I Believe In The Principles Of Good Governance, Transparency, Accountability – Ogiemwonyi

By Emman Okuns

In about a year from now there will be a vacancy in Osadebey Avenue, Benin City, Edo State seat of power when current Governor and ex labor leader, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s eight-year tenure of office will expire.

Ahead of the gubernatorial election to fill the would-be vacant position, the heartbeat of the nation has for some time now witnessed serious political junketing among the various gubernatorial aspirants.

Former Minister of State for works of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Engr. Christopher Ogiemwonyi is one of them.

In September 2015 Alltimepost.com caught up with him in Los Angeles, California where he was attending Edo National Convention.

With a robust, enviable and intimidating profile, spanning several years, Ogiemwonyi believes he is the right man for the job.

Alltimepost sat him down for about one hour and swept his mind open on a number of issues affecting the state and nation.

Engr. Ogiemwonyi graduated from the University of Benin, Benin City in 1974 with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Applied Physics and in 1996 obtained a Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Ibadan.

Also an Alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School, he joined the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in 1975 where he rose through the ranks.

Between September 2007 and April 2009, he was Group Executive Director of the corporation.

Prior to that, he was, between March 2005 and September 2007, Managing Director, Nigerian Gas Company Limited; Managing Director, National Petroleum Development Company (November 2003 to March 2005) and Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) between 2001 and 2003, among others.

In April 2010, he was appointment Minister of State for Works by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, a position he held until May 2011.

Ogiemwonyi is involved in various community development, humanitarian and philanthropic endeavors, including award of scholarships to deserving students from the less privileged community.

He is married with children. Born on March 21, 1951 Ogiemwonyi made tremendous waves when he publicly dumped the people’s Democratic Party (PDP) and pitched his tent with the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the dying days of the Jonatan Administration in 2014.

In an exclusive interview, the ex-minister told Alltimepost that he has all it takes to be the next Governor of Edo State.

Below is detail of the interview with Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi in questions and answers format:

Q: Good evening Sir, as you already know I am from Alltimepost.com, an online newspaper based in Boston Massachusetts. The purpose of this meeting is to have an interview with you on your gubernatorial ambition in Edo State. Why did you decide to run for this position?

A: Your question is very germane. The reasons: one, because come November 2016 there will be a vacancy following the exit of the current governor.

Two, looking at Nigeria today we clamored for a change from the old ways of doing things to the new ways of doing things.

By that I mean the previous government of corruption. And then looking inwards, to sustain the level and build on what the current governor is doing in Edo State, we need mature leadership.

We need somebody that has the capacity, credibility, ability and acceptability by the people; somebody that will be favored by the people.

Somebody they will trust. Having categorized all these characters I see myself among the couple of politicians vying for this office probably one of the most credible.

Q: Can you tell me a little bit about your pedigree? You said a lot of things that pointed to your reasons for vying for the governorship position in Edo State. Can you point out some of those things, I mean positive things with which you can be identified?

A: On the issue of pedigree, I went to school. I was one of the very first fourteen to graduate from the University of Benin in 1974. Thereafter, I did my National Youth Service and Joined the Federal Public Service in 1975.

Therein, I worked for 34 years. It is still on record today that I am one of the very few people that left the service for that length of time unblemished. I equally went to serve as a minister, again with an impeccable record.

So if you look at these characters, I know I am one person that believes in adding value to something. I believe in the principles of good governance, transparency and accountability.

Today, People classify NNPC as being corrupt. It is still on record today that I am one of the very few people that Rose to the position of Group Executive Director (GED), having been Group Manager for NAPIMS, Managing Director of NPDC, Managing Director of Nigeria Gas Company.

So with this type of character which is now in vogue in Nigeria, and that is how Buhari comes in I don’t want to deny my people the opportunity to serve them.

Q: What do you consider to be your most challenging concern in your gubernatorial bid?

A: Emman, I always pray that the party should ensure a level playing field, that we should allow the people to decide who they want.

We should allow the delegates to vote according to their conscience and not to be teleguided by any functionary of the party.

