an order quashing the charge, an order granting him bail and an order allowing him to stand trial alone on a separate charge.

    Maxwell Opara, who represented the fourth defendant, said he had two applications pending before the court, one seeking to compel prison authorities to allow his client access to his personal physician, and the other, that his client be granted bail.

    Upon agreement by lawyers in the case, the judge adjourned till November 20 for Kanu’s sureties to explain where he is and why he did not attend court.

     

  • Buhari, Ekweremadu, others meet on South East

    Buhari, Ekweremadu, others meet on South East

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday met behind closed-doors with some Federal lawmakers from the South East at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The group, South East Caucus in the National Assembly, presented some of the concerns and challenges of the South East to the President.

    Those in the delegation are the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Chairman of South East Caucus, Eyinnaya Abaribe, Sam Egwu, Hope Uzodinma, Andy Uba and Chukwuka Utazi.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting, Ekweremadu said: “For us from the South East, we believe that dialogue is better than any other form of engagement. So we decided to visit the President and present to him some of the concerns of the South East including the issues of roads, general infrastructure – the rail and airports.

    “We also discussed the issue of security with him and of course the issue of IPOB. We had a good conversation and he promised to look into the issues.”

    Abaribe said the delegation also sought for more federal appointments, adding that the South East is shortchanged more than any other zone in the country.

    He said: “This is the South East caucus in the Senate and we came to see the President because of the issues we have in the South East.

    “We had a fruitful discussion with the President. He has promised us that he is going to look into the problems of South East.

    “We know that there are problems everywhere but we also believe that the South East is the zone that is far much shortchanged at this time than other zones.

    “We also talked about the issue of appointments from the South East, especially with respect to the National Security Council. The President also told us that governors of the South East have also engaged him on the same problems we engaged him on.

    “There is a concerted effort from the people of the South East to be sure that we engage with this government meaningfully.”

  • Orji, Abaribe, Ohuabunwa pick PDP tickets in Abia

    Orji, Abaribe, Ohuabunwa pick PDP tickets in Abia

    ABIA State Governor Theodore Orji has picked the ticket to contest for the Senate to represent the people of Abia Central District.

    Senator Enyii Abaribe and Mao Ohuabunwa also won to stand for election to represent Abia South and Abia North.

    Announcing the result of the primary at the Umuahia Stadium, the returning officer, Chief Ndidi Okereke, said Orji scored 221 votes.

    The election, which was monitored by INEC officials, was held  amid tight security, with Police Commissioner Adamu Ibrahim present to supervise his officers and men.

    Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, who was screened and cleared to contest the election with Orji, boycotted the exercise, citing lack of confidence in the processes, as her reason.

    She alleged that the whole exercise was manipulated and skewed towards some preferred aspirants.

    Ohuabunwa, a former member of the House of Representatives, in the primary held at the Ohafia Local Government secretariat, beat his closet rival, Chief David Ogba Onuoha,  by 103 to 67 vote, while  the incumbent senator, Uche Chukwumereije, came a distant third with 21 votes.

  • Can Abaribe get PDP ticket in Abia?

    Can Abaribe get PDP ticket in Abia?

    Since 2003, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has been eyeing the governorship in Abia State. He is a top contender in the race for next year’s election. Can he get the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket? EMMANUEL OLADESU examines his chances at the primaries.

    In the last two months, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has been shuttling between Abuja and Abia State. He has been holding consultations with stakeholders on his governorship ambition. Among aspirants itching to succeed Governor Theodore Orji in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he appears to be the most popular, judging by his pedigree. But, it is left for PDP delegates to either select him as the flag bearer or reject him at the shadow poll.

    Many factors will shape the primaries and the general election in the Southeast state. These include zoning, pedigree of aspirants, their popularity among delegates, financial muscle and the influence of the governor.

    Apart from Abaribe, other contenders are the Managing Director of Diamond Bank, Dr. Alex Oti, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, Mr. Uche Oga, Mr. Okey Emutchay, Mr.  Friday Nwosu, Hon. Acho Nwakanma and Chief Mark Wabara.

    Sources said some aspirants are in the race to bargain for other positions. But, all of them are warming up for the shadow poll.

