There’s nothing like rotation of Akwa Ibom governorship – Eyibo

Hon. Eseme Eyiboh is a former member of the House of Representatives, who represented Eket/Onna/Ibeno/Esit Eket Federal Constituency and served as the spokesperson of the House between 2007 and 2011. In this interview with TONY ANICHEBE, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain speaks on a wide range of issues. Excerpts:Nigeria is under siege as insecurity pervades the atmosphere. Banditry has forced the South-West zone to establish a security outfit called “Amotekun,” Do you endorse regional security outfits or community policing at this stage?
The setting up of Amotekun by the governors of the South-West is in order if the operations will be carried out within the ambit of the law without metamorphosing into another militant group like we earlier had of Bakassi Boys. There should be a clear design to monitor the implementation of that programme. There should be an administrative structure to manage the activities of the group, so that people will not use it against perceived enemies.
Secondly, the issue of insecurity in Nigeria; I doubt if we can contain it as it has nothing to do with security chiefs, army, navy, air force or police and all of that. It has more to do with us as a people. Let’s be fair to President Muhammadu Buhari; he has tried immensely. Let’s not judge him unfairly. Nigeria is a country populated by people who are not security conscious. When you don’t care about what is happens to your neighbor, how will you worry about what happens to us as a country?
You know that the so-called criminals and bandits are living in our communities across the country. We know them and some traditional rulers, community leaders and others even benefit from them. They provide accommodation for them because of money. We lost it all the moment our value system took a nose-dive. We lost it all immediately we begin to introduce the issue of affluence into our national life.
If there is any way we can re-institute value re-orientation and self-belief into our system, the better. So far, we will continue to have the imbecility of the ungodly society. This people will continue to exist and thrive. During elections, it is the same people that form the bulk of people used by some politicians and abandoned after elections without care.
So, if the minority elite is unable to ensure adequate provision of societal patrimony to the majority, who are commoners, it will contribute to insecurity. There is no reason the majority should not have access to public health facilities, education and other life enhancing facilities. Today, if a rich man wants to organise his birthday, he goes to the orphanage, but the children in the orphanage homes are not looking for the indomie, rice and toiletries taken down there. What they need is education, access to health facilities, and other social securities.
The security challenge has nothing to do with President Buhari or security chiefs, but rather, we need to develop new consciousness, which will be able to take care of the majority who have been deprived. Democracy as we are aware is the government of the people by the people and for the people, but today, democracy in Nigeria is the betterment of the tyranny of minority against the majority.Are you impressed with the level of development witnessed by Akwa Ibom/Cross River State under the APC government? You are from Akwa Ibom State with office in Cross River State. Do you have any access road to travel between both states?
My take here has nothing to do with partisan politics. First, development is a process that encapsulates so many things. The Calabar-Itu highway connecting Akwa Ibom and Cross River serves as one of the major economic infrastructure between both states. The road has gone decayed, dilapidated and requires urgent attention. At some point, I recall especially during former Governor Godswill Akpabio’s time that government did intervene, using state funds to fix federal roads and got refunds.
I am thinking that Akwa Ibom and Cross River states government should collaborate with other multinationals to fix the road, which is largely used by their people. They can involve several other companies, especially those dealing in gravels and stones in Akamkpa among others, to fix the road. We have had such instances even in Apapa, Lagos, which roads were handled that way. Things like that will be done by developing a template and collaboration and embark on resource mobilization.
The road in good shape will impact positively on the economy of Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. They can even seek the approval of the Federal Government and install a toll gate and recover their money. So, this is one issue that requires proactive measures without sentiments. It is not possible for the Federal Government to work on it now. There should be a quick way, which is for the states involved to intervene.
As I said, majority of the people plying the road are indigenes or people doing businesses between Cross River and Akwa Ibom states, if the intention of the government is to ensure the welfare and security of its people, they should be proactive at this level.

