Former Minister of State for Niger-Delta, Chief Sam Ode recently spoke with newsmen on the crisis surrounding the purported consensus candidate from Idomaland and other national issues. JOHNSON BABAJIDE was there. Excerpts:IT has been alleged that governorship aspirants from the PDP Zone C have met to trim down the number of aspirants from the zone after the endorsement of the Senate President for a record fifth term. How true is this allegation'I like to state the facts as they are and I stand to be corrected. On 27 September, stakeholders of the PDPwere invited to a meeting. It was the agenda of that meeting to endorse our son, Senator David Mark. It was unanimously agreed that he should be encouraged to return to the upper chamber of the National Assembly for a record fifth term.Atthat meeting, he was represented by the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, who, on his behalf, accepted the endorsement of the stakeholders. Before then, chairman of the PDP caucus in Zone C, Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Ejiga (retd), had extended invitation to five aspirants from the zone to meet with him at 6.00 p.m. I want to point out that these were two different meetings.At the 6.00 p.m. meeting, we engaged in strategies to enable us clinch the state's governorship seat and this was devoid of rancour. The meeting was presided over by the caucus chairman with the zonal chairman in attendance. Prominent members of the caucus, including Dr Jerry Agada, were in attendance. It was agreed that we, the aspirants, should meet and fashion out a strategy to achieve that objective. I was the first aspirant to respond, thanking the caucus chairman for giving aspirants the opportunity to agree amongst ourselves and the meeting came to a close.As soon as we stepped out, the deputy governor, Chief Steven Lawani suggested we meet on Tuesday, 30 September. We were to meet on that said day, but the deputy governor called to say that the meeting would not hold because one of us, Paul Harris Ogbole, has a court sitting in Abuja.So, we picked another date; Thursday, 3 October. Again, the meeting could nothold because Ogbole lost his dad; and for us, it was a moment of depression.At the subsequent meeting, we met in the deputy governor's guest house, where I, on behalf of other aspirants, called and condoled with Harris. We also called Gen. Ejiga, telling him that because of the circumstances, we could not report to him. I travelled to the UK on Saturday, after due permission from the deputy, since I do not want to miss any meeting. On arriving the UK, it was out in the media that the caucus met, that a former minister and Dr. Mathias Oyigeya had been asked to step down. Those reported to be in the race were Ogbole, Riseline Ada Chenge and the deputy governor. Truth is, the caucus never met. Its meeting isn't a one day affair, because people would have to come from Abuja and elsewhere.I landed in Abuja on Thursday and read in a national daily that the caucus chairman had refuted the publication. Suffice to say that the publication caused me so much trauma and embarrassment. People called me from different parts of the world, while my supporters who had put their hopes on my aspiration were traumatised. That is the length someone aspiring to be state governor went in distorting facts to gain cheap advantage.What is the fear of the people spreading this false information'Their fear is obvious. I am the target of that false information because the stories read clearly that the former minister of state, Niger-Delta had been dropped.So, I was the subject and object of the story to create fear and a crisis of confidence in my supporters and in the minds of Benue people about my aspiration. The question I have asked is; who is afraid of Sam Ode in the race for Benue governorship'Since the story came out, have you been in touch with other aspirants, especially the deputy governor, to get their reaction'At the time the story came out, we were all like accused persons and, so, I felt it was not necessaryto ask other aspirants anything, though I must state here that Dr Oyigeya called me and I commend him for that. I have reported the matter to the state chairman of the PDP, Mr Emmanuel Agbo. In any case, the issue ofendorsement of any aspirant has been laid to rest by the NWC of the party that has banned endorsement of aspirants by the state chapter or even caucus of the party.How has your acceptance been, in view of the agitation by the Minda that the governorship seat be zoned to them'I can say confidently that I have been receiving high commendations and wide acceptability across the length and breadth of Benue State. But you know in politics, there must be an audience to tell you what you want to hear. I have worked hard and consulted with Benue people in the diasporas; America, Europe, UK, Lagos, Port Harcourt, name it. I came back home and traversed the nook and crannies of the state. I am ready for the primaries. Come 27 October, I will pick my form. I have no doubt I will emerge candidate of the party come 29 November.Why are you called the bridge'The context of Sam Ode as the bridge will be explained from two perspectives. I am a bridge between the young and the old because I relate well with both groups. I had the opportunity to supervise the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and it provided me the platform to have grassroots reach as well as create goodwill with the traditional institution in Benue