By LUCKY OJI

COMRADE Moses Abeh is the Special Assistant to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Inter Party Relations. Until his appointment, he was the Chairman of Association of Registered Political Parties in Delta State. He was also the State Chairman of African People’s Alliance and has been in politics for over two decades.

 In this interview, he spoke on variety of issues of interest.

Excerpts:

You were the Chairman of Association of Registered Political Parties in Delta State; what is opposition like in the State today?

Currently, after the Supreme Court judgement which reaffirmed the election of the His Excellency, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, the Executive Governor of Delta State, the opposition parties are now coming together. Although there are some defections from one party to the other due to personal reasons of the politicians involved. As for the other politicians of other political parties, I will say they remain focus in trying to see how they will support the administration of His Excellency, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa to succeed, because we know if he succeeds, we all have succeeded irrespective of our political parties and kudos will go to every Deltan who have supported this administration to succeed. Presently the political parties are united, working together for the administration to succeed.

We seem not to have a stiff opposition in the State anymore; why?

Abeh

Opposition is not about fighting; is not about running down someone simply because you are not in government. Every political party cannot be in government at the same time. So talking about stiff opposition, I don’t see what the people will oppose. The government is just about eleven months old and the Governor is trying to make sure that most of the roads that were not passable are passable. He is trying to get prosperity to all Deltans.

So talking about stiff opposition, the people that are supposed to call themselves opposition have nothing to oppose because they are seeing what the man is doing and they know he is on the right track. We don’t have anything to oppose. All we need to do is to join hands with him to move the State forward.

Today, you are Senior Special Assistant on Inter-party Relations to the Governor; how are you using this position to strengthen political parties in the State?

As the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Inter-Party relations, my position is like a go-between the political parties and the government. I meet the political party, liaise with them, know what their problems are and report same to the Governor. I have been meeting with them; I have met with them over twice. So that these political parties will have a meeting with the governor, discuss with him to chart away forward.

You no longer talk like someone who is in opposition; are you still in opposition?

I am not a PDP member; I am from the African People’s Alliance. I have never been a PDP member and my appointment was not based on opposition. The office of Inter-party relations can be handled by anybody, be he a politician or not, it is at the discretion of His Excellency the Governor and by the Grace of God, he thought it wise to appoint me. And by the Grace of God, I have been a State party Chairman for over eight years. When I was Chairman, most of them that are chairmen now were maybe secretaries or youth leaders. So I am still a member of the African People’s Alliance. I have not crossed to PDP.

Let me make it clear, I am not talking like a PDP man, what I am saying is the truth which cannot be hidden; the truth is always open. We made series of publications even before my appointment to praise the government.

About 11 months down the line; how will you assess the present administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa?

I will say the train is moving fast. Soon after his inauguration, he commenced a programme for the youths and took hundreds of youths to Sapele where they were trained in different fields of their choice. Then after that we heard of the flood that destroy some fish farms at camp 5 and we knew how the state government intervened to reduce the pain of these young graduates that are into fish farming.

As we speak, he is taking another set of youths for same programme, which means he is creating jobs. By the time these young men and women will finish their trainings, they will be productive and also create employment for some persons. That is by the way, some people are criticizing the Governor that the appointments are too many while others are saying that he should employ people. What is appointment and what is employment? They are all for the sake of empowerment. Like myself today, I have people that are working with me, I have people that I am taking care of from my own salary. Which means that I am reaching out to people and those people will be useful to themselves and the society. The young graduates that are trained in various skills, they themselves will be useful to themselves and the society. Before you know it, crime will reduce to the barest minimum.

Even with the dwindling receipt from the federation account, you see that Delta State remains the only state that is consistent with payment of salaries of workers. In some states of the federation, you see that they owe workers up to three, four, six months but this government does not owe any single worker salary. So 10 months down the line, I believe he has done well and we pray that he will do more.

You are talking as if there is an alliance between your party and the PDP, we want to know if there is an alliance; and if there is, are you supporting an instance of one party state?

There is no way I will support a one party state and there is no alliance between my party and the PDP. How will there be an alliance without the knowing, it is something we will do in the open.

Some persons see you as the spokesman of the PDP even though you are in the opposition. What is your take on it?

Well everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. What I am saying is, we should stop this ‘pull him down syndrome; it will lead us nowhere.

If you have a programme, come up with your agenda and with your manifesto we will know whether we will support you or not; you have not come up with something like that yet you want to be Governor and you keep dragging those in power from one court to another, distracting them. For Christ sake, where do you want them to fund their cases from?