By Emma Amaize & Egufe Yafugborhi
All Progressives Party, APC, gubernatorial candidate in Delta State, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, is confident that he will emerge as governor of the state in the April 11 governorship election. In this interview with Saturday Vanguard at Asaba, he speaks of how the PDP failed Deltans for 16 years, the new breath he is bringing to the state as a turnaround expert, how Chief Joseph Omene-led Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, compromised the Uvwiamuge declaration and why Deltans should thrust aside the PDP candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and Labour Party candidate, Chief Great Ogboru, for him. Excerpts.

You have taken your campaign to 25 local government areas of Delta state, what was your message to Deltans essentially?

We’ve been out there. What we have been telling the people is that we are coming with a different attitude and a different perspective to running the business of Delta state. This state has been run in a particular way for 16 years, and if you’ve done something for 16 years and it has not worked, we are telling them to try something else.

The best way to look at it is to ask the people, are you happy with where you are? And the answer is no, they are not. What are they looking for; they are looking for just those simple things that can make life comfortable. They are looking for good roads, good medical facilities. They are

Olorogun-Otega-Emerhor

looking for education. They are looking for employment.

They are looking for engagements. Things as simple as these are what the people are asking for, but go round the state, in my campaign and wherever, what I see poverty. What I see everywhere is misery. So we are coming with the message that this is not how it is supposed to be, this is not how it ought to be, it could be far much better.

The truth is that these people who have subjected the people to this misery for 16 years have no new ideas, but we have new ideas to take you out of where you are today. This is what we have been telling them.

You have talked about making things better. The candidate of the PDP has conveyed the same message – that he will surpass the present administration. Basically, there is nothing different from what you are saying?

There is certainly something different. Two things are actually different. One, the candidate of the PDP that is going round saying this has been part of the whole process for 16 years, even longer. Check your records. He’s been there. From being local government chairman to being commissioner multiple times, to being Secretary to the State Government, SSG, to now being in the Senate, he’s been part and parcel of the PDP ruling class. If he had ideas and he has not put them in, then he was not ready to contribute to developing the state.

Now, what is going to change is not really much other than ideas, and I will give you some of the ideas. For instance, how do you take people off the streets in a major way? I said in my first 100 days, I am setting aside N10 billion as empowerment funding. You know what I want to do. I will save part of it because first 100 days is just about just about three months. I will save part of it as counterpart funding to attract more money. I will have the N10b out there and call it empowerment funding for youths, women and small businesses.

And I will partner with existing institutions such that every local government will have what I call empowerment access point. It is a new concept. You would be surprised what is empowerment access point? Today, even though they may have what they call SME department or Poverty Alleviation department and all that, but ask people on the street whether they know where to go and benefit that. You have to know your brother who knows a brother who knows somebody. This is why things don’t move. Access point means a transparent place like a bank’s branch where people who need help actually go and get the help.

And you put trained venture capitalists who sit there and what are they doing? They are welcoming people, looking at their proposals and genuinely try to assist them, and there are no constraints as to how to help them because the government is guaranteeing that help to these people, provided they are viable and you find that they are genuine. And applicants will not be asked to go and bring their mother and father as collateral. So, you create a vehicle that really, people can access. That is access point, and you let people know that.   You are unemployed is not a barrier, what matters is that you have an idea,   and you tell him, go to the nearest access point and you have things sorted out.

The second of the new ideas I want to bring out there is to refocus development and make local governments the development hubs. What will have today are people in Asaba, sitting down as Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Works and what have you, taking all the decisions from there. In the local governments, the funds that come there, the chairmen just use them to pay salaries and do nothing thereafter. But if you sit down with the local governments and see that this is the budget they have, these are the projects they have and these are the facilities they need to put in place, and create budgets for local governments that are realistic, then the state government takes responsibility for making sure that they part-financed or help them source funding.

So, you find that local governments can really do meaningful and tangible things because that is why they were created, to be hubs of development. You begin to have local government competing with local governments, and you find that the whole state is developed. You will then see that the things that the state needs to address are high level capital intensive ideas, industrialization, attracting major investors to build industrial parks and other major projects that really expand the space like major housing expansion. New idea is private public sector partnerships. It is working in Lagos state.

