By Laja Thomas

Chief Emmanuel Ogidi, a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State was the former Chairman of the party in the state and also former member representing Delta State on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. In this interaction with newsmen in Warri, he spoke on some burning national issues. Excerpts:

On the removal of fuel subsidy

First of all, I am loyal to the president and PDP. Apart from being a stake holder it is my government and I don’t fight my government. What I mean by that is that if my President removes subsidy I must support him in the removal. How can you keep borrowing to execute projects? Even abroad where there is subsidy, it is difficult to address the fears of man and it is only in God’s kingdom that you can have satisfaction.

We don’t have patriotic people and one of the basic problems in Nigeria is indiscipline. If we are disciplined, we would not have the kind of problems we have today. Look at the refineries, why should it not work the way it should work? It is indiscipline, our value system has changed we don’t have patriotic people.

Once you are a leader you can take decisions for your followers; if not you are not a leader. Iif you have to canvass every new innovation then you will run into problem. When you sit on that sit (President), there are certain things you do that the ordinary man does not see.

Chief Emmanuel Ogidi

I agree with you it is not palatable but if it is for the well being of the people, then it is good. Unfortunately, they started discussing it at the end of the year, I agree with you that they would have started canvassing for it before now. Even the budget came late because there are so many dynamics to it and that’s the problem.

However, there is nothing you do that you will not find criticisms. When he ( President Jonathan) canvassed fuel subsidy removal he gave reasons. Nigeria is very popular but unfortunately all our infrastructures have collapsed and the funds are not there to fix them all at the same time. I will advise the Nigeria government to take everything bit by bit, there is no way you can take all at the same time.

On the problem of insecurity in the country

The security situation in the country is an unfortunate situation. Security should not only be the concern of the Nigerian police. The average Nigeria is not security conscious even those of us who are well-to-do are also careless. Imagine you have spend all you life-savings to build a house that may cost N20 million, who do you use as your security man? How much do you pay him?

So even some of us that are not in government are part of the problem; we are not taking security issues serious. Have you checked your house help, do you know what family she is coming from, is it from a lineage of armed robbers? We are all careless in Nigeria but abroad they have data, people want to work and they are committed. How many of us are loyal to our employer? So if you look at all these things we have all gone wrong.

How to check the incessant bombings by the Boko Haram

The Federal Government should beef up the security system. It is still not enough because we (Nigerians) must also be security conscious, we are not security conscious, the average Nigeria is not attentive to someone standing suspiciously. Abroad, when they see you standing suspiciously they will make a complaint. Here (Nigeria), it is business as usual, we are not security conscious.

On lack of internal democracy in PDP occasioned by the Bayelsa State guber primary fallouts

The PDP, as one big family will always resolve its issues as a family. It is because you don’t understand the party. PDP is one family, we have our own way of dealing with other issues that you don’t know. It is a family affair you will not understand. Watch, very soon you will see the incumbent Bayelsa State governor joining the campaign train of our candidate to make sure he wins the election, so that’s a family matter.

So when you think that there is no democracy, there is democracy. It is just that sometimes you have to guard democracy so that it does not die. When we want to guard democracy people will think there is no democracy. Our own democracy is still developing, we have a way of settling our disputes as a family.

On chances of PDP in Bayelsa gubernatorial polls considering the way its standard bearer emerged

I am very optimistic that PDP will win Bayelsa governorship election. Is there any other party? There is no other party, everybody who have left are all from PDP. The Bayelsa primary is a family affair you will not understand. The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) is also PDP, it is a family affair.