In this interview with he examines his background and childhood experiences, education, politics, vocation and life of philanthropy among other salient issues.He said APC is a disappointment duirng primary election but said President Buhari should be given more time:
Excerpts from interview with team from www.odogwublog.com :
Caution this is lengthy but interesting outing
Let’s know how you started your journey in life?
I was born and brought up at Umuchu, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. I had my primary education at St. Thomas' Anglican Primary School, Umuchu and St. Peter's Secondary School, Achina. I later had my one year auxiliary teaching experience at All Saints Secondary School, Umunze in Orumba South Local Government Area, Anambra State.
I attended Federal Polytechnic, Ilare, Ogun State, where I read Marketing, then, graduated 1984/1985 session. I did my compulsory National Service in 1986.
In August 1986, I started business as a Freight Forwarder in Lagos. In 1993, I left the shores of this country to the United Kingdom with my family where I lived for over 20 years before coming back to my hometown to establish.
What were you doing here in Nigeria before you traveled out to UK?
I was a Freight Forwarder - a businessman.
I mean your local background?
As a small boy, I organized my group. I was on top of my peer group. We had a football team and played in a little field in the village then, and I managed the team. I also founded my age grade then; Ugo Age Grade of Amanasa, Umuchu. The Age Grade is now waxing stronger, and within the period it was started, that was during my secondary school days, the Age Grade built a perimeter fence around Girls' Secondary School, Umuchu. I was the chief scribe of the age grade then, and I called somebody to be the chairman, because I was still in the secondary school then.
During my tertiary education days, I co-founded a movement, a social club for Umuchu youths; and our goal was to know how we could bring changes in the various places we found ourselves. The club built doctors' quarters in Umuchu under my direct supervision. It was a two-flat quarters in the General Hospital.
I was the president and leader of Students' Union here in Umuchu. It was superb under my watch because I enjoyed making things work.
During my tertiary days in the Federal Poly, Ilare, I was students' leader there. I was the Financial Secretary.
All these things you have done are not reflecting in you. There is no arrogance, no pride, and no haughtiness to show your many strides. Why is it so?
That has been my nature, how I was brought up. I was brought up a humble man. Our mother brought us up to be humble and obedient, so that when one goes out there, it will go to show that one is coming from a good background; a family that has got good values within them. That's how we were brought up.
One could be intelligent in academics. That could be a gift but character is not a gift. It is developed from within a person. So, if you succeed in developing good characters within your children, they will keep it. Humility and good character are what I learnt from my mother and I had continued to keep and still believe that I will not derail because, if I do, I may have some problems.
www.odogwublog.com asks You were abroad for the past 20 years and suddenly relocated to your village. Why?
This is a long story. For me to have gone to UK is a sort of accident. It was not planned because, before I travelled, I was already an established man. I did not travel to seek greener pastures. It was during the period of the military junta. When Abiola's mandate was annulled, there seemed to be another civil war coming. People were traveling to their villages. Some were travelling abroad. In the course of that, my wife suggested that we travelled out so that I would use the opportunity to pay for her honeymoon. That was how I left for UK. So, when I got there and saw how things were moving, I told myself that there was no need returning to Nigeria. I decided to pitch my tent there and started new life.
When I was there, I saw how organized things were; how things were going, so, I asked myself, why we can’t have it so good down here in Nigeria and the black world. All these questions moved me to say that I must have to be part of this change, because, I lived there for a long time. The system went through me and I went through the system. Twenty years is not twenty days or twenty months. I had that strong feeling that, one day, I had to go home to be part of seeing that things are done right, at least, up to 80%; so that we can build strong foundation for our children and leave a legacy they would hold upon when we must have gone.
I am doing all these because I promised myself that once I attain 50, I will be retiring from active work.
When I was there, I knew that I was enjoying so much, so, I pictured how my people were suffering down here, and I asked myself, how could these goodies be extended to my people.
