- At an interactive session with Journalists, Moses Siasia, 35-year-old governorship aspirant in Baylesa State, revealed his plans to transform the state. He also lamented the interests of the old folks for the younger generations. David Lawal was at the session for The Nation Newspaper.
Excerpts:
Kindly give us an insight into your background
Well, you are welcome. I believe that the redemption of this country that we call our own lies with our generation; we the youths. I lived in an environment where we had no food, no toilet, I almost lost my life but God was the one that intervened.
They would not give the younger generations the chance, they would continue to come up with strategies that would further undermine us and ensure that the youths do not speak in one voice. In the programmes that we have been able to carry out, none of them have supported us, except very few that believed in us.
How were you able to transform yourself despite the challenges you faced in your younger age?
I fend for myself 17 years ago. I was in the street of Port Harcourt hawking oranges, selling Ice Blocks but at that time I told myself that I wasn’t going to be subservient to my situation. I am going to work hard because I believe that there is a deposit of potentials in me.
That was how I started from that humble background. I washed rugs, plant flowers and today the story is different. Today, I have built a business of a group of companies,
Mosilo Groups . We have interest in various sectors. I have employed many persons, mostly youth. We started what is called the Nigeria Young Professional Group and in two years today we are in 15 countries. We are the only young group in Nigeria that is registered in USA and United Kingdom. We are about finalising our registrations with the United Nations.
I founded the Young Professionals Group to give voice to the youths. There is no young man in Nigeria today that has been close to power like I have. I can beat my chest to say that the elites are not interested in the youth.
How do you rate Bayelsa State as at now?
Bayelsa state is less than one million in population and we have received over N2 trillion from 1999 till date but if you come to Bayelsa today, you will cry because there is no concrete work on ground, our educational system is in a state of decay, our women do not have that sense of belonging again because they cannot sell again, our people are used to fishing but cannot do that because of oil spillage. The leadership had not been fair to our people. The sectors are down.
Do you know that there are a lot of Bayelsa students abroad who are stranded and cannot pay their fees any more, they are frustrated, the females have gone into prostitution, the government keep responding that there is no money but when the money comes they share it amongst themselves, it doesn't trickle down to the people.
For instance, we have had successive government in Bayelsa who placed embargo on employment; there is no critical investment in Bayelsa that can employ massively.
Everybody sees government as the only employer of labour in Bayelsa. Now you need a leader that can think outside the box, that is innovative and creative to bring about the investments required in Bayelsa state.
I have been in the private sector, I have business, I have partners and I have the will to do that. You cannot give what you do not have, I have employed people, I have grown a business from scratch to where it is today, I have helped people in my community, I have not bought education material for two years; I have been supplying them.
I have eight children from my community studying abroad, on my mill. So, let all those who have ruled Bayelsa come out and tell what they were able to achieve before they got to that position.
What is your disposition to Youths development in the Country?
The lowest funded ministry in the history of democracy in Nigeria is the ministry of youth. Meanwhile, we gave them the mandate. When I was younger I used to see government development craft centers, skill acquisition centers, sport development institutions, look at the education sector, it suggest that there is no hope for the young generation.
When you canvas for the inclusion of young people in governance, they would say what level of experience do you. So we have found ourselves in a state of dashed hope and opportunity.
I have so much belief in the younger generation that why I am offering myself to liberate my people from the suffering and hardship that they are going through. This is the first time in the new Nigeria democracy that someone of my age group would come out for a position like this, and as a governor being a member of the Council of state; I am going to represent the interest of the youth. This is my will.
We must put an end to political imposition and create a sustainable future for our people. My heart bleeds whenever I am asked ''where are you from?'' Sometimes my friends and associates from abroad say they want to come to my state and I wonder what they would see there.
Meanwhile, Bayelsa state has a huge tourism potential. We have 75 per cent of Nigeria's gas reserve and the level of political gain that Bayelsa has enjoyed has never been enjoyed by any state in this country.
Bayelsa has had a
President, a
Petroleum minister, a National security adviser all from a state that is not up to one million in population, eight local governments but this political positioning have not been translated into gains to benefit the people.
It will therefore take a will of grace that can bring about the needed change and that is what I am bringing to the table. I am not going to the state house to sell pride but to sell humility, to serve my people, if I have been able to achieve what I have achieved in the private sector, then I can bring the much needed development in the public sector to our people.
Considering your age, would you not need party elders’ support to secure the ticket?
While some remain myopic and wouldn't love to let go because that is where they get their pay from, there are some of them that are positive minded. And we must convince them that it is time for us take care of them and to take the interests of our people serious. And I believe that God will give us the grace to champion this course to the next level.
