Depreye Alamieyeseigha, the former Governor of Bayelsa State
The ex-governor, who is also a delegate at the ongoing National Conference pointed out that a country where the resources are not enough for anybody, you must be part of those that are sharing the resources if not you would be punishing your people, noting that “if you have not tasted power, you might not understand”.
Alamieyeseigha, who vowed to convince President Goodluck Jonathan to seek reelection in 2015 said, he has done well in office and deserved to be reelected in order for him to accomplish the good work he has started.
Below is an excerpt from the interview where he speaks on insurgency in the North and resource control, amongst other issues.
How would you assess the conference so far?
It has been progressing very well. Areas we thought we would have divisions have been properly managed by the conference managers. They are doing extremely well. If we go with this spirit, definitely, we will come out with decisions that would take Nigeria to the next level.
Control of resources appears to be an issue in the conference. Why?
Well, when you assemble 492 persons and put them under one roof, they cannot all think the same way. Secondly, not all of us are well-informed about the geography of this country. You cannot give what you do not have. So, if you have not been to the Niger Delta, you will not appreciate what the people are going through as a result of oil exploration and exploitation. Those living along the desert areas have issues also. The first thing to do is to understand your country. To me, that is lacking. resource control or management is key. We are not saying that the rest of the country should starve because we are the ones producing the oil. However, even the attendant hazards associated with oil exploration activities should be addressed. Oil is killing our people, which many people do not know.
Cancer and other associated diseases are killing our people. We can no longer farm. The land is polluted. Food crops we used to know no longer grow. We cannot fish because the rivers are polluted. We cannot drink water. The water itself is contaminated. So, we are an endangered species.
With the defeat of a review of the current 13 percent derivation, are there plans by Niger Delta delegates to push for it when the report will be considered during plenary?
It cannot stop at the committee level. How many are they that will decide for the rest of us? It is not possible. When it comes to plenary, just like we are tearing part other committees’ reports, we shall review that particular area and come out with a robust argument to convince the rest of the delegates.
A few days ago, the Committee on Devolution of Power failed to raise the issue of 13 percent derivation and some Niger Delta youths warned that delegates from the region should not return home until they get 50 percent derivation concession. What is your reaction?
Well, they have the right to say what want to say. They should know that those they have also sent here are the best among the best. Even those of us here do not accept that kind of blatant refusal by delegates. In 2005, Niger Delta delegates walked out of the conference.
Should we expect another a walk out this time?
It can never happen. No way. We are not going to walk out. We shall be here and be part of it. We will slug it out.
Do you see the possibility of delegates from other regions supporting Niger Delta delegates on this issue?
It is very clear. There is a better understanding now. We are interacting. We are selling our ideas. It is nonsensical for anybody to think that we will still remain with 13 percent.
There is another argument that governors from Niger Delta region have not been able to justify the 13 percent they are receiving…
Those canvassing those types of arguments, to me, are not serious. Who are they to question what is happening there? The people of the Niger Delta, who they are responsible to, should raise that. To construct just one kilometre of road in the Niger Delta is about N1billion. Do they know how many bridges will be constructed from that? It is not the same here, where you use caterpillar to just run through the bush. It is not the same over there. You will sandfill and do a lot of things. They do not know what is happening over there. Our vegetation is not the same. God realising that decided to put crude oil in those difficult terrain. If oil companies can make their way into those bad terrains, why is it difficult to develop those places?
In the event that the percentage is not reviewed upwards, what is the plan B?
I am an incurable optimist. I know that it will sail through. I am very certain about that.
What percentage are you exactly asking for?
To me, we should be asking for about 35 percent. Over a period of five years, we should graduate to 50 percent. In those five years, certain percentage of the excess crude should be used to develop solid minerals in other regions. We should increase our revenue base. There is so much in the North that is not tapped. Everybody is focusing on oil. If we consciously develop the solid minerals that are in abundance, we should have enough to share.
With the problem of insecurity, what is your assessment of the mood of Nigerians?
There is no country that is at peace. At times, I begin to wonder if this world is about to come to an end. Mention one country that is at peace. Nigeria is a great country. If not for the issue of Boko Haram that has caught this country unaware, things would have been okay. We did not plan for it. However, it has come. I am a trained military man. Our training is more of conventional warfare. The enemy is the other side, while you are on this side. Whoever has the superior training and firepower overcomes the enemy. But this time, it is different. It is the world of the mind. You do not win that kind of war on the battlefield. It is ideological. Other strategies have to be applied.
