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From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Professor Sandy Onor, has described the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, as one of Nigeria’s best leaders. He also spoke on other issues of interest.
Excerpts:
How do you feel at 60?
I feel very fulfilled and humbled at the same time because when I look at my background, where I come from, I come from a small village in the middle of the Central senatorial district known as Nsofang. Up till this time as I speak to you, access to my community is seasonal. During the raining season we still find it difficult to access the community by road so we access it basically during the dry season by road and during the raining season by river. It gives you an idea of how remote my community is and how humble I am that God has been able to transport me to where I am today. Not just by dint of hard work and intellect but because his mercies endureth forever and I can fittingly be described as a child of grace. So I am thankful to God. In as much as I feel very fulfilled. I also feel very humbled and blessed.
Being fulfilled does not isolate you from expectations, so long as you live, you will continue to expect, hope, keep faith alive. So I feel fulfilled, content but I don’t think I should be gripped by complacency. We are still working hard, looking forward with optimism, trusting God for more and still thankful for what he had done for us this far.
Put differently, it’s good to experience life in all its patterns. It’s not every time that failure is evil, sometimes failure is beautiful because there are lessons to learn and when you understand failure you will be in charge of success. Success will not excite you too much because some people get so excited at success that it begins to breed the seeds of failure. So, I am a man that can safely say that I live a life of balance because I have seen all sides and that is the beauty of my life this far.
What is your greatest achievement at 60?
The realisation that service to man and the fear of God are two elevating variables in life. All other things can be interpreted within the context of these twin pillars that I have articulated.
What are the notable landmarks of your life at 60?
I don’t think it is for me to say because I cannot be hyping myself but I think there are many of them relating to my life. I graduated top of my class at 21, got back to teach in the University at 22, started the Masters Programme and got advanced to the Ph.D because of my brilliant performance, had a PhD just as I turned 27, got into politics and elected into several offices, went back to the University and became a professor, I have so many books and articles to my credit . My public service record is beautiful, I’m happily married with children, I am a happy man. But like I said, I’ve also had my own shares of failure but I take all of it in my stride because God has been beautiful. There are so many landmarks depending on your level of interaction with me and the lessons you derive from interacting with me and I will like the public to speak about them and not me.
Any regrets at 60?
I have no regrets at 60, you know with the benefits of hindsight you look at some things, maybe you would imagine that if you did it this other way, maybe it would have been better, I am a very careful thinker and very deliberate in my actions. No matter how carefully planned your life is, there are variables that are not within your grasp that is why God is greater than man. But when you look at my life, my actions are well thought out and whatever variables are thrown at me, I calculate, I’ve done my best and also deal with them as I see them as a man. So, for me all that has happened to me has been according to God. We must be humble enough to understand that no matter what happens to us no matter how hard we try, things will always be according to God so no matter what he apportions to you, you must receive it with thanksgiving. That is why the Bible says that in all things you must give thanks. If you look at my life thus far, you cannot describe me as a bed of passage. I came, saw and participated meaningfully, I conquered, I had my own share of failures, I learnt lessons and still expecting that the future holds a lot of strong events for me by the grace of God.
How has your place of birth, Nsofang shaped your life and how has it interplayed in the context of your public service to humanity?
I think that the quantum of my thanksgiving is directly a function of the realisation of how remote my origin have been. I’m thankful to God because today you can describe me as completely cosmopolitan. It gives you a clear idea of how supersonic my life has been. That is why I have said that my heart is filled with thanksgiving to God for how my life has been this far. I could have been a local hunter, or a subsistence farmer or a fisherman, I’m not speaking in derogatory terms but I’m saying that I have made progress beyond these rudimentary occupations. I’m undoubtedly a politician of note, I am an intellectual worthy of citation in both local and international journals, I’m a properly published author. To answer your question directly, when you grow up in that kind of background, you are minded to understand that taking sides with the underprivileged is a blessing. So, I am always minded by where I come from, treat everybody I meet with love and understanding, knowing that not all of us are born with silver spoon in our mouth. It has made me a humanist and also a fighter because everyday I am minded to emancipate not just the people I grew up with but people of their types across the state. So, I tell people for instance that I am from Ito Edet Ukwa in Odukpani, I am from Agoi Ibami and Agoi Ekpo in Yakurr, I am from Bibomubagi in Boki , I am from Ukelle in Yala, I belong to those communities that are peripheral to the socio economic and political development of our state and that can be extrapolated to Nigeria at large. And this makes me constantly try as much as possible to prove that your birth is not a limitation and that with hard work, good intellect and the grace of God, you can attain any level you want in life.
