Dr Usani Uguru Usani, a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs during President Muhammadu Buhari’s first term, is the governorship candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) for the 2023 election in Cross River State. The former Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Information and Agriculture in the state speaks to TAOFEEK LAWAL on his governorship ambition and roles youths should play in politics.
You were a strong member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but now you are in the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). What informed your decision to join this party at this point in time?*
I sought a place to express my democratic desire. The APC democratic space in Cross River was constricted so I had to move.
So, what position are you vying for in the PRP?
Governorship.
Do you think you have what it takes to deliver democratic dividends to Cross Riverians?*
What does it take?
I want you to tell me.
But you are asking if I have what it takes, it means you know what it takes.
Yes, based on your experience.
You know I have experience already. Then I have experience to deliver
Then tell Nigerians the experience that you have. Nigerians want to know the experience you have to govern Cross River.
I have been handling administration for the past 30 years in different capacities and I have never been accused of misconduct. And if that is not enough, I will desire your training.
You said administrative and you were a minister for three and half years. How prepared are you to govern Cross River?
I am psychologically and emotionally prepared. I am administratively equipped and skillfully capable.
*And do you think PRP will give you that platform based on the fact that there are two dominant parties in Nigeria, the APC and the PDP? Do you see PRP breaking into the parties?
When APC came, did people believe they could dethrone Jonathan? It is a mentality culture that is abusing Nigerians’ faculty of thought. When you say PDP, APC is it not people that build a party? And if people now abandon one party and move into another, is it not the establishment of another one? Within two weeks, we have set up (PRP) structures in the (Cross River) state and people are even scrambling for party positions. Nigeria has got to a point where we are looking at people not party because parties don’t do any functions, it is the human beings that perform. So, stop crying wolf when your spirit of cowardice would not allow you appreciate something new, we begin to emphasis on dominant parties. Who told you dominant parties have animals or they have foreign beings? Is it not the same Nigerians recycling themselves? They are abusing your mentality by that culture of thinking about major parties. What is major and what is minor? A human being is a complete human being so stop abusing your mentality. A major can become minor and a minor can become major.
What are those things you want to bring into governance in Cross River State?
When you ask this question, I will ask you to go to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and look around. Go to my state look around, go to any states in the Niger Delta and look around because they are too numerous for me to mention within three and half years what I have done. But records speak.
You are seeking the mandate of the people’ and they should know what you want to deliver to them. What new things are you bringing on board? They want to know.
There is nothing new that anybody can talk about. But there is always something new in strategy and approach and consideration and also your mindset which is what can make the difference because without it (mindset), every other thing you do will be a traditional thing. When you go and provide water you say it is development, you give people roads you say it is development these are necessities.
The security situation in the country calls for concern and you will Nigerians from all zones agree that nowhere is safe again in Nigeria, South, West, North, East. What do you think is the way out?
You are asking me a question in which I am not skilled enough to answer. I am not security personnel and so it is difficult for me to proffer a solution. But the layman attitude should be protect your house, protect your community.
But you are a politician who wants to be the chief security officer of a state and security is the most important thing that a governor should provide for his people.
In that office you are exposed to information that can help you take decisions. You are exposed to intelligence that will enable you take decisions. Here I am not yet exposed to such and so I will not claim that I have all the knowledge and say what will run against me.
Youths in Nigeria constitute more than 60 per cent of the population and here we are having older people emerging as presidential candidates in the country. And you will agree with me that youth can determine where the pendulum will swing as we approach 2023 general elections. What will be your message to the youth so that they can …?
(Cuts in). Were there no youth in the delegates’ congregation? Why did they not nominate their own?
That is why I am asking you. What do you think they can do different?
The youths themselves have a mindset of being used to work for the elders you are accusing. Why are they not in the forum of congregants as delegates to vote for their own to emerge? Go back to the youth and ask them what is pursuing them.
What is your advice to them?
My advice to them is to be conscious of their environment.
As we do the countdown to the 2023 elections and now that we have parties that can compete with PDP and APC in the elections, don’t you think that as APC did in 2014 when they came through a merger or alliance, these other parties too can come together and form an alliance to battle the PDP and the APC?
Ok, let me ask you what would have been your reaction if the person you consider best had the provision in the constitution to run as an independent candidate, wouldn’t you have voted for him?
But there is no such in the constitution now.
No, I am asking you a hypothetical question. Wouldn’t you have voted for the person you consider best if he run as an independent candidate? If you will then you don’t need a conglomeration to vote for who you want. So don’t wait for merger. Select who you want by your ballot and that is the thing I am talking about cowardice of attitude. You want to wait for the multitude to move before you can take a decision. When you suffer in your house, do you bring them in?
I am asking this question because these two parties (APC and PDP) have structures in all the 774 local government areas in the country?
Do you know what Peter Obi say about structures?
What did he say?
He said the poor people in the streets who are hungry are my structures.
But has he (Obi) been doing anything?
Did you expect people of other parties to come to the podium where APC is campaigning to be present? You are citing an instance of somebody coming for the grand finale of his candidate in his party and you said others are not there. Where should they have been? If they are in the houses of their own party, would you focus on them? You wouldn’t know where they are at the time. The day they would be holding their own rally, find out if they will not be there.
What will be your advice to Nigerians on who they support in 2023 elections?
It is to vote for the candidates of their choices devoid of antecedents of traditional politicking.
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