’How Oshiomhole rose  to the occasion’

SIMON EBEGBULEM,
BENIN CITY

Mr Emmanuel Momoh is the Chairman of Etsako Central Local Government Council of Edo State. Prior to his election as Chairman last year, he was whisked to Abuja prison by detectives following the crisis in his council that led to the death of three persons and destruction of several houses. In this interview Momoh relives  his experience and the defection of some APC leaders in the state to PDP.
Excerpts:

Prior to your election, there was serious crisis in your council which  led to the death of about three persons and you being taken to Abuja prison. What happened?
Well, it is all part of our political process; it was an experience in my political life and something I have put behind me. That issue was as a result of conflict of interest, and these are still the same things, you are noticing, people trying to engage in personal vendetta.

But, as a politician and a Christian every situation is meant to strengthen me and it also forms my conduct in this congress so that things that happened in the past don’t arise even when some persons try to resort to all kinds of manipulation.
Whisking me to Abuja

I went  to the police station that day to see how we could  resolve the situation in Etsako where houses were burnt and people were killed. I met with the DPO and before I knew it, the State Commissioner of Police, his deputy, all surrounded me.  Initially, I thought I was going to Benin-City only to find myself in Abuja  and I became the guest of the Inspector General of Police.

In  handcuffs, I was put in the cell. I want to thank the Comrade Governor who rose up to the occasion. It was a period he demonstrated love and all the leaders in my council were there for me as well at my difficult moment and I promised not to abandon him (Oshiomhole) when he needs me.

Who  were those behind your travail. Could they be PDP leaders?
I don’t want to open any old wound. The only thing I want to say about that matter is that whoever killed those innocent souls and shed blood would pay for it either physically or spiritually in generations to come, that is  what I pray for every day. It was a horrendous experience in prison but I believe God wanted to use it to strengthen me for the task ahead. I thank God I am alive today.

Fulfilling electoral promises
I have lived up to the mandate given to me by my people and I think those are the issues that are causing problem between me and some leaders. It is no longer business as usual. People  complain I am  not always  in the media because I don’t believe that building a maternity or schools is sufficient reasons to clap your hands because, first of all,  we were elected to do those things.

So, if you are doing it, you don’t need to do propaganda about it, because your records or scorecard will speak for you. What excites me is that I have been able to achieve and restore confidence  in  the minds of our people and that governance is for them. I think it was the failure of the past and that is why people are still talking about building maternity and schools because these are things that should be done ordinarily.

The governor instructed you council chairmen to stay in your domains and not in Benin. How are you people complying with that directive?
I live in a community and an environment that is very conducive and free from pollution. In fact, I enjoy it more than living in Benin. Even if we were not instructed to do that, I would have done it. I am enjoying the place and I love it because my presence create activities there.

There is serious crisis in your party, the APC. Are you not worried?
The so-called problems are normal in every political process and are bound to happen and I consider it as internal affairs of the party. No doubt, we are people of different shades and opinions coming together under one umbrella, so these things are no  problems really. It is an internal family crisis and it will be settle internally because I believe strongly that the party has  internal mechanism  to settle it challenges.

Some APC leaders recently dumped the party for the PDP. What is your take on that?
The truth is that Oshiomhole is not somebody you can threaten. He has performed as a governor, the people love him; he is humble, he is well connected. The truth is that Oshiomhole is APC in Edo and APC is Oshiomhole; so let us not decide  for ourselves.

And that is why I said what you see now is not enough for any loyal party man to want to pull out from the party; people should consider a lot of factors when they want to leave a political party; they should asked themselves where are they going to?

We are aware that some people went to Abuja to see the President because they are aggrieved but I don’t think the crisis arising from the congress is enough for anybody to want to leave the party. Those who are considering the option of leaving the party are doing that for personal reasons.

But they accused they governor of being a dictator who wants to withhold the party structure.
As a grassroots  politician I know that every party at all level has it structure that it operates from. The governor is not a dictator but a leader that wants the right thing to be done. And as far as I am concerned, the structure of the party belongs to the governor because we all belong to one family and he is the head.

Every structure in the state belongs to the governor and that is how it is run and I don’t see anybody contending with him. Anybody contesting the structure of the party with the governor is on his own.