Coming back here, Lagos was an option and Abuja was an option; and some other cities in Nigeria. For me, they looked like options but were not. I told myself, I lived in Lagos and I lived in UK, so, why should I leave UK to come and live in Lagos again? If I go to Abuja, I would do my borehole, water reticulation, electricity, and security, virtually everything. There is no basic amenity provided by the government here in big cities as it was in the UK. In the UK, once you pay for a house, light is there-uninterrupted. You will have all the land-line you may need and they will support your internet. When you want to cook, you just put your gas cooker on and start cooking. You don't have to buy cylinder or go searching for gas. You have everything.
How can I leave all these to come and live in Abuja or Lagos knowing full well that I can still put all those things here in my community, and when I am providing them for myself, my people living in my village will also enjoy the amenities. That's the impact I want to create. The water, borehole, police station, the church, transformers and filling stations, they will serve me and also do service to my people. I want to leave a footprint within the community I was born; help to make it look like a place where somebody will like to come and live in.
Since I returned from UK, all my business associates and friends come here to visit me. They are aware that I have brought all my businesses down to Umuchu.
Virtually everything in Umuchu: police station, hotel, radio station, everything is provided by you and nobody knows you are the person doing all these?
Yes, because I am not doing it to please anybody or to advertise myself but to please myself; and when I am pleasing myself, I am pleasing others at the same time. My intention is to touch the lives of people living around me. What I have is personal money. It is not enough. If I decided to share it say, one million to everybody in my village, it cannot go round. The ones I have done to favour everybody is the NUJ office in Awka which I built for the members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in the state. The aim is to give pressmen freedom to say what is right without fear or favour because, if the state government built it, they would always threaten pressmen if the fail to favour government in their reports. Pressmen can bring changes in the society.
You have created thousands of jobs from your businesses. What do you advise other affluent citizens to do in this direction?
I advise them to join in doing this because, that is the only way we can impart in our society. If you had money, capital or capacity, don't allow it to rot away without making impact in the society, it is a waste. I will advise people given special talents and abilities to assist others and not hide them. They should use it to assist this society. The western world used their talents to invent everything we are using today for the benefit of the people. So, we should not hide ours. I know it is difficult. You cannot tell everybody to come and run an industry here; it is really challenging, because there are no basic infrastructures here - no power, nothing!
Are all these things not costing you so much to put in place?
They are really expensive but I don't have option. The government in power doesn't have the capacity to do all these things. So, when they can't, we cannot afford to also fold our hands and watch. We look forward to opening our hotel this year. We are entering the rainy season and I’ve made many requests for the construction of the roads leading to the hotel but it is not forthcoming, so, I said let me start doing something myself. What we are doing here is the same thing we are doing in Achina. We are doing 1km road there; and at Ezira, we are also contributing to the palliative road maintenance they are doing there. Theirs is very bad. It is such a huge work, and I haven't got the money to do it, so, I decided to, at least, be part of the seeing that it is motorable.
As an agriculturist, what do you think about the grazing bill and the clash between herdsmen and farmers?
Thank you. This is the point where I have to tell you that we, black men, only work with sentiments. We are never objective and it is the bane of this nation. We are never objective! Whatever we do is influenced by what we think we will benefit or will benefit our brothers. Being a black man, every black man is my brother; so, the treatment I will give an Igbo man is the same I will give Yoruba man or Hausa given any situation if I were to be in charge. I have lived out there and have seen how things were done. I have lived out there as a black man and have seen how I was looked upon as a black man. I will tell you that there is the need for this bill to come on board as soon as possible. It does not require further delay.
Two months ago, I went for a funeral with our party chairman, Chief Ameke, and he told me about a family that one of their sons was killed with four others at their farm. I asked what happened; he told me that herdsmen brought their cattle and destroyed their crops, and the natives gathered themselves and asked the herdsmen to leave their territory. The natives did not kill the herdsmen. They did not kill the cattlemen. Meanwhile, the herdsmen went and regrouped, a week later, and came back to that same farm and met the farmers. They killed two of the farmers and maimed two others. In the 21st century, in Anambra State for that matter. When I went in to see the bereaved, I shaded tears.
It is like you want make wealth, another person wants to make his own and wants to push the other person down to make it. It is not acceptable. It must be done in a socially acceptable way so that everybody will grow together. You must not make it at the detriment of others, never!
The bill is very necessary. First, if it comes on board, it will create employment, generate revenue, create jobs for transporters and will further bring sanity and will also stop friction.
How?
If, for instance, Anambra State government maps out three hectares of land for the cows, somebody will need to bring feed for the cows, and sell to the herdsmen and make his money. In that case, friction will be removed because the cows will not destroy anybody's crops. There will be sanity also because the dung will not be here and there. Because the cattle are now one place, the revenue collector will know the point where he would meet them and collect tax from them. From the way they are doing it now, they are not paying anybody tax, but they are doing something. In my companies all the staffs pay tax from the little salaries they collect. Civil servants are paying tax but the herdsmen are paying nobody, yet, they earn more; because we allowed what is going on to continue. Now that the cows are one place, farmers who cultivate corn can, after harvesting their maize, collect the dried stem and leaves and make them into hay. The hay will be sold to the herdsmen for some amount. At the same time, cattle dung collected could be used in the farm as manure; many benefits! All these will encourage farmers instead of discouraging them; but the government of the day is not encouraging anybody.
What pisses me off is exactly the same thing that holds this country stagnant. Who is preventing us not to have the bill? What goal is he trying to achieve? He is doing them more harm. If he doesn't know, he is not protecting anybody, because I am looking forward to a day, a time when black nations will reason objectively and go away from this sentiment point of view which holds this us backward. I am looking forward to this day when issues will be discussed according to their merit, not because Alhaji is involved or Oba is involved! I am looking forward to this day. Once it comes on board, our collective destiny will change; if it doesn't, this nation will remain in soup.
Do you think that the political class has the will to take this country to the next level?
Sincerely, left for me, we should allow the federal government two more years let's see their plans unfold. If we judge now, we are not judging right. However, the treatment being meted on some section of this country, example, the South East, by the current administration at the centre, is not right. It has been a display of animosity that has been there. My advice to them is that we cannot do without each other. There is no need for the animosity; though, our language may differ, we still have one colour, and we still have this entity called Nigeria to secure. When we share it aright, life will be good for all of us.
Whatever the present government is doing now, they should sit up. Nigerians are impatient. For the state government here, nothing is being done as far as I am concerned. Nothing is working here. We’ve waited for about two years now, no sign that anything will happen. Everything the state government is doing now is preparatory for 2017 election. What is that you have done to entice the people to cast their votes for you? What is that you have done, however little? In most of the states, governments buy the press over and use them to tell lies. They buy awards. Awards are bought here that's why when you say you are giving me awards I will ask why? What are you giving me awards for? I reject awards. It does not make any sense. What is the yardstick for giving such awards?
So, generally, do you think it is necessary for the present stock of politicians to remain in the polity?
Listen to me, in Anambra state here, nothing is happening. In the State House of Assembly, they are like lames - they cannot walk or run; because before they were elected, they were given their resignation papers, that's why they behave the way they do. Let's be sincere. When they get there, what do you expect them to do? They will be afraid to ask objective questions.
This is the same thing happening at the local governments levels. Local governments have money to spend. Why are these monies not being spent at the local governments? What the local governments get monthly can do, say one or two kilometers of roads each month. Yes, before you know it, a lot will be covered within four years, but these monies do not come to them. They are grumbling but none of them talks. Many of the so-called elected local government chairmen have come to me complaining, I told them that they caused the problems, because they wanted to be local government chairman at all costs but didn’t want to do things the right way so that they would have the legitimacy to do what they want to do for their people. He that gathers ant-infested wood invites lizard for feast.
www.odogwublog.com asks further:You ran for the governorship seat of Anambra State and everybody thought you would win but it went the way it did. What was your experience like?
You know I started from ACN to APC. I looked at the whole thing, it was helpless. I am saying this because, what the previous administration at the centre did is exactly the same thing the present APC government is doing. What they are doing is to pick and choose. They do not allow people to choose who will run for them.
When democracy is denied of that practice as it is the case in Nigeria, it is not going to work. There will be friction, squabble and trouble all the time. If internal democracy comes into any party, life will be better for all of us. Life will start changing for all of us. That was the issue I had with the APC. They didn't do it right and did not want to do it right. You want to have a primary election, there are members of APC registered in Anambra State, and you did not use them. Rochas Okorocha and co got people from Imo, Abia, Edo, all over; they brought in members of APC from all over to come and participate in APC primary in Anambra State just because they wanted to stop Ezeemo.
