By Dickson Okafor
The state Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Emeka Beke has said the proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a welcome development. He speaks about this and other issues.
You left PDP with your benefactor and minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, now that the former ruling party has been revived, any plan to return to PDP?
We left PDP long time ago when we found out that the party was not ready to govern this country very well. Even with the apex court judgment that seems to have put to rest factions in the party, as far as I’m concern, the PDP is dead. You remember at the beginning people never believed APC would be able to defeat the then ruling party. We saw it clearly what Nigerians were lacking, so we decided to give it to them. You will agree with me that the foundation of APC was made stronger by the aggrieved PDP governors and some National Assembly members who felt that former President Goodluck Jonathan was not ready to salvage the country. I’m a foundation member of the ruling party in Rivers State and served as interim secretary in my state. I don’t think there is anything that will make me think of going back to PDP. I repeat revival or no revival PDP is dead and buried because more people will leave PDP to join APC before 2019 general elections.
You mean you have no regret over your support for Amaechi which cost Niger Delta the presidency?
I don’t believe in regional leadership. What we need is a true Nigerian to lead this country. We are one Nigeria so we shouldn’t be talking about region but Nigeria. That is what Amaechi and I are after. Ask yourself this question? Does Jonathan have the interest of South-South at heart? What did he do to develop the region during the six years he held sway? Did he construct the East/West road? Mention one single road or project Jonathan did in Otuoke? I don’t mind where the president comes from as far as the person delivers the dividend of democracy to Nigerians.
What would you say is responsible for the face-off between Amaechi and Sen. Magnus Abbey?
I don’t think they have problem between them it is just mere speculations. Whatever issue they have is regarded a family affair and will be resolved at the appropriate time. Whatever may be the matter won’t distract us, what is more important is for us to continue to build APC to be well positioned for the battle ahead in 2019 and other elections. Whether you like it or not, Amaechi is the leader of APC in the South-South, the earlier we understand this, the better for all of us in region and that is the position of the party.
There is insinuation that Abbey is warming up to be the candidate of your party in the next governorship election in the state?
Many people are nursing the same ambition. But when we get to the bridge we know how to cross it. We will create an enabling environment for all aspirants to participate; there will be no imposition of candidate on members of Rivers APC.
How do you rate APC in terms of performance within two years?
Buhari inherited a system that was bastardised which was part of what made some governors to leave PDP and form APC. Today, a barrel of oil is $50 while the last administration sold it for $140 a barrel. So, what happened to the excess money we realised then? It was squandered and the present government doesn’t have enough money to run its programmes because of fall in the price of oil in the international market. Some of us as members of the ruling party like majority of Nigerians complained of hardship but we later realised that it was not the fault of Buhari rather there is no enough money to run the economy.
If the last administration had fought Boko Haram the way this government has done the amount of resources this government spent to take care of insurgency would have been used for other purposes, instead Jonathan and his men used Boko Haram as an avenue to siphon our commonwealth. Thank God Boko Haram has been defeated and normalcy has returned to the north-east. I’m appealing to Nigerians to continue to support this administration in its drive to diversify the economy.