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From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
A former House of Representatives member from Benue State, Aondona Tor Dabo-Fiase, is the only female candidate standing for the March 11 governorship election in Benue State.
She is contesting on the platform of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
In this interview in Makurdi, Dabo said that the many acrimonies and fights between political leaders in Benue have deprived the state of the good it ought to harness.
She, therefore, said that she has come to bring love to the state, harmonize the tribal imbalance for better unity and development.
She expressed displeasure on the disrespect of elders, using the youths by politicians for the wrong things, pledging that if elected, she would rid the state of youth unemployment, insecurity, poverty, tribal divisions, disrespect of traditional council and elders of the state, marginalization of women, among others. Excerpts:
Your Excellency, can you please tell us why you are in the race?
I’m in the Benue governorship race for very simple reasons; to bring in love into Benue. There is too much hate, there’s too much division, too much ego, we don’t need all that. I’m in the race to better harmonize Benue State, particularly the tribes in Benue. There has been an unfortunate imbalance in appropriation of positions to the other tribes in Benue; the Idomas and the Igedes. For sure, we the Tivs are the majority, but that does not mean we should seem to take everything. I want to bring a better balance, I hate to discriminate against any tribe because I am a product of a bi-tribe. My late mother, of blessed memory, was a Yoruba woman from Ondo State and my darling late father was a Kunav man from Ute, Vandeikya LGA and for crying out loud, we are supposed to be brothers and sisters. Who says the Tivs are more intelligent than the Idomas or the Igedes? So, I am not very happy about that. Secondly, there’s too much acrimony, too much fight going on. The fight has deprived the state of goodness or what it ought to harness. There is too much disrespect for elders in the state. No matter who I become tomorrow, I must respect His Excellency, George Akume, for instance, because before there was Her Excellency Aondona Tor Dabo, was George Akume as a governor and whether we all like it or not in Benue, His Excellency George Akume is our father because he started democracy. He has done certain things that are wrong definitely. But how and why would anybody expect George Akume to be a perfect human being? Are we perfect? If anybody is asking for perfection from another, that person should be a perfect person. But if our father does wrong or any other elder for that matter, maybe His Excellency David Mark and other elders of the state, a father should not be chided in public. When a father does wrong, even if you need to scold him, you call the father in. What is it that is really anything in this world? Everything in the world is vanity, so what’s all the fight about? Well, I guess maybe the men have much muscles so they like to flex it (laughs). But Her Excellency doesn’t have muscles as you can see. So, I am here for peace, for love and for better unity of Benue and then most importantly and heartbreakingly, I’m a governor buldozer and I’m actually here to bulldoze out mass unemployment, terrible and disheartening poverty, tribal divisions, disrespect for the traditional council and for elders of the state, terrible marginalization of women and terrible misuse of our youths. Most of our youths are being used for wrong things by most politicians unfortunately. I would want you people to check the records, in my 20 years in politics, I have never sent a youth to abuse an elder or to disrespect an elder or to do what is wrong. When I have issues with my contemporaries, I sort it out with them. We can’t continue to destroy the youths. When I say we, I mean politicians. Politicians are destroying the youths and they know that youths are the future. So, if they are using them for wrong things, then they are also destroying the future. And all the nasty things they ask the youths to do for them, why don’t they ask their children to do them? If someone else’s child is good enough for you to destroy or to do bad things, your child also should be qualified to do such. So I want to turn that around, I want to tell the youths that they are better than being used for wrong things. I did most of my things as a youth; I went to the House of Representatives at 34 and I gave out a N100 million during the Jukun/Tiv crisis at just 32 of a hundred trailer worth of different relief materials. So, the sky is the stepping stone for the youths not even the zenith for the youths.
If given the opportunity, how are you going to tackle the issue of insecurity bedeviling most parts of the state?
The issue of insecurity ironically, our people have not realized that it is not one person’s job. It’s the job of everybody because when these bad people are a part of the society and the community, the governor in Government House will not be able to know who is bad in Oju Local Government, who is bad in Zaki-Biam, who is bad in Vandeikya or Konshisha. So, it’s a collective thing. But on my part as the governor by the grace of God, I would have a better rapport with the Federal Government and the parties involved. One thing a lot of people have not realized ironically, is that what love can achieve, war cannot. Please, I want you to quote that, “what love can achieve, war cannot achieve”. Come to think of it, even the world war, where did it end? On the roundtable of peace. That’s where it begins to end. So, our governor, His Excellency, Samuel Ortom, is doing a fantastic job, but I would say he is using a confrontational method which is obviously not the best. And I want to appeal to him that the president is the president, he is a father, he is a leader as well. So, I want to appeal to him to continue this fight to preserve Benue State as he is doing and I doff my hat for him, I respect him unconditionally and I have always stood by him in this fight, but it’s only the approach that I am pleading with our father, His Excellency Ortom, to kindly change to a more subtle one. I’m sure if he speaks to the president in a more subtle way, he will be able to achieve better results on insecurity. So, we are all going to join hands, I’m going to ask all Benue indigenes to join hands with me to tackle it by giving information on fishy characters around that are noticed to the security agents because if you don’t, and the evil comes to your doorstep, it would be too bad.