I think that is something that is evolving now in Nigeria and I hope that will equally be the situation in Edo state.

The man that has the capacity, the man that can deliver, the man that can build on the foundation laid by the current governor is key.

If the primary is not well conducted, don’t forget the there is a bigger one which is the main election. So we should allow the candidate that will win both elections – win primary and win the main election and not the one that will win the primary and fail the main election.

Q: Last year you declared for All Progressives Congress (APC) from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a party that you belonged to for many years. Why did you make that painstaking decision?

A: Again, Emman, Really I was not there for many years. I left NNPC in 2009. I joined PDP in 2010 and then I left in 2014.

I was there for about four years, but I tell you my spirit left PDP in 2012, that is the truth. From 2012 to November 2014, I was not just active in PDP.

My grouse with PDP Was the level of corruption that was growing in the party, especially after the fuel subsidy strike of 2011 where in the Federal government spent half of the national budget on importing Petroleum Motor Spirits (PMS) and diesel and everybody knew the level of corruption that followed that process and yet nothing punitive was done about it.

The only thing we saw was that the number of aircrafts, private jet soured in Nigeria and systematically that endemic ailment, corruption was growing in all facets of the nation and consuming the nation.

I saw an ineffective leadership and I have always craved for a strong leadership in Nigeria. So, my major problem leaving PDP was that I saw an ineffective leadership led by the Jonathan administration and as a strong leader with strong character I could not take that bitter pill any further, so I threw in the towel; I left them, coupled with too many other things.

He was not taking any advice. If you look at the case of power, I was Managing Director of Nigerian Gas Company, we knew there was a way out. He was not just listening. He was dining with the militants, Tom Polo and others, some of us could not just be part of that government anymore.

No decent man wanted to be part of that government anymore, so the time left November 28 2014 was the official leaving, but I left PDP around 2012.

Q: Before you left PDP, did you talk to any member of the party leadership about your intention to leave, based on what you were seeing and after you left were there any overtures from the party leadership for you to come back?

A: They noticed my not attending meetings regularly. They noticed my not too keen anymore, but PDP was full of arrogance led by some prominent people from Edo State.

This attitude of “we can do without them!” Don’t forget when the five PDP Governors left PDP to APC, they said “oh to hell with them!”

Some people just felt that with the incumbent government then “whether you leave or you don’t leave, they can do without you.” I recall some of them telling people, Saying yes: “Chris has a good name, good character, but he does not have followership and we should let him go.” And we left.

There was so much level of arrogance in PDP. They just thought that the incumbency factor would solve all the problems.

In terms of overtures, yes before I left, yes! People were calling me saying: “we hear you want to go.

But I could not leave at the time they were thinking I would leave because it was a slap on the face of the party and the president. And having risen to that level as a minister and leaving, I had to be sure I left at the weakest point of that government.

I plotted my exit and I saw by October 2014, Mr. President was going to lose the election. As a strategist, my survey told me he was going to lose because the various negative things against him were just mounting; insecurity – Boko Haram was ravaging Nigeria; Power – the megawatts dropped to 3100 from 3800 when I was in NNPC for the whole nation.

The level of unemployment was souring; kidnapping, our naira was being devalued; impunity. We knew he was going to lose the election and the people were clamoring for a change.

Q: So having said that, looking back how would you classify your decision to leave the party?

A: It was as bad that when I was leaving PDP I had to relocate my family back to the UK before I left PDP because I knew they would go after me. And they did.

They went after me. I was lucky. We lost one or two people, but I do not want to mention names – the people close to me were attacked. We knew it was going to happen.

Q: So looking back you think you made the right decision?

A: In terms of the decision I made, I am a good planner. When I went to Benin after the election I knew friends called me so many names – game changer, Nostradamus (the man that saw tomorrow) because people felt the time I left PDP was risky for a former minister to go to Urhokpota Hall, dancing with APC governor, our big brother, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, dancing, leaving the party openly at the time many people were thinking that the power of incumbency would work for Jonathan. So for me the time I left the party was my decision. It was the time to leave.