You were born on Valentine’s Day, how does this make you feel and do you think that there are special attributes of being born on a Valentine day?
The fact of being born on a Valentine day came to me when I was in secondary school. I attended the Great St Bernard in Iyamoyong in Obubra so one of those days when my birthday was a announced, I then got to find out from my senior students what it meant, that it was a Valentine’s Day and it was for me a pleasant surprise. And then as I grew up and the celebration of the day became more remarkable as I got mature I then got to find symbolisms in that coincidence. So, then, I believe that I was born on that day because truly I love God, humanity and I try in my life in spite of the fact that I am a politician to be fair and kind to all that I meet, to forgive as easily as I can because I noticed that some people’s life are filled with grudge, they never forgive. And I always tell my supporters and friends that this game we are playing is called the game of politics and not the war of politics, so, we must learn to forgive, be kind and generous to one another, that is what life should be. So, being born on that day definitely has some significance, encourages me to serve humanity and to love people regardless of how they show up to you, that is what God wants.
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Are you a lover man, and how would you describe your relationships?
I am, my wife can testify to it, those people who are my friends can say so, I like to love rather than hate, light rather than darkness, that is the truth about me and I love to be happy. That is why anything that makes me unhappy, I try to distance myself from because at the end of the day, what is life about? Life is about making people happy. No matter how much you have to accumulate if you don’t find happiness then you have accumulated nothing and if you like happiness try to spread it around to others. I believe that very strongly and it speaks to my philosophy in life.
What are your thoughts on the present situation in your home state, Cross River in terms of governance?
I don’t like making comments about the situation in Cross River State. You know I ran elections against Gov. Bassey Otu and he is the one sitting as governor, I just feel that I should show restraint in making commentary because it is his moment in the sun and it is his time to shine so I will rather not make comments on that. All I would say is that we should all learn from the last and know that power is transient, Cross River is one and we should treat every one with that sense of equality because fundamentally peace is a corner stone for development, whatever development we bring about if there is no peace, integration, and unity we are not doing well for our people.
The Bakassi issue is still smouldering in Cross River State and the question of the 76 oil wells is raging in the state. What is your position on this?
As a historian, I feel it’s an unfortunate situation in the history of Nigeria. At this point in time you cannot cede territory for instance without a referendum. Bakassi was too hastily done, too terribly manoeuvred with a dosage of carelessness that was avoidable. So, I am unhappy about it that we suffered from it, lost Bakassi and the oil wells. The illogicality of the ceding of the oil wells to neighbouring Akwa Ibom is very painful. I can’t understand it, you had Bakassi then it was taken and then your oil wells that were with you migrated miraculously to another state. No matter the legalism that was used it does not make common sense at all. But the law can be a miracle in many respects. But we pray that common sense will prevail at the end of the day and the efforts of the present government towards the recovery of our oil wells will be actualised to the glory of God.
Many people are curious to know about your relationship with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, is it just political or there is more to it?
The FCT minister is a great guy, he is my friend and political leader, he is a very good friend of mine and does not hide it anywhere he goes, I have also elected to make him my political leader. Those who worry about my relationship with him should worry about themselves. I have my own political group and our vision is clear. The FCT minister’s style may not be the style of everyone but his style is productive and yields results, its his own way. You that chose to criticise him how much milage have you been able to go? He’s a very great guy, patriotic, dependable, he’s one of the best leaders Nigeria has been able to produce. He believes in the best interest of the people. Those who worry about him are those who are on the negative side of his stick. He does not look for anybody’s trouble but when you look for his trouble you have murdered sleep. I knew Wike as local government chairman and we were friends from then, so it’s not a thing of today. My friendship with Wike is not opportunistic. Beyond politics, I like his company, enjoy his fidelity, like his dependability. Who does not like a dependable friend in the midst of abundant treachery? And he does not just love and respect me, he loves and respects Cross River and I’ve seen it with my own eyes. So, what else do I want from a friend? So, they should not take Panadol for my headache. They should look at their own situation and see whether they are doing well for Cross River and also for themselves. I am good with Nyesom Wike, he is a great guy.
