By SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

Hon. Friday Itulah is the member representing Esan South East and Esan North East Federal Constituency of Edo State in the House of Representatives. In this interview, he explains how the former chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih used his position to get the Federal Government to resolve the water crisis in Esanland. Excerpt:

How do you feel over your victory at the tribunal?

To be very modest, I feel on top of the world that today has become a reality. God, in his infinite mercy, has granted me the opportunity to celebrate and give thanks to him this very day. As a matter of fact, prior to the judgment, our opponents had boasted that they knew what to do.

They couldn’t defeat us in the field, they were sure to come in through some other means. But by the judgment that came out from the tribunal, we now know indeed that we have some men who are there at the Bench who will do the appropriate thing at the right time. And they did not hesitate to ensure that justice is done and again they re-affirmed my victory at the polls. I have reason to give thanks to God.

Hon Itulah

The 2012 governorship election is fast approaching and the ruling ACN in the state is strategizing to ensure that the PDP is defeated in Esan Central this time. What is your take on that?

It is easier said than done. As the saying goes, you can deceive the people some of the time but you cannot deceive them all the time. There is time for everything. That period when we had some differences in the party, the opponents had their way, but, today, we know that the PDP is more united than ever before and, therefore, with that unity on our side, we are sure to deliver.

Go back and look at all the elections that have been done since the first republic, the people that have always ensured that victory comes to the party, are still the ones in the PDP today. So, let them be talking, but when that day comes, we shall see the reality that will come to play. If you look at the administration in place now, nobody will need to be deceived that this is a propaganda machine.

They play up all manners of things. For example, when they were doing election in Fugar, they awarded votes to themselves in the night; they were just doing all manner of things to deceive the people. No sooner did they win the election than they disappeared from the field.

Today again, we heard they have re-awarded Ring Road for re-tarring and all the places that hitherto belonged to the Federal Government, they are already awarding contracts in those areas. But we know it is for the purpose of the election, the ones they have done before, why have they not commissioned them, if there is any?

So, the people now know who the real politicians are, who will ensure that the dividends of democracy get to the people. And once we start our campaign, we will begin to make revelations that will make everybody realize that indeed the PDP has come to stay.

You once said Vice President Namadi Sambo will be commissioning the water scheme in Esan, how soon?

Yes, the Esan water scheme will be commissioned on 28 November in Esan North East and Esan South East. The project, initiated by Chief Tony Anenih , is a Federal Government project and, by the special grace of God, we ensured that it was well funded in the budget and today it is completed. We even brought in some of the contractors (China Geographical Survey Nigeria Limited) and we are waiting anxiously to see the VP to commission the project.

But Governor Oshiomhole brought some water drilling machines with a view to ending the water problem in Esanland. Are you saying that is not enough?

We now know the truth. The water project in Esan is funded by the Federal Government. Apart from private boreholes, Oshiomhole has no water project in Esan North East Local Government. The only one that is complementing the one that we are doing was Hon. John Yakubu, of Esan North East Local Government.

Oshiomhole’s presence is not felt in the entire Esanland. There is no project now as we speak. The only project he purportedly awarded, the road to Ugboha, nothing is happening there now. You can go there and see because people say seeing is believing. That is patch work that he is doing there. So as far as this senatorial district is concerned, the presence of government is not felt here.

This senatorial district is particularly being marginalized by the administration of Oshiomhole. There is no single project that he has executed here. Let him come and show us the project that he has executed. We see sign boards everywhere, ‘Tax Payer’s Money no longer for the Godfather’.

“But when you look at the project, you will not see anything. He drove away all our commissioners and there is no single project he has executed here. Enough of such deceit, we are no longer ready to be deceived by anybody, the people are more enlightened than ever before.