    The slot has been zoned to Abia South District. This may put the ambitions of some contenders in jeopardy.  Oga is from Abia North and Senator Nwaogu is from Abia Central.

    Many party chieftains have described Abaribe as the main issue in Abia in 2015. In the course of his consultations, he has received warm receptions across the local governments.

    The senator is a curious survivalist. He is the former deputy governor whose career was once liquidated by his former boss, Chief Orji Kalu. Instead of deserting the battle, he headed for another party. But, he could not make much impact. His structure has been a vital asset to him. When the coast was clear, he retraced his steps back to the PDP, bouncing back as a senator. In the Upper Chamber, where he represents Abia South, he is not a bench warmer. Abaribe as the Senate’s spokesman has endowed his seat with visibility. Today, many see him as the most experienced and qualified to succeed Orji.

    However, he is a victim of elite conspiracy. Abaribe is principled. He is perceived as man man endowed with a heart of steel and stone. Thus, some cabals believe that, if he becomes the governor, it may be difficult to control or cage him. But, the senator has a grassroots followership that is so passionate and committed to his cause.

    However, Abaribe’s popularity has also sent jitters down the spine of his  opponents. His campaign organisation has alleged that certain aspirants have resorted to blackmail and sponsorship of false publications to portray him in bad light and reduce his chance.

    So far, the Senate’s spokesman has visited 10 local government areas. They are Ukwa East, Ukwa West, Obingwa, Isiala Ngwa North, Umunneochi, Isikwuato, Bende, Ikwuano, Aba North and Aba South.

    When his campaign train rolled into Isikwuato local government area, Abaribe was overwhelmed by the large turnout. He praised the people for their dedication. Reflecting on zoning, he said, although he is favoured by this consideration, he would not be governor of any zone, but the governor of Abia State. “I have a commitment to serve the state and bring to bear on governance my integrity, honesty and transparency,” he said.

    However, there are hurdles to cross. Although the governor has not openly anointed a candidate, there are insinuations that he may later throw his weight behind a candidate he is grooming. However, Orji has debunked the claim, saying that he would provide a level playing ground for aspirants. The governor emphasised that he would not impose any aspirant on the chapter.

  • My plan for Abia, by Abaribe

    My plan for Abia, by Abaribe

    Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe is a former deputy governor of Abia State. He will complete his second term in the Senate next year. The governorship aspirant spoke with reporters in Lagos on his ambition, zoning, the challenges that will face Governor Theodore Orji’s successor and other partisan issues. EMMANUEL OLADESU was there. 

    What are the problems the next governor of Abia State will inherit from the out-going governor?

    Let me say that the challenges of development is the same in every state. In Abia, you will have to confront underdevelopment, massive unemployment, infrastructure that is not up at par with what you need for a 21st century economy, and of course, the education, health, environment and agriculture.

    Basically, the biggest challenge has  to do with the young men and women, who are coming out of schools without job. First, we will need to deal with how to produce people that are functional. Abia  can provide the manpower in the iger Delta. We think that as a matter of policy, you must be able to move people away from the grammar school literary type education to the technical based education.

    Secondly, you will also have to be able to retrain those who are already in different sectors in Abia, who cannot fit into the new ICT economy. That is part of the PDP manifesto. There are jobs, but you do not have the requisite trained people for those jobs and when you don’t have it, what the oil and gas people do is to import from outside. So, that’s why you find that, if you go to most of the industries in the Niger Delta region, you see a whole of Chinese, Koreans, Indian.

    What about infrastructural development?

    The other challenge is infrastructural challenge. Because the amount of money that comes to the state is very low, compared to  surrounding states, the governor will have to do two things: prudence, which means that whatever money that you get, you are going to get the optimal use of that money.

    Secondly, you must also start to seek newer ways of funding things and you must have to get better ways of doing both internally generated revenue and what comes from the federal purse. You must have to go to the place where there is industries and where there  people doing business that can pay their taxes. To do that, you have to also show them that what you are doing is in their own interest and for their own benefit. Therefore, you are able to provide for them physical evidence of what you are doing and get them to buy into it. That was how former Imo State Governor Sam Mbakwe was developing Aba because the money came from Aba.

