Chief Goodnews Agbi is a leading chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Delta State. In this interview, he bares his mind on a number of issues relating to the party at national and state levels. Excerpts:
By Festus Ahon
You were a pioneer member of the NEC of the PDP; 15 years after, how would you assess the performance of the party generally?
So far, the major achievement of the party is that, under its watch, democracy has thrived in Nigeria uninterruptedly. Don’t forget ours is a growing democracy compared to the advanced democracies of Europe and the United States of America. For this singular reason, I will say PDP has not failed the nation. But like other democracies there is room for improvement.
How would you score the Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan?
The Governor started slowly, but he appears to be finishing strongly. Take for instance the area of insecurity, like kidnapping and armed robbery that was initially on the high side when he assumed office in 2007 has reduced significantly to be honest.
The daily incidence of robbery and kidnapping in Isoko land is relatively low compared to about two years ago. The Asaba airport for example is working despite the initial skepticism of some of us. DESOPADEC has been reinvigorated such that virtually in every community you find the Commission doing one project or the other.
I have also seen massive infrastructural work on roads and flyover in Asaba, Effurun, Ughelli, Oleh just to mention a few.
His various healthcare programmes also speak volumes. So if you ask me, Governor Uduaghan has surpassed the expectation of many.
Recently, the response of the State PDP Chairman Chief Peter Nwaoboshi to the issue of zoning sparked off a row in Delta State. The impression was created, that the SSG is a neophyte in politics of the State, and therefore may not be in a position to know if there was a zoning agreement that zoned the 2015 governorship position to the Anioma People. What is your take on this?
Frankly, the governorship was never zoned at any time since the creation of Delta State. Some of us believed in the Anioma agenda because we feel that every zone deserves a shot at the number one position of Delta State. I believe in equity.
However this quest should not be carried out with untruths, half truth, outright lies or blackmail as being exhibited by Nwaoboshi. Going down memory lane since the creation of Delta State, every senatorial district has always participated in all gubernatorial elections conducted so far.
Nwaoboshi cannot just wake up one morning in the middle of 2015 and tell us it is the turn of Anioma and in the process instead of being civil and decorous about it, resort to insulting high ranking state Government official, an illustrious son of Isoko land in the person of Ovuozorie Macaulay.
Finally should President Goodluck Jonathan contest?
Of course, he should contest because it is his constitutional right to do so. It is also the right of the minorities to do so. Obasanjo, from Southwest contested for two terms. Why should a president from the South South not contest twice as allowed by the constitution?
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/02/pdp-failed-nigeria-agbi/?#sthash.RDYV2lpn.dpuf
By Festus Ahon
You were a pioneer member of the NEC of the PDP; 15 years after, how would you assess the performance of the party generally?
So far, the major achievement of the party is that, under its watch, democracy has thrived in Nigeria uninterruptedly. Don’t forget ours is a growing democracy compared to the advanced democracies of Europe and the United States of America. For this singular reason, I will say PDP has not failed the nation. But like other democracies there is room for improvement.
How would you score the Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan?
The Governor started slowly, but he appears to be finishing strongly. Take for instance the area of insecurity, like kidnapping and armed robbery that was initially on the high side when he assumed office in 2007 has reduced significantly to be honest.
The daily incidence of robbery and kidnapping in Isoko land is relatively low compared to about two years ago. The Asaba airport for example is working despite the initial skepticism of some of us. DESOPADEC has been reinvigorated such that virtually in every community you find the Commission doing one project or the other.
I have also seen massive infrastructural work on roads and flyover in Asaba, Effurun, Ughelli, Oleh just to mention a few.
His various healthcare programmes also speak volumes. So if you ask me, Governor Uduaghan has surpassed the expectation of many.
Recently, the response of the State PDP Chairman Chief Peter Nwaoboshi to the issue of zoning sparked off a row in Delta State. The impression was created, that the SSG is a neophyte in politics of the State, and therefore may not be in a position to know if there was a zoning agreement that zoned the 2015 governorship position to the Anioma People. What is your take on this?
Frankly, the governorship was never zoned at any time since the creation of Delta State. Some of us believed in the Anioma agenda because we feel that every zone deserves a shot at the number one position of Delta State. I believe in equity.
However this quest should not be carried out with untruths, half truth, outright lies or blackmail as being exhibited by Nwaoboshi. Going down memory lane since the creation of Delta State, every senatorial district has always participated in all gubernatorial elections conducted so far.
Nwaoboshi cannot just wake up one morning in the middle of 2015 and tell us it is the turn of Anioma and in the process instead of being civil and decorous about it, resort to insulting high ranking state Government official, an illustrious son of Isoko land in the person of Ovuozorie Macaulay.
Finally should President Goodluck Jonathan contest?
Of course, he should contest because it is his constitutional right to do so. It is also the right of the minorities to do so. Obasanjo, from Southwest contested for two terms. Why should a president from the South South not contest twice as allowed by the constitution?
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/02/pdp-failed-nigeria-agbi/?#sthash.RDYV2lpn.dpuf
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