Chief John Odigie-Oyegun
The National Chairman of the All
Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on Friday spoke with newsmen
on various issues. Excerpts:
Opening
remarks by Odigie-Oyegun
I have been APC National Chairman for how long now? Going to two years. And it has been a very intense period building the party and a very intense period putting government together up to this point. All that has happened is that I think I deserve a bit of a break and that will start effective Monday. In my absence, the party’s Deputy National Chairman (South), Engr. Segun Oni, will cover my beat. It is that simple. It is that straightforward. Any speculation about not being in the office is of no consequence. On Tuesday, I was down with malaria. I managed on Wednesday to attend that crucial meeting at the Presidency. Yesterday (Thursday), I had to go to the hospital just to be sure and today I am at work. Full stop. So please, please, please I know the press is supposed to be imaginative and steer the news, but not when there is really nothing to steer. It is that simple.
I have been APC National Chairman for how long now? Going to two years. And it has been a very intense period building the party and a very intense period putting government together up to this point. All that has happened is that I think I deserve a bit of a break and that will start effective Monday. In my absence, the party’s Deputy National Chairman (South), Engr. Segun Oni, will cover my beat. It is that simple. It is that straightforward. Any speculation about not being in the office is of no consequence. On Tuesday, I was down with malaria. I managed on Wednesday to attend that crucial meeting at the Presidency. Yesterday (Thursday), I had to go to the hospital just to be sure and today I am at work. Full stop. So please, please, please I know the press is supposed to be imaginative and steer the news, but not when there is really nothing to steer. It is that simple.
How
long is the break?
Ten working days (two weeks). So if you start counting from Monday, you should know when I’ll be back. The meeting on Wednesday bothered on such important national issues. Chairman or no chairman position has nothing to do with such serious national issues of national importance, which a very serious and select group like that was put together to address. So nothing as mundane as whether the future of the chairman is in doubt or not.
Ten working days (two weeks). So if you start counting from Monday, you should know when I’ll be back. The meeting on Wednesday bothered on such important national issues. Chairman or no chairman position has nothing to do with such serious national issues of national importance, which a very serious and select group like that was put together to address. So nothing as mundane as whether the future of the chairman is in doubt or not.
Why
did a party leader apologise at Wednesday’s meeting at the Presidency?
As a matter of fact, it was most funny that whilst the meeting was on, the social media was already agog with exactly what you just mentioned and somebody read it to us right at the meeting and everyone had a good laugh and that was the end of the matter. Like I said, there are serious issues of national importance and that group is one of the most select in the party. It is a group that brings all aspects of government and party at the highest level together. So you can in fact guess the kind of things that they will be addressing, not things as mundane as who is apologizing to who. When eventually some of the issues reach the stage that we have answers, we do not want to call the press and say look, we have these questions and we are trying to work out answers. We’ll work on the answers and at the proper time the appropriate person will brief the press.
As a matter of fact, it was most funny that whilst the meeting was on, the social media was already agog with exactly what you just mentioned and somebody read it to us right at the meeting and everyone had a good laugh and that was the end of the matter. Like I said, there are serious issues of national importance and that group is one of the most select in the party. It is a group that brings all aspects of government and party at the highest level together. So you can in fact guess the kind of things that they will be addressing, not things as mundane as who is apologizing to who. When eventually some of the issues reach the stage that we have answers, we do not want to call the press and say look, we have these questions and we are trying to work out answers. We’ll work on the answers and at the proper time the appropriate person will brief the press.
When
will the APC Board of Trustees be constituted?
The Board of Trustees will be meeting on the 22nd of March the day before the National Caucus will be meeting and the NEC of the party will be meeting on the 24th.
The Board of Trustees will be meeting on the 22nd of March the day before the National Caucus will be meeting and the NEC of the party will be meeting on the 24th.
Will
there be replacement of officers at NEC?
The constitution provides the methodology for that and we have to have congresses all over in the interim to fill these vacancies. And the issue that was raised about filling the vacancy left by the exit of Lai Mohammed. You can understand the problem of replacing a man of the performance level of Lai Mohammed. So we are still looking. If any of you are very interested, you let us know so long as you can match the performance of Lai Mohammed.
The constitution provides the methodology for that and we have to have congresses all over in the interim to fill these vacancies. And the issue that was raised about filling the vacancy left by the exit of Lai Mohammed. You can understand the problem of replacing a man of the performance level of Lai Mohammed. So we are still looking. If any of you are very interested, you let us know so long as you can match the performance of Lai Mohammed.
It’s
been almost nine months since the APC took over government at the federal
level. When are Nigerians going to start seeing results?
I do not see how anybody can give you a date. But very very soon. I have no doubts at all. The President knows what our national issues are. He knows that a lot of it has international connotations. A group of the world is fighting to be the most highly industrialized. China wants cheap oil because it’s a manufacturing hub. India wants cheap oil and a lot of other countries want cheap oil, which of course is contrary to our own interest because we want good prices for oil so that we can carry on with our own national development plans. So, that is only the tip of the iceberg of what Mr. President is doing, trying to talk to those who have an impact in rearranging the international economic realities to change some of the current dynamics that is making oil collapse in such a precipitate manner.