Everything about life is risk. Man must take risk. You don’t win always. My own was I either swim or sink politically and I did not want to identify with PDP anymore, so I took the risk.

If APC did not win I would have preferred to remain with APC, honestly. I am happy they won. I did not just want that group anymore.

I hate when people are arrogant. I hate impunity “and so what?” “What can they do?” I did not want to belong to that cabal any longer.

So I thank God I took my decision and all my friends commended me for it. The Binis commended me for it. They gave me their support.

Don’t forget the day I declared for APC, about 23 chiefs with their white robes joined me to defect; even chief Osula, the Arala of Benin openly declared.

Q: We understood then that Chief Tony Anenih, former PDP Board of Trustees Chairman allegedly told you that it was not your time to actualize your gubernatorial dream when you approached him as an elder party chieftain. Was that one of your reasons for leaving the party at the time you did?

A: Emman, I respect Chief Tony Anenih. I respect him. I see him like a father. At a time in Benin we lived opposite each other. He would stop by my house and say “how are you doing my son.”

That was when I was still at NNPC. So, I met him when I came to PDP. When I joined PDP, I expressed my interest to him.

After a while he came back to me and said having consulted with ABC, he thinks I have the chance to clinch the party (PDP) ticket and subsequently, I started spending money. To my dismay, when the chips were down he backed out.

When I got back to Benin I called my supporters and said: I am sorry gentlemen, having discussed with Chief Tony Anenih in July, this is now September, this is his reply to me, I am no more interested.

For me there is no animosity between me and him. If I see him today I will still give him his full respect. I have forgiven everybody that wronged me.

I can list ABCD – my foray in politics where people hurt me, but one thing I have done in January this year, the good lord asked me to forgive all of them.

ABCD, especially PDP in my state. What they did to me when they allowed me to waste my hard earned resources when they knew they would not give it to me, but the good lord has said because of what I want him to do for me I should forgive all of them. And I have forgiven them.

Q: I know you were the Minister of state for works. You did not stay long in that position. Why?

A: What happened was that the cabinet was dissolved by Jonathan. By the time we came in in 2010, don’t forget President Jonathan was just going to complete the term of late President Yar’Adua.

So he had one year to complete the term and that was when we worked with him. So after his election, the cabinet was dissolved.

The prerogative was for him to reconstitute. We expected that having worked for him assiduously in wining that election he would asked us to come back, but he had a different agenda.

Most of the ministers that worked with him were dropped. He was ungrateful to them. That was how really the change came, so we were not reappointed and we decided to go our different areas.

But again fair is fair, I was not there, but was told Chief Anenih wanted me to be reappointed. I was told he made some efforts.

Q: Before you got into the Ministry of Works that time a lot of things were said to have gone wrong with award of bogus contracts and those that were not executed. What did you observe when you got into that position?

A: By the time we came to the Ministry of Works we observed that about N20 to N60 billion of certificates of completion were unpaid.

So these were debts hanging on the ministry before we came in. That was one. Then they equally made a budget of N400 billion approved, but only N100 billion was released in the year we were in office and if you divide 100 by 36 States it is less than N3 billion per state.

It was now the responsibility of the ministers of states to see how they could benefit their respective states.

The problem that confronted me as a minister was scarcity of funds. We were seriously short of funds.

And then on the job I did not see any problem with their contracting, but I think what I noticed was technical failures.

They were doing more of generic designs, for example the same road design in Bayelsa will be in the North.

Don’t forget we have different terrains, like water level. What we put in place when we got to the Ministry of Works was that for every contract we were going to do we must do soil test before awarding the contract; do feasibility studies.

We brought that on board. We equally noticed that their level of surveillance or monitoring was very weak.
For example, the ministry would give a contract for N30 billion and probably just put one person to supervise.

The man probably goes there once a week. We noticed that was a failure and we decided to buy vehicles for these project engineers so they can really properly supervise the construction works.

We noticed there were some failures in some roads under two-three years and we realized that those roads were auspec.

