Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, was in Kano last week with his principal, Atiku Abubakar, to welcome former governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Okowa later hosted selected journalists where he spoke on issues that affect his relationship with the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike; oil theft in Niger Delta, and Peter Obi’s incursion, among other issues. AHMAD TIJJANI ABDUL captured it for DAILY INDEPENDENT. Excerpts:

So many people in the South have seen your emergence as the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a betrayal of the collective agenda. Do you see it this way?

My emergence is an act of God and I give God the glory. Secondly, whatever debate or issues or comments people have made, to us, it is politics. All that went on was just politics. I do not believe that any of them will say that I’m not qualified to be. Because if you go on that trajectory, I have a very rich track record in governance.

With Peter Obi’s growing strength, especially in the South East and South-South, what can the PDP be expecting of you as its vice presidential candidate?

In the southeast, it will definitely be an issue for us because of the sentiments that are coming; but I know that the PDP has a strong root in the southeast and I know the contest in the southeast will be between the PDP and the Labour Party. We will wish that he (Peter Obi) is not in the race but since he is in the race, it will be a competition between two parties in the southeast, not the APC but the PDP and Labour Party.

Kasim Shettima, the vice presidential candidate of the APC was reported to have said if they are elected, he will be in charge of security while the presidential candidate will be in charge of economy. Is there a kind of power/function sharing arrangement on ground between you and Atiku Abubakar?

I believe that the presidency is a team and in that team, we complement each other. The president is the boss and the vice president will assist him; but it is not for the two of us, it is going to be a team of government.

Being specific and going by the Constitution, if the vice president is going to take charge of security, is he going to preside over the Security Council at the federal level? I don’t understand that because there is a commander in chief. Is it a reversal of position? The Vice President can offer advice, but I will find it absurd to speak about taking charge. Possibly they (Tinubu and Shettima) have agreed that he (Shettima) is going to be the commander in chief.

On the issue of economy, it is actually teamwork. The president will provide leadership, supported by the Vice President, but there is an economic team that will be right on ground to deal with issues and beyond the economic team, we know the importance of the organised private sector in moving the nation forward and we will leverage on that with the president providing leadership. That is where we stand, that is what is right for this nation and that is what Atiku Abubakar will bring.

You are a medical doctor and Nigeria is currently bedeviled with brain drain in the health sector like never before. How will you use your experience to address this?

There is a gradual loss of confidence considering the health personnel. It is not just doctors but even nurses are moving in droves now and it is a major problem. It is a creation of a multiplicity of factors. The welfare of the worker is important. We have had this review of salaries but unfortunately, the Naira has continued to depreciate and it has depreciated to some level that the amount of money you receive now appears to be much less than what it ought to be because the buying power is grossly reduced. So, when people know they can earn in dollars or euros, you find there is a tendency for them to want to go to greener pastures. Job satisfaction is also there. But, the driving force now is the devalued naira, which makes their earning power much less than what it ought to be. It is going to be a question of reworking the economy in such a manner that you begin to see an improvement in the value of the naira. This is going to take some time. And we will be partnering with the state governments to keep everyone focused that we are in a process where we are truly able to improve on the health sector and all other sectors, and when the value of the naira improves, we can begin to find a reversal of what goes on.

The ASUU strike has continued to linger for months now. Do you have a blueprint to address this recurring ASUU-FG face off?

We must decide what we want to do. If we want to give importance to education because it is important, that is the only way we can secure our future. We must pay a lot of attention to it.

In our relationship with ASUU and all other unions, it must be such that you truly bring them to the round table; you don’t wait until a crisis situation has come. You sit down and analyze situations with them and make promises you know you can keep. Once you distort the level of trust, it becomes difficult for them to trust you again.

We must be ready to discuss with the labour unions on the basis of truth and make them realise what is doable. It is quite important that we pay attention to that but we must make it a priority to educate our people and to provide all that is needed to be able to provide quality education for our children. They are the today and future of our nation. We cannot destroy the foundation of the education of our children because you would have destroyed the nation totally. In my state, we pay special attention to education and it’s very important to us.

