I Will Never Return To PDP – Sekibo

I Will Never Return To PDP – Sekibo
Tue, 26/07/2011 - 6:08am | ANAYO ONUKWUGHA News Politics

Recently, former Minister of Transport and governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Rivers State, Dr. Abiye Precious Samuel Sekibo addressed a press conference in Port Harcourt. The conference was the first since July 1, 2011 when he withdrew his petition challenging the victory of Governor Amaechi at the election tribunal. He subsequently fielded questions from newsmen. ANAYO ONUKWUGHA was there.

Pleased explain the reasons why you withdrew your petition challenging the victory of Governor Chibuike Amaechi at the election tribunal?

First, let me apologise for coming here late. I am pained that I have been in the hold-up for almost two hour, 30 minutes now, just at the junction, not too far from here. This is what the average Rivers man goes through every day in this town, our dear state capital. I apologise to you for keeping you waiting.

First, let me start with the issues that concern our party. All of you would recall that on April 26, we did go for an election; the governorship election in this state. That election was conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission headed by Professor Attahiru Jega. Before the election, we went round this state; we went to every local government area in this state. We took the programme of the Action Congress of Nigeria to the people of Rivers State and explained to them, how we will, as a party give the people of Rivers State, governance much better than what the Peoples Democratic Party had offered them in the last four years. The people of Rivers State embraced our agenda and came out en-masse to vote for the Action Congress of Nigeria. I have every cause to believe that that election was resoundingly won by the Action Congress of Nigeria.

Unfortunately, most unfortunately for democracy, at about 8.00 am the following day, there was a release from the Rivers State Government House announcing the result of that election. It was sent to almost all media houses in this country at a time when INEC itself had not announced the result. It was then clear to us that the electoral process had been compromised and we headed for the tribunal.

Since we filed our case in the tribunal, the Rivers State government and the PDP in collusion with INEC had frustrated every single step we had taken to gather the necessary evidence that we have to prove that what INEC announced was not what the Rivers people decided. We had been in that battle since this election was said to have been concluded and we had not made any headway.

During the election, Professor Attahiru Jega gave all Nigerians the permission to film, photograph, and record the electoral process. The Action Congress of Nigeria deployed over 5,000 cameras to almost every polling unit in Rivers State. Those of our members who had these cameras were beaten, some of them were beaten, manhandled, the cameras they were given destroyed. All in an effort to prevent us from gathering the necessary information that could help us prove to the electoral tribunal that what INEC announced was not the true outcome of the result of that election.
In the circumstance, when we realised that whatever we did to get the necessary information to file and support our case before the tribunal was not going to be allowed, both by the government and the electoral body, which is supposed to be neutral, we were left with no other choice than to withdraw from the tribunal because it was clear to us that we should not be deceiving the Rivers people. If the electoral law had given clear deadline when certain thing should be concluded and we have done more things to meet up. We had over 10 photocopiers at the INEC headquarters in Port Harcourt here, trying to photocopy documents. Both the INEC officials and the then Chief of Staff to the governor of Rivers State came into the INEC office and prevented us from photocopying document that are necessary for the case in the tribunal.

I pledged to Rivers people when I was campaigning that at all times, I will tell them the truth and nothing but the truth. When I was faced with the challenge of not having the things we needed to present to the tribunal, which INEC had, and the time allowed by law was going to elapse. I had to take a very painful decision of withdrawing this matter from the tribunal with the belief and the lawyers truly advised that rather than allow our case in the tribunal to be used as a project of confirming illegality, it was better for us to stay out of the tribunal and continue to tell the world and the public that the process allowed by law had been thwarted deliberately by the Rivers State government, the Peoples Democratic Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission in Rivers State.

We had no choice but to take our matter to the court of public opinion, when it became clear that the electoral tribunal was not a place where the Rivers people could get justice. In taking that decision, I want to make it clear that as the candidate of the party, who ran that election, I took everything into consideration and said that I must not mislead or deceive the members of my party and the people of Rivers State. Remaining in the tribunal at the time will only be giving the impression that we are pursuing a case which in reality, we are not allowed to pursue. I take full responsibility in that decision that was taken.

Did you consult members of the ACN before withdrawing your petition from the election tribunal?

Before I took that decision, I did consult my state party chairman and a few other elders of the party. Let me use this opportunity to apologise to other members of the party who felt that they ought to have been consulted. In fact, every card-carrying member of our party ought to have been consulted but you would agree with me that under the present circumstance, it was impossible to hold, normally what would have been a party congress at which this issue would have been discussed and possibly, a decision taken. I tender my apology to my party members for not holding a congress before that decision was taken. I want to assure you that that decision was taken in good fate, in the interest of our party and to ensure that we come together as a people and as a party. As a party, we will always tell the people the truth and play the role, which is to protect the interest of the people at all times. That is much on the issue of the matter in the tribunal.