Those things we did, and subsequently went into computerizing the data of the ministry. When we came, it was all files and copies.

So we did some type of data computerization to make storage and retrieval easier. Then we gave the building a facelift during my one year and this is evident today.

I am glad that during my one year as minister, out of the 36 states, I went to 34 states by road. We ensured inspection and supervision of these projects.

Q: How will your administrative and professional experience help to promote economic development and ensure sanity in the system in Edo State?

A: I have just told you my character – If you see my character and if you compare it with Oshiomhole and Buhari you will see a similarity. We are straight shooters. We are people that believe in courage.

We are very active. You can even see what is happening in America, they want people that think outside the box – not the core establishment.

Things are changing globally. We are looking for people outside the establishment – technocrats, with new ideas, with new strategies, not confining themselves to oh, this is the way we have been doing it.

In the case of Comrade Oshiomhole, he came from the outside (NLC). See what he has done in Edo State. So I see my coming to Edo State Government House will be something similar.

Already I have a masterplan and because of my character and because people trust me you will see the level of inflow of funding into Edo state from outside.

People are calling me from everywhere. In Houston, I had a couple of meetings – people are asking me is it true you are coming into government?

They say: “You are one man; you sign an agreement with us there will be sanctity of agreement. You are one man who will not say give me some equity in this company.”

You will see high level of foreign funding and investment that will flow into Edo state. That will give us the opportunity to increase factories, industries and support job creation. During our time we will reduce unemployment to single digit.

Q: What is your view on alternative source of energy and how would you explore it to increase power supply and reduce the state’s dependence on oil?

A: This is my passion. Two things I spoke on at the convention, including rural urban migration, how we will tackle it.

I gave the example that when you go to Edo south we have 7 local governments. All of us are resident n Benin. Local government employees go to work from Benin due to lack of basic amenities.

We have to reverse that by providing some basic amenities in those areas, such as power by solar system to make them comfortable.

And because of where I am coming from as Managing Director of Nigeria Gas Company, supplying gas to Independent Power Producer (IPP), you will expect me to equally have an IPP in my state.

Once I have an (IPP) in my state and we have rural electrification there will be light in the villages.

There will be factories, small scale factories or industries and you will see the state booming. I want to make Edo State an agrarian state.

Q: What are your plans to boost agriculture and explore other natural resources so as to increase the state’s revenue base, boost industrial development and create job opportunities?

A: Emman, I tell you, talking seriously as a Nigeria, as a man from Edo State. Edo State is blessed with natural resources; Edo North, Edo South, Edo Central.

It is for us to do a feasibility study. We must come up with something. Our current governor is doing one in Edo North through the fertilizer company by Dangote and cement company. The governor is doing so well.

You must see where this man is coming from; from minus, from the bottom. See where he is already. So we must commend the governor. But we need a governor now that will run with the foundation Oshiomhole has established.

He has built some solid foundation. We are doing a feasibility study on industries that could be funded in Edo North where there are so many resources like granite, even the limestone immediately we are asked to take over.

Should we have only one cement company? No. The day I visited where Dangote has the cement company he has over 8000 people employed.

Breweries! Why can’t we have two or three breweries? Now the case for agric. I am a practical famer. I have a one square mile palm farm and making one square mile of cassava farm.

I know how much I make from the palm farm. One of our strategies is to come up with a new breed of palm that will start yielding fruits within the first two years.

Q: There is this speculation that Oshiomhole would like to hand over power to a comrade. Do you consider yourself a comrade?

A: If you remember what I said during my declaration on November 28, I said I was joining APC because of what I have seen In Oshiomhole. That was the principal reason.

And I equally like him for one statement he made when they were accusing Buhari of giving out lopsided appointments.

Oshiomhole defended the president on the premise that he was using the best hands; that is competence that is where two of us meet.

Oshiomhole has the knack for quality. You can be rest assured he will ensure a level playing field that the best candidate will emerge.

I also want to add that I will give opportunity to the people in the Diaspora to participate in my government