I do not see how anybody can give you a date. But very very soon. I have no doubts at all. The President knows what our national issues are. He knows that a lot of it has international connotations. A group of the world is fighting to be the most highly industrialized. China wants cheap oil because it’s a manufacturing hub. India wants cheap oil and a lot of other countries want cheap oil, which of course is contrary to our own interest because we want good prices for oil so that we can carry on with our own national development plans. So, that is only the tip of the iceberg of what Mr. President is doing, trying to talk to those who have an impact in rearranging the international economic realities to change some of the current dynamics that is making oil collapse in such a precipitate manner.
Why
is the President undertaking several trips when there are challenges to be
tackled here?
We want to plead with the press. We cannot totally on our own solve our problems. The world is a global village. Everybody now knows that. Everybody trumpets it and since we are in a bit of a bind now, thanks to forces not totally within our control, we must talk to others, who would have a role to play in helping you out of your present issues and problems. So that is where we are. We need a lot of investment. We need a lot of infrastructural upgrading and you would be surprised that very soon, particularly in the field of infrastructure, some of what Mr. President has been travelling about putting together, would become manifest because these projects would start the process of implementation and they would bring smiles to the faces of Nigerians. Some of the last trips, especially the ones to the Middle East countries, have had to do with oil and you read some of it in papers that we have to do something to shore up the prices of crude worldwide because the minutes we allow things to drop to the point that what you get paid becomes less than what you invest in, producing it, then we have real serious issues. So Mr. President is doing a fantastic job. It is not building an estate or things you can see visually and physically, but it is building and rebuilding the cracked foundation of our nation Nigeria. Please let’s understand that that is what is going on. Let’s understand because he (Buhari) is the best salesman internationally for this nation.
We want to plead with the press. We cannot totally on our own solve our problems. The world is a global village. Everybody now knows that. Everybody trumpets it and since we are in a bit of a bind now, thanks to forces not totally within our control, we must talk to others, who would have a role to play in helping you out of your present issues and problems. So that is where we are. We need a lot of investment. We need a lot of infrastructural upgrading and you would be surprised that very soon, particularly in the field of infrastructure, some of what Mr. President has been travelling about putting together, would become manifest because these projects would start the process of implementation and they would bring smiles to the faces of Nigerians. Some of the last trips, especially the ones to the Middle East countries, have had to do with oil and you read some of it in papers that we have to do something to shore up the prices of crude worldwide because the minutes we allow things to drop to the point that what you get paid becomes less than what you invest in, producing it, then we have real serious issues. So Mr. President is doing a fantastic job. It is not building an estate or things you can see visually and physically, but it is building and rebuilding the cracked foundation of our nation Nigeria. Please let’s understand that that is what is going on. Let’s understand because he (Buhari) is the best salesman internationally for this nation.
The
PDP has said the APC is out to gag the opposition. How do you react to this?
Well, from whom did the PDP Chairman, Uche Secondus, collect the gift? Was it from a corporate entity or from an individual? If it’s from the government coffers, it’s public funds. If a corporate entity decided to support a party or an individual that is corporate, that is private. That is totally the individual’s decisions subject of course to the limit in the constitution and what the Electoral Act provides. I think is that straightforward. Look, I don’t know how often we will repeat this: we have a major problem with corruption. It is what has crippled this nation and if you are cutting down a tree, wherever its falls so be it. If he happens to be a participant so be it. The colour, the party, ethnic group or whatever as you can see just does not matter anymore. So, I don’t know how else to explain that. In 16 years, this is the first progressive, actively anti-corruption government that this nation has had. So if the results are the way they are, I mean, did you expect anything different, I don’t know unless somebody is wiser here and we will like to share from your wisdom because it could improve the way that we do things. If we are investigating corruption, where else except those who have participated in government and in the process? I don’t know. Please enlighten me if there is any other way to look at it and then we will go and give it a thought.
Well, from whom did the PDP Chairman, Uche Secondus, collect the gift? Was it from a corporate entity or from an individual? If it’s from the government coffers, it’s public funds. If a corporate entity decided to support a party or an individual that is corporate, that is private. That is totally the individual’s decisions subject of course to the limit in the constitution and what the Electoral Act provides. I think is that straightforward. Look, I don’t know how often we will repeat this: we have a major problem with corruption. It is what has crippled this nation and if you are cutting down a tree, wherever its falls so be it. If he happens to be a participant so be it. The colour, the party, ethnic group or whatever as you can see just does not matter anymore. So, I don’t know how else to explain that. In 16 years, this is the first progressive, actively anti-corruption government that this nation has had. So if the results are the way they are, I mean, did you expect anything different, I don’t know unless somebody is wiser here and we will like to share from your wisdom because it could improve the way that we do things. If we are investigating corruption, where else except those who have participated in government and in the process? I don’t know. Please enlighten me if there is any other way to look at it and then we will go and give it a thought.
What
is the APC doing to ensure state governments domesticate the party’s election promises,
especially on social development programmes.?
All I can tell you is that they are going to be federal programmes. They have been actively worked upon, but they are going to be implemented without doubt with the active participation with the state governments who would also have to put in something in the process in terms of resources. These programmes are real and not only real, we have the support of UN. And various agencies like the Bill Gate Foundation are all going to participate. So it’s all the matter of time. We are talking of months, not years, when these programmes would swing into action.
All I can tell you is that they are going to be federal programmes. They have been actively worked upon, but they are going to be implemented without doubt with the active participation with the state governments who would also have to put in something in the process in terms of resources. These programmes are real and not only real, we have the support of UN. And various agencies like the Bill Gate Foundation are all going to participate. So it’s all the matter of time. We are talking of months, not years, when these programmes would swing into action.
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