APC doesn’t have clue a on how to drive change-Reps Agbonayinma

Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma is the member representing Egor/Ikpoba Okha federal constituency of Edo State in the House of Representatives. He got elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. In this interview with our Benin Correspondent ISESELE EZEKIEL, he blames the leadership of the All Progressives Congress for the crisis that engulfed the national assembly, adding that APC is on trial. He also said that President Muhammadu Buhari should be given time to constitute his cabinet. Excerpts:

This is the first time in history that a lawmaker will organize this kind of event to appreciate the people who elected him into office. What informed your decision?

You can see that the thank you get together was very successful. I appreciate them and I thank them. Having said that, they have shown to me beyond reasonable doubt that they will always remain with me in prayers and standing for me always; and what happened yesterday  (during the parley) was not different for what they have been doing all this while. As a matter of fact, it’s their project; I am just one of the persons they decided to choose during the primaries, and also during the election.

What I am happy about is that this is not about politics. It’s about moving Edo State forward, moving Nigeria and my constituency forward. You can see the turnout. You see people across the political divides. You see APGA, Labour, APC and PDP coming up even in the midst of all different issues happing at the national politics. It’s God, not we human beings. So, we have to appreciate the almighty because God is love. That’s what they (my people) have just shown that I am their own, representing their interest at the national assembly.

So, I have to thank them and thank God for using them here on earth to elect me. I also thank the media for standing by me. This is not about EJ; it is about how to move Nigeria forward. If we cannot build Nigeria, nobody will come here and build it for us. Therefore, it is our responsibility to be coherent and submissive, to adhere to the three tenets of political doctrine; namely loyalty, participation and commitment to your dear nation because if you love your country, you would not want anything to happen to it.

This issue of insurgency, Boko Haram killing one another… I am beginning to wonder that these people are not Nigerians who are perpetuating this menace of burning churches and mosque. There must be an external influence. It’s unfortunate that the country we used to call one Nigeria is experiencing wanton killings. So I appeal that all of us should put our hands on deck in order to curb the menace.

We all should be involved in taming the monsters because seeing a crime being committed and you did not report it, you all would be guilty of the crime. We must be our brother’s keeper. If you suspect anybody of crime, report that person to the nearest law enforcement agents. But by shielding them, you could be their victim tomorrow.

To what extent would you say the leadership squabble at the national assembly has affected the legislative duties of the members of the newly inaugurated Assembly?

It is very conspicuous that the crisis is definitely affecting the House. The people on trial here are the APC that brought change. Is this the change they promised Nigerians?  Is it by giving bad name to those who have helped them? But let it be on record that APC is on trial. If this is the change, Nigerians are watching. We must remember we have a family back home. Whatever is happening will affect my family and constituency. This is not what they expect to see from us.

What is your update on the call for Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s resignation by the leadership of APC?

When the APC started by way of coming together, I saw it as marriage of inconvenience between persons coming together to fight one person- talking about the former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Their agenda was to remove Jonathan either by crook or by hook without planning how to move Nigeria forward. Okay fine. You have success in your hands. However you look at it, some people said you can see where five, seven, eight years old were voting in some parts of this country that would have enabled the former president to reject the outcome of the election. But in spite of that, he conceded defeat because he wanted to put Nigeria first.

People may call him names, but I see him as a hero who saved Nigeria from catastrophe of plunging the country into anarchy. If not for that singular act of Jonathan, you could have probably seen us running from helter-skelter in search of safety.

Now, they (APC) have power in their hands and they cannot manage it. My advice to them is that politics is a game of give and take. You dialogue; it’s not about winners take all. They must remember that Nigerians are watching. Whatever they are doing today, they must remember that Nigerians are watching and it will affect everybody. It is a drawback. We have adjourned because of the menacing situation where adult men and women were seen throwing punches at each other. And at the end, you see that we couldn’t seat.  Yes, we still go to work, the speaker comes to work in the morning, leaves in the evening. I came to Benin because I have this thanksgiving that has been lingering for a while to thank the people for what they did for me.

Therefore, APC should put their House in order. The national assembly is not the House of APC or neither of the PDP. They (APC) must handle their issue outside national assembly. Whoever they choose to be their leader is their prerogative, but they should not rob it on Nigerians.

But I am happy, all this while that they have been shouting change. So, where is the change? Maybe they wanted to change from the good we have been experiencing to bad situation. We are in a bad situation and we don’t expect Nigerians to suffer from this.

Like the speaker rightly said, we that are 360 elected members out of 170 million Nigerians should thank God and behave responsible because we own our people a lot. And I just pray what happened at the national assembly should not repeat it again because I am embarrassed.

So far how would you assess the President Muhammdu Buhari led administration?  

Well, PMB happened to be somebody who I have known alongside others when he contested for presidency in the past. I was his agent, and I can tell you that he is a good listener. That does not mean that he does not know what to do. He listens more and I am not blaming him. A lot of people are saying while have you not appointed ministers? You see, the man wants to be very careful. One month is not enough to assess the President.

So, give him the opportunity. I don’t want to be among those that will be castigating. I want to be constructive in my criticisms. The various ministries and parastatals have Permanent Secretaries. Do you just bring people for the sake of bringing ministers?  If he appoints a minister and the minister is not able to handle his ministry, what will you do? That was what happened to the last administration. President Jonathan, a good man, but some of the ministers messed him up. He (Jonathan) cannot be in Abuja and various offices. Some of the PDP governors did well; some messed him up. So, the issue of PMB let Nigerians gives him time. It’s not even 100 days yet.

But what people are talking about now is this bailout fund for states.  Even some APC lawmakers are angry. Some of them spoke to me that some of these governors have embezzled their states and local government allocations.  People are also worried if the money would be used judiciously.

A lot of states owe workers’ salaries because they have not been creative. All they (governors) know how to do is to go to Abuja, collect allocation and come back home. That is not governance. If that is what is obtainable in governance, one would not have to campaign. For me, I want to know the law. If it gives the president to go into the federal pulse to say I am giving the states N487bn or may be tomorrow he can say I am giving you dollars. If he’s being backed by the constitution; fine. But on the other hand, if he is not backed legally, it will be a thing that the national assembly would look into and see what we do from there.

 You were alleged to have been banned from PDP caucus for shunning a meeting to decide who the party’s governorship flag bearer becomes come 2016?

I don’t see any issue there. Most of you saw PDP leaders and the party chairman at the thanksgiving service. And even the national leader, Chief Tony Anenih asked the chairman to represent him because he could not attend due to shutdown of the airport.  With that, this issue of ban is unfounded.

If I was unable to attend a meeting doesn’t mean that I have been barred. I am PDP, so if anybody has an issue with me- which I don’t know, he should come to me. To start castigating that I was barred or I am hobnobbing with APC is mischievous.

Let me say this, as an elected member representing Egor/Ikpoba-Okha federal constituency, which means that I represent Nigerians leaving in that constituency, whether they belong to PDP, APC, Labour, APGA or they do not belong to any political party. So, I have the right to have an APC member as a friend at the national assembly.

We don’t see ourselves as whether you are APC or APGA man at the national assembly. We see ourselves as constitutionally elected members representing various constituencies and our great country Nigeria. So, I am a man that is humble and know where I’ m coming from because if you don’t know where you are coming from, you don’t know where you are going. I am here to be accountable to my constituency and I will not disappoint them that gave me the mandate.  I have great respect for our party chairman and others for bringing PDP to the forefront in Edo state politics.