You are coming on the platform of Zenith Party in a state that is predominantly, PDP and APC. How and with what structures do you intend to use to bulldoze your way into winning this election?
So, you don’t know that the whole of Benue State is Her Excellency’s structure? The love of the people for me cuts across and to show you that I am not just saying it, this was demonstrated in 2003. Have you forgotten that I won elections to the House of Representatives in the UNPP? I was asked this same question 20 years ago that, are you crazy? In fact, even my late father of blessed memory, the Akpenlama U Ter, Chief (Dr) Godwin Dabo himself never believed that it was possible. People talk about structures forgetting that structures are human beings. Political structures are human beings and these human beings will vote where there heart is. Right now, politics has evolved and changed so much so that there is absolutely nothing like structure anymore and to prove that to you, a few months ago, His Excellency, Governor Ortom said politics is no more alphabets. He said people should vote credible candidates, so it doesn’t matter where the candidate is. The question is, can PDP and APC contain all the good people in Benue? And the answer is no. So, I have structures because the same way my love for Benue State is unconditional and not sectional, is the same way people’s love for Wan Dabo cuts across all political parties. And does poverty and suffering know structures? (laughs). It’s structureless. So, I have solid structures everywhere and for other elections people will vote whoever they want, but for governorship, from what people are saying, it’s Wan Dabo. I didn’t come out early, but when the people heard, they have called to confirm. My UNPP crews are still alive and all I need to do is blow the whistle and they are up. A lot of APC people have suffered and they are in the same society. A lot of PDP members are disenchanted. So, it’s all to my favour.
The governor and his wife have always called women especially to come out for political positions. I would like to know, what is your relationship with Ortom and his wife?
Wao, that mother of ours, to me, she is a super wonderful woman. The support that Her Excellency, Mrs Eunice Erdoo Ortom has been giving to me is phenomenal. She has made me feel so beautiful by encouraging me. I said mummy, I will not do anything without informing you. Before I bought my form, I informed her, after I did my primaries, I informed her and she was happy and proud that she has a daughter like me. I think if she hasn’t supported any woman, maybe they have not shown seriousness. But because she knows I’m serious, she has supported me a hundred and one per cent. Which mother wouldn’t support her daughter irrespective of her political standing. I’m sure she is happy because she wants to see women do better. If I’m not mistaken, I have made another history as the first Benue woman to have a ticket to contest governorship elections. She has been fantastic. (On a lighter mood),the only person I want to send a warning to, is His Excellency Ortom. I want you to tell him, if he thinks that he will support that man with muscles they call Titus Uba more than me his daughter, he is in trouble (laughs). Tell His Excellency to disown Titus Uba or is it not daughters that are their daddy’s favourite? Titus Uba should go and meet his mother, Her Excellency, Mrs Ortom. I’m daddy’s favourite and thank God he has said it all that politics is no more by alphabets and he said it’s by quality of candidates. I’m senior to Titus Uba, I’m a former House of Reps member, Titus is my far junior, I have shown love to the whole of Benue.
Do you mean Titus Uba does not have the credentials to govern Benue State?
I don’t know if he has the credentials or not. But I am saying I’m more qualified by our antecedents. Let me explain. Titus Uba is at the Benue level, I’m at the national level. So, who can bring better for Benue? Is it Titus Uba or me? And then I am his leader even now that he is a Speaker because I am a former House of Reps member. So whether he is qualified or not, if the PDP gave him the ticket, they deem him qualified.
You said Akume is the leader of Benue politics…?
(Cuts in) No, I said he is our father not leader because the leader is now His Excellency, Samuel Ortom. Respect and honour must be given to whom honour is due. Nobody in Benue should now claim to be above the governor.
So, as the political father of Benue, we want to know if you consulted him before vying for this position?
Oh yes, I have been to his house severally to consult him because I’m a very respectful person. I love to give honour to whom honour is due. I have reached out to all my leaders in Benue even past, not just present. I have reached out to His Excellency George Akume to inform him and tell him. Yes, I did before the primaries and after my primaries, I went there again. But we could not see because he is a minister for national honours, so he has been busy, but he is aware. I have informed His Excellency General David Mark, one on one. I have gone to everybody. Some of them I haven’t met because I went there in their absence.
Your profile shows that you achieved a lot when you were a youth. As a governor of the state, what will you do to solve the problem of youth unemployment?
