Hon Ikem Uzoezie, Representing Aguata 11 Constituency Is A Legislator Par Excellence; Do You Agree?

Member Representing Aguata 11 , constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly , Hon Ikemefuna RalphCollins Uzoezie is a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary International.

Uzoezie is a young man who had a track record before joining politics and presently he is the face of lawmaking in Nigeria’s Houses of Assembly. He had an encounter with some newsmen on how he has contributed in making good laws for the state and his welfare package for his constituency.

This Paul Harris Fellow and Ikeoha Amesi Community is the Chairman House Committee on Environment as well as a member of Finance and Appropriation Committee ; Transport  and Education. He spoke to select journalists including a representative of odogwuemekaodogwu.com ONWUDINJO EMEKA known as Luckey Boy at his Igboukwu residence Aguata local government area, Anambra South Senatorial zone.  Excerpts:

Why did you suddenly join politics when you were doing well as Programme  Manager of the European Union water sector supported programme in Anambra State?

The passion and zeal to serve my immediate constituency better, that was the driving force, to bring an effective representation to my people. Not really because my mother was the Commissioner for Women Affairs then in Governor Peter Obi’s administration that made me to join politics. This is because when my mother was Commissioner, I was working with European Union in the state, in the area of water supply sector reform, so, at that point I was able to enter politics because at that time, Aguata was one of the pilot Local Government areas we are working on and that gave me an apple opportunity to visit various communities within the area to see the challenges in both education facilities and water supply.

So, that prompted me to do something different from what I was doing, to bring more of this development to my people. As we all know that Obizi water supply scheme was actually abandoned for over 20 years, so, I was the project manager at that point and selected it for rehabilitation.

I was the engine that drives the project, to make sure it was rehabilitated. It was during my term as the programme manager European Union that Obizi water scheme was actually rehabilitated, then in that course, we did some water schemes across the local government in which Ikenga Community benefited and Igbo-ukwu where I came from , one of the village in Igbo-ukwu particularly (Ngo) benefited Achina and other communities within the constituency 1 actually benefited in the programme.

          Currently, I am still making efforts to make sure that the scheme is actually scaled up. The European Union has budgeted six hundred million (N600 Million) to expand the Obizi water scheme and from the discussion I had with them last week, work will commence next year and it involves the expansion to other communities.

          But the scheme appeared to be moribund?

 The challenge the water cooperation and Ministry is having is the issue of generation. The 250KVA generator at the phase II of the company, developed a problem some time in December last year. I remember, I assisted the Ministry by giving funds for diesel at that time in point but the generator developed problem, so their plan is to replace the generator.

Beginning of November and end of December, the scheme actually served the people of Uga, Ekwulobia and Oraeri, were we have a good distribution network.

          But why would Billions be spent on Obizi and a generator would be a problem?

 One, am not the Commissioner for Water Resources, so I won’t say its billions, I know that last contract that was awarded is about three hundred and sixty million and it involves erecting a new distribution reservoirs, laying a distribution pipes all over the town, rebuilding and redesigning the intake and dealing with the erosion problems towards the intake. A new generator was actually bought for two pumping section within the scheme.

Before you joined politics, were you able to attract anything to your community outside what you said earlier?

I was the one that attracted Obizi scheme as I said and made sure that it was completed at that point in time. Then my immediate community Igbo-ukwu one, I will say that I didn’t do much in terms of building of infrastructures but in community service, I know at a point, I gave scholarship and was paying school fees for some people and I contributed so much in church projects and all that geared serving humanity in the real sense of the word not politics or political grand standing.

The water project in my community, I was the one that cited it, then the transformer in my immediate village, I was the one that brought it and even paid for the installation and this was the little one I was able to do before I joined politics.

          Currently in politics, I have done tremendously a big work for my community. I have considered the supply of four transformers for Igbo-ukwu community. We have 3 500KVA and 2000KVA transformer, distributed across the villages that make up my town. Then, I built a new school hall and library hall in a primary school at Igbo-ukwu, then, within central school Igbo-ukwu besides our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church Igbo-ukwu, I built a water storage facility to serve the primary school during dry season.

          I graded lots of roads within the community and gave out scholarship to a lot of people within the community. I sponsored football competition for the community for the past three years. Then, I attracted the construction of Igbo-ukwu Ekwuli-mmili road that cost the state government over seven hundred million and the project has been completed and I was the one that included it in 2012 physical projects.

