PROFESSOR STEVE AZAIKIis the People’s Democratic Party, PDP’s, House of Representatives candidate for the Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State in the 2019 elections. In a Ray Power FM 102.5 phone-in programme, ‘What’s on Your Mind’ monitored by our special correspondent, GORDDY OYAILO JNR., he bared his mind on why his election to the National Assembly will be the best bargain for Bayelsa State , among other issues. Excerpts.
Let’s take your mind back to when you were the agricultural commissioner. What legacy do you hold so dearly to your heart?
One of the things
we did as commissioner in those days is the sacrifices we made, the kind of
office, the facilities and all that, but that’s part of the sacrifice that all
pioneers must make. But one of our legacies, I think, is the foundation of the
ministry. We were able to set up a proper ministry of agriculture and natural
resources as it was in those days. We were able to set up farms across the
state even though today most of them are extinct. Those were foundational
structures and, in any system, the foundation is important. That’s why today
the ministry is one of the firm and well constructed ministries, in terms of
concrete pillars, in the history of Bayelsa State.
What pushes you to want to go into politics?
Everybody says,
which is common in Nigeria, why I am going into politics is because my people
want me. Those stories have been heard so many times. But In my case I would
say that my people truly urged me to. Anybody who has been in Bayelsa knows
what was going on and why I got involved. I think for the past 20 years or
more, I have dedicated my life to service. I served in various capacities at
the state level and at the federal level. I have been special adviser to four
ministries at the federal government level. I have served as council member to
several universities in Nigeria and overseas. With this peculiar and unique
call to service I accepted with dignified humility to represent my people. And one thing that marks me out clearly from
the crowd is that the issues that we are going to discuss in Abuja are issues
that I have spent my entire adult life looking at. All the books I have
published, from Oil, Politic and Blood, the Niger Delta Crisis, my book on the
Niger Delta environment, and so on, addressed issues of the Niger Delta, the
people of Bayelsa State. And I have
delivered several papers across the world. I have gone to 87 countries to speak
about the plight and the problems of the Niger Delta. Now it is like coming
home to roost, in shaping one’s home. So, I am ready.
Can Bayelsa State get a better deal from the Nigeria state through legislation?
In any society
you must look at the legal implications of laws governing that society. There
are so many laws that have caused these imbalances, this system of governance
in Nigeria. Like the former president Obasanjo used to say, you want to control
your resources, no problem, control your resources but I will manage it. But
this time we are saying we would control our resources and we will also manage
it. You must invest in place where oil is coming from. And unless you do that,
you have these imbalances and people are not carried along. I have the
privilege of traveling round this country severally. I’ve been to all parts of
this country. And I have traveled the Niger Delta. In fact, when I was a child I used to travel
with my mother by canoe. And as an adult doing campaign during Alamieyeseigha
time, I went round the state. So I know my state. I am abreast with the
problems and issues confronting my people and I know that if there is no proper
legal framework, we will not get to where we are going. So it is our
responsibility, especially someone like me who is going to be in the National
Assembly to bring these issues to the table. we must confront these issues now
so that our children will live in a better environment. We don’t even have an
idea of the kind of devastation that oil production and exploration have caused
us. Our land is completely devastated; we cannot say we have a healthy
environment. This year alone nine people
Bayelsa State, including the governor’s mother, have died of cancer. We are
going to get experts to investigate the health hazards, and when you say this
thing, Shell and all these companies begin to look for you from back and front.
But we are going to look at these issues. We are going to determine why cancer
rate is so prevalent in our region these days.
How will you raise the quality of representation by previous representatives from your constituency and what difference would you make?
I think that
everybody that has been to the National Assembly has put in his maximum best.
So we should thank them for their own contribution. But also, we must know that
you can’t give what you don’t have. There is
what Obasanjo called lack of leadership preparation in Africa,
especially Nigeria. So we have a country in Nigeria that anybody wants to be a
commissioner, a governor, without first processing himself. Is there anybody in
this state that would say that I am a novice, a neophyte? To what, Education? I
have two Ph.D. leadership? I have led international organizations, I am not
just going to mention any Nigerian organisation. I am a member of executive
councils, member of committees in other countries. I am not even going to
mention Nigeria. Is it position? In this
state I am the most decorated in terms of appointments. Dickson only has given me eight appointments.
So I am going in with that. I am the national coordinator of the National Think
Tank. The national think tank has 788 professors and I was directing it. I
won’t claim I know everything, if there is anything I don’t know and I need, I
know where to get it from because, in that national think tank we have economic
committee, we have Niger Delta committee, we have the environment committee, we
have the business committee, we have electoral committee, so everything in
there. So when you send me to the National Assembly, it’s t best bargain.
When it comes to sponsoring your bills in the House, you must have supporters that key in to that bill that you want to sponsor. And since it’s your first time, how do you intend to achieve that, that is if you win?
I know that you
cannot do it alone. What is important is to use my wide network of friends
across the country. I have good contacts of friends from the far north, So
north east, northwest, I am covered. North central I am covered. Which means I
have enough support. The same thing with the West. We’ve been with a lot of
leaders in the West from Obasanjo who is one of my mentors, to navy captain
Olubolade, I was his special adviser when he was minister of external affairs.
And even if you come to the south-south I know all the governors. Even former
governors. I worked as secretary to government. And as SSG I invited all the
SSG of the federation and we met in yenagoa. I was made the chairman. So all those network of people, some names,
people like governor uduaghan, he is my friend. He was secretary to government
he became a governor. So you have network of friends most of them have become
governors, ministers, they are all in the national assembly. In fact the day I
would arrive there, I would arrive as a hero. Even though I am a first timer I
will be feeling like I’ve been there for years.
There is always a gap between the people and those they elected. Sir, how would you close the gap if you’re elected?
About bridging
the gap, I want to say something. You have 79 villages that constitute my
constituency. It’s not practicable for me to go to all these villages when I am
in the National Assembly. It is also not practicable for me to be in touch with
this one million people. So as a man who understands what structure and
organization mean, I have set up the Azaiki Support Group. People should key in
and embrace that. Then when we start work (I have the Azaiki Foundation that
awards scholarship and give assistance to women) there would be an office
dedicated to attending to my people and everybody that needs my attention will
get it if they channel it properly. If everybody tries to get to me personally
I will not concentrate on the job that people have sent me to go and do.
What’s would be your final words to rap up this conversation
Let me say one
thing. For the past 20 years, a lot of people have said to me, you should be
governor, you should be senator, you should be this. I have never had the
interest of doing this. Two reasons. One, I have felt that you can serve the
people at any capacity which I felt I should concentrate on. So I’ve done a lot
trying to sort that out even though we’ve not gotten there yet. The second is
that I felt my people have not appreciated me enough. I’ve got national
honours, I’ve got honorary degrees from universities across the world. But back
home you can see comments, you know, because of the way we see things, because
of our opinions, which is okay. But for the first time in my life I am so
happy. And because I am happy for what my people have done. Every Ekpetiama man
and woman that is APC have called me to tell me it’s not about politics. If you
are representing us, that they are behind me. And the support is massive. I
have not paid for any poster and my posters are everywhere. I am sure there are
over 50 thousand posters swimming around Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma. And the
billboards? I’ve not paid for one. Even t-shirts, face caps, I’ve not paid for
anything. It gladdens my heart that people truly want me to serve and I promise
that I will serve.