What does the future hold for the ACN in Rivers State?
Let me talk about our party as an opposition party. The Action Congress of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter led by Chief Esuku is not afraid of being an opposition party. We are willing and ready at all times to point out to Rivers people and to the PDP government where things are being done wrongly, where it has not been done right and where fraud and corruption is penetrating our body politics. That role of a watch-dog on the government, that role of championing the interest of the Rivers people, the Action Congress of Nigeria will continue to play, in the process of preparing for future and subsequent elections.

What assurances are you giving to members of ACN in the state that you will not dump the party and go back to the PDP at the end of the day?

I want to assure the party chairman and members and the Rivers people that I, Dr. Abiye Samuel Precious Sekibo remain a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria, today, tomorrow, and into the foreseeable future. I have not met with anybody in any other political party to discuss the possibility of even changing party. Let me remind you that I led a group of Nigerians across this country asking for reforms in the Peoples Democratic Party. In struggling for that reform in the PDP, I was suspended as a member of the party for a time. I was recalled to the PDP but I refused to go back. Rather than go back to the PDP, I decided to pitch my tent with the Action Congress of Nigeria. I am not about to go back. So be rest assured that the rumour making the rounds that I have met with some persons and planning to change party is infringement of some people’s imagination. I am in ACN and I will remain in ACN and I will swim and sink with the Action Congress of Nigeria. As we go forward, there could be challenges, thing may not go as smooth as we expect.

We have a very vicious cabal in Rivers State that has seized the Peoples Democratic Party that has seized the government from the Rivers people and is using it to short-change the Rivers people, to corruptly enrich themselves, and to leave the Rivers people in abject poverty and in penury. The Action Congress of Nigeria must prepare itself for that fight on behalf of the Rivers people. We have no choice; this is an assignment that we are freely and willingly taking on ourselves, to stand for the poor and down-trodden people of Rivers State. That decision will come with consequences and it may even cost our lives but it a cause for which we are willing to die pursuing because our Rivers people are suffering and they continue to suffer. I just explained to you that a drive from GRA here through Trans-Amadi to this place, which shouldn’t have taken more than 15 minutes took me almost two hours and 30 minutes to get here.

Rivers people suffer that every day. They have no hospitals to attend; they have no schools to attend. We have false projects being undertaken by this administration. This government, in the last four years has received over a trillion naira - far more money than the three previous administrations in this state had received put together and yet, there is nothing to show for it. The schools they say, they are building are costing ten times more than what they are expected to cost. The infrastructure that we had in this state has shrinked instead of expanding. This PDP government inherited schools, inherited hospitals, inherited roads.

Every incoming administration has a work they inherit but this administration, what they inherited have reduced. I can quickly tell you, we have the BMH, we had the Teaching Hospital, not too far from here, in town and we had a brand new teaching hospital that is being run by the Federal Government in Choba. Today, the teaching hospital in town is no more. Those who live in Borokiri, when they are ill, and they need to use the teaching hospital, they have to go all the way from Borokiri to Choba, the BMH is so stretched. This is a glaring example of reduction in infrastructure inherited by a government, not adding to what you had before.

Another glaring example is the cultural centres. This government inherited cultural centres from the previous administration. Today, we don’t have a cultural centre, both the one in town, along Bonny Street and the Obi Wali Cultural Centre are no more. Talk about shrinking in infrastructure inherited by the government. It is the duty of the Action Congress of Nigeria to continue to point out to the Rivers people and shout out to the world what is going on here.

The administration we have in Rivers State today is institutionalising corruption. We said these things during our electoral campaigns. We mentioned the Rivers State Procurement Act, we mentioned two laws that instituted in them a right for the governor to use the Rivers people’s money any how he likes, for whatever purpose he likes, any time he like, through whoever he likes without being accountable to anybody.

That is the worst kind of corruption. We had a State Assembly then that passed that law. This new State Assembly has started even the worst trend and has just approved 48 million dollars for the governor to buy a new jet. This is a governor, who when the Supreme Court by fiat, put into Government House of Rivers State, this governor said Dr. Peter Odili was frivolous by having to buy a plane and jet for Rivers State. He promised that he was going to sell them but he didn’t sell them. Within the four years, he had used those aeroplanes that Dr. Peter Odili bought ten times more than Odili used them when he was governor. Rather than selling them as he promised the Rivers people, he had gotten this rubber-stamp Rivers State House of Assembly to approve 48 million dollars for him to buy a new plane. In other words, when these ones are sent for servicing, there would be another plane for him to use. He wants to change aeroplanes as he can change cars. Yet, our markets are in a terrible state. The Town market is not functioning, Creek Road market is in a terrible state, Mile One market is in a terrible state, and Mile Three Market is in a terrible state. The things that serve our people are not being addressed.

What is your present relationship with Dr. Peter Odili?
I said I pledged to you that I will always tell you the truth. Up till Easter Sunday, that is April 24, before the election, I can say without fear or favour that I had a fantastic relationship with Sir Dr. Peter Odili. But, since after that election on April 26 till now, I am not sure that I will be able to repeat what I just said. Let us leave it like that.

