BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

Hon. Chiwendu Charles Odedo represents Idemili North and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on the banner of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He sees security, education and power as crucial challenges that must be surmounted urgently.

HIS take on Nigeria at 52 A whole lot of things needs to be put right, but the most important one is the security situation of this country because there cannot be development without peace. So, we need to tackle the security challenges of this country so that the atmosphere will be conducive for the development.

Coupled with the issue of power which is a very big concern because it led to the high level of poverty, unemployment and as we all know all those things will improve if we have a constant power supply in the country.

The former Minister of Power, Prof Barth Nnaji just resigned about a month ago and some of us outside the industry see it as a set back to the power industry and I think the Executive could have managed the crisis that resulted to his resignation so that the little hope that Nigerians see in the slow and steady improvement in power will be maintained. Well, we just hope that it continues because it is going to help us a lot.

Education, Security and Power are the three most important areas will spread out to other areas.

And as I have said power will give rise to employment generation which would play a major role in boosting the economy, the industries and the commerce.

Rep Odedo

His stand on the agitation for State Police

My view on the creation of the state police is that we should approach it cautiously.  As much as I support that view I think we should amend the constitution to give flexibility to the experiment.

What I mean is while retaining the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), we should amend the constitution in such a way that even as a pilot scheme we can start the state police in say five states and run it side by side with the Nigerian Police Force because a lot of people are afraid that the state police would be abused by some state governors and that is why they are against it.

I think that the best approach is to try something different because the present security situation demands some kind of creative solutions.

On the need for Nigeria to appeal the ICJ judgment ceding Bakassi to Cameroun before October 10

My take on the issue is really different from that of most people because the Bakassi judgment is the judgment of the World Court and we entered into it voluntarily. We signed up to it before the process and the final judgment.

If we are not happy with the judgment we have an avenue for appeal and timing of the appeal will soon elapse.  If don’t like the judgment we can explore that option for the court to review the judgment and of course in doing so, we have also need to do like a plebiscite.

Use the result of the plebiscite to show that the people of Bakassi really want to be in Nigeria that is documentary evidence with an appeal for a review.

And in the final analysis whatever is the decision of the court I want the country to obey it whether it is for or against us because we have gone there to voluntarily submit ourselves to the process and we cannot reject the process because we don’t like the judgment. Cameroonians also submitted themselves to the process and what ever is the outcome, the government should accept it.

On Reps plan to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan

The fact that there was suggestion by the House Minority Leader, Hon.

Femi Gbajabiamila, that if by September the budget implementation does not improve, that the House will draft article of impeachment does not amount to a resolution.

The President seems to be as concerned as the House on this budget implementation and therefore I urge the President to take action against any Minister or Head of parastatals that is found wanting on budget implementation. I believe that there is no need to talk about impeachment of the president at this time.

On speculations that he might return to his former party, PDP

Well, I think this is funny.When I won the election and got to Abuja, many people were saying that there is this rumour that I am going to return to PDP.

I don’t think there is any need for me to return to PDP because PDP has been in control of the Federal Government for 13 years and this country has not improved and I believe we need an alternative or a very good opposition to make sure that things are done differently because the purpose of government is for the welfare of the people and without improving the welfare of the people, it means you have not done it right.

You cannot be doing the same thing and be expecting a different result. So, my view is that I am really very happy where I am and I will continue to be there and that is the ACN.

His impact on his constituency so far

I have always admired the politicians that do a lot of infrastructural development. I believe in human empowerment because it is more important than any other empowerment. In other words, as Nigeria is decaying, the roads are bad, the hospitals are not working fine, and the most terrible thing to lose is the mind.

So I believe that people should be empowered alongside the development of the infrastructure, in terms of education, in terms of training them, helping them with jobs, assisting them with cash to expand their businesses and other means that would alleviate poverty in their lives.

Although, before I joined politics, I have started assisting my people.So the benefit of human empowerment is what I have seen even before I joined politics. So, I stick with that and I do it on yearly basis.

I have impacted on many lives. For example, I have given so many people cars and some of them use it for transportation business which they use in feeding their family and even their extended family members.

Of course, it is not easy but I think that creating a more conducive environment is important in Nigeria so that businesses can expand and boom to enable the private sector employ more people.

His assessment of Mr. Peter Obi as governor of Anambra State

I think the governor has done very well. The reason I said so is because he has a unique approach to development. He does not have like one point, three point or seven point agenda. He comes with all sectors agenda.

As much as he has not handled the very big things like an airport or creating a mega city, he has been able to do a lot of the small things.

For example, the schools, he has renovated and equipped so many of them. He has also done a lot of roads projects and others.

But the most important achievement as far as I am concerned is his discipline, he lives by example and he has discouraged the politics of godfatherism and a lot of politicians moving around doing nothing. So, his lifestyle is simple and he has come across as an honest, disciplined person.

So, I think he has done very well but when there is success without a successor all he has done will come to nothing. So he needs to be careful in handling who is going to succeed him. Meanwhile, I learnt that he is trying to zone it and zoning may not produce the best.

However, zoning is a principle that needs to be discussed by all concerned and agreed. As long as that has not been done and you are trying to introduce it half way it is going to cause a lot of problem. So, the best