You should be aware of the level of debt in the state which successive administrations have incurred, how would you run a successful government with the high level of debt?
If you do not take up the challenge you will continue to allow people to accumulate debt for the state. My will is to put a stop to debt owing. We must create investments that would boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue of the state which is currently less than N1 billion.
We are going to diversify the economy and concentrate on sectors like tourism, agriculture. I would increase investment enough and create environment to attract investors.
We would tax the rich and the big hotels in the state and complete the abandoned five-star hotel project that former President Jonathan started so that people can come and see.
Bayelsa is where oil was first discovered in Nigeria. We would create a museum, a city out of Oloibiri, then develop Akasa and create a beach there. The environment in Akasa in Bayelsa is better than Miami in the US. If you sit in Brass at night you can sight Guinea. Bayelsa State is central to the Gulf of Guinea. You can get to Equatorial Guinea under one hour through boat from Brass. Hence, we can build partnership and build seaport.
We can use the opportunities to create wealth for the people. I am not going to run a debt owing state. There won’t be need to borrow to execute any project. Some of my partners are currently supporting some states in building infrastructures.
We would also team up with them. There are a lot of my partners who are looking for real business environment to invest; we can create that. The current administration created Bayelsa Development Centers in the United Kingdom and South Africa but not many investments have come to the state through this means.
In one year, we can bring about 500 companies in Bayelsa. We can create massive employment under one year, in fact about 50,000 jobs, viable jobs, not N10, 000 jobs or street sweeping jobs. We are going to create job that comes with job security. Wealth to me is not about how much I have in my account but how many lives I have been able to touch and that is why I want the people to vote for me. I have done that in the past.
Majority of the militants from the Niger Delta regional are from your state, what is your plan for them?
I do not see them as militants, rather, I see some of them as professionals. For example, on a high sea and on a very high level of water pressure, someone uses a speed boat to kidnap somebody and still uses the speed boat to escape with his victim. It requires a lot of technicalities to do what they are doing.
We would try to ensure that they channel their energy into productive ventures. We would show them the light to enable them use their potentials rightly and this will further strengthen the state.
That is where human capacity development comes in. I have started meeting with some of them and they have been impressed that someone within their age bracket is coming out for a post like governor, while some of them have not responded.
Well, but we would keep them informed about the dynamics of contemporary politics which largely involves youth participation.
How realistic is it for you to run the state without borrowing funds when elected as governor?
My business is not in debt. You must take loan to fund massive projects but the strategy we have used to run our business is to build partnership and that would be adopted too.
See, running a state is not so different from running a business. Some state governors were able to leave office with good reserves without debt. What we have is enough to sustain the state.
For instance, most investors have it in their business plan that they are going to get gas from Bayelsa and this makes the state very strategic. And we are going to build investment around this with the support of the Federal Government to ensure that we create massive wealth for our people. Our aim is that we transform Bayesa to a point that everyone would become proud of it.
Considering the current level of threat to life in Bayelsa due to kidnapping and hostage taking, how do you intend to ensure the safety of foreign investors and provide basic facilities which they are used to from where they are coming?
We would use Bayelsa as example for modern facilities by Optic fibre network. You would have access to internet from anywhere you are. There are companies that are willing to come and do this and thankfully people are beginning to key into this.
For security, I believe that once the people have a sense of belonging, the state becomes secured. This strategy was used in Borno and it is working. The environment becomes safe once you build confidence and the people are part of the projects.
We must transmit values that would sensitize the people so they would know that they are critical stakeholders in the system. People will be able to access me as this would help to build their trust.
How do you intend to dislodge political heavyweights like the incumbent governor, Dickson and Timipre Silva who are currently rumoured to be interested in the governorship race?
It is not about me, it is not just Moses Siasia, it is a movement. The people's will is more important in politics. This was evident in the last general elections. Power is going back to the people and this is what would happen in Bayelsa too.
Former President Jonathan is from Bayelsa and is expected to be the Godfather in the state. Do you have his support already or hoping to?
People's perception of godfathers in politics really worries me some times. I understand that there is need to gather the support of the heavyweights. I will consult the former president.
I know he is open to the voice of the youth as seen in his works while in office and this is the time for him to show again that he believes in the youth.
Does the ethnic game on ground in Bayelsa favour you? And how would you ensure that you are accepted at the grassroots?
I strongly believe in professionalism so I don't discuss matters like ethnicity or zoning formula. The incumbent governor is from my part of the state, he has used for years and I will also use four years. The choice is there for the people to make and they would make it rightly, I believe that we do not have buy people's vote because the people are wise now.
