My plan for Edo, by Irabor

 

                                                                 • Irabor 

Casely Omon-Irabor, a lawyer and human right activist, is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Edo State. In this interview with Osagie Otabor, he explain

Why did you choose to contest on the platform of the APC?

The APC is a merger party of all progressives. I am a progressive. I contested for the Senate under the CPP in the last general election. I decided to contest now because there is a vacuum in leadership in Edo State and people are wondering how to get the best of leadership. We had thought as at 2008 and 2009, we are going to use Edo as an experimental state because we have an activist who is the comrade governor and we thought we had an Obama of Nigeria. In the first tenure, he tried a little, in the second tenure, there was nothing to write home about.

Why do you work. you are the right person to provide the leadership?

What motivated me is that I heard from God. I am not a conventional politician. I veered into politics because our mentor, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, told us to step into governance. He said the time has come to revolutionise politics and for us to practice what we preach. I am in politics not because I want to be known. I am already well known all over the world. I am Under Secretary United Nations Human Rights. There is gap to be filled in Edo State. If you look around the state, there is no single Edo man that is happy. 90 percent of the people are suffering. People believe we can sit down and rely on allocation from Abuja. Our IGR is not known. We have enough resources to harness in this state. Edo state is bigger than many countries. 

What are your plans for the state?

I will focus on agriculture. I have gone round the state and I know how to harness the resources. Every parts of the state will be harnessed. We will not leave Okpella limestone for Dangote alone. There are other things to get from limestone. There will be mechanized farming. I grew from suffering, lack and it propelled me to succeed. Go to Ugbegun, Igeuben where they grow yam. What they earn will not uplift them. I will give grants and not loans to farmers. Farmers in the state are underfed. Many of the farmers go to farm half naked. When I was contesting for the senate, in some villages, you see people looking like madmen. They are farmers in this 21st century. Can we not change their orientation? Can they not wear good clothes to the farm? We will lift farmers from suffering. I will refocus furniture making in the state and stop exporting our wood. I do not need to have billions to win the elections. If the governor like, let him give Godwin big money, Godwin cannot win elections in this state. He does not look like who wants to be a governor.

Are you worried about your opponents especially when there is alleged preferred aspirant?

Why is Oshiomhole afraid of who will succeed him. I will not look back and probe. I will match on. If I say I want to open books on Oshiomhole, what will I ask Igbinedion, Osunbor and the military men. I will not look back. I don’t have time to look into the past, I will look forward on how to grow Palm oil plantations. I will ensure we harness what we have.

Do you have the cash to woo delegates?

You will not see crowd here in my campaign office. When they come, they will be singing priases that I will not die but I told them not to kill themselves for me. I urged them to go and vote for me. They will praise you but if no money, they will say you are not prepared. Many of them are not delegates and they want me to give them money. Where do I get money to give them? There is no way I would be sincere in office if I gave all the money to win an election. You cannot see me giving delegates money. I am worth about N12m but I will not give anybody money. I am asking them to allow me show them the road so that they can see, they are asking for money. I am not going to bribe any delegate. I am aware of the rigging process already in place. All the party machinery are in the hands of Oshiomhole. They hold meetings everyday and Oshiomhole gives them money. If the expression of interest form and nomination forms is high than what they sold in other states, we will go to court. If on that day, we see how the election go, we will do certain things drastic. I have the means to some things. I want to use my power of connection to improve my state and not to destroy it. I want to improve on my state. I will not sponsor violence. Anything can happen and anybody can become governor.

What about the nomination forms? At what price do you think it would be okay for you and other aspirants?

From the level of the aspirant, I do not see any aspirant that cannot purchase the form. If they said the form is above the normal price, then there will be no primaries. Oshiomhole should do the right things. He should not do anything funny. There might be compromise and horse trading. I will not bow to anybody to get the party’s ticket. People bow down to a reigning king and not a coming one. I will not be coerced not to buy the nomination form then I would have betrayed all my supporters and confidants. What about God that woke me up and asked me to go and contest. He is behind me. He called me to go and contest the election.

How did God tell you to contest?

When I came out from detention in 2012 after I was arrested and humiliated in Delta State during the administration of Uduaghan, I became like a church rat. I had only one car left. I still remained functional and we were managing to feed and pay the children school fees. It was in that condition, I heard a voice calling me asking me to go and contest. I told my wife and she queried where I would get the money. After my wife confirmed it, I decided to contest the senatorial election. I didn’t want to join the PDP and the APC was a merger of strange bed fellows. I decided to contest under the CPP. People contributed money and we used it for logistics but I did not give bribe to anybody. I came out third. I had the credible and quality votes while they had quantity votes. We were talking of who would go to the Senate to make laws, they decided to choose a tailor and contractor over a vocal lawyer. Our people sent a contractor to the senate when they have an international lawyer because of money.