Do you think that remaining in the ACN, being an opposition party will give you all you need to improve on the lives of Rivers people as you have always said?
I must be very clear that the only hope for Rivers people is the Action Congress of Nigeria. That is the truth; it might be difficult to believe, but that is the truth. In Rivers State today, the only hope, the only political party that we can say has not been bought is the Action Congress of Nigeria. We say things as they are. I remember, over the last few weeks, you have seen our regular interaction in the press, telling people what is going on.

Some people must take the job of speaking out so that people will know that what is going on in government there are people who are talking about them. We have opposition parties that are in the pockets of the Rivers State Government House. For the first time in the history of this state, we have an opposition party that is standing out there to say things as they are. God has given me the opportunity, through my political association in National Republican Convention, and in PDP, to be part of government. I have had the opportunity of being in government. I now have the opportunity of being in the opposition. I believe very firmly that we owe Rivers people a duty. It is not just enough to belong to a political party, but you must also commit to serving the people. In today’s Nigeria, in today’s Rivers State, the place to be to truly serve Rivers people selflessly is the Action Congress of Nigeria.

You have been a member of the PDP in Rivers State and know what the ruling party is capable of doing. Do you think the obstructions you alleged you met at the tribunal are the same obstructions somebody like Great Ogboru met and is still meeting in Delta State, considering the fact that there were allegations that you were paid to withdraw from the tribunal?

A time comes in the life of any human being - If you live long enough, a time comes when you say, enough is enough. In every human being, a time comes when you say I repent of my sins. I can boldly claim that I was one of those who made NRC what it was during the Ada-George era. I can boldly claim that I am one of those who made PDP what it became in Rivers State. I know the things in PDP that we did which were wrong, which were not in the interest of the people and today, I repent of them.

I did not just jump into the Action Congress of Nigeria; I reflected and prayed about it. For me to get involved in the PDP reform forum, and incur the wrath of the leadership of the party at the national level, it just doesn’t happen over-night. It was clear to me that PDP was becoming an evil instrument against the interest of the people of Nigeria and I had to join like-minds to fight but I didn’t succeed. I was not tired of politics, so I decided to go to ACN.
I will be lying to you if I say there have been no pressures from certain quarters asking me to please come back to the PDP, but for me, that is a closed chapter. We are not going there anymore. Like I said, you don’t go back to what you have repented of. The ACN is the place to stay to give the Rivers people hope.

You talk about insinuations of my having collected N2 billion. Your own is even too small. I was told that I was offered N 5 billion but I said no, that I wanted N10 billion and they started begging me until the offered N7 billion. That Odili was in the meeting, helping to beg me to accept the N7 billion. That when I said no, Odili got angry and wanted to leave, so I accepted the N7 billion and put it in my pocket and left.

Now, whoever that was telling that story most be the most illiterate and most naive person that you can ever imagine. Unfortunately, our people who were listening to him or her had believed the story. That somebody can carry N7 billion, put in his pocket and walk away. It is the level to which integrity had died in public service in this country and we must all be concerned.

Why is it that every single individual who has relationship with Rivers State government today is seen as a cheat? The moment you are made commissioner or even a board member, your utterances and attitude change. The reason is not far-fetched. All of us, no matter how we pretend, we know our selves. We know who is who.

Yesterday, a friend of yours you used to hang out with you and share hard times suddenly a becomes commissioner, or an adviser, a Senator, a House of Reps member, a House of Assembly member, or even a governor or a councillor, over-night, he has a fleet of cars. He has houses in GRA, he has houses in Abuja, he has in Lagos. But he has never worked before in his life. That is consistently happening.

I have thrown a challenge. In this government, run by Rotimi Amaechi, in the government Dr. Peter Odili ran and in all other governments before them, check the individuals, who were running government, x-ray their background, what were they doing before they entered government. When you work that out, it will tell you who is corrupt and who is not corrupt.

Before I entered government, I was a medical practitioner; some of you seated here were my patients. I had a track record to show that I was not only self-employed before I entered government, but I had something you can prove. There are records to show that you know. You can find out. Do the same with every public officer, from the President down.

Let us not always generalise that Nigerians are corrupt. Let the fourth estate of the realm not generalise that Nigerians are these, Nigerians are that. Those in government are thieves. No, I was in government but I am not a thief. Every single thing that I have, I can account for them.

I have served as secretary to government, I have served as minister, I have been probed. In fact, I was told that I was the most investigated minister of transport in the history of Nigeria after I left that office and EFCC had not called me. I am ready, willing, and open to go through the rigours of investigation on every single asset that I have and how I got them. Let us do the same to each and every public officer, who had served. That is what the fourth estate of the realm should be asking for if we want to track this demon called corruption that wants to destroy our state and country. We must begin to ask the right questions.

If somebody was a youth corper and got a political appointment and suddenly had a fleet of cars and has houses all over the country and other countries of the world and we are not asking questions? Yet, we say, we are fighting corruption. What type of corruption are we fighting? We should say the things the way they are.

Source: LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER