By Simon Ebegbulem,
Mrs Evelyn Igbafe is the Executive Director of Poverty Alleviation Agency in Edo State. In this interview, she speaks on  the efforts of  Governor Adams Oshiomhole to alleviate poverty in the state.

She also bares her mind on the crisis rocking the Edo  chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) over who runs as running mate to Oshiomhole in the  2012 governorship election, saying the current deputy governor of the state, Dr Pius Odubu, has been loyal to the governor, and therefore  expects the party leaders to endorse him as the governor’s running mate.  Excerpts:

Can we know what efforts the state government  is  making to alleviate poverty in the state?

Only last Tuesday, we supplied goods to Akoko Edo local government and other councils in the state. We have distributed anti-malaria drugs, worm expellers free of charge. Even kits for pregnant women are being distributed free to women in the state.The governor does not play with that department. We have been very busy in the rural and urban areas.

Igbafe

From the first week of  October, we will also start empowering women in the 18 local government councils so they can be self-reliant. And in the area of employment, Edo government has employed youths more than any government in the country in the past three years. Over 20,000 youths have been employed  under the Youth Employment Scheme.

And  I am aware that more opportunities will be provided for employment. But, of course, when you  talk about poverty alleviation, you talk about roads, construction of health centers and hospitals, agriculture; these are efforts being made to fight poverty in the state.

As the Executive Director of Poverty Alleviation Agency in the state, our aim is to give the net and not to give the fish and that is what we have been doing. We want to equip people to fend for themselves so as to feed their families. We don’t believe in just giving money.

And when we are doing distribution, we don’t say because this person is a PDP member he will not benefit, no. The governor abhors that and he has warned seriously against such attitude from government officials. We are happy that we have been getting results in empowering our people and we are quite satisfied with our activities.

Are you also satisfied with the participation of women in politics in the country?

I must tell you that  women are the problem of themselves. We have this pull-her-down syndrome. If a woman is making progress politically, you will see a woman castigating her and saying all sorts of things to tarnish her image. If a woman wants to misbehave, a minute is enough.

And I want to let men know that if you keep a woman indoors and say she should not work, she should not trade and go into politics, you are only wasting your time because if anything happens to the man, the woman will be in problem with the children.

But if a woman is up and doing, she will be able to adjust in any unforeseen situation. Men should learn to allow their wives to be busy.

Recently, leaders of the ACN endorsed Governor Adams Oshiomhole for second term.  What motivated the action?

Both the people living in Edo  and outside the state must have noticed the infrastructural developments. The leadership forum of which I am a member  passed a vote of confidence on the comrade governor after we reviewed his activities. We decided to do that because we are satisfied with his conduct and the impact he has made in the state and, because of that, we decided to endorse him and we have no regret about that; he has performed very well so far.

It means the ACN may not be conducting governorship primaries in the state since the governor has been endorsed?

Nobody is saying there is not going to be primaries. This is a leadership forum and they have reviewed the achievements of this man and they said he has made us proud; so we have to ensure he returns to office to continue his good work. So, if any member wants to contest the primaries with him, there is no problem, but we have endorsed him as a family.

But the issue of who runs as his deputy is tearing the party apart. Loyalists of the South-south vice-chairman of the party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, are saying the incumbent deputy governor Dr Pius Odubu should be dropped.

I believe that continuity in everything you do is very very important. And if you look at the period he has spent in office now, November will make it the third year Odubu has been working with the governor and we have never heard of any problem between both of them.

If the man is loyal to his boss and comrade has not complained to anybody that he does not want Odubu, I don’t see why we should be calling for his removal at this time. Dr Odubu has been tested and trusted.

He has worked with the governor closely since 2008, this is a man who has wealth of experience in legislative matters,  coupled with the executive knowledge, what else do we want? Let us not destroy the house already built. I think what we need in the party now is peace, reconciliation.

Everybody should come together to work and make sure that the comrade governor comes back. We should also know that after the primaries, we are facing other parties; so we need to be coordinated and strong to confront others;  we should put our house together and ensure that comrade is re-elected in 2012.

The PDP has declared that July 14, 2012 guber election will mark the termination of the ACN government in the state.

There is no party as strong as the ACN in Edo now. If you are talking about ACN, you are talking about Oshiomhole and, with what he has achieved so far in the state, the PDP cannot match that. There is no fear at all because the people of the state cannot allow those who looted this state in the past to come back to power.

The people are wiser today and they will not want to go back to their suffering. So ACN has no opposition, Oshiomhole will win with a big margin anyday anytime.

But there is this fear among the ACN members that this issue of deputy governor’s ticket may hinder the party if not properly handled?

The tongue and the teeth quarrel everyday and that is why you find out occasionally that the teeth cuts the tongue and they still live in the same mouth. So, I believe there is no crisis in ACN and there will be no crisis that can never be resolved. The party is  progressive, people-oriented.

The leadership of the party is mature to allow crisis tear it  apart. Apart from that, you will see that the governor was the first in the country to implement the new minimum wage for workers and that is why we have industrial harmony in Edo. And his popularity is growing every day.

We are aware that the opposition has been singing that his popularity is dwindling due to one thing or the other, but that is the figment of their  imagination. The PDP will say anything now knowing fully that elections are coming. They will spread different rumours just to make the people hear them and also make themselves relevant.

Frankly speaking, the PDP has no base anymore in Edo and the earlier they recognize that, the better for them . Unfortunately for them, even the blind can see what Oshiomhole has achieved. So it will be a difficult election for them.

People are not happy with the state of the Airport Road and the family of Dr Samuel Ogbemudia is aggrieved that their house was demolished. Do you not feel that these issues may pose  a problem for the ACN?

If you talk about roads, we are aware that the governor is not happy with the kind of job that was done along the Airport Road and some roads in the state. And we also know that the governor is tackling the problem gradually. On Dr Ogbemudia, he is a father to all of us.

The comrade governor never sent anybody to demolish the house of anybody. And that is why you noticed that the chairman of that committee was arrested and charged to court. The demolition of Dr Ogbemudia’s house was not intentional and the comrade governor never sent him to do that.