          And equally, I have attracted two other major roads already in construction, Ekwulobia-Ezinifite road and Isuofia-Umuona-Nanka Road. Within the constituency, there are various school projects that I have attracted. In Oraeri, I built a school complex that was commissioned last year. Then, currently, there is work going on at Umuona library and youth centre, it has reached advanced stage, may be by next month, we will commission it.

Also, I did water project at primary health centre at Ikenga community. I facilitated the Obuofia link bridge at Agulu-Ezechukwu. Before now, Obuofia Community hardly access their main land, they had to pass through Oko community and Ekwulobia before they get to their main land, but with the link bridge, the people of Obuofa in Agulu-Ezechukwu will now get easy access. Likewise other communities within my constituency, I have attracted various projects, ranging from markets, renovation of schools and building of mini bridge. We have plan, by June/July we will commence the construction of oil mill plants for Ezinifite and Igbo-ukwu community.

          It is also on record that I facilitated the employment of over 50 citizens in civil service and other private firms.

          Chairman House Committee on Environment and erosion is carrying Anambra state?

I remember in 2011/2012, my committee embarked on tour to visit the most seriously affected areas, mostly Nanka, Oko and Obosi erosion sites.

          We visited Ekwulobia, Uga and Nnewi and we made our report to House and the House passed a resolution and advised the state government at that time to embark on palliative measures to make sure that the effect of erosion is reduced in the state.

          Recently, you are aware that ten erosion projects have been awarded to various contractors across the state. Some of the projects we visited are already listed for construction. So, my committee is doing the much we can do.

          2014 Budget delay?

Actually, we won’t say it is delay, you know our budget was approved before some other states approved theirs. You have to do a detailed investigation. The issue of budget is not just bringing of budget and you pass the budget. You have to look at work done the previous financial year, then see the essence of compliance in the current one. It took us time and some ministries delayed in filing their returns, most especially Ministry of Works and few other Ministries.

We took our time to visit all those projects they listed, either ongoing or completed, to make sure that we are not appropriating funds for completed funds or applying funds for completed funds or applying funds to non-existence projects. We try as much as possible to apply the resources to where is needed. So, that’s why it took the Assembly couple of months to pass the budget.

          Why they did nothing to special center syndrome?

 There is this current existing bill that will make all this punishable offence, maybe ten years imprisonment, if passed. I know that last year the issue of special centre has became past issue in Anambra state. It was at the result of the resolution we passed last year. I remember last time, I and my colleague, Hon. Kingsley Iruba brought a motion to that effect to the House, calling on the state government to address the issue of special centre.

And I know that former Commissioner for Education took an action on that by visiting the whole school in the state. There are some schools that were closed down then. We know that, with the investment the state made in Educational Sector last year and previous years made the state to came first in the WAEC assessment and NECO. So, if the house is not complementing the efforts, am not sure this result will be achieved.

What Bills and motions have you sponsored in the House?

Presently, I have solely sponsored five motions, which was passed, which scared criminality. Then, I have co-sponsored over twenty motions. On private member bill, I have co-sponsored five private member bills and I have sponsored one personally.

          The bills are at various stages of deliberation. Some of the bills are, ASWAMA bill amendment bill No. 3, I solely sponsored that one, is at the committee level. Bill on touting and illegal extortion at parks and markets, I co-sponsored it with Hon. Kingsley Iruba and two others. Also, I sponsored motion on streets numbers and naming, this is few I can remember now.

Obiano’s advise to govern better?

 To me, primarily, he should pay more attention in the area of Education, Agriculture and building of skill acquisition centres across the 21 local governments in the state. In the area of Agriculture, you are aware that, we have a lot of unemployed youths and graduates all over the state. I believe he should spend more of the state resources in developing Agriculture and Agro-allied industries.

          Despite all this you have done before and now in the House, some people under Aguata North Democratic Forum (ANDF) are fighting that you should not return to the House in 2015 for your second tenure. How do you react to that?

          If everybody in your community supports you 100%, that means, there is something wrong with that community, so, it is impossible. Even when former Governor Peter Obi is acclaimed to be the best governor that has governed the state, we have a lot of people that said No! This man has not done enough. It is always good to have opposition so that it will help you to do more in your office and for your people or community.