What’s the way forward for the People’s Democratic Party, considering the party has become a shadow of itself?
Let me make a correction quickly, the party is a shadow of itself in your eyes not in our eyes, the party is undergoing its own vicissitudes which is a natural tendency for every organisation, for every man, it will come out from the valley to the mountain too again. Take Cross River, where was APC before Ayade’s defection even when Ayade defected where was APC, is it not the in thing now, because for some reason they won the governorship. Who is there to tell you that in the very next minute there will not be reversals? Look, we have been in this game for a very long time and there is nothing to worry about. The crisis in PDP is over. We are the ones who are the pillars of the PDP today and we are happy with it. They took us to the court in Ibadan to legitimise themselves and they ended up making it clear to the whole world that they are illegitimate children because they flouted court orders to hold their ‘amala convention,’ we told them that, that was what was going to happen people don’t like the truth. Before the convention the board of trustees set up a committee populated by eminent Nigerians who told them clearly ‘look let’s sort out these problems inhouse before we go to Ibadan’ but some people have their egos bigger than themselves and they thought they could do us in but they have done themselves in. I’m not a lawyer but there is no reasonable court who will clap for you for violating court orders. So, without preempting the judgment of the courts, I am very sure that we are on the path of history. Very soon, we will organise our own national convention. We will keep the door open for reconciliation, if they come, we take them.
People are blaming you for the failure of PDP in the last general elections in Cross River State, what’s your take on that?
Let me tell you, failure, no matter how contrived is an orphan in our society especially where food is becoming increasingly more difficult to have. Once you fail, there will be a run on you, if we had won that election would anybody have said anything? I knew why we lost. And journalists know why we lost. No matter your campaign once the super structure of the electoral system is seized from you, you will loose, you people have been around for a long time so I don’t want to go into specifics but I’m saying to you people that those who are still making noise about my loss are those who imagined that PDP was their personal property and nobody can defeat them, we defeated them at the primaries and heaven did not fall. They have no capacity bigger than my own, this ‘bad Belle’ is too much. You engage in anti- party and you are proud to continue to sing it for a man who has benefitted from the party not because of merit but because of access for over 24 years. Who does that, did we come into the politics of Cross River to be slaves to anybody for life? I have no regrets. I articulated my reasons for running and I know I have the capacity to be a proper governor of Cross River and I mean well for the people of the state. That I lost is a different kettle of fish entirely, I have no regrets for my decision and nobody can speak to my destiny, only God alone understands the dynamics of my destiny. So, those people who are talking are just ‘bad Belle’ people who have little capacity for genuine analysis.
Does the PDP realistically stand a chance in the state in 2027?
Why are you periodising the flow of political history, God has his own time, if God says in 2027 we will bounce back we will definitely bounce back, if he says in 2027 we should tarry a bit we will tarry but what I am telling you is that we are not dead. When you are engaging in farming don’t you plant a seed, sometimes a seed is being planted and people think it is dead but then it germinates with fruits that are even better than the previous ones. So, we are not dead, we are going through our own vicissitudes and we are patient and resilient enough to go through it.
So, what is your general advice to Cross River people as they strive to build a better state for all?
My general advise is that they should be a little bit more honest with themselves, less afraid and a little bit more demanding from their governments. I don’t like the situation where you chorus a leader and give the impression that he does no wrong, then immediately the leader leaves, you are so shameless the very next moment to begin to demonise that leader, it is a very sad thing. Therefore, those who are holding offices in Cross River don’t rejoice when you are being praised because the praise is laced with grovelling sycophancy. Cross Riverians should be a little bit bolder, they should be bold enough to speak truth to power. Don’t be shamelessly mouthing things you don’t believe in, because a lot of what people say in public is very different from what they say in their rooms, I’m very ashamed of such a tendency. If you told Governor Ayade that all those digital, digital that they were mouthing like rain meant nothing to the people who were mouthing it, would he have believed, but those same people immediately Ayade left office migrated to the next places of power and are singing hallelujah now. I can bet you that immediately this group of politicians also leave, they will turn to the next group of politicians and also do the same. We must have some integrity, fear God. The best we can do is to offer the best advise for our leaders. To begin to speak in such a manner that gives the leader the impression that he is a God of some sort or that he does no wrong only for you to turn around and demonise him tomorrow, is cowardice, anti -progress and not exemplary at all for both leadership and followership.