All the people in Anambra, nobody touched anything during the primaries. They were denied their right; and because nobody here was strong enough to ask questions, they said, ok, let's manage it that way and everybody went that way; yet, they were dying from within under the deceit and malpractice of the few, less than 5% of the population of Nigeria. So, that was my case with APC. Nothing came out of them. Well, I joined PPA and I am still there. I don't believe in running from pillar to pole. Everybody would come and say Goddy, why not join PDP or APC, they are the parties winning; but I would to them, look, I must not be governor of Anambra State. That is not my life, if Anambra people wanted me, even if I were coming under no part, they would still vote me! If they don't, they won't vote me irrespective of party affiliation. So, I don't want to run from pillar to pole where you will see the same class of people doing the same recycling and that is why we are retrogressing.
That APC thing was the first hurdle that pushed me down. I had less than one month to get a new party, built it and got myself together to run for an election. It was not easy. I considered myself winner of that governorship election because I know we did it very well. I don't give anybody one kobo to cast vote for me because there was no need for that. If I gave you money to cast vote for me, then, you must have collected your own democracy dividend in advance. What would happen when somebody gets there? I said I wouldn't do it and I did not do it.
People of Anambra saw what happened. They saw everything, and I am sure, they were happy with me. I felt there was no need going here and there to make troubles or court cases. So, I returned and continued my job. All the people that worked with me, including the drivers are still working with me till date; you can’t get such in politics. We have something to offer the people of Anambra State. In the next election, we may still have the opportunity to do it.
That means you are more prepared now for the next contest in 2017 under PPA?
Absolutely, I'm prepared, whichever platform, I am prepared. Now, I have more knowledge than when I was just a fresher. There was a lot of deceit, a lot of deceit! People took it as profession - they dupe - they defraud people who are contesting election, they defrauded me massively then, but now, it is not going to happen.
Do you have regrets?
Not at all; I'm doing what I have passion for. It is not an ambition, it is a passion. I coming to contest governorship seat of Anambra state is a passion, not an ambition. If is my passion that things must go well for the people of Anambra state, and from there, it will extend to other parts of Nigeria; because, when Anambra gets it right, Nigeria will get it right and the entire black world will get it right and that this is the way it is happening. That’s my passion, if not, what do I need?
Now, by the special grace of God, having been known better in Anambra, what is that that if you emerge, you will give the people of the state?
Anambrarians will laugh. By the grace of God, if I become the governor of Anambra state, it is a vow from me to my God and to my state - that service of love to my state and this nation can never be compromised, because, I know I have a very strong character to help in doing this. I have it. I will, ranging from schools, hospitals, roads, all the basic, I will provide for the entire citizenry. The welfare of the people will come first, then, infrastructure will be put in place to encourage our brothers to invest in the state and generate jobs. Governments don’t generate jobs themselves. All that government does is to create enabling environment that would attract local and foreign investors.
I will also bring all the warring groups in Anambra together. We have a lot of personalities, but they don't come together. It is a very important thing for this state to work. I have the humility to bring them together - all of them.
All the investments they have there, if we have things done well here, they will voluntarily bring down some of their investment here. It is just like I decided to come back to Anambra state to invest; they will come and provide opportunities to our people. Once you provide them all they need, they will all be here. Investors are like vultures. Wherever vulture finds dead body is where it will go. Investors go to a place they will benefit.
It is alleged that you are in PPA and supporting Peter Obi who is in PDP for Anambra Central Senatorial election instead of Igwilo, your own?
Well, I wouldn't know who told you that. I have my own. I don't play double standard. I am straight in whatever I do; that is my character. I am supporting mine - my own candidate. I know what he can do. I know what is in him. Though he is a freshman in politics, I still believe he will do better than most of the ones we have there. He has the capacity. Why should I leave him to support another candidate?
They said that Anambra Governorship slot will still go to North in 2017. Is that not going to be a hitch to your ambition?
Who said?