    Arising from the infrastructure, of course, you will have to deal with all the other areas that are lacking. The governor is doing certain things that we have tagged the legacy project. What we are going to do is to sustain what he has done. One of the biggest problems in our governance structures in Nigeria has always been that a new government would always want to do something different from what the previous government has done. I don’t have that kind of ego problem. By my background as a university lecturer, when you are doing a paper, you will acknowledge the person who you are taking from his work so that you avoid the charge of plagiarism. There is no lecturer that doesn’t know you have to acknowledge other people and when you bring that to public service, what happens really is that, if another person has done something and he hasn’t finished it, then, you complete it, call the person and actually give him credit for it.

    We need to develop our state and we are really in a big hurry to catch up. So, a state where you get N4 billion and you have to compare it with a state where you get N16 billion or N25 billion or N23 billion per month, it means that, when you have to do something, you do it in a way that you will get the best value for your money. Of course, you will also have to cut your clothe according to your size

    As a governorship aspirant, what are the challenges facing you?

    For every politician, whenever you put yourself forward to the people, you will always have challenges. The challenges are two-fold. First of all, you have challenges from those who also are having the same ambitions like you. Secondly, you have the challenge of fitting within the dictates of your party, since we are running a democracy that does not allow any independent candidate. First of all, you have to look at yourself and be sure that you meet the criteria that is set up by your party. Once you meet that, you put forward your credentials and your criteria for running; other people are also putting up their own and what you want is a level playing ground. I have been in the field. I have done consultations at all levels. I’ve done consultations with stakeholders  in Abia North, Abia Central and Abia South. I come from Abia South and I have also done consultations with people at the state party level. I can tell you that I had a lot of enthusiasm from people when I went. No other aspirant in Abia has been able to traverse the Ssate in the way that I am doing.

    So,  it gives you an idea of what goes on in every local government and you know how the problems of the local governments.

    Can it be said that you have adequately represented your district in the Senate in the last  eight years?

    What I bring to the table is not theoretical; it is something that has already been done. Aba is the key to the industrial sector in the Southeast. In Nigeria, things made in Aba used to enjoy wide patronage until we started having the twin problem of lack of ph wild patronage, until we started having the twin problem of lack of physical infrastructure and power. We think that, if these two things are dealt with, Aba will rise again to continue to fulfill her potential.

    But, we did something that was unique. We did a made-in-Aba trade fair in Abuja. We brought the different groups  and people who manufacture petrol pump, shoes and bags, belts and so forth. We brought all of them to Abuja and we did an exhibition  and brought key people in government. We brought the Minister of Trade and Industry. We also brought different heads of the military -the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defence Staff, the head of the police, the head of the Civil Defence. We just wanted to expose to them that most of the things that they import and give to their people, we could make them in Aba. My view was to do a sort of backward integration. In other words, if we make it in Aba and you buy from us, the economy will grow and there will be no crime.

    Can you be trusted with power in Abia?

    Of all the people who have been in the Senate from Abia, I think I have done more than anybody. If what you have done for your people is the criteria, then, I deserve to be the governor based on that and the evidence is clear. This is not evidence that is coming just out of my mouth, but the evidence is pictorial and people can verify.

    Are you contesting because the slot has been zoned to your area?

    As I said, I started my consultations in April. Between April and May, we went all over the state and concluded it with our consultation with the party in the state. Ultimately, we completed the consultation in May. It was in July that the party took the decision to zone the governorship to my zone – Abia South. So, I could not have come because of the zoning. Actually, I would want to think it was because we had sufficiently told the party the reasons why they needed to take the best decision.  That also may be part of what made the party to zone it to Abia South.

    What are you bringing into this race that will distinguish you from your competitors?

    Three things: character, competence and integrity. I can say without any fear of contradiction that anybody in Abia knows that, if it is in terms of character, uptightness and being able to be your own person and actually work for the people of Abia, they will not find me wanting. If it is in terms of being competent enough to do the job of Governor, they will also not find me wanting because I have been at various levels and demonstrated at various times that I have the ability to run a state. For everybody who is a Governor, your word is your bond. We have also had the unfortunate situation of having had a Governor in Abia who will say one thing today and tomorrow will do exactly the opposite. That will never be me and that is why when I meet with Abians, they agree that this is the sort of person that is needed at this time of our national development.

    There is the insinuation that the governor will anoint a successor…

    I contacted the governor. I called a meeting of Abia South Senatorial Zone, being a political leader of the area. The governor told me that I should tell the people when I meet with them that he has never anointed anybody and that he didn’t have any intention of anointing anybody. Subsequently, the government of Abia also went on air and disowned the  statement. The governor said he was not going to influence anybody and  that everybody will have an equal chance at the primaries. When the party made the decision for zoning to Abia South, there was a meeting.   When the stakeholders met, I couldn’t go. I had to send the governor a text and he responded and told me that we should continue to sing the song of equity and fairness in Abia and that it is only fair that somebody from the senatorial zone that has not produced the governor should be given the opportunity.

  • Mark, Senate flay Abuja bombing

    Mark, Senate flay Abuja bombing

    President of the Senate, David Mark, on Monday condemned the early morning explosion that killed several people at an Abuja bus station.

    He urged the perpetrators to rethink “because this is a needless war.”

    He added: “It is hard to believe that this is happening to us. No matter the anger or grievances in any body’s mind. This war on defenceless citizens is uncalled for. This is inhuman and unarguably ungodly.”

    The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Senate President, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement issued in Abuja noted that Mark who was already at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, enroute Ibadan, Oyo State, made a u-turn in honor of the victims on hearing of the sordid incident.

    Mark was on his way to attend the birthday of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade I, on his 100 years and receive a Chieftaincy from the revered monarch.

    He sympathized with the victims and reminded Nigerians of the need to be their brothers’ keeper at all times.

    Mark called on Security operatives to collaborate with others even as he counseled them to be more proactive in order to end the menace.

    The Senate also decried the latest bomb blast at the Nyanya motor park, describing it as callous and wicked.

    A statement by its spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the blast is one incident by the evil minds that should prick Nigeria’s collective consciousness.

     

  • Dialogue: Why National Assembly opposes referendum, by Abaribe

    THE Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Enyinnaya Abaribe, yesterday explained why the National Assembly was opposed to subjecting the recommendations of the proposed National Conference to a referendum.

    Abaribe spoke when the Publisher and Chief Executive Officer of The Union, a publication of Today’s Publishing Company Limited, Mr. Emma Agu, visited him in Abuja.

    Abaribe said the option of a referendum was not tenable because it was not in the Constitution.

    He, however, said the Senate and the House of Representatives had included a clause for a referendum in the amendments being sought to the 1999 Constitution.

    The senator noted that the topical issue in Nigeria today was the question of the National Conference.

    According to him, it is unfortunate that those who are making comments on it seem not to understand the premise on which the Senate and the National Assembly is acting.

    Abaribe said: “We have heard so much of people talking from outside and saying whatever we discuss cannot be subjected to any other forum because what it means is that you are independent.

    “I will just say that those comments, with all due respect, are ill-informed. The basic fact is that President Goodluck Jonathan set up this committee, which is going around now collating views of Nigerians and members. I agreed to serve in that committee and it was sworn in and given the wherewithal to go around Nigeria to collate views. It has an underlying predicate and that underlying predicate is that President Jonathan is the President of Nigeria.”

  • Senators don’t earn bigger salaries than ministers and judges –Senate’s spokesman Abaribe

    Senators don’t earn bigger salaries than ministers and judges –Senate’s spokesman Abaribe

    Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe is the Senate Committee Chairman on Information. He was also the deputy to former Governor Orji Uzo Kalu in Abia State from 1999 to 2002. He had a frosty working relationship with Kalu and survived three impeachment attempts. In 2007, he was elected the Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District. He was a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant for Abia State in 2011. In this interview with Assistant Editor, LINUS OBOGO, Abaribe relives his trying times as deputy governor, saying that he was naïve at the time. He also speaks about the Nigerian project, insisting that the Igbo nation has not been fairly treated in the national scheme of things. Excerpts:

    A lot of Nigerians have advocated a sovereign national conference but the President opted for a national conference, which the National Assembly endorsed. Why this conference when similar ones had offered nothing in the end?

    If you recall the last NBA Conference in Calabar, the Senate President reiterated the need for a national conference. And it was on the September 17 when we resumed for the 2014 legislative year that Mr. President, in his speech welcoming senators back from their vacation, also reiterated the need for a national discourse, so to say.

    Let me say that it is necessary at this point for us to engage ourselves in a discussion. The reason for the discussion is that we seem now to have got into a position where people, rather than talk to each other, are settling issues through violence. In every part of the country, what we are seeing is violence from one end to the other. Things that could be resolved by mere discussion and seeing another person’s point of view, we just try to resolve them with people taking extreme positions.

    The essence of democracy is to be able to see the other person’s point of view, aggregate it and be able to reach some form of accommodation if we have to all live together. The only way to do that is by having a discussion. That is why when the Senate President mooted it, the Senate was behind it. And once the President also agreed and announced it during the Independence Day broadcast, the Senate quickly endorsed that position.

    The bottom line, of course, is this: it is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war, like the late British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, once declared. That is exactly where we are now.

    But why is the word ‘sovereign’ so dreaded by political office holders as well as lawmakers?

    It is because of the word ‘sovereign’. We are operating a system presently where we have the sovereign state of Nigeria with three arms of government. When you now wish to introduce another sovereign, what that means is that you are willingly giving away the sovereignty that is already embedded in the established structure of government. No two sovereigns can exist side by side. It is either you have the sovereign that is already embedded in the constitution, that we are already running, or you abrogate it and bring in another one.

    Sovereign national conferences happen in countries where you have already decided that you no longer have a country; you just want to have a means to secede. If it is a question for us to sit together and discuss our differences and determine our way forward, that can be done without necessarily having to abrogate the systems of government.

    We also feel that when you now put in such a thing and you want to call it sovereign or whatever name, what you are looking for is anarchy. I say this with due respect to those who seek to have a sovereign conference.

    What we are saying is that if you want to go ahead to talk about a sovereign conference, you are going to deal with who confers that sovereignty on the sovereign conference you are looking for? Sovereignty comes from established process, established protocols and established structures that we already have and I think that, that is the reason why we really shouldn’t waste our time dealing with the semantics of the word ‘sovereign’.

    I can give you a simple example. I am an Igbo man, I come from Abia State. Even within Abia State, I come from the Ngwa stalk. Even within the Ngwa stalk, we have the Nkwa-Ngwa nationality. So, at what point will we decide who will represent us, assuming, as it is commonly said, we have between 250 and 300 ethnic nationalities in Nigeria? For the Igbo race, would we be represented by one person? The Igbo nation has five states. Are we going to be represented by five different persons? If we would be represented by five different persons, who will represent me in Abia State? would it be the person that comes from my own ethnic nationality, the Nkwa-Ngwa, or somebody that comes from the Ngwa nation itself? Or is it going to be somebody that will represent Abia as a group?

    You can see all the questions that will arise when we start to pursue this aspect of sovereign conference. In fact, I read something interesting that was said by Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State in which he said what was the need to have a conference when we already have people who are representing us in the National Assembly, at the Senate level on equality of states and at the House of Representatives level on constituency basis? Why would we now seek a different set of people to represent us? You could see that there would be all manners of questions that would arise from the conference.

    But for us in the Senate, what we say is that if Nigerians want to talk to each other, if Nigerians are presuming that there would be something to be gained from a discussion between various groups, we are all for it. That is the position of the Senate.

    Recently, Prof. Ango Abdullahi made a statement to the effect that the North is not afraid of Nigeria breaking up and the people going their separate ways. Is that an indication of what the conference is all about?

    He is correct. You should not live in this country with fear. The North shouldn’t be afraid to make their positions known. But as I told you, which North is he referring to? Is it the physical expression or the geographical expression? Is it an emotional expression? There must be some point in which you must have to locate the statement because that same statement may not be agreed upon by somebody from the same place he comes from, who may have a different position.

    What we think is that for a dialogue of this nature, everybody must come to it with confidence. You shouldn’t come to it with a gun to your head, so to say. When he says the North should not be afraid, I agree with him. Nobody should be afraid. You should come and lay your cards on the table and let us know what is it you want and other parts of the country would also respond accordingly. That way, we would be able to reach an acceptable conclusion for all.

    What do you think should be the agenda of the Igbo with regards to the conference?