Ah! I have already started. My deputy governor is 32 years old. Doesn’t that say something that the youths are after my heart? Good parents do not wish their children to be like them, they wish their children to be better. When I take over Benue State by the grace of God in 2023, I want Benue youths of even 25, 27, 30, that are sensible and smart, not lazy youths that are not serious. But even for those ones, I’m going to channel them because a lot of youths today are the way they are because the parents have failed in their duties. Parents have to wake up to their duties because if you train your child well, he or she will not disrespect an elder. So I’m going to restore dignity in our society, respect and hard work. If you are my brother and you are not qualified for a job or whatever, I’m not going to give it to you. I want everybody to have equal opportunity. The child of a politician or rich man who is not qualified will not be employed above the brilliant child of a farmer or a mechanic or a truck pusher. Benue, be ready for restoration. Nigeria has fallen apart today because there is no merit. If we can go back to values and merits, I tell you, within six months, every thing will be straight. Children don’t read because their father is a senator or minister. Their heads are empty, they go to school, but school doesn’t pass through them and when they come out, their father gives them a note to go and get a job. How would they know what to do? How would the society not be destroyed? How would things not fall apart? I’m changing all of that in Benue, all of it. It’s going to be Benue of merit.
What are you bringing in form of an agenda to convince the people to vote for you in the forthcoming general election?
My agenda is the satisfaction of the need of the Benue people in employment, wealth generation, industrialization, security, employment and infrastructure. These are my six point agenda. Benue is the richest state in Nigeria. Benue is richer than Lagos, Rivers and Kano states because of the human resources we have. I’m sure you remember when the most schooled people used to be from Benue? Benue people were known for education, we have the best brains anywhere. If we have the best brains, have those brains been utilized? No, because of tribalism. He is Idoma, he is Igede, he is that, it must be Tiv. The Tivs have been governor for 22 years, how is the state? Who says an Idoma person cannot be a better governor than a Tiv person? I will give example, it’s just that our father is now old and tired. When His Excellency David Mark was the senate president, he employed people in an unimaginable speed. So, if Benue has the brains, what do you need to create wealth? Resources. Benue has countless natural resources much more than Lagos, that’s why I said Benue has no business being poor. But it’s lack of prioritizing what will bring wealth to Benue and this political rancouring by these men with muscles. If Benue has the resources and brains are there to turn the resources to wealth, can you tell me how Benue will be in poverty? In fact, one thing in Benue that if done, will turn Benue into Lagos is the dredging of River Benue and that’s one of the first project I’m going to do. The dredging of River Benue is going to be one of my 15 projects because from the day I will go into office, I’m going to commission 15 projects, five in each zones; Zone A, five projects, Zone B, five projects and Zone C, five projects and I am talking about projects that will add value to life, projects that will create employment, projects that will create wealth. For instance, I will set up factories in all the three zones of the State based on the resources available there and that will go along way to taking care of unemployment and wealth creation and people will be out of this heartbreaking poverty. For me, Benue is one of the poorest states in the country. Infrastructure, you cannot industrialize without infrastructure. The other day I was coming from Konshisha to Vandeikya and I took the road that would burst at branch in Vandeikya there and I wept. Some portions of that road were as if I was inside a farmland. I don’t know who owns it whether it’s state or Federal Government, I don’t care who owns roads or infrastructure. I’m going to fix things and give the Federal Government the bill and they will pay with interest. I will not wait for them because I cannot be a governor and my people’s abject poverty will continue until they will wallow increasingly in poverty. I intend to go into partnership with our Senator, Gabriel Suswam, have our local power, national grid. I’m talking about His Excellency Suswam because he is already into the power sector and he has a beautiful bill. In fact, he was the one that passed the bill on independent power stations. So I am going to partner with my leader and Benue light issue will be a thing of the past once and for all. But Benue people should know that light will no longer be free, if you want light, you pay for it.
How would you handle the issue of ghost workers in the state?
When I come in, I’m not just going to jump into it, I’m going to have people check it out and we will see how many there is and we will plead, I’m the bulldozer begging governor. I’m not going to force anybody, I’m going to beg people that let’s do the right thing. When we do the right thing, everybody will benefit. Ghost worker doesn’t benefit anybody, rather you are taking away the resources of the state and at the end of the day, it will affect you. That’s what people don’t know. The society is a vicious circle. Whatever you do at your end will come back to you. I want Nigeria to begin to change when they see the examples set in Benue. All these fights and acrimony are artificial divisions. I am going to have appointees that cut across all parties, humans with brains. Saturdays, I’m on the site, inspecting projects. As soon as I go into office, I’m going to sign autonomy of the local government bill. Probably, I will be the first. I’m not interested in the monies that come in, let them pay directly to the local government chairmen starting from the first allocation. But the only thing is, any chairman who dares to embezzle that money and not work will be in trouble. But my supervising machine is going to be tough. My deputy governor is going to be a working deputy governor, he is not going to be a photo frame, he must go round. I’m going to have report of projects going on in each local government and each zone. My deputy governor will be going round to inspect with the commissioners involved and all the people involved and every six months or yearly, we must commission a project. I’m promising Benue people because there is too much pain in Benue and I am here to bring succour.