The social media and hate speech bills have elicited mixed reactions among Nigerians. Do you think such bills should be considered by the National Assembly?
It is not the long or short title of the bill that is the issue, but the content. What does the bill seek to achieve? Who is it targeted at? What we do is to wait for public hearing. People are expected to come out and participate in the public discussion on the bills, where those in support and those against will articulate their opinions. That is what democracy is all about. From there, you will see if the bills are meant to curb the excesses of the social media or if they are intended to gag the freedom of speech, which individuals are entitled to as specified by the constitution.

What is your take on the closure of land borders with neighbouring countries by the Buhari administration against importation of rice and others when the nation has not grown enough to feed itself?
You know Japan has 80 per cent mountains and only 20 per cent arable land, but the country exports rice. So, with six clear months of dry and six months of rainy seasons with fertile soil that grows tomatoes in several parts of the country, Nigeria is endowed and blessed. Why don’t we start it without looking back? The way we start is the way we are starting now. The price of local rice has appreciated because of demand and supply and a lot of people are opting for it. The simple economics here is that when we have more supply than demand, the price will come down.
We have so much relied on foreign rice, which is no longer available and putting pressure on the supply chain and the price goes up. We must start to grow our economy. Instances abound even when you enter our local flights and get served with apples and other fruits imported from other countries. It is shameful because we have better ones here. So, I support the closure of the borders against all these goods. We too should have enough and even be exporting too.

Putting aside partisan politics, do you thing the Supreme Court judgement on the Imo guber election is justified?
Those criticizing that judgement have nervous reasoning. The case of Zamfara State was where the same Supreme Court handed over the entire elective political structures to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and they celebrated, describing the Supreme Court as the hope of the common man, but not in Imo State. The hope of the common man is our legal system. The Supreme Court is the final arbitration court in the country. So if you are democrat, who believes in the rule of law, you must subject yourself to it.
Governor Hope Uzodimma said he had votes which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) unlawfully cancelled. INEC has no power to cancel votes already announced at units and chapters except the tribunals or court and the man is saying look at my votes, they have no power to do what they did.
We must be very rational and look at the two sides and the issue before the Supreme Court is what they ruled on. If PDP and its candidate, Emeka Ihedioha, felt there were issues they need to contest, they would have filled a cross appeal countering what the man brought, buut they never did that. So, that one is gone and they should allow it go.

What is your take on the last election in Akwa Ibom State in which your party lost?
I cannot speak on that election as the Supreme Court has taken its decision concerning the election and our party made its position known. I will not comment on it again because no matter what you and I will say, it won’t change anything.

2023 is the turn of Uyo Senatorial District to produce the governor of Akwa Ibom State, is it the position of your party too?
You have been in the state for a long time and know there is nothing like rotation in Akwa Ibom governorship slot. When Obong Attah contested in 1998 from Uyo Senatorial District, Benji Okoko from Eket Senatorial District also contested in that race. In 2007, when Akpabio contested and won people from every senatorial district contested in that election. Again, when Nsima Ekere contested under APC, John Akpan Udoedghe contested too from Uyo and others from everywhere contested too.
There has never been zoning when it comes to the governorship of Akwa Ibom State and there will never be zoning. 2023 is open to all. If you want to follow the tradition, the precedent, follow equity because what is good for the goose is also good for the gander. At every point, everybody contested. It is wrong to talk of zoning. Rather, what we should be talking is the kind of people we want now to take over the state.Some people are of the view that the idea of INEC handling subsequent local government elections instead of state independent electoral commissions (SIECs) will be a big burden to the electoral commission. Do you share the same belief?
It is not a burden in any way. It can never undermine the merit of elections conducted by state electoral commissions anywhere in the 774 local governments in the country. They sit down and just announce results as they like. So, if you are giving autonomy to the local governments and wants it to work, there should be elements of independence in the conduct of the electoral process that ushers in leaders to that tier of government.