    I think the Igbo nation and the disparate groups within the Igbo nation will all meet and take a position, and when our position is enunciated after our meetings, then we can come up with something. I am a small person in the larger Igbo nation. I am representing Abia South. In the Senate, there are 15 other senators and one thing that we were taught as representatives of the people is that you should not put your own position forward until you talk to your people. I will confess to you today that I have not had any meeting with my people in Abia South to enunciate or to determine what our position would be. And until that happens, I am not at liberty to presume to speak for them for whatever may be their position.

    I will plead that you give me the time to talk with my people before I tell you where we would need to go. Also, I think that the 13-man committee set up by Mr. President would first of all set out their modalities and that would also guide us in the ways that we would also meet and make our positions known.

    In general terms, would you say that the Igbo nation has had a fair deal in the Nigerian enterprise?

    In general terms, no! We think we have not had a fair deal. We think that we the Igbo nation contribute so much to the country. We think that the Igbo nation is actually the glue that continues to hold the country together and we think that that fact has not been properly recognised by the rest of the country as it were.

    What are the Igbo senators doing to galvanise that recognition?

    Part of the reasons why we are having this conference is also to be able to ventilate these feelings. I am not a pessimist. By my profession as a politician, I am an optimist. Therefore, I would continue to feel that something good will come out of this conference.

    Given that we have had several of these conferences in the past and nothing came out of it, why should Nigerians be hopeful this time around?

    I will agree with you that sometimes it looks that way. But if you are an optimist, you will also feel that the mere fact that something had failed in the past does not mean that it will fail again. And so, an optimist would always want to try and continue to try. When I was younger, part of what we were taught in school in order to be able to do well was that if you try and you do not succeed, try, and try and try again. I think that if in the past we had conferences and those conferences did not achieve their results, nothing says that this particular conference will also not achieve its own resolve.

    Even at the time we had those conferences, I don’t think that we had been faced with the type of challenges that we are facing today. I think that there is no Nigerian who does not recognise that we need to deal with the problems we have today to be able to confront our tomorrow.

    Let us talk about your party, the PDP. The PDP has finally imploded to the point that its centre can no longer hold. Where does it go from here as the crisis continues to simmer?

    I do not think that the PDP has imploded. I do not agree with that assertion. I belong to the PDP. I am of the PDP. What I think is that a few persons within the PDP are dissatisfied and are expressing their dissatisfaction. This does not mean we are having a new party and so forth. But that is simply a way of expressing their dissatisfaction.

    There are several ways of expressing your dissatisfaction. You could decide to leave or go to another party. You could decide not to participate in what they are doing. But that does not remove the fact that PDP is still there as an entity. That is why if you noticed, at a point in our debate in the past couple of weeks, somebody tried to bring it up in the Senate and we said no, you cannot bring it. This is not the place where you ventilate party disagreement. You should go and deal with party disagreement at party level outside of the chamber. I think that the crisis will be resolved and very soon.

    The PDP in Abia State where I come from, there is no disagreement. All of us are working with our governor and all of us are committed to the PDP in that state.

    Would you say in all sincerity that all is well with the PDP?

    I will say all is not well because there are some disgruntled people. But what we have to do will be to resolve those issues with those who are disgruntled. But that does not mean that the PDP has imploded as you said. That is too strong a word to use.

    You were recently confronted by a group of protesting youths who demanded to know how much senators earn. Were they convinced by what you told them?

    I think what happened was that they probably did not expect that they were going to get a response. My feeling is that they came, assuming that they were just coming after sending a letter saying that they wanted to meet with the Senate and that nobody would bother to see them so that they would go home and claim that it is normal that our leaders are insensitive, they don’t want to talk to us, they don’t want to do anything.

    So, they were surprised that we actually came to see them, because I was in the chamber and the Senate president called me that he just got a letter now in the chamber, that there were a group of people who wanted to engage the Senate. We had no problem with that because they are Nigerians. They have every right to come to talk to us and we agreed to go and see them.

