Chief Modestus Umenzekwe (Onwa Achina) is prominently known as a political commentator, a Writer and most importantly, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In this no-hold-barred interview, he speaks on the 10th National Assembly and why Nigerians should have implicit confidence in Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio who has brought uncommon leadership to the Assembly. Excerpts:
The Nigeria’s 10th National Assembly has been inaugurated, do you think the assembly given its leadership as constituted will deliver?
They will certainly perform, with Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio as the head of the National Assembly, I see no reason the lawmakers will not deliver; he has come with uncommon leadership style; his leadership will bring about stability in the senate in particular and the legislature generally.
Are you not suspecting that the current Assembly will end up being a rubber stamp legislature considering the support the executive gave the leadership of the two chambers leading to their being elected?
I am not sure. No, no, it’s not going to be so. It was a party decision to ensure that there was need for politically mature, intelligent and knowledgeable people to occupy the leaderships of both chambers for the benefit of Nigerians, recall that they are just the heads, they don’t have the words of their own per say, the majority opinions will always carry the day, their own responsibilities are to direct the proceeding and procedures of the assembly.
What appeals to you about the leadership style of Senator Akpabio?
You see, what I don’t normally like is journalists bumping into me at any point in time to ask me jaw breaking questions, however, I am not afraid of talking, I am not afraid of discussing issues of crucial national importance which will enhance nation building and so far as I am doing it in good faith.
His Excellency Godswill Obot Akpabio, I am not close to him, we have never sat one-on-one, I see him from a distance, even though we are members of the same political party. I know that he is a lawyer and a politician of note. When he was governor of Akwa-Ibom State he did a lot of things which I am going to substantiate in the course of this interview. When he defected from PDP to APC, it was a landmark defection that shook the foundation of PDP, you needed to watch the mammoth crowd, the jubilation that followed that defection, and since then he has been consistent and resolute in making sure that the All Progressives Congress (APC) stands the test of time. He brought his ingenuity in building the party, and you know he is an orator. His excellent administrative achievements in Akwa-Ibom State earned him the name, “The Uncommon Governor’, and today, by the special grace of God, we have an uncommon governor as the uncommon senate president and those things that made him uncommon, he will introduce in the 10th senate. I congratulate him on his achievements so far. I congratulate him for successes so far, I also congratulate our great party for making the right choice, I congratulate the president, our revered Jagaban, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for making it possible, one way or the other, for Akpabio to emerge as the Senate President. He deserves it. After all during the primary, having seen the quality Asiwaju is made of, having seen his sagacity in politics, he humbly, mark my word, he humbly and willingly stepped down for him, I think he was the first person to step down when others were shouting, he humbly and willingly stepped down, that was the time I now sat back and told people around me at the convention ground that for this uncommon governor to step down, Asiwaju is already the president of this country, and it has come to pass.
So I believe that the 10th Assembly will take this country to a greater height, yes there is hardship now, I won’t deny that, but it didn’t start now, it has been there. Buhari tried his best, in his regime, and mark you, he governed this country from two backgrounds, as a military man, and as a converted democrat; I congratulate him for the much he achieved. Now we have pure democrats, somebody who has never been in the military as the president, somebody who has never been in the military as Vice President, somebody who has never been in the military as the senate president, somebody who has never been in the military as the first lady, somebody who has never been in the military as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Greater number, if not all of them, were senators before and are still senators, so if they were involved in making the law, now some of them are involved in executing the law, that means we have square pegs in square holes or round pegs in round holes, and that is what His Excellency, Godswill Akpabio, the 15th Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria represents, I wish him well.
You have so much confidence in Akpabio, where is this confidence coming from?
I am certain Akpabio will bring uncommon leadership to 10th Assembly, considering his pedigree. The Ukana, Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa-Ibom born politician is not a learner, he has done it before and he will do it again; as governor, he performed; and as the Minster of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), he performed. A legal luminary per excellence and a Telecoms giant, so there is no doubt about the quality of his leadership.
Recalled he was commissioner under Obong Victor Attah Administration between 2002 and 2006; he was first appointed Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources and later, commissioner for Lands and Housing, as well as Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. He was governor of Akwa-Akwa-Ibom between 2007 and 2015. Akpabio was appointed Minister for Niger Delta Affairs in August 2019 by then-President Muhammadu Buhari after a successful screening by the Nigerian Senate. So he is not a learner, I have implicit confidence in his leadership.
Many people do not know most of his uncommon policies in Akwa-Ibom. As governor he introduced free, compulsory and qualitative education for all school age children resident in Akwa Ibom State, without political, religious or cultural considerations; free medical care for pregnant women, children and the aged; as well as massive infrastructure investments in the state. He is also highly detribalised. He pays no attention to where anyone who crosses his path comes from. It is on records that as a governor, his CSO, Orderly and ADC were all non-indigenes of the state.
When Akpabio assumed office as governor, he made sure the Victor Attah International Airport, which he met at site clearing level, became functional, internationally required landing and lighting system installed in one of the longest runways in the industry in Nigeria. The uncommon Governor also witnessed the first take-off and landing of international flights before he left office in 2015. He empowered many, built capacities, having abolished the house boy/girl syndrome through free and compulsory education for the youths.
