BY BASHIR ADEFAKA
Born into the royal families of Olugbo, Alagho, Olubo and Etikan in Ilaje LGA, Ondo State on October 1, 1967, Rev. Dr. Felix Rawa, is the Chairman/Managing Director, Unique Sunshine Global Concepts Nigeria Ltd, is a politician and philanthropist. He attended L.A. Primary School, Obe Idapo, Ugbo Kingdom between 1972 and 1978 and proceeded to Idi-Ogba Community Grammar School for his WASC between 1979 and 1984.

He gained admission into the University of Lagos (UNILAG) for his advance studies and proceeded to Lagos State University (LASU) for his PGD in Maritime Law. He also attended the Centre for Non-violence and Peace Studies, University of Rhode Island, Kinston, RI, United States among otehr coutrses.

He went on to Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho for my masters in logistics and management. He is today a law student at the National Open University (NOUN). A member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Rawa, an Ondo gubernatorial aspirant, Rawa tells BASHIR ADEFAKA about himself and his politics. Excerpts:

Felix Rawa

You contested for the last disputed House of Representatives election in your Federal Constituency. But you are now eyeing the office of the governor. What informed your new decision?

My purpose in politics primarily is to be the governor of Ondo State. The House of Representatives that I put in for was merely to establish myself in the political annal, which I have done and I put in my best. I embarked on very rigorous campaign and I knew that I had my ground in the election but unfortunately I was rigged out.

The rigging was an unprecedented one but nevertheless, the struggle continues. I always had in mind that the state government would use the state apparatus to work against us but when we discovered the irregularities that characterised the exercise. We went to court. Our case is still in the court of competent jurisdiction.

In the Tribunal, the judges erred in law. We then wrote a petition against them to the President of the Court of Appeal that appointed them. In law, you don’t approbate and reprobate at the same time. That we have written letter against the judges means that we cannot go back to those judges again. Our case is now at the appellant court where we hope justice will prevail.

My motive for contesting for the governorship election is borne out of the fact that it’s what on my mind. Yes, because we are the ones producing oil in commercial quantity in Ondo State; as a matter of fact, it’s only Ilaje Local Government Council. I thought that by the time I would have used my position as a federal legislator to influence the federal might for the good of my state, I would then come back after I would have spent three or four months in Abuja to contest as governor of the state.

All my protagonists were aware of this and all my supporters were aware of this. It’s not ambiguous and that has now come to reality because the only place I believe I can serve my people very well is to become the governor of Ondo State. That is where my people can only be adequately taken care of. That was what we had at the back of our minds, knowing fully well that House of Representatives and governorship elections would not be done in the same year.

You seem to show interest in the resignation of Ondo State Labour Party chairman, Mr. Olaiya Oni. Why?

First and foremost, let me say that Chief Olaiya Oni’s resignation as chairman of the ruling Labour Party in Ondo State has already marked the end of the party in the state. I must also add here that a lot of people joined the Labour Party when it came on board because of Olaiya Oni’s integrity and his wealth of experience. People should however not think that Oni will be the only person that will resign their positions in the party, a lot more will follow very soon.

What are your plans to uplift the standard of Ondo State economically if you win?

One thing is that, our party, the ACN, has manifesto. This manifesto is what we call fundamental objective. So the way we are going to execute it is uniformly confirmed talking about all the ACN controlled states. So what you have seen Governor Fashola doing in Lagos the replicate you will see us do in Ondo State.

It is the party that will implement it, I’m talking about quality based projects and provision of amenities for our people’s good living we are talking about qualitative education, water and stable electricity and what have you. We are going to create jobs and wealth.

So the way we go about it will be in consonant with what Fashola is doing in Lagos. It is our party in all the ACN that is saying that state governments must pay the N18,000 minimum wage. That is to say the fact that our party has the interest of the people at heart and our party has its ideology to implement.

Considering the fact that a governor has come from your area, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, and he spent six years as governor of the state?

The man you said was there for six years was only there for four years. And this is because in law, once the court declares that the election that gave you the victory is illegal, everything that is not known to law is tantamount to non-existent. So the two years you are talking about is not in existence again because law had declared it none and void.

Now, talking about the zoning arrangement, the state has three senatorial districts: North, Central and South. We had had three governors from the North, we had two from the Central and we had only one from the South. So at our national and state meetings, we held that every zone is entitled to being governorship aspirant and Ilaje Local Government has an advantage.