    The Senate President asked me to go with some senators to speak to them. I went there and they started listing their demands. You could see how rowdy the situation was. It was rowdy like I said because they never expected that we would come. Be that as it may, they now reeled out their demands. Their spokeswoman made allusions to the National Assembly budget and so forth. I needed to correct the impression because what I felt was that all along, there had been this impression given that the cost of governance is located in the National Assembly. I had to make the point that the total budget of the National Assembly, being the third arm of government, which includes the staff, the bureaucratic staff under the National Assembly service Commission, over 2000 persons, the running of the National Assembly as it were and the running of the different offices of the people who are there, including the offices of the National Assembly Commission and so forth, everything amounts to three per cent of the total budget.

    I then said to her: ‘If you are looking actually for reducing the total cost of governance, this is actually the wrong place to come to because you have 97 per cent residing elsewhere and you are coming to find out what is happening to three per cent. I told them that it was not that we did not want to answer them, but that you might do much better to cast your net wider than you are casting it here. They insisted that our salaries are jumbo salaries and all that, and I said I was going to give them my pay slip so that they could see that I earn the same thing as a minister and I think as well as a Supreme Court Judge.

    That is how it is actually done by the Revenue Mobilisation. But when they want to call the salary of a Supreme Court judge, they don’t call it jumbo salary. When they want to call the salary of a minister, they don’t call it jumbo salary. So, why is it that the same salary that comes to this arm of government is referred to as jumbo salary? It is the words that are being used in that manner that tend to pit the public against us. That was exactly what happened on that day.

    You were reportedly shunned by the traditional ruler and elders of your constituency on the allegation that you were not transparent with the botched visit. How did the plan crumble?

    That is what happens when you have what is called jaundiced journalism. Nobody asked the question, how was I shunned for coming to my place? What did they mean by planned visit? The point really is that the person who wrote that story simply went ahead to write what I would describe as yellow journalism, which we all know about. What was the visit about? That is the question that was not asked. The story was just concocted.

    What really happened was that the governor of the state made a statement stating that in the interest of Abia Chatter of Equity, come 2015, there should be a rotation of the office of the governor among our three senatorial zones. Abia North has produced a governor, same with Abia Central, and that it would be the turn of Abia South in 2015. Certain people within the Abia South Senatorial Zone decided that we would meet to thank the governor. But because some other people also want to run for governorship from Abia Central, they organised themselves and said our visit would mean their preclusion from the governorship race and that it was not in consonance with the constitution. They went to make a complaint to the governor and the governor said he did not want to heat up the polity, and advised that we shelved the visit. That was how the visit was shelved.

    Rather than report the truth, somebody now turned around and didn’t report what happened. They simply said that I wanted to come home and I was rejected. Does that make sense? It did not make sense. I did not bother to refute it because there was absolutely no need to. Those from Abia South know my relationship with them. These are the things that happen once there is a looming clash of interest. All sorts of people will say all sorts of things. Really, it doesn’t mean anything. When the time comes, it is certain that everybody will know who actually is loved by his people and who is not loved.

    I have been in politics since 1999. I left government house in March 2003. I ran for election in April against the incumbent governor and I lost. Yet I bounced back in 2007 to win the senate against the incumbent governor with the whole machinery of government in place. That should offer an insight into the type of political asset that I am. I have built one of the most enduring political structures in Abia State and it is still there till today. Those who are a little scared of it think that they could get at me by planting all these things. There is no need to bother about that.

    What has been your relationship with your former boss, ex-governor Orji Uzor Kalu?

    I really have no relationship in the sense that his interest is different from mine and I am representing the people in the Senate. Our paths do not cross. Since our paths do not cross, we have no interest that overlaps in any way.

    What was your relationship with him like when you were deputy governor, given that you survived about three impeachment attempts under him as governor?

    Let me say that the whole country had an idea of the type of relationship we had. A relationship that witnessed three impeachments as deputy governor was not a relationship that you will call a very good relationship. I would think that our relationship was not the relationship that would be described as very good. I think we have learnt a lot of lessons, especially for me. Kalu made me to grow up quickly. I was a little naive at the beginning but I quickly grew up because of what happened.

    Be that as it may, that is now in the past. I do not want to waste my energy recalling or reliving those experiences. I have taken the lessons from what happened then and I have moved on.

    If you have another opportunity to work with him again, how readily would you jump at it?

    No, I won’t.

    Why not?

    Because I do not think that our personalities would be agreeable with each other.