PDP presidential candidate may emerge through consensus —Ortom

Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, has continued to air his views on contentious national issues. In his latest interview with some journalists in Abuja, he addressed the alleged failure of governance and more. LEON USIGBE brings the excerpts. 

What can you say about the present direction of the country? 

As journalists, I want you to know that whatever you are doing in ensuring good reportage of happenings in the country, you are doing it for yourselves, for your country men, for your society and for everyone, including those who are following us. We have the collective responsibility to bring to the knowledge of all, what is happening and how we can overcome our challenges. As the fourth estate of the realm, you have a responsibility to disseminate information from the government and then from the people. Why shy away from the responsibilities?

For some of us who have chosen to be on the side of the truth, justice, equity and fairness, most media houses are running away from us. They have refused to decode what we say or what is happening. I am over 40 years in politics. I have chosen to take the path of truth, integrity, fairness equity and justice because I believe this is the only thing that can take us out of the mess that we›re in Nigeria. Even our children in primary schools and those who are yet to begin formal education are aware that our country has gone down.

When I quote the deposed emir of Kano who said in the last six years Nigeria has been taken back to 40 years when we started and of course it is the truth. Anybody who is afraid of the EFCC, intimidation, blackmail and who is afraid of being castigated that will say nothing is wrong with Nigeria. An average person who stands for truth, justice, equity and fairness will confirm that things are wrong in the country.

Talking about key issues, where are we in the fight against corruption? If we are fighting corruption should some people, who have been accused, still remain in offices? If you talk about the economy, globally it is private sector that drives the economy. Today in Nigeria, where is the position of the private sector?

If you talk about security, where are we? We don’t even know the federal government has lost control Nigerians are suffering. Nigerians have become IDPs in their country. Only a few of us who are privileged to have security can be said to be secure, but every Nigerian is suffering and is under siege. Talk about education, go to our higher institutions. Agriculture that is supposed to be a support to the oil economy of this country, where are we? We are just paying lip service.

I know that President Muhammadu Buhari meant well when he came in 2015, but some cabals have taken over this country and they are driving this country through the mud. I’m not sure President Buhari is aware.  If he were aware, I believe he would have risen to his responsibility and taken steps that would have corrected what is happening in our country. Many people have been intimidated; they cannot speak. They cannot open up to even advise the presidency. We are getting to a level that if action is not taken to redeem the situation, we will tomorrow wake up to unknown gunmen taking over the country and we will not be able to stand on our feet.

So, for me, I›m concerned as a patriotic person who wants things to work, who believes in Nigeria. First of all, I believe in my own state, the Tiv, the Idoma, the Igede people, uniting and working together and bringing prosperity and of course, in Nigeria. I believe in the unity of this country. So, mine is to encourage all of you. Don’t take the path of sycophants or mediocre or people who are out to fill their pockets. Take the path of patriotism; take the path of upholding our country Nigeria.

Today, there is no justice, fairness and equity. I keep repeating this talk about the South-East. According to those prosecuting Nnamdi Kanu, he has been detained because he breached the laws of this country. The same thing for Sunday Igboho. He was caught up in the Benin Republic and the federal government is interested in extraditing him, while we we’re told that he also breached the provisions of the laws of the country.

Then, we have the Fulani herdsmen and militia who have been given the nickname of bandits. Three weeks ago, some of our children in Benue were kidnapped, three girls and one boy and then two Hausa men six of them boarded Benue Links vehicle go to Zamfara. They were kidnapped and their parents were asked to bring N30 million. And while negotiation was going on, these bandits took pictures of the abductees and posted them on the social media and said that if the family didn’t pay the ransom, they were going to kill them. And they were not masked in the video. They displayed themselves and up till today, no security agent has gone after them. And then you will tell me that you are arresting IPOB leader; you are arresting Igboho. So, where is justice, fairness and equity? Over 1,700 people have been killed in Benue and they have continued to kill. I have just chosen not to be talking about this lamentation and that is why I went out and decided that we would form community volunteer guard that will complement the security agencies. Security agencies in Benue State, more than 100 of them, DSS, police, army, and civil defence, more than 100 of them have been killed in Benue State while they were trying to keep and restore peace in our country. So, this is a challenge.

So, you can see that the federal government is helpless. We all need to join hands together to help this federal government. They have failed. They have not performed and unless we all rise up, whether you are a journalist, a politician, a civil servant, a security man, a farmer, whoever you are, this government has demonstrated that it has no capacity at all because the primary responsibility of any responsibility of government is to provide security for lives and properties. But when government fails in its primary responsibility, it means there’s a problem. This country does not belong to me as governor or to the president, or National Assembly, or state houses of assembly. It belongs to all of us.