Does that mean you do not believe the current military approach will solve the problem?
To me, it is very clear. We should establish a national counter-terrorism agency. When you talk of national security, it is not just military security. Food security, political security and cyber security should all be considered. What if a desperate person comes to Abuja, for instance, and poisons the water reservoir? Would you even contemplate a thing like that? Do you know how many people will die without knowing who did it? We should always take preventive measures. We should not allow it to happen at all. If they are coming from outside, our National Intelligence Agency (NIA) that deals with issues like that should be able to pick it up from wherever it is coming and prevent it from happening. It is a multi-dimensional approach. There must be an agency that will deal with issues like these. In the case where foreign assistance is being sought, there should be an agency where they can fit in. Right now, you use what you do not have.
Do you think all these issues put together will affect the conduct of next year’s elections?
Next year’s elections will come and go. Goodluck Jonathan will win. He will win convincingly. Even in the North, he will win overwhelmingly.
If elections were to be conducted today, are you saying President Goodluck Jonathan will win?
Yes, he will win. We do not have any alternative. Mention one person. Is it from All Progressives Congress (APC)? Look at the characters in the party. Can they provide better leadership? Let us be realistic. Have we really sat down to catalogue what President Jonathan has done within this period? Which other president in the past has done as much as he has? In just three years, he has done a lot. There is nobody that has done this. We must give it to him. He has done well.
Insecurity is the main issue and people believe he has not done well in that area…
He is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. He is not a soldier. He does not carry guns. He is not the one that will go into Sambisa forest and rescue those abducted girls. He is not the one. Let us be realistic. People are trying to play politics. What he can do is to provide the means and he has provided them.
Recently, Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, advocated that a full-blown state of emergency should be declared in the three North Eastern states of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno. Do you subscribe to this?
Well, that is the first thing I would have done if I were the president, full state of emergency. Let all the governors go and all the structures of democracy be removed. I am not the president and he has advisers everywhere. Whatever decision he has taken is in the best interest of the country. He understands the situation better than I. I am only saying that if I were the president, all the structures would have been removed. I would have given full military powers to whoever is appointed to overrun all those insurgents.
With Edo and Rivers states under APC, do you think there is a crack already in the support base of President Jonathan ahead of 2015?
Those are what you people say on the pages of the newspaper. Take, for example, was Edo not under APC in the last election? Did Jonathan not score 95 percent of the votes? Forget about all these individuals making noise in the newspapers. Do they even vote? Those that vote are the youths. They vote and protect their votes. I do not know who is going to be the presidential candidate of APC in 2015. Assuming it’s Mohammadu Buhari or Bola Tinubu and you place Jonathan beside them, will Rivers State people stand behind the others? Let us be realistic. We are playing regional politics. These things are just on the pages of the newspapers.
Talking about your state, Bayelsa, there is this belief that APC is making inroad. How true is this assumption?
I can speak authoritatively when it comes to Bayelsa State. If you count five notable persons in that state that are members of APC, then something is wrong. I am just talking about five persons in the entire state. You will be surprised you can’t get five notable persons. Yes, the former governor of the state, Timipre Sylva, is one. There is one other boy. That is all.
Many people believe that the South West and North Central will decide the outcome of next year’s presidential election. How does the president’s men intend to conquer those critical regions?
I must tell you that South West is key. We are making tremendous inroad into the area. Last Saturday, we were in Ekiti State. The level of mobilisation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was unprecedented. If Ekiti falls, Osun State will fall. No leader wants his state to be in the opposition. There is no opposition government house anywhere in the world. A country where the resources are not enough for anybody, you must be part of those that are sharing the resources. Otherwise, you are only punishing your people. If you have not tasted power, you might not understand. Opposition anywhere does not take you anywhere.
So far, President Jonathan has not made his intentions known, as to whether or not he is going to seek another term. What if he says he is not running, what happens?
You are only tempting me. You are tempting me because you know how close I am to the president. If you ask of my own opinion on this matter, I, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha, would persuade him to run. I am sure that he is going to win. Let us give him the mandate again for him to do better than he is doing now for Nigeria.
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