From Okey Sampson, Aba
Prince Benjamin Benedict Apugo is a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and also an elected member of NEC of the ruling All Progressives Congress. In this interview he spoke about the proposed APC rally in Abia State, President Buhari’s recent Board appointments and other issues.
The election year is around the corner, how is APC preparing for the poll?
APC is well on ground now in Abia State and more people are expected to join. More reasonable people are expected to join the party and I am happy about that.
Are you satisfied with Buhari’s recent Board appointments?
You see, I have been saying that sometimes, there are some mistakes we can make by looking at nothing and thinking that it is anything. Board or no Board, I don’t think being a board member changes your character, being a board member doesn’t change your face before the people. You don’t just give appointment to someone because he is a party man. Appointments are given to people who truly worked for the party. It is like during the last presidential election when T A Orji wanted to fake the number of votes against Buhari in favour of former President Goodluck Jonathan, it was me who stopped him. I didn’t see anybody that day. The people given these appointments I didn’t see them. Most of the appointees I don’t even know them, they did not come down to work. But they are given board appointments. This is the same thing they will do when they are in a salary receiving positions. They will not even come home with their salaries. Not even to talk of giving to anybody. So, you have to relate back home when you are given an appointment. There are leaders in the state and I am one of them. I am a member of the Board of Trustees and I am an elected member of NEC. I am the only person in Abia State who is a BoT member and an elected member of NEC. I was not aware of the appointments, although I was not in the country when the state chairman submitted the names, which is one of the blames he has been getting from people. He should have consulted me and I would have given my advice. I have been given 27 board appointments since I started politics and I have not taken one. But I can recommend good people whether from Abia or Imo and anywhere from the East.
Look at the ministerial slot for Abia State, it was given to someone who believes because he is a pastor and running the affairs of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), he is entitled to it. We need someone who knows what politics is all about and who can galvanise the people to be in that position. A political party is not a church and it should not be seen as one.
PDP has been boasting of its resolve to take over power in 2019, what’s your reaction?
The thing is that PDP is a political party. They have the right to say whatever they want to say as long as it is politics, but they don’t have the right to do whatever they want to do. The rigging they think they know how to do will no longer be feasible . And for me, I think that anybody who have conscience, who loves this country will not vote the PDP again.
Do you align with the views of some people that Igbo man stands a better chance of becoming the president of Nigeria in 2023?
Now, let me talk about Abia because I am from Abia and know what is going on in the state. I can authoritatively tell you that Abians will vote massively for Buhari. The best thing for every Igbo man to do is to support Buhari. If you are Igbo and you fail to support Buhari in 2019, then you are not Igbo at all.
What is your take on the fight against corruption by the present government?
There are areas that are laughable. When I hear the minister of Information and few others say ‘we are fighting corruption and corruption is fighting back’, I laugh. That is not a good statement. There is no way you can fight something that has no leg and hand and you wouldn’t kill it. Since you have identified corruption, why not kill it? Why do you allow it to fight back? If you have seen corruption and you didn’t kill it that means you are corrupt too. We have to call a spade a spade.
Are you happy with the level of federal presence in Abia state?
How can I be happy, look at the Dry Sea Port that was approved for Abia several years ago, I have met with the minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi and told him that there are other investors who are ready to handle it. Somebody came about 30 years ago, cornered the job and went back to the United States of America. All other people are opening up their own Dry Sea Port; look at our own, nobody is talking about it. He told me he was going to talk to the people that are involved in the project, but up till today, nothing has been heard about it. I am appealing to Mr. President to please help us with this Dry Sea port, which is the only federal project we have in Umuahia.
The former governor of Abia State, Chief T.A Orji was recently reported to have said that PDP is not perturbed by the successes made by APC in the state. What’s your reaction?
Chief T.A Orji is a drowning person. The last election that took him to the senate, he got nothing. The days of rigging are over.
I heard that he is planning to go back to the senate; there is nothing wrong in having an ambition, but If he is talking about going back to the senate, let him come and go. Everybody is waiting for him.
Where would you want the APC to zone the governorship in Abia to in 2019?
There is no more zoning in Abia. We are not interested in zoning. Whereever the best candidate comes from, we will definitely support him.
Some people want Abia South to complete their tenure. Are you not comfortable with that?
Zoning was introduced to fulfil the demand and complains of those who felt left out in governance of the state. But now, everybody have seen that this has not benefitted the people because this government has failed woefully. For me, I knew that it will be like that because the person that brought them also failed woefully too.Therefore none of our brothers and sisters from Ngwa should complain again because we have given them a chance.
What is APC doing to ensure it takes over power in Abia in 2019?
Yes, we are going to go for congresses. We are bringing in new blood to pioneer the party’s activities in the state. I hope APC will do 100 percent better after the congress. APC taking over Abia State in 2019 is inevitable. The person we are going to present will capture the minds of the people.
On January 9, APC Abia chapter will be holding a mega rally, what do we expect?
A good number of people including the national chairman of the party and other national officers will be in Abia. They will be visiting Abia for the first time because even during the last electioneering, they could not come because TA Orji was the governor and never wanted APC including Buhari himself to come into Umuahia my home town. But that will not happen again.