His environmental master-plan was second to none, as he was determined to put an end to the perennial problem of flooding across the state during the rainy season. He got the construction giant, Julius Berger to deploy the pipe jacking or micro-tunneling technology to put an end to the menace that had become a yearly horrific experience for the people of the city. Apart from saving the structures in the areas from being submerged, Governor Akpabio had reckoned that flood would make nonsense of the huge sums of money that had been sunk into road construction and the flyover projects if the issue of flooding was ignored.
He ensured Free and Compulsory Education; Free Medical/Health Care to Children and the Elderly; Building of an International Airport; Payment of 13th Month Salary to civil servants fittingly dubbed AkpabioMber; Building of Four Flyovers; Building of the new Government house; Provision of Civil Service Buses which are still conveying civil servants from their respective LGAs to Uyo today; Building of the 21st Century Anniversary Hospital in Uyo; Building of new Ikot Ekpene Correctional Facility etc.; Building of Five Cottage Hospitals in Akwa Ibom State; Building of new Police Secondary School and also Mobile Police base; Attracting a Federal polytechnic to Akwa Ibom State (Federal Polytechnic- Ukana); Initiated the construction of 1000 units Housing Estate per senatorial estate at Urua, Eket and Ikot Ekpene, amongst other Housing Projects; Building of an International Stadium in Uyo known as Godswill Akpabio Int’l Stadium.
His tenure was the era Akwa Ibom had the slogan “Akwa Ibom Ade OK” which means “Akwa Ibom is OK”.
Now if you look at his tenure as the Minister, Niger Delta Affairs, you will certainly see his footprints. His first work plan was to ensure that the region remains very peaceful while various stakeholders were frequently engaged on ways to move the region forward for its development. He gave the region newly-completed 13 and 8-storey buildings as the NDDC headquarters, completed and set for commissioning, 52 projects in the Nine Niger Delta States, over 77 roads were ready for commissioning in the region as at the time he was leaving office, the commissioning of the Police SPU Quarters in Port Harcourt. The over 1000 bed space built by the commission for the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State was ready for commissioning, while the electrification project in Ilaje Ese-Odo, Ondo state was at the verge of completion and commissioning when his tenure as NDDC minister elapsed
Some other projects completed are the Skill Acquisition Centre (SAC) at Agadagba in Ondo State with 38 buildings. Train 7 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) anchored on the Under Water Welding Facility at SAC Ibeno in Akwa Ibom State, Cassava Plant Processing Plant at Usugbene Irrua, Edo State; Health Centre, Amauzari Community, Isiala Mbano, LGA, Imo State; Health Centre, at Odi, Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, Bayelsa State; Land Reclamation/Erosion Control Works at Nsit Attai LGA, Akwa Ibom State; Health Centre, at Eworkpe, Emede, Isoko South LGA, Delta State; Umudike-Umueze-Umuoyere Road Project, (Phase 1) River State; Mini Water Works at Ikot Effiong, Effiong Village, Akasoko Clan (Idundu/Anyanganse Ward) Akpabuyo LGA, Cross River; Boreholes and Reticulation in Ndulu-Amaoba, Oboro Water Project, Ikwuano LGA, Abia State.
I know the coming on board of Akpabio as senate president didn’t come very easy, there were oppositions, of course that was normal, it was a keenly contested election, what do you expect him to do in order to have a rancor free senate? Talking about reconciliation.
You see, that fierce contest as it happened in the presidency shows that our democracy is deepening; that Nigerians are not robots, I like it, it was a very good challenge, in as much as I knew that no matter what, he would emerge the winner, he scored 63, while his closest rival scored 46, if I am not mistaking, making it 109. So it is healthy for our democracy, and that has exonerated the president from certain insinuations that he imposed, in as much as a person, he would have an interest somewhere, because he is a human being, but that fierce contest exonerated him, and that fierce contest shows that Akpabio was the man to beat, and based on that I urge him to carry everybody along, I urge him to behave uncommonly as he has been behaving, so that that status of uncommon personality will remain indelible in his life, and his activities in the cause of this nation building and handling of the 10th assembly.
People still complain about the bogus salary which the national assembly pay to themselves, it is rumour to me because nobody has come out clean on this to tell us exactly the amount being taken by the lawmakers, but if it is true, is it right?
Why do you want me to talk on rumour? I have never granted interview based on rumour. Do you want to tell me that the entire national assembly don’t know what to do? Mark you, both the president and national assembly are working round the clock, sleepless night to make sure the hardship the people are facing is ameliorated; they can’t wipe it out, nobody can tell me it will be wiped out, but it will be reduced to the barest minimum, after all right from the time we had our independence we have never solved all our problems. So let us allow them to come up with their resolution before I will be able to talk. I know that they will do something that is reasonable, in as much as in this country whatever you do it will be criticized, everything is being politicized, this is a place where, once you are in governance, even if you hand over your wife to your enemy they will still not be happy. So let them do the much that they can do and leave the rest to God.
Your final word
The only thing I can say is, I am appealing to myself, to you interviewing me, and to Nigerians, to calm down and give the president, the federal executive council when it is constituted, and the national assembly, some time, I am confident that they will come up with better policies, better legislation, and then will execute properly. You can see, the president talked about N8000 per household, and people started talking, and he quickly retraced his steps and called for a review. That means he meant his word when he said at the inauguration ground that he is not going to be a ruler, he will be consulting, he will do what greater Nigerians agree, so my advice is let us calm down and keep on praying for them and praying for ourselves so that we leave in peace and not in pieces.
