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From Magnus Eze, Enugu
Dr. Mike Obaji is the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial aspirant for Ebonyi South in the upcoming election to replace Minister of Works, David Umahi.
The doctorate degree holder in Intelligence Mechanics from the University of Science and Technology, China, who hails from Ukawu in Onicha Local Government Area of the state, at some point lectured at the Department of Mechatronics, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, in Ekiti State.
Obaji says he is the right person to represent the senatorial zone at this period and gives insight into what to expect from him if he finds himself in the red chambers.
Why do you want to represent Ebonyi South in the senate?
I’m motivated to run on two grounds. First, I’m coming from the point of competence and capacity. I’ve been in the public service, I have been in the lecture room, I have run my life as a private person and I have done well. If you give me moribund facility or object, I put life in them; and those around me who think by following me I should be giving them money, I rather teach them how to make money and then create their own wealth. That’s the stuff I’m made of. And the Senate Chamber is not for the lily-livered, it’s not a place for too much grammar. This is a place where you have the likes of Ali Ndume, Enyinnaya Abaribe and others who are serial representatives at that place. You see them making useful contributions and creating needed political serenity, and if you are faint-hearted, you would just keep shut and watch things go by without knowing what to say. We need intellectuals and dogged-mined individuals who will go there and present the people’s need as it is ought. For four years, you won’t see your representative but only see him on billboards and in television. This is not the kind of representation that Ebonyi South needs at this material time. And I want to change the narrative. Secondly, the Ukawu/Abaomege axis was relating very well with our brothers in the South while we were yet in Imo State, even before the creation of Ebonyi. But suddenly, after the creation of Ebonyi State, there appears to be this unexplained marginalisation of our people. And some say could it be because we are from the Umuekumenyi (that’s the Abakaliki bloc)? And it’s not by free contrivance that we found ourselves there; but by geography and God. But we have been repeatedly sidelined politically. So, I am using this opportunity to plead with our brothers in Afikpo, Edda, Ivo and Ohaozara to have a rethink over the political cries of our people.
The Abaomege/Ishinkwo land crisis has lingered for years now. If elected, how would you address it?
We know the root cause of that problem, and if you don’t engage the right people, the problem will not be solved. The crisis revolves around land, and when you do proper demarcation of the very place using those who know the truth and can say the truth, it will be over. These are both brothers and for the problem to be solved, you have to bring the natives of the two communities to tackle it. They, the natives, should equally be made to know or be aware of the implications of not agreeing to solving the communal crisis. Ukawu is the elder brother to Amudo, Abaomege, Ishinkwo and other communities that exited from the old Ukawu. So, that senior brother role is still there for us and once you are a senior or progenitor in a family, that blessing remains with you. There are places you go to, before they give kola, they look for the eldest person. And once the eldest speaks, he is listened to. I humbly suggest that in solving this crisis, the Ukawu people should be involved. And I make bold to say that in my first six months in office as senator, if I don’t tackle the crisis, the people should initiate a recall.
Are you not bothered that since the creation of Ebonyi State, nobody from Onicha LGA has represented the zone in the senate?
We feel bad about it; not just only me -Onicha people feel so bad about it, and we think it’s marginalisation on our part. Truth is that when you narrow it down to the local government area itself, you begin to have pity for the Ukawu/Abaomege axis. But by and large, the entire Onicha council is suffering it. The rest have been to the senate; if you mention Ivo- two persons have gone there. You have Afikpo, you have Edda and Ohaozara, they all have one or two political offices to boast of. It’s only Onicha that is bearing the brunt. Now, look at what the former governor of Ebonyi State did by saying Ezza, wait for your turn and let’s pacify Izzi people by starting with the North where it commenced hitherto. From there, it can go to Central where you can start making a push for it. We expect such a thing to happen in Ebonyi South. If Onicha LGA will be pacified the way Umahi pacified the Izzi people, then we in Onicha will feel so happy and have a sense of belonging. We have not been there. We need to go there. Therefore, we are begging the kingmakers of Ebonyi South and Ebony State to hear the cries of Onicha people, and allow it this time to go for senate.
People from this part of the world complain that they don’t have access to their representatives at the National Assembly. What will be your approach if elected?
It’s very simple. First and foremost, don’t turn-off your phone when you get there. Answer your calls from any number, whether the number is stored in your phonebook or not. There is something I noticed about former governor Umahi; if you send Umahi ordinary message, he replies you; if you send him WhatsApp message, he replies you. The current Governor, Francis Nwifuru does same, too. If you send Governor Nwifuru message now, he acknowledges and replies immediately. I just told you about electricity project in my community, we just wrote as a village and the governor referred it to the Council Chairman. And the chairman informed us about it and the whole village is jubilant as we speak. So, do not shut yourself against the people by turning-off your phones, because information is power. Someone could be calling you about his father who is about to die, you could be the one that might save the person. Two, if you come to Ebonyi South, we have semi-urban and rural areas. Afikpo is an urban, Okposi could be classified as semi-urban and Ukawu is rural. If you come to Afikpo, you need an office in a place like Ukpa. You move down to Ndibe axis; you need another office and you keep people there to man the axis. Now, you come to Akaeze, you need an office, in Ishiagu you need another office. It doesn’t take anything to open an office in a community and keep someone there to act as your eyes in that community. In Uburu, you have one, in Okposi you have one and in Ugwulangwu you need another office. You have another in Onicha Igboeze, another in Isu; and you have one each in Abaomege, Ishinkwo and Ukawu. You can be having a tour of these areas every three months and collate data of the issues and complaints of your constituents, and with this your presence and representation are felt.
Could you rate the performance of the governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, so far?
I rate him 95 percent. Do you know why? What I judge as a point of assessment of any leader’s performance is his responsiveness to issues affecting his people. His Excellency, Francis Nwifuru values human lives above every other thing; he values human person and human existence. Of all the things I have said, human beings are involved. If you take care of human beings, then you have taken care of society. But when you neglect human beings, you create chaotic society, a society fraught with cultism, and you can’t even control it.
So, when he came, he started by dealing with human problems-with his Peoples Charter of Needs mantra, while equally executing projects at the same time. If he had done this much in this shortest possible time, what would happen by the time he spends two years in office. These days in Ebonyi State, you see buses lining up and people climbing in, to board to their various offices without paying Kobo. This has never happened in the history of Ebonyi State. This is predominantly unusual and we can’t shy away from this truth. Before the coming of Governor Nwifuru, the Igbojima and Umueru dichotomy in the Izzi Clan was predominant and glaring. In the Ezza Clan, it was the same. But the governor has resolved those crises and given appointments across board, without consideration to which of the camps or blocs you belonged. That’s the kind of leader we need now.
