Former Governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia, has said that nobody can stop the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, except God. Omehia, who spoke with Saturday Sun in Abuja, said the refusal by the North to allow Jonathan contest in 2015, is tantamount to telling the entire South South region to go to hell.

According to him: “If you say Jonathan should not run and there is no alternative to Jonathan from the South South, it means that you are telling the people of the South South to go to hell and you call us stupid people. You say the thing should go to the North and, therefore, South South people are idiots. It is an insult.”

Omehia, who spoke to AIDOGHIE PAULINUS in Abuja, also talked on life in politics, his present relationship with his cousin and successor, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and other sundry issues. Excerpts:

 

 

How has it been since you left office?

It has been a normal life, life full of fun and full of intrigues, politics and legal practice. I have not had any rough time. It has been okay by me by God’s grace. God has been in charge of my life and by His grace, we are still working ahead. No problems.

 

You participated in the last election on the platform of a different party. How was your experience?

Normal politicking, normal election kind of, but the case of Rivers State was strange. It was all of experience. We did our best, but the result was not a true result and not what we expected either. Whatever it is, we have put that behind us and we are working ahead for future political uprising. Whatever it will be, God will lead us to what we can do again. Well, it was a good experience, second time.

 

Compared with the 2007 election, how was it like?

It cannot be the same because they are two different occasions. One was when I was about succeeding an incumbent and the other one was when I was on my own, fighting an incumbent. So, the scenarios are two different things and it was a battle that they resisted. But then, because of who I am, got a real tough war which we may say was to our own advantage but it didn’t come out to be announced as our advantage.

 

How was it like, contesting against your brother, Governor Rotimi Amaechi?

That is what I am saying. I said he was already seated and I was out of office. It was a tough battle but the results as far as I am concerned, was a good one for me. The result of that election was a good one by all factors taken into consideration.

 

Prior to your emergence as Commissioner of Education in 1992, where were you?

Before 1990/1991, I was into full time legal practice and also a part-time lecturer in the university. I was lecturing in the faculty of law.

 

In the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT)?

No. In the University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt. I was a lecturer and at the same time, a legal practitioner. It was from there I joined politics and started with the contest for the chairmanship of my local government, Ikwerre Local Government. Though we lost to the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), I moved on by God’s providence to be the Commissioner for Education under Rufus Ada George and Dr Peter Odili as the deputy governor. I was actually nominated by Dr Peter Odili to become the Commissioner for Education.

 

And you were there till November 1993?

Well, we were there for only 22 months.

 

And when you left, you returned to your…?

When Abacha struck, he took over the government. We left office and I went back to legal practice. I didn’t go back to lecturing. I rather went back to legal practice and still playing politics. And fully in 1999 again, I dropped out of legal practice effectively.

 

Do you have regret about the 2007 episode?

I told you it was a nice experience. I don’t have any regret because I believe anything that comes my way is God’s providence. God gave me the opportunity and God pulled me out. He knows best. So, when I was removed, I went to the Church and did a thanksgiving to God and travelled to Our Lady of Fatima, in Portugal, and stayed for 14 days, praying and thanking God. And I came back to Nigeria energized spiritually to do any other thing God wants me to do. And here we are, I have no regrets. Leadership is given by God. Everything any person is or would be is from God, it is just that we are too much in a hurry. Anything that you would be, God knows. Just be consistent with God, pray always and it will come your way if it is His will. If it is not His way, if you like, hit your head on the roof, you will not get it.

 

At that time, people said since you and Amaechi are brothers, you ought to have resolved the issue in a family way. Why was it not so?

Well, Amaechi is my cousin. The issue is political. It is outside the family matter. It is political principle. Every person has his policy, every person has his principle and so, if there is a disagreement in terms of principle, it is not a disagreement in the family. Every person has a right. Father and son can belong to two different parties. It depends on how you look at the policies of that party and the people in that party. You may like Mr. A because he is tall and I don’t like Mr. A because he is tall. You may not like my friend but I may like your friend. It depends. So, these are the reasons people of the same family belong to two different parties. In the same family, husband and wife can support two clubs. It all depends. Oh, Nwankwo is playing here, Nwankwo is a good man, so let us support Nwankwo and the other person says no, no, no, I love Jay Jay, Jay Jay is playing for this. But it doesn’t mean that you should break your head. It is just a matter of understanding each other and playing along with each other.

