Prince Yemi Emiko, son of His Majesty, Ogiame Erejuwa II, Olu of Warri, 1951 to 1986, had extensive experience in community engagements across the Niger Delta region having served in the community relations departments of Chevron during his working career. Prince Emiko is now aspiring to represent the Delta South Senatorial District in the Senate from 2015 with the aim of continuing his engagement with the communities in the region on the political level. In this interview he articulates his plans, policies and politics.

BY DANIEL GUMM

As you enter the political arena what would you leverage on?
We will leverage on our knowledge of the people, of their issues, of their needs, and of solutions and ideas that we already have been working on. We have even in our zealousness proposed some of these ideas to these clowns who are pretending to be our leaders, but who have turned out to be only interested in flamboyance, sirens and looting of our conscience and common wealth.

We will leverage on our good works in these communities and especially, on the goodwill of our people. We will point to them projects that we executed in these communities using limited funds from Chevron at the time, and show them how we would do more with government resources that are meant for them in the first place. We will demonstrate that public funds are not to be converted to use by individuals in government for themselves, their families, cronies and in-laws! From the Ijaw axis to the Isokos and on to the Itsekiris, these people know me; at the risk of sounding immodest, they know me as a solid, reliable, dependable and intelligent Prince of the Niger Delta.

What has been your motivation?
Motivation? What other motivation do I need? I am an oil man. I have travelled all over the world, and I have seen what oil money has done for oil bearing communities in Louisiana, in Texas, in California, which easily is the most affluent state in the USA, in Argentina, in Venezuela, even in small Qatar.

But what do we have here? Abject poverty, environmental mess, and individuals running our lives aground, because they are afraid of people with ideas! You see, the Delta South area should be and, by the grace of God and the people, will be our own Louisiana.

Outside the numerous Flowstations, Platforms and oil wells in the district, we have two very important Crude Oil Tank Farms… one in Forcados in Burutu Local Government area, and the Other in Escravos, in Warri South West. But what have the people got to show for these? Poverty Distribution Politics, PDP! They do not have even potable water to drink, except perhaps provided by Chevron or Shell.

Yet we have people, who claim to be in government? What can they show us they have done with over 10 billion accruing to Delta state every month from 13% derivation fund alone, not to mention other statutory allocations to the state on monthly basis? Indeed, what can DESOPADEC point to in the Itsekiri or Isoko areas as one concrete project the people can relate with?

Even the few projects done in the Ijaw area, were mere palliatives hurriedly done at the height of the resistance led by Tompolo. Now that they have led down their arms, what can we say government is doing to open up the communities to growth and development? The so-called road project from Warri to Escravos has long been abandoned! Must we continue to bury our heads in the sand, like the proverbial Ostrich and pretend that all is well?
My motivation is to provide proper leadership that will herald change and create opportunities for our people to reclaim and rebuild their lives.

Have you held any political or elective office before?

No. But I fail to see the correlation between effective performance and political appointment or elective position in the past.

Governor Oshiomole was never a political office holder in the past, before he became governor in Edo state.
What is your vision for Delta South Senatorial District?

My vision is to create momentum that will galvanize our district into a kind of Louisiana, or some little Dubai of sort.

We need to build up the small villages and fishing huts into country side city centers and link them up with bridges, roads, airports and rail networks. We need to clean up the beautiful beaches and build them into eco-centers, complete with business sites, shopping malls, water parks, complementary cottage industries like fish processing, salt production from the huge mangrove resources, and world class sports facilities. My friend, it is do-able.
The resources are there. 10 billion naira every month meant for oil producing communities in Delta state can do wonders, if spent by selfless, focused and serious minded people. I just finished reading the book written by Mohammed bin Rashid, the Ruler of Dubai and the man who has turned that hitherto small desert slum into the eighth wonder of the world in under 20 years! He titled his book, “My Vision – Challenges in the Race for Excellence.” Bin Rashid believes that the two most critical ingredients needed for leaders to succeed are “selflessness and the fear of Allah.” Then you must treat the people as your most important asset, not as a burden, the way our leaders see and treat us in Nigeria!