•Urges peaceful resolution of Warri ward delineation controversy 

By Charles Kumolu 

High Chief Promise Lawuru (aka Ozigizaga) is the Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Egbema Kingdom and National Leader of  Southern Youth Movement for Good Governance. In this interview, he speaks on the claims that Seyi Tinubu nurses governorship ambition. He also speaks on the performance of President Tinubu,  Rivers political crisis, and the lingering Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ward delineation issue in Warri Federal Constituency, among other issues.

I am Chief Promise Lawuru, popularly known as Ozigizaga. I am the APC National Leader of Egbema Kingdom and National Leader of  Southern Youth Movement for Good Governance.

There are reports that Seyi Tinubu, son of  President Bola Tinubu is nursing an ambition to contest the governorship position in Lagos State in 2027 general elections. What is your take?

Thank you very much for this significant question. First, I want to speak as a Nigerian and also as a friend.

Talking about the ambition of  Seyi Tinubu,  he  is a Nigerian, and there is no law banning a sitting president’s son from contesting any election. It is within his constitutional right to contest any election. Today, as an adult, if he deems it fit to contest and represent the people of Lagos State, it is within his right. There is no breach of  constitution.

You can recall in our previous interview,  we talked about pushing for youths to come out in southern states to represent our people in different elective positions. Today, Seyi Tinubu has answered the call to represent Lagos State, and he has the capacity to do so.

It is just jealousy and hatred for politicians that make people see this as a big deal. In the past, even in your own homes, if your father is a farmer, you can  help him in farming business. If he is a trader, there is nothing wrong with his son participating in that trading business.

Now that his father is a politician, what is wrong with his son participating in politics? So if Seyi wants to represent Lagos State today, nobody should judge him because his father is a president. Let’s look at him. What is the content of his character? What can he do? I know Seyi Tinubu as a friend. He can handle Lagos State perfectly well.I’m in support of Seyi Tinubu becoming governor of Lagos State come 2027.

Don’t you think people will say they have served the father and now they want to serve the son?

Who is not serving the father? We are in the southern part of Nigeria, and the majority of us are Christians.  We all serve the father and serve the son. What is the difference between serving the father and the son? You serve God, and you serve Jesus Christ, the son of God. Are you not serving the son and the father? 

Let us look at the antecedents of Seyi Tinubu. As a friend, can you tell us a little about him?  

What I know about Seyi Tinubu is that he is a very independent man. If you want to classify Seyi Tinubu, he is a very independent man. That is why I’m so convinced that if he wants to contest for governorship come 2027, he is eligible.

Once a man becomes independent, it means he is ready for any task that comes ahead. This man is not just a common youth, he is a barrister. He has studied the constitution. He knows left from right, wrong from right. What else do you want from a man that is independent? This is the first time we have seen a son of a president coming out and mingling with everybody.

We have had many presidents with children all over, but nobody has seen the son of a president before. Today, he brings himself down to the common people to make sure he meets up with everybody. If you are doing a function and he is invited, he will appear. He associates with everybody. Those are the characters we need.

Even without becoming governor, privately he is developing Lagos State. He is instrumental to one of the deep-sea ports coming to Lagos State. Those kind of persons are the people we want as governors, not handicapped people.

Nowadays, our problem in politics is that we have conventional politicians who have nothing to do with business. Their aim is just to get into government to embezzle money. But once you put a business-minded person in politics, he brings  business ideology to develop the political system, and you will see that the system will be developed.

I know Seyi Tinubu will bring his business experience and educational experience into politics, and it will make a difference in Lagos State. That I believe.

What efforts or plans do you have to support him in his struggle to become the governor of Lagos?

 Every Nigerian is a Lagosian. We have our people there with voting rights, and we have friends with voting rights in Lagos State. Our role is to mobilise those with voting rights to make sure they queue behind Seyi Tinubu to succeed. That I promise I will do. I urge all Lagosians to see Seyi Tinubu beyond being the son of a president. Once you do that, you will see the potential of Seyi Tinubu. Therefore, I want Lagosians to be patient, watch Seyi carefully, look at his antecedents, and know what exactly he represents. By so doing, they will know he is the man of the moment to govern Lagos State.

Moving away from Seyi Tinubu, can you give us an overall view of President Tinubu’s administration and his performance?

So far, if I want to credit this  government, it is distinction because  Tinubu has done well.

The first thing a president has to do in a country that is broke like Nigeria is to begin to repair. The repairs are in phases. You first have to fix policies. Once you have fixed those policies that are ridiculing this country, then you come to the physical aspects of repair. In the area of repairs, the President is trying. You can see he is putting policies in place to make sure Nigeria works again.

It is just that Nigerians have not been briefed properly. I encourage the presidential media team and other media men within the presidency to do more. It is not just about coming on national TV stations to speak English.

Those who speak Ijaw and other languages should speak in different dialects to tell the people what the President is doing. It is lack of information that is creating negative impression about government. For now, Mr. President is doing well, and I know he will do better.

Now that elections are fast approaching, what will be the major role of the Southern Youth Movement for Good Governance in bringing in youths as governors and other elective positions in the 2027 polls?