State.So, that bridge is existing. Biologically, I have a bridge that runs across the three zones of the state. My mother, Helen Kondun Swem, is the first child of the late Kondun Swem, a two-term member of the House of Representatives. My grandmother, Catherine Tarka, is the first child of the Tarka family from Zone B and my father, the late Colonel Chris Ikwe Ode ,is a native of Otukpo. There can never be any bridge better than that; flowing from Zone A to B to C and back again.Many argue that since you are from the same Otukpo Local Government with the Penate president, it will mean taking too much. How do you view this analysis'It is only in our political atmosphere that we do not accord certain institutions the honour they deserve. David Mark is more than just an Otukpo man. He's been number three citizen of Nigeria for more than eight years now.So, when we talk about zoning, we should put him aside. It is in this country that my late uncle, J. S. Tarka was elected senator in 1979 and on the same day, my cousin, Simeon Tarka, was also elected member of the House of Representatives.So, if today, Mark asks that his son, Tunde, should go to the House of Representatives, I do not think he would be asking for too much, considering what he has done for the Idoma nation. In holding the position of Senate president, he has elevated many Idoma sons like Agada who had been minister; Moro, current Minister of Interior; Patrick Ogbu, Chairman NTA board; Dr Idoko, NACA DG; and a host of many others.Quite a number of them are holding positions due to the benevolence of Mark. I was a minister in 2007 and when the administration came back, Moro was appointed minister. Mark would have said since Sam is an Otukpo man, he should continue; but this was not to be and I did not begrudge anybody because of that.So, I think Mark has been very fair. Mark is beyond Benue. Mark was elected senator representing Benue South district; went there and fought the war of long knives, eventually emerging as number three citizen of Nigeria. We should not bring his personality into the issue at all. We are asking for power shift, so it is too early for us to be doing rotation within the zone. The position of governorship is too large for us to begin to situate it around clans within our land. Let us have the best that will be an ambassador of Idomaland.You were said to have met with the Minda people. What were the cards you placed before them'When I met with them, I asked them to support me, but you know in politics, one plus one may not add up to two. I told them at the meeting that should any of them emerge, they can count on my support. As a true party man, I will stand by that comment.What are you bringing to the table for the Benue people'If you want change, it will occur as a result of desire. I believe that change is a constant variable. I was part and parcel of the Benue State policy document- 'our Benue, our future'. I did not stop at the conception, but I was one of the key driversof the policy document as adviser on local government and chieftaincy affairs.So, I see myself as part of the Suswam administration. If elected governor, it will simply be a seamless transfer of power from one member of the political family to another. I will continue to sustain the legacy of the document.Having said that, I believe we can do more in the agricultural sector. We need to look at commercial agriculture as a 'Benue beyond oil' policy because the oil resource will vanish someday or may even become worthless with the emergence of other fuel types. I am looking at a Benue beyond allocation from the Federal Government. And I think that agriculture is the platform on which we can drive the vision of a new Benue. Thereis a long value chain attached to agriculture, whether you are talking about land clearing, land tilling, harvesting, processing.If we are able to focus on agriculture, I think we can truly become the food basket, not only of the nation, but also of the sub-region and we would be able to export food, ensuring food security. Once we have this, we'll earn a lot of money to take care of other economic issues.Considering the dwindling revenue allocation, how do you intend financing this'If I become governor, I will maintain the infrastructure that is already in place. My focus after salary payment will be agriculture. I can tell you that there is a lot we can do to boost our internally generated revenue. We will harness every taxable source to make sure that people do not just come and take food away from Benue without paying for them. Foreign intervention is very important as this will turn around the economy of the state.The PDP NWC recently endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as the party's sole candidate in the 2015 presidential election. What is your take on this'Goodluck Jonathan has ensured micro and macro stability of the country. The railways are returning, economic policies that make way for small cottage industries to develop are being implemented. The Niger-Delta where he comes from, accounts for over 90 per cent of the nation's economic growth.So, if someone from that region wants to rule, I think it is only fair and just that he be allowed to take a second shot at the presidency; both for political exigency and internal security. I think the Niger-Delta which lays the golden egg that Nigeria relies so much on should be allowed to rule the country again in 2015.
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