 

Politically, what is happening in your state?

It is politics. Politics is happening in my state. What else can happen?

 

People believe all is not well between the Amaechi and Wike’s camps. How do you view the crisis?

I don’t want to make comment on all those ones.

 

People sighted you recently in Wike’s camp. Are you really with them?

What do you mean by Wike’s camp? I am in the All Progressives Grand Alliance. I am not in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

 

Information available to us shows you were seen with them.

I am in APGA and whatever they are doing, is for PDP and whatever I am doing, is for APGA until any other thing. But for now, they have their factions in PDP and so, that is the internal affair of the party and I believe that the parties can always disagree. Families can also disagree but what is important is the ability to come back together as one. There is no way members of one family will not disagree. There is no way members of the same association will not disagree. They will definitely disagree, but what is important is the ability to sheathe their swords and come back together. The fact that people are disagreeing in Rivers State PDP does not mean it is going to be a permanent division.

 

So, it is a mere disagreement?

It is a disagreement, it is misunderstanding, it is intrigue, it is ego and all these things will have to be looked into by themselves and then, they settle the matter.

 

In view of the 2015 elections, should we expect your return to PDP soon?

I didn’t say so.

 

There is the clamour for support for President Goodluck Jonathan…

(Cuts in) Yes. I support Jonathan.

 

Since you are in APGA, how are you going to effectively support him?

In 2011, I supported Jonathan. I voted and campaigned.

 

Even while in APGA?

Yes. We had no presidential candidate and we worked for Jonathan. I personally did designs of posters, campaign drops, shirts and all that in support of Jonathan.

 

Is it going to be so in 2015?

Of course! In fact, I will be the number one person.

 

Why are you supporting him?

Jonathan, in the first instance, has shown the capability to run the affairs of this country. Never mind what opposition and some other people will always say: if I were there, I would have done better. When you give them that opportunity, they cannot. Jonathan has shown that he has a focus. Jonathan has shown that he has plans. Mind you, there are rots in the system and he cannot cleanse the rots in one day. Government is an ongoing thing and so, if he has met difficulties as a result of the past activities of previous governments, he is taking new ideas from where the previous presidents or governments stopped. People will think he is not being proactive.

The fact is that the heap of the load that he met is so high that they are not going to be dismantled in one day. I give an example: the issue of power in Nigeria, has been a thing that has been there since the 1960s till today. And it is not going to be cleared in one day. Nigeria is massive and there are no light in rural areas, the cities, the metropolitan areas and everywhere. And you think Jonathan will perform magic just like God said let there be light and there was light? Jonathan is a human being. He is not a spirit. But what you look at is, what are the fundamental procedures? What are the things put on ground that could give us power in the next five years? Following the programmes on ground, can we achieve power effectively in the next five years? You can see that there are issues of Public Private Partnership (PPP), there are issues of unbundling, distribution and he has stratified all these things. And this goes to tell you that he is serious on the issue of power. If he had unbundled the whole problems, then it is simple that he knows what he is doing and he wants to achieve for Nigerians.

You look at the issue of transport and railway system. Railway has gone moribund in Nigeria for ages and Jonathan is putting it back to stage for instance, from Port Harcourt, down South South to Maiduguri, back the top of Nigeria. The whole rail lines are dead and he is putting it back. And the people just sit down and talk as if there is nothing going on in Nigeria.

I tell you the issue of agriculture. The president and his team have done a lot in encouraging farmers. People are now forming themselves into cooperatives, people are now getting agricultural loans which is an inducement for you to farm. There are steps for encouragement to do a thing and he has built up those steps to encourage us. It is for us now to key into all those provisions made for the achievement of his programmes. Jonathan is not going to carry knife and hoe and start farming. The fact is that he has provided the enabling environment for farmers to pick up the benefit and farm for the benefit of Nigerians.

All these things we are lacking, before now, President Obasanjo bailed Nigerians out of communication system. I don’t know how old you were when people were cuing up in Nigerian Telecommunication (NITEL). You would have to line up, you would have to travel but ex-President Obasanjo has pulled Nigerians out of that wood. You can do everything in the comfort of your bedroom and sitting room. That is the benefit Obasanjo has given to us.