The political class
Who are the political class?
All of you
Listen, all those things are speculation. One thing is very clear; our former governor, Peter Obi, who did well here anyway, said he wanted the slot to go to the North to give that zone a fair chance which everybody said, well, we can do that, yet, other people contested. But now, we see that the North took it but the material they have is not performing. A he-goat that does not climb on top of a she-goat by itself cannot perform. We have seen that. It is not their statutory right to take it again. We follow precedence: Mbadinuju came from the South and ruled Anambra for four years, and Anambrarians said no, he was not doing well. He was changed and Peter Obi from Anambra Central took over. Peter Obi came from nowhere; he never did anything in this country. He worked in the bank where he did very well, but he never did anything socially here; but he told Anambrarians that he would perform; they voted him and he showed that he had the capacity. He did well. But Mbadinuju had to be voted out because of his non-performance. He should have come back to serve a second term.
Why should the North talk of second term? It doesn't go that way. They had the time to try and were given the chance. So, it is the time of the South to rule Anambra. Let's see if we can get a better material. Of course, South has got a better material that can perform. Maybe after that, we can start thinking of whom else to send.
Have you declared your interest to run in 2017?
Well, for the time being, I have not made it official, but I won't take too long and I will make it official.
What advice do you have for the people of Anambra?
I advise Anambrarians and of course, the entire black world to understand that somebody's political party does not add anything into that person as far as political parties I see here in Nigeria are concerned. What makes the difference in any leadership is the character of the leader. What has a leader got to offer? What has a leader done in the past? Where is he coming from? What are his antecedents? All these are important in determining who actually gets the capacity to rule.
So, Anambra people should go all out to choose the right person. Anambra achieved a lot under Peter Obi. If we had got another administration that followed that stride, the entire place, especially our roads infrastructure, would be superb. By now, we would be saying we are done with roads and will be looking towards other areas for development.
The people of Anambra state and Nigeria should start looking at the right character and personality, not political party. Party has not helped us. We have embraced PDP for many years, for sixteen years, but there is nothing Nigeria can show for that. We cannot get even satellite. The volume of money they steal on daily basis can get us satellite in the Orbit. It can do refineries and generate massive job opportunities for our youths.
PDP was here when oil was sold at 165 dollar per barrel. They had their budgets at 65 per barrel. Today, the cost of the product is 35 dollars per barrel. If the truth be told, those talking anything bad against this government are not being fair to them. PDP sold oil at 165 dollars and made budgets with 65 dollar, where is the windfall. What did they do with it? They said the state governors met and shared it. That’s nonsense! Sharing it for what? Since the federal government has taken charge of, say electricity, they suppose to invest the money in the basic infrastructure.
I went to Brazil after our election with my wife where we spent two weeks. One of the places we visited was a Dam. They called it Ita-ipu Bi-national. It is between Brazil and Paraguay. This Dam is like a whole sea, an ocean; but was just a river. The Dam was built with 11 billion dollars. This is an amount that Nigerians throw away everyday and it will not be accounted for. But Brazil borrowed it form the World Bank and they said they will finish repayment in 2022, then, it will become theirs. The Dam supplies 75% of power needed in Paraguay and 25% of power needed in Brazil.
It is now a tourist attraction. When I visited the Dam, I cried. I felt very bad and my wife was consoling me. It’s unfortunate. Eleven billion dollars! They borrowed it from the World Bank but we get that money here and it will be foolishly stolen and stacked away in foreign accounts for no just reason!
That is the thing I am telling you about blacks that need to be addressed. We are black people; we are the only people to re-invent ourselves. No Whiteman can re-invent us. If we decided not to re-invent ourselves, we will continue to be a dumping ground - the third world of the highest order. If that perception, this is Igbo, this is Hausa, this is Yoruba, does not go away, there is nothing that will work here.
Let’s judge ourselves according to what we can do, not where we are coming from. One state can rule the whole of Nigeria if we knew what we are doing. We should now look at a situation where we start creating public wealth where everybody will gain; not personal wealth; and that is what I am coming to give Anambra state.
This interview is exclusive to Odogwublog.com and should not be published anywhere without reference to Odogwublog.com
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