Amorighoye Mene, Organising Secretary of Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC), spoke with Senior Correspondent Okungbowa Aiwerie on the challenge of reconciliation.
HOW can peace return to Delta APC?
The last APC crisis was a storm in a teacup. APC is a large political party still in the process of building internal cohesion. Disagreements are not unusual in a political party; it only requires political maturity in making sure it does not boil over.
I thank the leadership of the APC at the National level for resolving the crisis. I especially appreciate the National Chairman, His Excellency, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for his belief in the rule of law and his political maturity in managing the crisis.
His act of recalling all suspended officials and his press conference which he featured in with the Acting Secretary, Giadom, portrays him as a statesman determined and willing to build a formidable national party.
I urge him at this point to reconcile all aggrieved persons. We can never have enough reconciliation within a political party.
How can the gains of that peace get to troubled Delta State chapter?
The National Chairman, His Excellency, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has set a template for leadership at the state level. Leaders should exhibit political maturity and political inclusiveness in building internal party cohesion and peace.
The State Chairman, Prophet Jones Ode Erue is my personal friend and I respect our friendship. Our point of disagreement is that the party must be run constitutionally.
We have been talking with each other and we are determined to reconcile the party and create a peaceful atmosphere for the party to grow because the party cannot grow in the midst of crisis and instability.
It is also our hope that other feuding individuals within the party will also reconcile and come together once again to promote the interests of the people of Delta State.
What is the APC doing to reposition the party for success?
The APC is a welfarist party concerned with the socio-economic wellbeing of Nigerians and in our case, Delta State in particular. Our major challenge at the last election was conflict within the party. We have learnt our lesson in a bitter way.
Going forward, we are working on the mechanics for internal party harmony where all interests will be subsumed within the larger APC Agenda. Feelers from all around the state clearly indicated that Deltans want APC to bring succor to the deprived and marginalised Deltans despite our huge resources from Oil and Gas and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). By the grace of God, come 2023, APC will occupy the Government House in Asaba.
How do you rate the PDP administration of Governor Okowa?
The PDP administration in Delta State has been most unkind to Deltans in terms of human capital and infrastructural development.
When we compare with Edo State and other states around us despite our number one position in revenue allocation, you will see why Deltans are yearning for a change. The oil producing communities in the state are still without basic amenities like electricity, clean water, health facilities and schools.
How do you assess the efforts of the state in its fight against the corona virus pandemic?
The coronavirus pandemic is of great concern to the whole of humanity; we should not play politics with it. Rather everybody must come together to fight this virus and be their brother’s keeper. We appreciate the efforts of the Delta State Government in this regard.
We urge the Delta State Government that in addition to the measures taken so far to take a cue from the Lagos State Government and fumigate public areas.
They should also establish several testing centers and well equipped treatment facilities with ventilators around the state in the eventuality that the country experiences a spike in the number of cases.
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