Mr. Hosanna Jalogho-Williams, an environmentalist and Chief Executive Officer of Seabridge Environmental Marine Ltd, is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State. In this interview, he faults the retention of the 13 per cent derivation to mineral producing areas, saying it should be increased to 50 per cent.

BY DAPO AKINREFON

What is your take on the retention of the 13 per cent derivation by the National Conference committee?
Every right thinking Nigerian should know that the 13 per cent given to the Nigeria Delta region is not sufficient because of our environment. It is quite small. The 13 per cent we talk about, what are we going to use it for? It is not for salaries because we are talking about infrastructural development.

For example, to construct a road in the Niger Delta, it is about seven or eight times of what you use in constructing a road in the Northern region. So, 13 per cent is nothing to us.
Every right thinking person should know that people of the Niger Delta require at least 50 per cent and not even 13 per cent.

Would you agree that each state should control its resources to enhance development?
That is an element of true federalism and what should have been done.
I keep telling people that if the foundation is weak, there is nothing that you build on top of it that will work.
Democracy is an orbit but we are not practicing true federalism. How can that kind of government work?

What is your take on the agitation that power should shift to Delta North in 2015?
Power shift is purely a PDP verbal arrangement; it is not in a law. The PDP arrangement is that power should rotate among the three senatorial districts in Delta State.
That is a PDP arrangement, it does not apply to APC or other parties, but as a PDP man, I think that we should adhere to the shift of power to Delta North.

Many people think that the governor is imposing himself on the people with his Senatorial ambition. Do you think so?
That is not true. This is an area where you find friendliness. Those are political statements and they move on the surface of the water, it does not mean anything.

He is going to the Senate to represent Delta South senatorial district and the district is made up of three prominent tribes. That is the Itsekiris, Isokos and Ijaws. The Senate is not where anybody can run to, you need a large strength, clout, popularity and integrity to go to such a place. So, we need somebody who is popular and has interacted with the people.

So, in Itsekiri today if you ask who is more popular to go there, it is Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan because from political calculation, it is the turn of the Itsekiris to go.
He is also the one who has the loudest voice and that is why we think he should go because most of his contemporaries are there.

He is a match the people that are there because we cannot just take anybody who has not got the political experience. I do not think it will be good for the Itsekiri ethnic nationality to allow an inexperienced person there.