DELTA 2015 AND THE ISSUE OF INDEGENESHIP No need heating up the polity over Obuh – Amb. Echegile

9 November 2014

By DAPO AKINREFON

AMBASSADOR Godson Onyemaechi Echegile, Nigeria’s envoy to Sierra Leone from 2008 to 2011, is a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State.

In this interview, the PDP stalwart faults the insinuation that a frontline governorship aspirant in the state, Sir Tony Obuh, hails from Itsekiri land. He speaks, among other issues, on the 2015 governorship race in Delta. Excerpts:

As a stakeholder, what is the state of Delta politics today? 

It is as cordial as it could be. This is the season of primaries and you hear all sorts of comments. The only snag is what I will call not paying attention to real issues. People should tell us what they want to give to the people in terms of dividends of democracy so that we will have a barometer with which we can measure them at the end of their tenure, rather than trying to run each other down.

There is this growing agitation for power shift. What is your opinion on the controversy? 

I think that is more or less a settled matter. The leader of the party in Delta State, the governor, has reaffirmed that; the Chairman of the party in the state has reconfirmed that it is time for Delta North to produce the governor. But we need the support of our brothers in Delta Central and Delta South, some of whom are also interested in the race, to do it.

Naturally, when former Governor Ibori came from Delta Central, there were contestants from other senatorial districts. When Governor Uduaghan emerged from Delta South, I contested from the North.

So, you will always have people contesting but the preponderance of the party faithful know that there is zoning and they will move in their voting pattern along that zoning formula. I can bet you, you will see the results.

Still on the zoning controversy, some people have argued that the issue might heat up the politics of the state, if not well handled?

No. If you remember, eight years ago, it was worse than what we are having now. We had the Equity Group, the G-3 and the rest of them, but at the end of the primaries, we were able to resolve the crisis. It is a question of having a mechanism to manage the post-primary crisis, which I think Delta PDP has to manage.

But was there any written document or agreement on the rotation of the governorship seat among the three senatorial districts?

The best of agreements are never written. So, there is no written agreement but there is that understanding.

Are you not worried that the issue might lead to members of your party defecting to another party?

Not at all, we have seen it before. When the present governor emerged as an Itsekiri man, there were all manner of threats, but at the end of the day, we all still voted for him. Some people will make comments but when the chips are down, they will still toe the party line.

But some people say the governor’s continued silence on power shift shows he is not disposed to the idea. What is your take on it?

No. The governor has not been silent on power shift; he has spoken at different fora that power should go to Delta North. I am close enough to him to know. He has said it at different fora that power should go to Delta North.

As a stakeholder and PDP chieftain from Delta North, are you throwing up a consensus candidate from the region? 

We are not likely going to throw up a consensus candidate for two reasons. Not all Delta northerners are PDP members. Second, the beauty of democracy is for everybody to lay down what he wants to do and the plans he has, then, the people will decide. I don’t think consensus is possible.

It is been speculated that Sir Tony Obuh has been adopted as the candidate of the PDP and that he is an Itsekiri man, but this is generating heat in the state. Can you clear the air on this?

Let me take it this way. Sir Tony Obuh is not an Itsekiri man. He is an Ika man from Delta North. The wife is also from Delta North. I have known him for upwards of 30 years. These are propaganda thrown up by opponents, but I want to say that the people should focus their campaign on what they will deliver to the people.

I can authoritatively tell you that Tony Obuh is from Delta North, the parents are from Delta North. This is coming from mischief makers.

Whether the governor has adopted him or not are stories flying all over the place, and coming from gubernatorial aspirants. You see, all the aspirants are looking for the governor’s endorsement and they are praying for the governor’s endorsement.

I am aware that all the aspirants, at different times, have gone to see the governor to plead for his support, but I do not see why they should now say that one person has been adopted.

If they had been adopted, would they turn back and criticise that? I am not aware that the governor has adopted anybody, but the point I am making is that they have all gone to the governor for his blessing and they are still praying for his blessing. So, people should not use that as the basis for campaign.

I don’t think there is anything about a Permanent Secretary running for election. First of all, Permanent Secretary’s position is political. Obuh has been a party man. He has shown his membership card. He has paid his party dues. Those are not the issues.

If people want to raise issues, they should raise issues based on what they will deliver and not trying to attack somebody because they believe he is a front runner or he has the backing of some of the leaders. I don’t think that the right way to go.

The gubernatorial issue is said to be causing problem between the Ndokwa and the two other ethnic groups in Delta North. What is the situation really?

Like I said, any of the three ethnic groups, from Delta North, can produce the governor.

I think it was the Anioma Congress that submitted a list. I have not seen the list, but if what I read is anything to go by, they limited their choice to the two ethnic groups of Ika and and Aniocha/Oshimili leaving out the Ndokwa. To me, the Anioma Congress is a very credible organisation, made up of our elders, but I think it was a big omission on their part to leave Ndokwa nationality and that is what is causing the protest from the Ndokwa. We cannot marginalize them in that list. I want to use this opportunity to appeal to our Ndokwa brothers not to overreact on what the Anioma Congress did.

There are speculations that you are still interested in running for the office of governor. How true is this?

I have grown older. I want to leave it for the younger ones to try their luck in the governorship race.

Critics have flayed the governor’s performance since assumption of office. They say he has not performed to expectations.

That is totally wrong. Today, I can go to Asaba from Lagos in the morning and come back in the afternoon because there is an airport there. You see, we cannot do all these things in one day. Look at his health program; look at the issue of peace and security.

When he came, you could barely go to Delta because there was kidnapping and all kinds of violent crimes, but, today, security has improved.

If you go to the model schools, you will agree he has done well and, in terms of infrastructure, I will score him high. We need somebody to build on this and take us to the next phase of our development.

National Honour

I want to thank the President for finding me worthy of that award. It is a call to service to do more for my country. It is a call to be more dedicated to this country.

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