Yes, we are hands-on to make sure our vibrant youths who are ready for governance participate, win elections, and represent our people, not only in the executive arm but also in the legislative arm. You cannot compare analogue and digital. You may have experience, but physical fitness is also required. Coming into governance is not to move the aged away because, in your own house, you cannot allow your father to be cooking or sweeping.

At this time, we want our elders to be patient with us and let the youths work for them. I believe our elders and leaders are also listening and will allow vibrant youths to participate in elective positions come 2027.

As the National Leader of the Southern Youth Movement for Good Governance, what strategy do you intend to apply to galvanize these youths so they can participate fully in the elections?

First, we must understand one thing: what has been the problem of this country? Some would say we have bad leaders. They just put the entire blame on bad leadership.

Sometimes, bad followership can produce bad leadership. This ideology of having financial capacity to do everything is one of the issues that have been producing bad leadership.

For instance, if I use money to get something, the thing originally becomes mine, and I can use it the way I want. Those politicians who influence youths with money to get to where they are,  govern this country the way they want. That is why we, the southern youths, are coming out to ensure youths take their rightful place. We are doing this without even considering financial assistance from anybody.

Voting is our constitutional right, and we have to do it. This time, we are going around to create awareness that collecting money to vote is damaging the country. This is the awareness we are spreading from the units to the wards, villages, and marketplaces. This time, you do not need to be mobilized by any politician to do what is right.

On Rivers State political crisis between Governor Siminalyi  Fubara and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. What is your take as an Ijaw man and APC stakeholder?

On the issue of Rivers State, most of us have been silent on it.

For instance, if you ask the Rivers State governor what is happening, I know the two things he will point out. Maybe money or appointment of political office holders. If these things are bringing the problem,  I will say the governor is not managing the issue well.

It is God that uses someone as a vessel to make someone become a governor. By the time God uses that vessel to make you a governor, it is good you still follow that vessel. I do not think the governor is very strange to the minister because the governor earlier worked in his administration as the person in charge of finance.

He knows the minister very well, and it is the trust that the minister has in him that earned Fubara the governorship position. Therefore, no matter your annoyance, you don’t use harsh words on your elders or leaders.

Governor Fubara should find a way to settle his scores with Wike because the idea of having friends and more friends as a backup may not end well with him. Some of those people the governor is meeting to support him do not have voting rights in Rivers State. They may only make statements favourable to him, but at the time of need when only Rivers State people will have to come out, they will not be there to back him.

 Fubara should find a way to reconcile with Wike. This is my candid advice, and I also advise the minister to allow him finish his first tenure.

How would you rate the services of TANTITA Security Services in the region?

TANTITA Security Services is the most proactive indigenous security network in the country. Since they were contracted to safeguard the national assets of this country, they have been doing it well.

It will interest you to know that as of today, Nigeria’s daily oil production is at 1.7 million to 1.8 million barrels per day, and it is because of the proactiveness of TANTITA Security Services. Most of the illegal bunkering you see is not from this country.

Foreigners have been coming into our areas with larger vessels and all the necessary equipment to siphon oil to their countries for profit. So at the time TANTITA was engaged to tackle that menace, we have seen the arrests they have made so far, the vessels seized, and loading points blocked.

They are working round the clock to make sure no drop of oil is stolen, and I believe with more support from everybody, they will perform more.I give them kudos, and I also thank Mr. President for sustaining their contract.

I urge Mr. President not to listen to those trying to sabotage TANTITA’s efforts to safeguard the pipelines.

Ward delineation 

On the ward delineation in Warri Federal Constituency,  If I want to describe myself, I can best be described as an Ijaw man, an Itsekiri man, and an Urhobo person because we are all brothers and sisters. We all existed before we co-existed. By the time we stop questioning the ‘existence’ of one another, there will be peace in this world.

I believe everybody is aboriginal to their present settlement. So I want to urge everybody to stop questioning the existence of one another because God knows why He has put us together in one place.

Nigerians focus on the crumbs rather than reality. Nigeria as a state was designed by foreigners. Those foreigners were never Nigerians. After the Berlin Conference, which aimed to carve Africa into different colonies, the British succeeded in colonising Nigeria. They suggested that for economic value, the northern and southern protectorates should be annexed together to make one country.

At the time this process was going on, no Itsekiri man was consulted, no Ijaw was consulted. Lord Lugard and his wife gathered and made us ‘one Nigeria.’

If we rely on political documents, we will continue to have issues. The issues that the Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo are having, our forefathers never had these kinds of issues. It is the introduction of politics that is bringing issues that are not beneficial to our people.

 I want us to think of how we can collectively come together as one people to fight one particular cause: underdevelopment.

For instance, if  government wishes to build a bridge in Itsekiri land today, it must pass through Ijaw land and Urhobo land before it gets to them. So that tells you we are one people.

On the issue of delineation, people went to court and followed this matter to the apex court (the Supreme Court) and got a judgment. INEC followed the judgment, did fieldwork, and gave its report. Some persons in some quarters are saying no, that things were not done correctly.

I think we have stakeholders from the three ethnic groups in the area, Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo. The stakeholders can meet. The office of the National Security Adviser has summoned meetings several times. In that stakeholders’ meeting, whatever needs to be corrected will be corrected, and the final result will come. It is not worth killing ourselves or preaching hate speech. Politics will come and go, but brotherhood will remain the same.

I am pleading with everybody to approach this issue peacefully. That is my  advice for my people.