Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Amb. Vincent Ike Oligbo is an aspirant for the 2021 governorship election in Anambra State on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He believes that the present administration of APGA has failed the people and assured that the PDP will reclaim the state in 2012.
Why do you aspire to be governor?
Well, looking at the landscape, the way Nigerian politics is being played and as it relates to my state, Anambra, there is a vacuum for good leadership, a vacuum to serve the people very well and to do the right thing. I have been consulting from stakeholders all over the country from different parties and I have thought about it and I made up my mind that I will join PDP. I feel that PDP is the right party at the moment to realize my ambitions and help change the country especially Anambra state.
So, you intend to contest for governorship in 2021?
Yes, I’m still doing consultations with the stakeholders of the party to present myself for the governorship position. First of all, I have to convince the party faithful that I’m the right candidate, then I have to go through the primary election. We still have a long way to go. We can say that we are making progress and we are happy with our progress.
What is your programme for the state if you emerge as the party’s candidate for the election?
Well, my programme for the state is very clear. There will be free education in the state, all roads will be constructed to the Western standard, salary would be paid and I will make sure that the state would be something that nobody will have ever seen in Nigeria. The state will be an extraordinary state that everybody will emulate. I have to be fair, Anambra has not been doing too bad compared to some other states, however, when PDP emerges and if I’m blessed and lucky to be the candidate, I will change Anambra State. I have my plan and they are positive plans for the state. I can’t really reveal all of them because it is still early.
You are coming from abroad and there are other aspirants already on ground, how do you intend to emerge?
Yes, I remembered during the stakeholders meeting of the party, one of the prominent politicians came to me and said to me that they have seen that I’m a huge contender and that they are ready for the fight for the primary election and that they can see that I’m making waves towards the nominations; that it would be big battle during the primary, then I told him fine, that I’m ready for it. I told him that when the primary election comes, let the best man win; we will put our polices, we will put our intentions, what we intend to do for the party and for the state and where we need to go. My intention is that I want to change lives of Anambra people. I will change the people’s lives in a positive way and I will bring all my experience that I have garnered from Western countries and from the United Nations and everywhere and bring them together and implement something that you have never seen before in Anambra State.
How do you intend to beat ruling party APGA if you emerge as PDP candidate?
If I emerged as PDP candidate, I will beat APGA hands down, APGA is obsolete. I can tell you that in the last National Assembly elections, Senator Uche Ekwunife of our party beat the then incumbent senator, Chief Victor Umeh likewise in some House of Reps and House of Assembly, the PDP won. PDP will win Anambra State governorship election in 2021; go and mark my words. If I emerge the candidate, PDP will be victorious.
What are those things you think APGA has not done well that you want to change or correct?
APGA has tried to give their best but their best is not good enough. We still have roads that are not passable in the state. In Awka, capital city, there are roads that are terrible there and in rural areas, we still have a lot of roads not done. We need to fix roads, we need to empower the youth, we need to create jobs for the youth of the state, build good hospitals with modern equipment, build good schools that are second to none and equip them in a way you have never seen before; we want to change the dynamics.
I’m not going to be governor that will sit in the office and be giving orders. I will be in the field working and supervising my jobs. I will make sure that people have electricity, forget about the Federal Government. You know people talk about the fact that the Federal Government should provide this or that; I will make sure that those things come through me as governor. I will make sure that my people enjoy power supply and other basic amenities and that is what I intend to do.
What do you think should be done in the attack on Nigerians and others in South Africa?
The South African government should rise and act like proper government and should stop this xenophobic attacks on Nigerians. This is what we have been saying; if life was good in Nigeria, people shouldn’t be traveling to South Africa, people shouldn’t be finding a way to travel to Europe. If we have schools, hospitals, good roads, electricity and other basic amenities, why are we trying to run to South Africa. This is what government is not doing right and that is why things are tough for people. The South African government should do the right thing; killing Nigerians is not acceptable. We all have problems in our different countries but the government of South Africa should rise up to the occasion and make sure that protection of lives and property is the number one priority in every country of the world not only in South Africa. What is happening in South Africa is an aberration and I hope that untied nations and others will condemn it as well.
What is your advice to the Federal Government for the insecurity in Nigeria?
What is happening in Nigeria, security wise is ridiculous. We have kidnappings, herdsmen killings, armed robbery, armed bandits killings and other crimes in Nigeria. This is incompetence of the ruling party, APC. They don’t understand that there is a way to rule a country and actually rule it in a way it will work. As of now, Nigeria is not working, crime is incessant, people can’t go out anymore, people can’t participate in some things now because they are afraid to be kidnapped; they are afraid to be harmed.