Those of us who are here today as leaders, we are here on temporary basis. We will not be there tomorrow. But we have a responsibility to preserve our country.  So, I want to implore both of us to rise up to our responsibilities and not to be blaming leaders. In your little way, what have you done to contribute, to add value to help salvage the situation? But I tell you where we are today, we have failed. But I want to implore Nigerians to continue to pray as I do for the president, for governors, for National Assembly members, for all of us, traditional rulers who are in authority today collectively we have failed as leaders of this country. This is not the Nigeria our forefathers worked hard, sacrificed their lives to bring forth.

The Bible says you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. Let us stop deceiving ourselves, let us always say the truth whether we are going to die or going to live.

I want to remind Nigerians that one day, wherever you are, whatever you have, whoever you are, one day you will die. And that will be the end. But what will the important thing be? Posterity will remember you for being on the side of justice, on the side of adding value or on the side of injustice and helping to be part of retrogression of the country. But if you contribute positively by staying on the side of justice, posterity will ever remember you. Like we hear Martin Luther King Jnr, who stood firm, spoke words that today have remained comfort to all. And one of his quotes to say that those who are silent in the face of injustice are worse than the people who are perpetrating that injustice. So, if we have nothing to say, let us remain focused and stand up for justice but if we keep quiet and remain complacent the way we are, I tell you, all of us are going to be consumed one day.

As governor, you are the Chief Security Officer of the your state where about 1,700 lives, including 100 security men, have been killed.  What are you doing to salvage the situation? And what is your relationship with the president? 

I relate with the president as my president I respect him I pray for him. Some people who are sycophants and who feed from crumbs have tried to distance me from my president. But I remain committed in my prayers for the president for wisdom, knowledge and understanding to succeed.

But as for me as governor of Benue State, I remain very loyal with the conventional security agencies in my state. We work hand in hand, and they have done so well. I commend them. They have done their best. With the challenges there, they are grossly inadequate. And to complement that, we amended a law to empower the community volunteer guards to be also armed with minimum weapons that are legal and to be able to support the security agencies so that we can overcome this problem. But honestly, the security men are doing their best and I tell you, they too have been victims of these terrorist activities that have been going on.

But they need support and we have encouraged our people to stand with them to support them. Where they need water, give to them; where they need food, give to them; where they need any sort of help, provide for them. And the community volunteer guards, when they are trained and equipped will actually support conventional security agencies to ensure that they overcome the problems.

You said when the president came in 2015, he meant well but some persons have hijacked the situation. Have you ever drawn his attention to these issues? 

How I wish you have the opportunity to ask the president this question you are asking me. I have done that and I will do it again. If I have another opportunity, I will draw his attention. I have recommended to him what I think in my opinion will help us salvage this country, because I know even as governor the challenges I have and the challenges of the president are 35 times more than the one I have. So, I have always been objective. I have always been frank to President Buhari every time I have the opportunity to discuss with him.

Left to me alone, this issue of herdsmen wouldn’t have lasted this long because I have told him the truth and, of course, you can see the ranching programme I started in 2016. Today, the whole country will have seen that there is no other way to escape the insecurity that is going on. Except we have ranching in this country because those people who are deceiving this nation about open grazing, are not being sincere and most of the people around are just there to support the presidency and allow foreign herdsmen from Niger, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon from all over the place from even Ghana, from where they were chased away to come and take over Nigeria to become their country.

Miyetti Allah has said Fulani nationality movement that their agenda is to take over this country and, so, it is very clear it is an agenda being propelled by the cabal that are ruling this country.

I want to take you to PDP’s politics. Many Nigerians who supported the party expected that David Mark would have been in for the chairmanship, but Senator Iyorchia Ayu emerged, of course, with your support. What tilted the situation in his favour? 

It was David Mark that said it should be Ayu. He is an older person and so, he felt that his younger brother should be the chairman. It is still the same thing. Ayu and David Mark are very good brothers and friends.  So, the same thing that Nigerians wanted from David Mark will be done through Ayu.

I am sure you have seen the report in the papers about the outcome of the Lagos panel on the protest. What do you make of it? The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had described the incident as a phantom massacre that existed only in the imagination of those who propounded it.

