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Obinna Odogwu, Awka
The member representing Awka North and South Federal Constituency of Anambra State in the National Assembly, Hon. Chinedu Onwuaso, has advised politicians from Anambra South Senatorial Zone not to blackmail people from Central and North zones into accepting zoning for the 2021 governorship poll in the state.
Onwuaso, an engineer, in this interview with Sunday Sun, said that what Ndi-Anambra need most is a governor who would restore good governance to the state. He made it clear that zoning is not a factor in governance and, therefore, does not appeal to Ndi-Anambra. He also spoke on other issues of national concern. Excerpts:
By next year, Anambra will be going to the poll to elect Governor Willie Obiano’s successor. Already, some persons are canvassing zoning while others say that they prefer a competent governor who comes from anywhere. Where do you stand on this?
First of all, I want you to understand that I am a lawmaker representing a constituency; elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). So, I will express my opinion as a party member of the PDP and also express my opinion as an Anambrarian. But come what may, the two must come to a point to balance well. As a PDP member, I have never seen or heard; we have never discussed it that the PDP will pick a guber candidate or locate the presentation of an aspirant based on any political zoning in Anambra State, be it South, North or Central. In PDP, it has never been discussed. We have never done any such thing on that platform. If you look at the election before this coming one; the one that Obiano won, different people from different zones contested that election under PDP. I don’t want to mention names. But if that zoning had been the core factor in what we are talking about, then a lot of people wouldn’t have been on board. I remember that Ifeanyi Ubah contested for primaries under PDP and he is from the South. Let me not just mention a lot of them. I just want to cite an instance. So, if we are talking about zoning, I don’t think it has been mentioned in any platform of the PDP. And that is the factor that will really stand on what we are talking about today. On the other hand, a lot of people are looking at the equation of zoning. Now, what is it that is bringing up zoning? They are talking about who have gone; how many times this zone has gone; who have not gone; who should we pick to go? And when we are talking about this, we are not talking about zone. We are talking about leadership in Anambra State. What we want is governing the state the way it should be governed. I think that is the priority of every Anambrarian. The governor should be somebody who is equal to the task; who can do the job of governing. And that is what will be the mindset of every Onye-Anambra. So, the issue of zoning is just like playing a card to disenfranchise some people the right to contest for what the constitution of the country has stipulated that everybody has the right. And that is where I stand based on the fact that it has not come on from the PDP. If the PDP has agreed or unanimously come to the round table and say look, let us see if we can pick a candidate from this place so that next time we will pick from that other place and it is agreed, I am okay with it. Zoning starts from somewhere. So, if it is starting now and PDP agrees, I don’t have problem over that, but first of all we must sit and talk about it. It is not something you come to the social media and start claiming it is your right. Nobody has a better right over the other person as far as the issue of leadership is concerned in Anambra State. That is the point I am making from the PDP perspective. And I believe that this is the stand of every true Anambrarian. It is not about coming from this zone. It is about who will bring development to Anambra State? Who will do the job perfectly to suit the people of Anambra State? That is paramount. Zoning is not a factor in governance. It is totally different as a factor in governance. That’s my stand. But like I said earlier, if at the end of the day, there is a discussion and an agreement by my party, PDP, to say look, let us consider this and it is agreed, I don’t have any reason not to support it, but it must be discussed first. Nobody should be coaxed or blackmailed into something that has never been discussed. So, I think if any state senatorial district, may be South, Central or North is considering itself or the governance or the contesting of Anambra State governorship poll to be zoned, they should first of all bring it to the table and then try to convince others on the reason they need to be considered. From there, we take it. But it shouldn’t be a point for blackmail. That is what I am saying and that should also be for every other party in Anambra State. I believe it will be the best solution. You can’t contest the last election openly even from every other part of Anambra State and then when it comes to this, you are telling us that no, others should not contest because you reserve the sole right to contest it. It is not done. It is not part of our constitution.
Each time the leadership and stakeholders of your party speak, they express a special kind of confidence that the PDP would win the 2021 governorship election in Anambra State. What, really, makes you and your party members think that your party can defeat the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) which has strongholds in the state?
In the first instance, you are now talking about party affiliations. If APGA is as strong as you seem to suggest, PDP wouldn’t have gained six federal lawmakers and two senators. And APGA has no senator in Anambra State, which you said APGA is holding sway. Let me tell you. The only reason APGA is still in government in Anambra State is based on sentiment; not based on good leadership. Go home with it. That is why we are saying that what we need is somebody who is a politician; who knows what it takes to run a state; who has the interest of the people at heart. Somebody who feels what the people feel. That is the certainty that PDP is presenting to Ndi-Anambra. And that is why we are certain that we are winning this governorship election.
Governor Willie Obiano has spent about seven years in office. Are you satisfied with his governance style? How would you rate his performance so far?
That is why I told you that PDP wants a politician who knows the terrain; who has met with the people of Anambra State; who feels what they feel; who has related in one way or the other with specific people, community leaders; who can carry them along as a governor. And that is what we propose. Yes! A politician who has technocrats around him can do well. A good politician who knows what the people want can do well. But telling me that you are basically bringing out a technocrat, which is what we have in Obiano, was the reason we are having what we are having today in Anambra State. Let me come this way. Obiano might mean well; have a good heart to do things, but because he is not a politician from inception, he might not have known most of these people around him and what their intentions are. And so you see that misdirection comes on board. And it is the people around the governor that direct the governor. Tell me who are your friends and I will tell you who you are. So, I don’t have any finger to point at Obiano as a person, but I think the style of governance in generality is not what Ndi-Anambra expect especially in this age of Nigeria. Anambra is the ‘A state’; we set the pace. But today, check the environment of Anambra State and what has been done and you will see that we have lost our taste or what we are being called. Other states are taking over. If you go to Enugu State you will see a specific target of what they want to achieve. Go to Ebonyi State; people are telling me that Abakaliki is now a tourism point. What is Anambra doing? We have all it takes to do better. He might have good intentions, but actually he has not done anything to impress a typical Onye-Anambra as a governor. I am sorry to say that.
Generally, how would you rate the COVID-19 fight in Nigeria? Do you think the federal and state governments have done well?
To be honest with you, as a common man; a typical Nigerian; from what I have seen, there are lots and lots of information that have not been properly disseminated to the generality of the public. That is what is bringing suspicion in the handling of the COVID-19 issue. First of all, you can’t tell me that cases of infection are increasing when you have not discovered the drug; you have not said frontally that this is what you are using to treat these people and then you are telling us that a lot of people have been discharged. You can’t tell me that as a country, our lifestyle is the same with the European nations or America. We don’t have the same lifestyle with them. So, I am looking at a solution that is based on checking our lifestyle and accommodating our people to what we have on ground to fight this because necessity is the mother of invention. COVID-19 is real, but there are things that we did blindly; and that is why the effect it will have on our people will be very detrimental because we didn’t research properly to know what we should do based on our lifestyles in Nigeria. And telling me a lot of things about the management by the federal government agency, the PTF, I will say that it is shrouded in a lot of issues that were not made plain to Nigerians. That is why every Nigerian is suspicious.