We have roads we can’t construct because of lack of funding. For 16 years, roads from Asaba to Ughelli or through Agbor to Warri are still under construction. We can bring in private sector to blow up those roads, but we will pay for it by putting toll gates and stuffs like that. And some people will say that is tax, but that manner of tax is more citizen-friendly than the toll the deplorable roads exert on your car, your health and pocket. Each time your car breaks down on that road, do you know how much you spend to repair? Do you know the cost to life in terms of hospital bills and the possibility of death? These are things that in developed countries are normal and over time people are happy cruising in very smooth roads and paying a little bit.

These are ideas the private sector and government can combine and you can open up. Take for instance again, housing. You can open up blue areas; create facilities like roads, drainages, power and stuffs like that. Those are you minimum investment. You will attract funders to come and built the houses. Civil servants, the self -employed will, through financial institutions, get the finances and they can buy those houses. Over 15 years, you then deduct from them.

They own their houses, they are happy, they are not living in squalor and government has played a role in their lives. These are the things that are new that the PDP will never think about in another sixteen years. It is a different message.

The people of Anioma believe it is their turn to produce the next governor of Delta state, you are the APC candidate from Delta Central, what will you be tell Aniomas to vote for you?

The truth is that I can understand why the Anioma person or the Anioma people would want to have one of their own as governor. The same thing my people from Delta Central would want to have theirs. Everybody really would want to have their own as it seems. One index that cuts across these people and reason people start crying for their own person to be in government is basically because people have not been performing in government.

The basic thing people are looking for, first and foremost, is competence and ability to deliver the dividends of democracy. Ability to lift the people out of the misery they are, and how I wish the person coming from Anioma will provide that for the people. Now, it is the same group that has been ruling this state for 16 years, and I believe the Anioma person, when he see somebody who will being the dividends of democracy compared to his own son that would not, would have a decision to make.

I really understand the reason why every group clamour for its own-   they believe that until their own is there, the dividends of democracy may never come to them, but what I can promise the Anioma people is that I am bringing competence. I am bringing ability to develop this state. And I will not be an Urhobo governor. I will be a Delta governor. My promise is that Anioma would find that the government of this Urhobo man would do better for Anioma because he is bringing competence and is bringing development.

Uvwiamuge declaration has turned out a lot of things; we now have a parallel Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) so to speak, what is your take on what is currently playing out the union?

It is unfortunate really. Again this takes us to another ethnic dimension to the race. The Urhobos believe they have population, and therefore they are entitled to use that population to ensure that one of their own is governor. And I, from that part, as a politician, there is no reason why I would not want to benefit from that kind of platform, provided when I benefit from it, I will still remain the governor of entire Delta state, not of a particular section.

Now, when a people come together and make a proclamation, they put their honor and integrity in it. UPU is 84 years old as reputable as it is if not more. It has produced outstanding president -generals. So the UPU gathered the whole of Urhobo stakeholders together, and they pronounced that they don’t want any of their children coming through mushroom parties, that only parties, APC and PDP are big enough, and that they are going to fight to ensure that their sons and daughters only play in these two parties. And they swore by that declaration that any of these two parties that give governorship ticket to their son, there is where they will put their votes.

The whole Delta, the whole country listened and they expect that kind of declaration to be honoured. The split in UPU today is that the original group, which led the declaration of this pronouncement, somehow, has abandoned that pronouncement.

After all the primaries, and now that APC had produced an Urhobo governorship ticket, and without dispute, the only party that has met the requirement, suddenly they woke up and fell in love with PDP because they believe they must vote for President Goodluck Jonathan. And then they went an attached Labour Party to it as a friendly party to Jonathan, and barefacedly, they turned against their own declaration.

There is no other interpretation that they want to sabotage not only their own declaration, but something has compromised them to the extent that they now want to support a party that did not even meet the requirement. That is just the basis of the crisis. There is, therefore, a second group that says no, this nation has honour and that they need to stand by that honour.

They needed answers to the basic emanating questions; what is the problem, why don’t you want to stand by the people who met the requirement? Why do you want to dishonor your own declaration? Why do you now want to favour someone who was not even a party to that declaration just because you want to favour the party, PDP, that did not give you want. It is strange and that is what is happening.

There is this allegation that you are the one sponsoring the other group. Is it so?

The group does not need any sponsorship. The group’s birth is natural. The group is standing by what is right. The truth is that you usually like to call a dog a bad name before you hang it. The people at fault here are those who want to abandon and disgrace the Urhobos and they are turning around and accusing me. I am just a mere beneficiary of an arrangement. This group, if they have decided, somehow, that I am not Urhobo enough, or may be APC is not good party enough, if PDP carrying members are now the executives of the UPU, they should not have challenged the PDP to Uvwiamuge declaration.

PDP dared them and they did not give them what they demanded. Now they are dancing back. APC gave 100 per cent what they want, and they are now saying I am sponsoring a splinter group. Some principled people only rose to the occasion and say no; this organization has been here for 84 years and has been known for honouring its words.

If you guys have compromised yourselves or done something that is making you waiver and now want to do what the declaration did not say, we will stand by the declaration and the rest of Urhobo are backing them. Anybody saying I am sponsoring them has his free will to make accusations, but the truth remains that the group which stands on the path of truth and integrity are full- fledged, genuine executives of the UPU and they have their rights to take their decisions. That they support the truth does not mean I am sponsoring them.

Before this situation there were reports that efforts were in place to approach you or Ogboru for one person to step down, were there such moves and if true what was your reaction?

It is obvious to everyone that if Delta Central or the Urhobos want their votes united, then two of its sons should not compete for this governorship, but while that principle is reasonable, the principle of fairness cannot be replaced. That is why Uvwiamuge declaration was very specific. What should have happened is to disqualify who does not qualify.

Then it becomes easy for the qualified person to move ahead. To bring up the unqualified person can never work and that is the problem.

If you want people to step down for each other there must be a way to do it, and the only way to do is justify who meets the criteria. There is no other way. In any case, nobody has asked me to step down for anybody because I meet the criteria, but even if you extend it beyond that, my brother and contestant has been in this race a couple of times and yes, he had received my support at previous times. So, truly if you were going to look for who should step down for whom, you look at the qualifications.

I am in a national party that is poised, right now as we speak, to win the presidency. The evidence is out there. I am in the big party where I am responsible, connected to other people. Right now, we have over 14 governors. Does it make sense that I step for a lone- ranging, enclosed Labour Party with no link, no name other than to attach itself to PDP? Even for the PDP you know what is happening. They had to force postponement of this election because they know we are going to win.

In your thinking, you believe what is best for Delta Central is for Ogboru to step down for you based on Uvwiamuge declaration?

Well, you called it a declaration and I qualified. I am the sole beneficiary by the outlined qualifications. I am not asking him to step down and it really does not call for that. People only just have to be honourable. You must stand by your word. If you won’t live by your word, don’t declare it. I mean, if I did not qualify, I will not hang on it, I will not.

There is the fear that if both of you go into the race, you will split Urhobo votes, what is your take on this?

That is true, but it is his call, certainly not mine. I am in a national party that is poised to win the presidency and take over leadership. I believe that after the presidential elections, I have work to do, and I know that once we win that presidential elections, we are going to win the governorship as well because we are doing a lot of work.

We have our structures across the state, not just Central. I don’t know if you find Labour structures anywhere else. Go and do your research in Delta North and South. You cannot hang on to endorsement of an ethnic group alone to win governorship of Delta state. I am selling myself across the state. APC is fully spread and structures across the state and I can give you names local government by local government. From Oshimili North, Oshimili South to Aniocha, Ndokwa, Ika, everywhere.

My running mate is Ndokwa. Those three council areas are coming together. They want to defend the fact that their own son is in the ticket. The Isokos are very ready. The party state chairman is from Isoko. We have heavy weights from Isoko. We are working very hard with the Itsekiris, even among the Ijaws, we are doing very well. We have a statewide network.

This election is for us to lose only if we don’t do our work. We are winning it. So, the issue is, if we have a small party called Labour and is attaching itself to PDP and relying on UPU to deliver and they feel they must divide the votes, it is their call. We are going for the governorship with Urhobo votes, the Anioma votes and every other vote.

But what the Omene-led UPU is arguing is that politically, Ogboru is a more tested and popular politician than you. And they feel this time around he will win, do you share this opinion?

What I hear you say is that this person is more popular. They are failing to complete the argument. This same individual has contested for four times or more.

He has not carried the trophy. That says something. Finishing is everything, not just running. You’ve got to score the goal and it takes certain things to score the goal, and part of how you can score the goal is not to stand by yourself. You have to connect. You have to have outreaches.

There are institutions that help you to score the goal. You have to be part of a network. That is why even the UPU and Urhobo realized from the very beginning that the party has to be national. If you are playing football, there are strikers, there are those in defense. In my place they say only one finger cannot get a lice out of the hair.

You need networking and connection. That is what has failed him once, twice, third and a fourth time, and it is the same game he is playing. If somebody believes that is where victory will be, it is like a fool at forty.

Where do you really think UPU got it wrong in all these?

I don’t want to say the UPU got it wrong, because the UPU now is pursuing this very vigorously. But the group that is working with Ogboru got it wrong because they were taken in by the PDP and possibly the presidency. After so much visits, because the presidency really wants to get the Urhobo one million votes  they were able to convince them that look, whether we met your Uvwiamuge declaration or not, we will support you by the backdoor through you son, who is in a friendly, in quote, non- national party like Labour. It is a trap they set for them.

The truth is that they have fallen for that trap in the false hope that the presidency, after winning the election, abandons the PDP candidate, Okowa and come and support Ogboru. It is a scam that is so obvious, but unfortunately in this kind of matters, a lot of water goes under the bridge and people act for reasons you cannot comprehend. People you think would ordinary see something clearly would get blind.

What effect has the shift on elections had on your programme?

We were really very set for the elections, but the shift had happened and I say you never can be fully ready for anything. When you get to election, the best you can are going to do is to tell yourself it has come, let’s get it done. Now that it has happened we are going to take our time, because we have added extended time to really cross the t’s and dot the i’s.

We will be more ready by the time the election is here. We would have been ready if the election was done at the original timetable because it is getting more expensive, but the worst part of it is the uncertainty that is still out there.

But Nigerians are being prayerful. The whole country is one on this that this time around the elections should hold in the days as rescheduled so that we get this matter over with. So, truly we are working and spacing it. It is not as tight as it was, but the thing is that we will get out better with it.

Fidelis Tilije was one key stakeholder who contested the APC primary with you. Not long ago, there were reports that he had joined forces with you and Delta APC has become stronger. In less than 48 hours, there was a counter report that Tilije has defected to PDP. How would you react to that?

You know politics is a wonderful game. We had thought we had Tilije. He is a good politician, a strong stakeholder. We give him that and I wanted him to be with us, but somehow he has made up his mind that he would rather be with PDP. We respect him for his choice, but that is politics. We believe that he is no more with us so we will take measures to ensure that his absence does not hurt us.

Finally, you sound so confident that APC is going to win at the national and state levels, what gives you such confidence?

I probably should first ask you. You are in this country like me, are you not seeing the handwriting on the wall? What gives me all the confidence is this message of change, the message is widespread and it is real.

Go out there; what the people are saying is very clear. Let’s try something new. The key thing that is driving people is that corruption is killing this country and Nigerians want to find a way to end corruption, if not completely eliminated, then, drastically reduce it. And they have found in Gen. Buhari,   a man who can do that.

The state of insecurity in the country is worrisome to people. The state of poverty and mystery, state of power, so many things that ought to have been there that are not there are worrisome.

The people are saying these people have ruled us for 16 years. Even if they like these people who have inflicted this mystery on them as individuals, even if they like the President as a person, Nigerians are simply saying they have tried their best, for 16 years they ruled and this is where we are, so let’s try something new. That is the message. And it is resonating out there. And this is a God- given opportunity.

Take the United States of America, take the United Kingdom, they have two strong parties that alternate, giving the electorates the leverage of choice. When one party is not doing well, they vote that party out and they bring in a new party which then tries to improve on the situation, and when that one runs out of ideas again, they also vote it out.

That is the opportunity Nigerians have decided to give the APC, not only for the fact that the APC is trying to put the right things in place for them, but the fact of that opportunity to see something new, a positive change in their lives. And also that technicality that we gave it to you APC, if you fail to do it in four years, PDP is waiting for us to give it back. That is the force driving this change.