Let me say that I’ve not really read that report. So, it’s difficult for me to comment on that. But one thing that is central is let justice be done. That is all I can say there. For me, I believe in justice. Let there be justice at all times. And this is a Lagos State incident. So, I think question should be reserved for the governor of Lagos state.

In Benue State, we have our own version of #EndSARS, very peaceful and the youths or those who were abused made their points and we also set up a panel which has done formal written recommendations. That of Benue was different from that of Lagos. In fact, I personally came out and received the protesters and I took into consideration the issues that were raised.

I know that you played a very key role in his emergence as the chairman-elect of the PDP. Do you think that all of these things you have raised and the fact that someone like Ayu has emerged will give an edge to your party as the main opposition party in the country to position itself well in re-taking power in 2023? 

Thank you very much. It’s obvious. Our people say that if you marry only one wife, you do not appreciate whether that wife is doing well or not. Then, if you marry a second one, you can have a taste of second wife and then you can judge whether your first wife was doing well or not.

Now that Nigerians said that PDP did not do well in 2015 and changed them, what we have today? Nigerians are able to judge between PDP and APC. Let me say this, how much was a dollar in 2015 when the APC took over? It was N180. Today, it’s how much? I think it is close to N600 to the dollar. How many industries were working? Today, how many industries are working? From 2015 to date, several industries have shut down. What was the unemployment percentage in 2015? Today, we cannot even talk about the percentage we have in this country because so many industries have shut down Government institutions are not working. No more employment at federal, state and local government levels, and unemployment has increased to a level that we cannot contain now. The employment we have now is unknown employment like bandits, criminals, kidnappers and all that.

Which country will want this kind of a thing? Look at our educational institutions; what is happening there? So, the nation has dwindled like what the deposed emir of Kano, said that Nigeria has been taken back 40 years. Instead of moving ahead, we have been taken back 40 years. So, that is the challenge we have.

The fall of PDP in 2015 was the rise of APC. But now that APC has proven that they cannot offer anything, they have failed in all sectors. Whether economy, security, empowerment, in job creation, they have failed all round. It’s an opportunity for PDP to take. Nigerians have spoken to us.

I want to correct an impression. As part of the PDP governors, we agree to rescue Nigeria from total collapse. And that was why we agreed that the chairman and most of the officials of the party will be selected through consensus. I believe that is what we are going to do. As we march towards 2023, we are going to adopt that system. But where we cannot reach a consensus, we are going to allow a free and fair election process.

What is your take on direct primary for selection of candidates by political parties as adopted by the National Assembly?  

Honestly, it’s not in the interest of this country because political parties must be allowed to evolve a system that will help them bring out their candidates. Allowing direct primaries alone will create a lot of issues. One, it is more expensive; it is a more disorganised way of dealing with the people. Indirect primary did not just arrive. It is the same people that elect delegates that go to the electoral college. Now, talking about direct primary alone is not leaving any room for that. I still want to appeal to the president to reconsider that bill and send it back to the National Assembly and allow the political parties to decide whether to adopt indirect or direct primaries, depending on what the people want. This will help and encourage democratic norms because even the indirect primaries, it is the same people that are involved. Here in the electoral college, everybody is under one roof. So, issues of transparency, fairness and equity are easy to achieve at that level.  But for indirect primary that INEC must monitor, INEC does not have the capacity.

What is your reaction to the argument that the lawmakers did it to checkmate the governors over selection of party candidates? 

Direct primary will even give the governors more power to do what they want if they so wish to do it. For me, I believe in fairness and justice, and I will allow transparency to rule the primary to be conducted. But honestly, if any governor wants to manipulate the system, the direct primary will be easier for him than indirect primary because in indirect, everybody is there with the governor. But in direct primaries, not everybody will be there and so, the governor can find a way of sending electoral officers at the party level who will conduct the primaries. But when it is indirect primaries, those who are elected by the people from the various council, wards, and the statutory delegates, they converge in the electoral college and everybody will be there. So, if there is any form of injustice that is being meted out, the people will be there to resist it right there in the presence of the governor. But for direct primary, the governor has access in the whole system and no one can stop him.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Buhari Urges MTN For Quality Service, Downward Price Review In Cost Of Data, Other Services

President Muhammadu Buhari Friday at State House Abuja urged the MTN Group to make the available top-of-the-range service to its Nigerian subscribers…

We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents

In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. Uzodinma sacks General Manager of OCDA, names replacement  Uzodinma sacks General Manager of OCDA, names replacement  Uzodinma sacks General Manager of OCDA, names replacement  Uzodinma sacks General Manager of OCDA, names replacement.

Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train

The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report…