Yes! In my community there is this faction, they are not even up to 1% of our population, they are from this particular kindred or even, I will call it a family. They are failed politicians, trying to paint my name black and pull me down. You know this pull him down syndrome. To me, it is a challenge and it is something we will overcome. It also makes one to be up and doing. In the area of assessment, I have told my people over and over again, during my work tour that between 1999 till date that had three formers legislatures and me, so, we are four now, that what they should do is put us in a scale of assessment and if the three former Honourable members have served the constituency or have done 10% of what I have done, that they should not support me in my future political career. But if I had surpassed what the three, put together have done, then they should arise and support me in my political career. So, I am not worried about the challenges or people clamouring for my non performance or calling for my recall from the House. It is also good to have such people around because that will make one to do more good work.

The detractors even made noise to recall me but I dared them to go ahead but they chickened out because they have nothing against me , if not jealousy and mere pull him down, and why would it be Uzoezie instead of another of my country man. That is their way of playing politics but with my integrity and reputation. They wont succeed because the villagers and constituents know better. I can describe them as opposition party members who cannot engineer my recall from the house.

It is the opposition party, mostly the APC that is at work . They are disgruntled people. The forum they are hiding does not exist anywhere and those acting for them do not have anybody’s mandate in the community but that of Barth Nwibe an APC man. I can’t see where APC members can recall and APGA member when I have PDP and APGA members as my strong supporters. What they are doing is their way of shaking me a little and I like that sort of challenge because it makes me work harder.

I have no rift with our traditional ruler as they alleged and I have never been to any meeting with him for me to have opportunity to call for his derobing as they alleged. I lack the moral and constitutional rights to do so and I maintain that the Igwe and his family has a cordial relationship with our family. My father and the Igwe were not only class mates but friends . They are afraid of admitting my intimidating records in office forgetting that leadership comes from God.

          Are you warming up for a second term?

 If the people or my people support me en mass, why not? I will go for second tenure but we have not started campaigning for that, we still have one full year ahead. Currently, my vision is still to attract more infrastructural development for my people and when the time for elections and indicating interest comes, maybe, if the people’s opinion is that I should go and re-contest, I will and if not, we will move on with life.

Are there challenges on the way?

 The challenges I am facing is that one could not, because of the political education in our area, in Nigeria and in Anambra state in particular is still limited to the ‘leg it’ kind of politics. The grass root are yet to understand the difference between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, so most people still see the legislative arm as the implementers of developmental projects, which is virtually the opposite. We don’t implement projects; instead we facilitate the implementation of projects. Our primary responsibilities are law making and oversight functions but people see it the other way round that you must share money, you must build this one and that one and once they see you are not doing all that, to them, you are not performing.

But, forgetting that you are in that place to represent their collective interests and to tell the executive things they do for people you represent. So, I think basically, the challenges we are facing here.

          But,  what of the goodies from the position?

The goodies are to add honourable for your name. Before, you will be answering Mr. or Dr. etc. But now, you have Honourable Dr. and so on. Yes, I won’t say that, thereares no goodies. The exposure of being a legislator is one, then, the contacts you will make as a legislator is equally among.

          Were you among those campaigning for a change of speakership simply because the Governor, the SSG and the Speaker came from the same zone?

 Haba! I am not aware that I am championing the cause of bringing the speaker or SSG or so from Anambra South. I am not empowered to do that and not particularly worried about that. The governor has the right to appoint from wherever he wishes and whoever he wishes that will work with him at that level.

 The speaker has been the speaker before the new governor Chief Willie Obiano came on board, so, if the governor feels that most of the people he can work with will come from one particular local government and with them he will deliver, so be it. You know this issue of federal character brings mediocre in the system. If you have capable hands in one family and they can do a whole lot of work, why not allow them to come from one family. The most important thing is development, if they can develop the communities, one shouldn’t worry about where one come from and I believe with time, we will be seeing people coming outside the state to be appointed in the position of authorities in the state, that will also develop our democracy.

          More on Charity tat gave you Paul Harris fellow of Rotary Foundation?

I don’t make my donations to charity public but you have seen the Chair of Rotary Foundation Trustees , Wilifrid  Wilkinson and Sakuji Taneka , the President Rotary International bestow me with the Paul Harris Fellow and you know what that stands for. My scholarship scheme and my quiet foundation have done a lot in  assisting my constituents to the best of my ability because the only thing we have is what we were able to do for the happiness of our fellow human beings and not the amount we amassed or have in banks.

Remember that every year, I upgrade roads in my community including the one passing through the Igwe’s palace to Oraeri . I empower indigent people and widows with at least N5,000 . I empowered widows last year and this year would be turn of indigent people. If my detractors feel they are indigent I invite them to join.