The PDP came on board as a more or less national party, with the posture of political actors going into the election, how is the party hoping to regain your national outlook to regain power?

When a party has stayed for long (16 years), you see that a lot of people want to try something new and then, because a lot of disagreements begin to get into the party and that was where we found ourselves in 2015 because of several issues. We lost the election because Nigeria wanted a “change”. But seven years plus down the line, I am sure nobody had expected Nigeria to be where we are today. That is the real issue.

But that loss in 2015 and 2019 had not stopped the PDP from being a national party. We have remained very relevant in every state in Nigeria. I believe we are bouncing back. We saw it in Osun state. Lots of things are going on even in Ogun state, a few days ago. If you go to Ondo state, you can find real strength in the PDP. The issue is that even in the southwest where the APC candidate is from, we can see PDP springing up with great strength. And if you come to the North where we lost a lot of ground, you can see a lot of strength being built. In Katsina state a few days ago, we saw massive defection into the PDP. Just a few days ago, we received the former Kano state governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, who even decided to abandon his senatorial ticket.

The truth is that there are some people who are thinking about Nigeria at the moment, and if we are on the path of rescue, you must identify a vehicle that will take you on that path and PDP is the only vehicle that can truly take us on that path.

There is no geopolitical zone where we don’t have strength, nowhere that we will not compete favourably. Some other parties may just be holding onto clusters of states but PDP is going to compete reasonably well in every state. So, that national outlook is there. People are beginning to realize the mistake of 2015 and beginning to go back on the track.

Your emergence as running mate no doubt generated bad blood and it is expected that by now you would have been reaching out to aggrieved stakeholders in the south. However, we have not seen you in Port Harcourt, for instance; neither have we seen Governor Nyesom Wike in Asaba. What is the situation at the moment?

My emergence and the cries about it is all about politics and in a competition, a lot of people will be qualified and a lot of us were eminently qualified but I happened to be chosen and I think it is God’s grace. In the south-south, I am in touch with all my colleagues. As a party and as a family, we are all talking with Governor Wike and the process is being led by our presidential candidate because he is the leader and we believe that that’s the best option and I think that sooner than later, we will be able to have the issues resolved. I don’t think the issues are much. It is no longer about the vice presidency because that’s a closed matter but I believe there are few other questions that need to be answered. It is a normal process and part of politics. There are reassurances that need to be made and I believe that’s on the table and it’s being discussed. If in a political party, everything just goes on smoothly, then that can’t be a political party. A family that is large, you will definitely have issues when trying to divide things. Of course, there are so many people interested. I am sure that there were some political parties, even some of those you mentioned earlier, they were busy dangling their vice presidential ticket and they didn’t find any credible person to pick. It took a lot of time to make that decision. But in the PDP, because we have a lot of qualified person, that’s why it caused the kind of initial discussion that we had concerning the vice presidency, but I think we are working hard to tackle it and we are also moving ahead to try to get as many people as possible back into our fold. We are beginning to see such gains and many more in the next few months.

Our presidential candidate, as you are aware, has met with Governor Wike in Abuja and recently overseas together with three other of our colleagues. I believe we are working on that and things will be settled.

The oil theft in the Niger-Delta is something that has gained notoriety, what will the Atiku-Okowa government do to stem the tide?

I think it is something that we all need to be worried about because we have gotten into a situation where we cannot meet with our quota. At some point in time, we were producing more than what was allocated to us. But now, even with the reduced allocation, we are not able to meet with the quota. So there is a cause to worry. It is like what we found going on with the issue of kidnapping. People begin to see that level of criminality can be used as a means of empowering themselves and as a job. It ought not to be so and it is really very bad. And what started in small ways, have continued to grow in terms of the illegal refining that we have going on in the Niger-Delta region. And it is beginning to upscale, we are aware that it is not only the locals as a lot of people are now into it and have put their hand in it.

I believe that we need to ensure that the communities work closely with the NNPCL, other companies and the security agencies. But the communities must have a lot of stake and involvement for us to be able to move forward. Because most of the people who do it are from the community and even those coming from outside coming in with money connive with people of the communities.

So, there has to be sincerity on the part of the security agencies who work in those areas, particularly within the creeks. We need to get the communities involved in surveillance processes. And I think that is what is being done at the moment. I hope that we will get it fully right. I think we can start this process to get it right.

I also believe that there is a shortage of products, and that has continued to encourage what is going on particularly when you talk about the diesel and the rest. So, there are issues that have to be addressed. Today, if in this country we are refining enough products, the price is good and available everywhere, you will find out that the level of illegal refining will reduce. But, when there is scarcity, it creates a problem and it becomes dangerous, they will have more money and become more sophisticated, just as we have with the kidnappers. The more money they make, the more they equip themselves.

So, as a government, we are going to take the community as a stakeholder, appeal to their conscience and make them realize the dangers of what they are doing to their environment and their unborn children. Then, we must take them up to ensure that they are actively involved in the surveillance issues. But very importantly is to ensure that the Act is fully implemented such that the community development fund begins to get to the communities because in that fund, even if they approved three per cent, we feel the minimum should have been five per cent. It is structured in a way that when there is any pipeline that is destroyed or tapped in within your locality, the repairs of such pipelines and whatever is lost will be deducted from money given to you. So, the community will realize they have a stake and it will be that they have to protect the pipelines. It is something that would have started long ago but unfortunately the PIB now PIA just kept on dragging on. Because people don’t want to consider Nigeria’s interest first before self-interest. We thank God that it is passed but it is for us to implement fully.

Also, giving matching orders to the security agencies to do what is right, and when we find that there are people who are there, no matter how highly placed they are involved in oil theft and illegal bunkering, they must be brought to book. So, there must be sincerity in this approach.

Then, we must also take development to the people, because sometimes, some of them have this belief that with all these things in our backyard, our communities and villages are not in good shape. So they don’t feel committed to the nation Nigeria anymore. But the more we take development to them in all ramifications, it shows you care about them, the more they embrace it. We have to go in the process of reversing the situation.

https://independent.ng/why-obis-candidacy-will-be-issue-for-us-in-south-east-okowa/

They should take Peter Obi for granted at their own peril

Even Tinubu and his Islam'ic APC are in panic mode.

The teethman son open mouth again.

iSense247:
Even Tinubu and his Islam'ic APC are in panic mode.

the only party in panic mode is pdp cos obi stole their so called stronghold

Apc never planned for southeast in their calculations n that’s y buhari could call your region 5% n still win reelection

Villa12:
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW PETER OBI CABINET WHEN HE WAS THE GOVERNOR OF ANAMBRA STATE AND WHERE ARE THEY NOW POLITICALLY...

*LOOK AT TINUBU's CABINET AS GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE..

*LAI MOHAMMED* Chief of Staff from Kwara.

*YEMI OSINBANJO,* Attorney General from Ogun.

*WALE EDUN*,Finance Commissioner from Ogun.

*DELE ALAKE* Commissioner for Information from Ekiti

*RAUF AREGBESOLA* Commissioner for Works from Osun State.

*BEN AKABUEZE* Commissioner for Budget and Planning from Anambra State.

*FEMI LANLEHIN, SA* from Oyo State.

*AUTHUR WORREY* Commissioner for Lands from Delta State.

*HON. JAMES ABIODUN FALAKE*, third term Federal House of Representatives member, Representing Ikeja Federal Constituency - From Kogi State.

To name a few.

*For the eight years that he ruled Lagos*
He hired several guys to work with him. Apart from using them to work in his government, he also groomed them politically.

*Twelve years down the line* , see where those Tinubu guys are today -

1. PROF YEMI OSINBANJO, SAN was Tinubu's Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
He is today, Nigeria's Vice President.

2. *RAUF AREGBESOLA* was Tinubu's Commissioner for Works. Today he is a Minister after serving 8 years as Governor of Osun State.

3. *"BABATUNDE RAJI FASHIOLA SAN* was Tinubu's Chief of Staff. Today he is a Minister of works after 8 years as governor of Lagos State.

4. *ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED* was Tinubu's first Chief of Staff and Commissioner. Today, he is a Minister of Information.

5. *BABATUNDE FOWLER* was appointed by Tinubu as Chairman of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service. He was the immediate past Federal Inland Revenue Service Executive Chairman in our country.

7. *SUNDAY DARE,* was SA/ COS to Tinubu, today he is a Minister for sports.

8. *BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU* was Tinubu's Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, he is now Governor of Lagos State.

*At the National Assembly* there are countless "Tinubu boys" who have occupied and are still occupying seats till today including N0 4 citizen of Nigeria, *Speaker, House of Reps*

Since 1999, the Tinubu camp has produced almost 98% of the members of the National Assembly from Lagos State. Forget politics, this man is a political enigma. Rewind to 1999, I am sure most of us have forgotten the names of the People who were elected Governors when he was elected governor too, some of them have gone into political extinction or gasping for breath politically.

Indeed, most of them are no longer relevant today.

Tinubu has not only managed to remain extremely relevant, he has continued to control Lagos politics 100%. Not only that, he manages to carry his boys along and today they occupy critical positions in our national life.

Take it or leave it, Tinubu is today, Nigeria's most powerful politician. It didn't just happen by chance. He worked very hard for it. Very very hard. The hallmark of a true and Born leader is not just the ability to rule well but also the ability to nurture and groom associates.

Tinubu is not like some other politicians in Nigeria, He is a goal getter.....

There is nothing he touches that doesn't excel.

- *NADECO*, He fought the Military to a Standstill.

- *AD excelled,*

- *ACN excelled* and

- *APC is excelling.....*

- *TVC* is one of the top TV stations in Nigeria.

*The Nation* is one of the leading newspapers in Nigeria, thereby creating Employment to many people.

- *He makes people,*

- *He follows up on them.*

- *He forgives routinely,*

- *He fights to teach not to kill*

- *He is a Pillar of Democracy,*

- *Mentor of great men*

*Please,Tell me* or Name a Politician that has this Records since more than 3 Decades ago.

*J-A-G-A-B-A-N is a great man politically...... is A JAGABAN OF NIGERIA ��

Rules 1 & 18
1. Please post all threads in the right section, and don't derail threads by posting off topic.
18. Don't spam the forum by advertising in the wrong places or posting the same content many times.

Seun lalasticlala Mynd44 OAM4J Seunmsg

Even Tinubu knows Peter Obi is an issue

69% of useful youths make the largest voting population and youth carry Obi matter for head.

Rig 2023 election and you wont be able to control what happens.

Obi is loved nation wide

Join our rally-Obi all the way

Of course it will be a issue because you are Igbo and okowa is also riding on Igbo sentiment

BATified2023:
the only party in panic mode is pdp cos obi stole their so called stronghold

Apc never planned for southeast in their calculations n that’s y buhari could call your region 5% n still win reelection

Where is PDP strong hold again ?

What is so special about Peter obi , Labour Party and a confused lazy yoooots supporting them?



Absolutely nothing structure less party ...you can't win more than 4 state/ 3 million votes



We the youths are not with you

Villa12:
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW PETER OBI CABINET WHEN HE WAS THE GOVERNOR OF ANAMBRA STATE AND WHERE ARE THEY NOW POLITICALLY...

*LOOK AT TINUBU's CABINET AS GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE..

*LAI MOHAMMED* Chief of Staff from Kwara.

*YEMI OSINBANJO,* Attorney General from Ogun.

*WALE EDUN*,Finance Commissioner from Ogun.

*DELE ALAKE* Commissioner for Information from Ekiti

*RAUF AREGBESOLA* Commissioner for Works from Osun State.

*BEN AKABUEZE* Commissioner for Budget and Planning from Anambra State.

*FEMI LANLEHIN, SA* from Oyo State.

*AUTHUR WORREY* Commissioner for Lands from Delta State.

*HON. JAMES ABIODUN FALAKE*, third term Federal House of Representatives member, Representing Ikeja Federal Constituency - From Kogi State.

To name a few.

*For the eight years that he ruled Lagos*
He hired several guys to work with him. Apart from using them to work in his government, he also groomed them politically.

*Twelve years down the line* , see where those Tinubu guys are today -

1. PROF YEMI OSINBANJO, SAN was Tinubu's Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
He is today, Nigeria's Vice President.

2. *RAUF AREGBESOLA* was Tinubu's Commissioner for Works. Today he is a Minister after serving 8 years as Governor of Osun State.

3. *"BABATUNDE RAJI FASHIOLA SAN* was Tinubu's Chief of Staff. Today he is a Minister of works after 8 years as governor of Lagos State.

4. *ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED* was Tinubu's first Chief of Staff and Commissioner. Today, he is a Minister of Information.

5. *BABATUNDE FOWLER* was appointed by Tinubu as Chairman of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service. He was the immediate past Federal Inland Revenue Service Executive Chairman in our country.

7. *SUNDAY DARE,* was SA/ COS to Tinubu, today he is a Minister for sports.

8. *BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU* was Tinubu's Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, he is now Governor of Lagos State.

*At the National Assembly* there are countless "Tinubu boys" who have occupied and are still occupying seats till today including N0 4 citizen of Nigeria, *Speaker, House of Reps*

Since 1999, the Tinubu camp has produced almost 98% of the members of the National Assembly from Lagos State. Forget politics, this man is a political enigma. Rewind to 1999, I am sure most of us have forgotten the names of the People who were elected Governors when he was elected governor too, some of them have gone into political extinction or gasping for breath politically.

Indeed, most of them are no longer relevant today.

Tinubu has not only managed to remain extremely relevant, he has continued to control Lagos politics 100%. Not only that, he manages to carry his boys along and today they occupy critical positions in our national life.

Take it or leave it, Tinubu is today, Nigeria's most powerful politician. It didn't just happen by chance. He worked very hard for it. Very very hard. The hallmark of a true and Born leader is not just the ability to rule well but also the ability to nurture and groom associates.

Tinubu is not like some other politicians in Nigeria, He is a goal getter.....

There is nothing he touches that doesn't excel.

- *NADECO*, He fought the Military to a Standstill.

- *AD excelled,*

- *ACN excelled* and

- *APC is excelling.....*

- *TVC* is one of the top TV stations in Nigeria.

*The Nation* is one of the leading newspapers in Nigeria, thereby creating Employment to many people.

- *He makes people,*

- *He follows up on them.*

- *He forgives routinely,*

- *He fights to teach not to kill*

- *He is a Pillar of Democracy,*

- *Mentor of great men*

*Please,Tell me* or Name a Politician that has this Records since more than 3 Decades ago.

*J-A-G-A-B-A-N is a great man politically...... is A JAGABAN OF NIGERIA ��

.

Come u silly being, am an Edo guy..mind u no one actually hate ur small god! But he should give chance for better government of new generation Nigeria and you actually sit and type all this all to tackle innocent Obidence movement,.. U go run

Villa12:
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW PETER OBI CABINET WHEN HE WAS THE GOVERNOR OF ANAMBRA STATE AND WHERE ARE THEY NOW POLITICALLY...

*LOOK AT TINUBU's CABINET AS GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE..

*LAI MOHAMMED* Chief of Staff from Kwara.

*YEMI OSINBANJO,* Attorney General from Ogun.

*WALE EDUN*,Finance Commissioner from Ogun.

*DELE ALAKE* Commissioner for Information from Ekiti

*RAUF AREGBESOLA* Commissioner for Works from Osun State.

*BEN AKABUEZE* Commissioner for Budget and Planning from Anambra State.

*FEMI LANLEHIN, SA* from Oyo State.

*AUTHUR WORREY* Commissioner for Lands from Delta State.

*HON. JAMES ABIODUN FALAKE*, third term Federal House of Representatives member, Representing Ikeja Federal Constituency - From Kogi State.

To name a few.

*For the eight years that he ruled Lagos*
He hired several guys to work with him. Apart from using them to work in his government, he also groomed them politically.

*Twelve years down the line* , see where those Tinubu guys are today -

1. PROF YEMI OSINBANJO, SAN was Tinubu's Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
He is today, Nigeria's Vice President.

2. *RAUF AREGBESOLA* was Tinubu's Commissioner for Works. Today he is a Minister after serving 8 years as Governor of Osun State.

3. *"BABATUNDE RAJI FASHIOLA SAN* was Tinubu's Chief of Staff. Today he is a Minister of works after 8 years as governor of Lagos State.

4. *ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED* was Tinubu's first Chief of Staff and Commissioner. Today, he is a Minister of Information.

5. *BABATUNDE FOWLER* was appointed by Tinubu as Chairman of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service. He was the immediate past Federal Inland Revenue Service Executive Chairman in our country.

7. *SUNDAY DARE,* was SA/ COS to Tinubu, today he is a Minister for sports.

8. *BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU* was Tinubu's Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, he is now Governor of Lagos State.

*At the National Assembly* there are countless "Tinubu boys" who have occupied and are still occupying seats till today including N0 4 citizen of Nigeria, *Speaker, House of Reps*

Since 1999, the Tinubu camp has produced almost 98% of the members of the National Assembly from Lagos State. Forget politics, this man is a political enigma. Rewind to 1999, I am sure most of us have forgotten the names of the People who were elected Governors when he was elected governor too, some of them have gone into political extinction or gasping for breath politically.

Indeed, most of them are no longer relevant today.

Tinubu has not only managed to remain extremely relevant, he has continued to control Lagos politics 100%. Not only that, he manages to carry his boys along and today they occupy critical positions in our national life.

Take it or leave it, Tinubu is today, Nigeria's most powerful politician. It didn't just happen by chance. He worked very hard for it. Very very hard. The hallmark of a true and Born leader is not just the ability to rule well but also the ability to nurture and groom associates.

Tinubu is not like some other politicians in Nigeria, He is a goal getter.....

There is nothing he touches that doesn't excel.

- *NADECO*, He fought the Military to a Standstill.

- *AD excelled,*

- *ACN excelled* and

- *APC is excelling.....*

- *TVC* is one of the top TV stations in Nigeria.

*The Nation* is one of the leading newspapers in Nigeria, thereby creating Employment to many people.

- *He makes people,*

- *He follows up on them.*

- *He forgives routinely,*

- *He fights to teach not to kill*

- *He is a Pillar of Democracy,*

- *Mentor of great men*

*Please,Tell me* or Name a Politician that has this Records since more than 3 Decades ago.

*J-A-G-A-B-A-N is a great man politically...... is A JAGABAN OF NIGERIA ��

So these are the reasons why we should vote him to lead us in 2023??

Villa12:
Mynd44
dominique
Seun
lalasticlala
OAM4J
farano
Mukina2



Rule 8 broken. Don't post false information on Nairaland

Na you spam this thread!

People can try to stop Peter Obi from becoming the President of Nigeria but they will never succeed in their evils schemes against Peter Obi; it has already been written.

All the foreigners and haters against Peter Obi will be terrified because 69% Nigerians are with Peter Obi who have a good plan to make Nigeria a better place to live in.

All the evils plans against Peter Obi and Labour Party will surely fail. Peter Obi is an honest man that can not be defeated by his political enemies.

"Being specific and going by the Constitution, if the vice president is going to take charge of security, is he going to preside over the Security Council at the federal level? I don’t understand that because there is a commander in chief. Is it a reversal of position? The Vice President can offer advice, but I will find it absurd to speak about taking charge. Possibly they (Tinubu and Shettima) have agreed that he (Shettima) is going to be the commander in chief".

Returning APC to power comes 2023 is the worst thing that can happen to Nigeria

Sitwalkstand:
Even Tinubu knows Peter Obi is an issue

69% of useful youths make the largest voting population and youth carry Obi matter for head.

Rig 2023 election and you wont be able to control what happens.

Obi is loved nation wide

Join our rally-Obi all the way

Even the Useless moderators on this forum knows

That's why they ban and delete any posts that is against Tinubu

BATified2023:
the only party in panic mode is pdp cos obi stole their so called stronghold

Apc never planned for southeast in their calculations n that’s y buhari could call your region 5% n still win reelection

Obi will deal with Tinubu in Southwest Lagos, Oyo and Ondo