Chief Dr. Martins Love Ohwevwo is the leader of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ethiope East LGA. He spoke recently with DAILY WATCH Crew in Warri on topical issues of contemporary important issues in the country, especially on how PDP will be defeated by APC in the Delta State forthcoming Local Government council polls. Excerpts;
May we meet you sir?
I am Chief Dr. Martins Love Ohwevwo. The leader of APC in Ethiope East LGA of Delta State.
What is your advice to president Buhari?
I advise Mr. President to remain steadfast in the war against graft, the scourge that was almost sniffing life out of our nation before Buhari came in. I want him to show more interest in agriculture and intensify effort in the exports of Nigerian products. I sincerely want him to remain resolute on the path he is threading. With God on our side, Nigeria will come out triumphantly.
You are the leader of APC in Ethiope east. What are the chances of your party in the forthcoming LG election in Ethiope East?
The chances of APC winning the LG election in Ethiope east are very bright. I can assure you that APC will sweep the votes in the 2018 LG polls. With the coming of a big fish like Chief Godwin Ogbetuo into APC, the coast is clear for the APC to ram to victory. Like I said in one of my interviews, Ogbetuo is the E. K. Clark of Urhobo politics. His coming to APC is a signal that the PDP is indeed a sinking boat as Chief Ogbetuo reflected in his speech when I organize a reception in his honour at my country home in Kokori town. For those who can read between the lines, the APC is waxing stronger every day. This is because the people are tired of empty promises of the old PDP reign which have nothing new to offer.
You said you have brought a lot of development to ethiope east, even when you are not in government. How did you manage to attract these projects?
Yes, indeed it is true that I have attracted many projects through the cooperation of Engr. Chief Sam Adjogbe, the executive Director projects in NDDC. So many people were painting him black but when I met him in closed quarters, I realized that Engr. Sam Adjogbe is a very good man who does not believe in giving contracts to fathers and sons, husbands and wives, who will collect the mobilization fees and hibernate with the money. What the man does is to select people who are truly interested in development of their communities and contract awarded in a very transparent manner. When I approach him on behalf of my communities as Chairman of Community Development Committee (CDC), the response was fantastic and wonderful. Through his cooperation as the EDP in NDDC, we have recorded many breakthroughs. We have roads, health centers, and we are expecting a civic center all courtesy of NDDC made possible by Engr. Sam Adjogbe. From that perspective, you will agree with me that the NDDC as a developmental Agency has done his bid for us. Those who are critizing Adjogbe are the enemies of progress who want contract for themselves their children and their wives instead of fighting for their communities.
Some people are calling for the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari so that he can attend to his health
Buhari
Those calling for his resignation are the enemies of Nigeria, they are against progress and the positive change the president has brought, they are the people who want corruption to kill Nigeria, but President Muhammadu Buhari who is ready to die for Nigeria is saying no to corruption, so we must bring corrupt down to his logical conclusion. Mr. President has given us his best possible to achieve that objective. It is rather absurd for a patriotic Nigerian to call for the resignation of a man who God has appointed to lead us to the promise land.
For God to have graciously saved the life of Mr. President every man with a modicum of wisdom, must understand that God wants to use him to reposition Nigeria economically and politically as the true giant of Africa.
What is the major achievement of president Buhari?
The President Buhari led APC Federal Government have achieve so much within two years of his assumption of office, the cleaning of Ogoni and all the remediation of that area is the hand work of President Buhari. To convince the doubting Thomas’s that Mr. president meant well for the Niger-delta people 10,000 youth has been trained for empowerment in the region, another 10,000 are still undergoing training under the Dr. Mike Emuh, National Chairman of Hostcom. So it is only an imagination for critics to say Buhari is pursuing a northern agenda, 2 billion naira has been released for the take off the maritime university at Okerenkoko a great commitment to the development of the Niger-Delta on the part of the Federal Government.
As I speak, Nigeria is already exporting yam and other agricultural produce, our single treasury system has blocked so many source of leakages, through which the nation lost quantifiable sum of money, sanity has returned to Ministries, department and agencies of government at least in this era of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Today Nigeria pay attention to accountability and transparency
Tell us about your days in the university as a student union leader?
I was twice the president of the student union of the University of Benin, a very rare opportunity, I was president from 1972-1973 when I left I handed over to Chief Ighoyota Amori and others.
As fate would have it, i came back and took over as president in 1974, then i handed over to In our university days I led them very well, till date we are still friends. However i happen to be in different political parties.
I narrowly missed becoming the NASS president by just one vote as an active student union leader, I was one of those who called the shot in my university days, those I mentioned in the interview, Chief Conference Amori, Chief Olori Magege and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan are living witnesses to how active I was as a student union leader in UNIBEN. The great trek strike was declared open by my humble self. like in the days of old I am back again to articulate my position as a leader anywhere I found myself, by the grace of God I will lead APC Ethiope East to victory in 2018 and I will also record victory for APC in the 2019 Guber race.
The APC is saying that the Nigerian economy is out of recession while the PDP is arguing that we are still in recession. As an elder statesman, can you tell us who is right?
Our economy is out of recession there are so many economic indicators to buttress this fact that we are out of recession, our G.D.P is on the increase, agricultural activities are in a high peak, commerce and industry are being rejuvenated, our oil production facilities have been updated and prices are gearing up . Other market indicators show that our economy is sailing in healthy waters.
What is your take on the campaign for made in Nigeria goods and how far do you think that PMB can go?
Campaign for made in Nigeria goods is a very good idea. It is patriotism and a very good way of being nationalist. It is a service and contribution to nation building. But let me quickly add that the campaign is beyond peripheral chanting of jingles. The practice must be driven by Mr. President, Senators, Governors and top government official in all tiers of government. Not until that is done, the campaign goes no were. The Japanese smoked ordinary papers in lieu of cigarettes until they learn to produce their own.
The five hundred billion school feeding scheme how realistic do you think it is?
It is a very good idea, Mr. President has graciously approved that programme to empower the venerable in our society, the women cooking the food are empowered, the children getting a meal in the school has encouraged more pupils, to tripe to schools, this will help in the elimination of illiteracy in our society, to a very large extent, I would say that the programme should continue, so that the masses that are targeted in the programme will continue to receive the welfare package attached to it.
Any identifiable pitfall in the package to be corrected, Nigerians must corporate with Mr. President to ensure that this laudable project is implemented to a logical conclusion. Head of schools and the caterers must be properly supervised so that the programme can achieve the objective for which it is established.
What is your take on IPOB and its proscription by the Govt?
Namdi and Buhari
IPOB of the truth is one of the fall out of leadership gap. In my candid opinion, the agitators should shelve the idea and join president Buhari to build a greater Nigeria.
Good in interest of all Nigeria. We have passed the level of supporting movement like IPOB prominent Nigerians from the south east which could be refer to as critical stake holders are saying that they are not with IPOB. The governors took a step further and proscribe them in support of united Nigeria. So, for me I stand with the governors in the proscription of IPOB so that Nigeria can be one.
Has President Buhari done enough for the South East?
My understanding as an elder statesman is that no part of the nation can claim being the worst. In the east, we have the problem of erosion, in the north there is problem of desertification while in the south, there is the problem of environmental pollution. What I think we need is national approach to our problems. If there is peace and stability things will be okay. The major problem we have in Nigeria is corruption and that is what President Buhari is fighting right now so what we owe him is prayer and full support for him to succeed in that task.
