By Jonathan Lois
The member representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State, in the House of Representatives, Engr. Rodney Ambaiowei, says he represents his constituents holistically, irrespective of political inclinations.
Speaking on the heels of his victory at the Court of Appeal affirming his election as member of the House, the lawmaker urged his people to rally around him for the development of the constituency and the country.
He said, “I am for all Southern Ujaw people. I am making a holistic representation of everyone. What I want my constituents to do is to rally round me to see how we can move Southern Ijaw forward. I am a representative for everybody. I am not representative for just the PDP or for my family or community people.
“Even my predecessor I want him around because I know that he has a wealth of ideas concerning the National Assembly. Adding his wealth of ideas from my own I strongly believe we can move southern ijaw to the height in which we want southern ijaw to be. My office is open. My phone line is open to receive any call so as for us to plan towards the betterment of Southern Ijaw and to also further better our state and country. My plan for Southern Ijaw is that let us come together and see how we can build a formidable southern ijaw federal constituency.”
He said he was hardly distracted by the litigation, while it lasted, as he has been committed to quality representation of his people.
“The tribunal distracted me a little bit but even then I wasn’t completely distracted because I moved my first motion within the first two weeks of our inauguration because I know the challenges my people are facing particularly in the area of boat mishap.
“That was the first motion I raised within the first two weeks. So if you say I was completely distracted I would not agree with you. I am always in touch with my constituents, interacting with them. As you can see this festive period. By tomorrow I am going down to see my constituents.
“Of course they will want to see me for us to talk about things that are affecting them. The area I truly want to look into is the area of drug abuse because that is a menace that is really affecting my people. And I am also happy that I am a committee member on drugs and narcotics. Even yesterday I called the chairman to see how we can get the DG to come over and speak on drug abuse for a programme I am sponsoring on 30th of December.
“This is for our people to desist from it, particularly the old ladies. Because from what I see now, the old ladies are seeing that as an enhancer. They take drugs in order for them to go to farms. They say that it really helps them and makes them work harder but they don’t know the effect of it and it is a problem to me.
“Despite that, the area of empowerment is important, particularly our women. Like the common adage says when you empower a woman, you empower a nation.
“So I am also looking at it from an angle that will empower the women. We would give them soft loans, we train them so they can be entrepreneurs, they can be self employed and also employ other people. We are looking at getting some microfinance activities to empower them.
“We are also looking at youth development. The youths also need to be trained. We also need to sensitize them because this issue of youths always wanting or asking money from people for survival on a daily basis, for me is not a good thing. I am looking at how I can assemble them and assist them through, probably educational means and other means for them to be empowered. And a whole of things. I have a lot for my people.”
He said he was going to carry everyone along in his government irrespective of their background.
“Whether we like it or not, every southern ijaw is my constituent irrespective of the party. So for me carrying them along is not a problem. And if you look at the whole thing, in one way or the other we are even related. So are you telling me that if my relative is an APC member and he has a problem, I will abandon him to die? It is not possible.
“I am trying to see how I can group both the APC, PDP and other parties and give them at least a kind of orientation that whether we like it or not we are brothers.
“We can quarrel and argue in terms of elections, but once we are through with elections, we are one. Moreover most of the APC people supported me. So why would I not carry them along? I would carry everyone along”, he added.