Nigeria was like a pariah state. Obasanjo came and travelled worldwide all over and Nigeria became like number one country in the whole of Africa. Before now, if you travel with Nigerian green passport, people think you are a thief, a criminal. 419 was all over our faces but he achieved that. Also, Jonathan has put everything in place and that is why Jonathan should be given a second term to continue and complete, if not hundred per cent of his programmes for the benefit of Nigerians.

 

How do you see the way he has handled corruption?

Jonathan has thrown his chest out to say, probe me. He has done everything to say my hands are clean and, therefore, whoever is caught in corruption, should be prosecuted. The issue of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigeria Police handling both criminalities and corruption, shows that Jonathan is one person that is out to cure Nigeria of corruptive practices. But corruption is endemic. It is innate in everybody, in people. So, you cannot hundred per cent cure it. What he has done is to ensure that those machineries put in place will be used effectively to curb, reduce corruption in high places.

 

Considering the present crisis in the PDP, do you think President Jonathan will get the ticket for 2015?

I am very confident that Jonathan is going to be the PDP candidate. I am very, very sure of that and if he gets the candidacy of PDP, he is also going to win. I don’t see why people are clamouring that Jonathan should not run. Such people are shortsighted, such people are insensitive, such people are not considerate in every ramification on who Jonathan is and where he is coming from. Jonathan is coming from South South and the constitution provides that the zone that a president comes from, the president has a right to run for two terms. And it is not talking about Jonathan because these things are things zoned to a particular geographical region in Nigeria. So, Jonathan is from South South and he is, therefore, representing South South. If you say Jonathan should not run and there is no alternative to Jonathan from South South, it means that you are telling the people of South South to go to hell and you call us stupid people. You say the thing should go to the North and, therefore, South South people are idiots. It is an insult. And I believe that those people should withdraw such demands. They should apologize to the people of South South for telling Jonathan not to run or for telling the people of South South to shut up their mouth. It is going to cause a crisis that they cannot withstand.

 

But the North is calling for the return of power to the region as a result of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua who didn’t complete his tenure. What is your take on this?

Since Jonathan has started one leg into the eight years kind of tenure, he should do his second leg of it. One leg is about to be completed and the second leg has to be completed. As I keep saying and I say it anytime, anywhere, Jonathan is South South as at now.

 

The symbol of the South South?

In this zoning arrangement, yes. He is the symbol of South South in the zoning arrangement and since there is no other person yet from the South South for that, Jonathan remains the representative of the people of South South and so, if you say Jonathan should not run, you are looking at Jonathan alone. You are looking at my face and telling me I should go to hell. You are looking at every person from the South South and say, go to hell. We have supported people from the north. Shagari got the highest votes from Rivers State. Shagari got the second votes from the South South. So, why can’t they reciprocate? And if you look at the votes from those people, the so-called governors from the North, either five of them or four of them, if you look at the votes from their states in 2011, Jonathan lost and yet, he still won the election and became the president.

 

So, they form an insignificant number?

It is not that they are insignificant. The fact is that even though they say they are working with Jonathan, what guarantees again that Jonathan will win in their states or they will deliver their states? They were there in 2011 and Jonathan lost election there. Now that they are almost going out because by 2015, they will not be there; what guarantees that their states can be delivered to Jonathan? It is of no consequence.

 

In essence, are you saying nothing can stop Jonathan in 2015?

Only God.

 

Only God?

Yes.

 

Only God can stop Jonathan?

Only God.

 

What is your present relationship with Amaechi?

I don’t want to go there. I have told you before that Amaechi is my cousin, he is my brother and that is it.

 

Nigerians would like to know your present relationship with him…

We are good.

 

Do you talk?

We talk. We are good.

 

How do you see his association with the other six governors?

It is his personal principle. I won’t touch his own ideas. It is just like I am asking you why do you like your friends in the office? You have your reasons for liking your friends and I don’t have any reason to stop you for liking your friends. It is your decision and I am not going to cut off your head because I want you to follow me. No! Stay wherever you want to stay and if it doesn’t pay you, you will still stay there. If your hand is hot, remain there; if your leg is cut off, remain there; if they Sharia you, remain there. Don’t come back.

 

What is your plan for 2015?

I cross the bridge when I get there. I don’t join rat race. I do my own thing in my own way. 2015 is yet to come. Only God knows tomorrow. Nobody knows the next one hour. When we get there by God’s providence, we shall know what to do.

Posted by admin on Sep 21 2013. Filed under Goodluck Jonathan (2010-present), Presidency, Rivers, State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry