Peace will return to PDP - lawmaker

 

It has been very good and very challenging. Very good in the sense that I grew up here (Umunneochi).

 I attended Isuochi Central School. I later attended Isuochi Secondary School, but after three years, I changed to Ovim Girls Secondary School in Isiukwuato.

 So, if you look at that background, I am not a newcomer here; both Isiukwuato and Umunneochi.

Politically, as a woman, the men wouldn’t want to give you a chance.

 So, it is very challenging because they were saying, why will it be this woman (Nkeiruka). 

Am sure that you know that any woman who is in politics fights ten times more than the man; if I were a man, all the men will accept me, but when you are not a woman, you see people at every point in time, trying to gang up to stop you and that was why I said initially that being involved in politics as a woman is very challenging.

How have you been able to cope being as an opposition member in the House of Rep having been a member of a former ruling party (PDP)? 

Anyway, for somebody who has been very vocal and rational, it doesn’t make any difference. I am still who I am. But, for some people who are sycophants and want to be at the corridor of power, it is a big deal. It is no big deal for me. 

The only problem I have now is that a lot of people who are in the ruling party are suspecting everybody. 

The government of the day doesn’t trust us; they don’t believe that we are rational when we are saying things. 

They don’t believe that we are saying things that are correct. They believe that we want them out of power and so, it has beclouded their minds from seeing the truth from what we say and what we offer. So, that the challenge. If they are open, there is no big deal being in the opposition.

 We have only one Nigeria, the only thing is that the service delivery might be different.

 But with the government of change who don’t trust anybody, it is very difficult.

 If they have open mind to listen to us without considering the party that one belongs to, then it will be okay.

 But when they see you as someone that is from the opposition that even before you say something, somebody had already concluded on what you have to say, then that’s the challenge because with this distrust, communication is very hard. But for me, it is same, its just that with the economic downturn and security situation in the country, things are harder.

Do you think that President Buhari has given women the chance in his administration when compared with Dr Jonathan’s government?

 

There is nothing to compare about during Jonathan’s era and the incumbent administration as far as women empowerment.

 Look at the cabinet as presently constituted, you can’t even compare it with Obasanjo’s cabinet. This government doesn’t even want to hear about women. Yes, I see women like minister of finance, environment and few others. But the truth is that women appointment into offices has dropped drastically at the moment.

 

What should be done to improve the situation is for government to go back to the basis; implement the Beijing resolution and then run with it. like now that we are doing electoral amendment, we should the government should as a matter of urgent importance adopt UWAIS report because the report took care of women’s participation in politics; where they said that political parties should allocate certain positions to women in political parties.

 But unfortunately the only position that political parties have reserved for women is the woman leader.

Lawmakers from the Southeast have been accused of inadequate representation of the zone. How justifiable are these claims?

It depends on what they mean by “not representing the zone”.

 Well, this question should go to our leadership because once the leadership is not focused, it falls down to the people following.

 Let the people who are talking rate us on individual basis. I am not a leader in the National Assembly and I am not his voice. 

I will speak for the people of Isiukwuato and Umunneochi Federal Constituency. I think basically what people should be asking is what their representative is doing? So once they get to know what their rep is doing, then they will get what the leader of the southeast is doing and from there, they run with it.

I won’t speak for others and for anytime that I get up at the floor of the house to speak, I always speak for Isiukwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency and sometimes on matter of public importance concerning southeast I say what I am supposed to say. Like when the Fulani herdsmen did what they did in Enugu State, I issued press release and had press conference where I condemned such action at the floor of the house. I know that during the 7th Assembly, we had a Deputy Speaker (Emeka Ihedioha) and a deputy Senate President (Ike Ekweremadu) and by that time, we (PDP) are the government in power and now, we (Southeast) still have Deputy Senate President (Ike Ekweremadu) and we have deputy minority leader. So, this question should go to the Deputy Senate President and Deputy Minority Leader.

What I am doing in my little capacity is that, once anything concerning the people of southeast is on the front burner, I don’t wait for anybody to speak out.

The Grazing Bill seems to have generated controversy at the National Assembly. Do you think that the Southeast needs grazing bill?

When the Fulani herdsmen attacked Enugu State, remember that I told you that I held a press conference where I condemned it and in a press release that I equally issued, I said that we will not support the grazing bill and I believe that the grazing bill will not see the light of the day. I believe also that rearing cow is business and people should not destroy other peoples wealth while doing their business. 

From this part of the country (Southeast), basically 80% of our people live on farming no matter the scale. 

Then somebody is coming to take over our land, what would the person want us to do? They said that they have landmass, why don’t they do ranches? That is my take on it and I believe that every reasonable Nigerian will take that stand.

Are you worried like every Nigerian and PDP supporters over the recent development in the party?

Why will I be worried when we lost out of carelessness? We (PDP) are reaping what we sow.

Do you see the present squabble affecting the party’s performance in the next general election?

The truth of the matter is that we have to go back to the drawing board to find out how the PDP got it wrong.

 Why won’t people resign in Nigeria? immediately Jonathan lost, there were a lot of people who should have resigned because they don’t have any business holding forth for PDP and they sat back to blame people who won election.

 Even within the period, some party outside this country resigned after their party lost out in an election.

You lead and led your party to failure and you stayed back, what do you have to offer? What I know is that in due course, God will take care. I am a PDP person. we ran an election and we had issues. 

We lost so many states, and Presidency. But the people who led us to failure stayed back to point accusing fingers on others over our failure.

From the way that you sound, one may be forced to assume that you are planning to defect to another party. Any plans to defect from the PDP?

I am not defecting to any other party.

 We will wait for the macabre dance to finish. Let me tell you, I am from Abia State, I served under Orji Uzor Kalu as a Commissioner and Local Government Chairman who at a time formed his own political party (Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA) and a lot of people moved with him.

 Ask anybody around here (Umunneochi), I stayed back in PDP because I am not a fair-weather politician and I am not going anywhere. 

I will stay here and wait, when they finish with what they are doing, the people who have the party will take over. The only thing that worries me is providing help to my constituents who are in their need of help.

 I am worried that I see some children whose parents don’t have money and they are not in school when they are supposed to be in school with their mates and those of them who can’t get medical care because their parents don’t have the money to provide medical care for them. I am worried that over how many years in this my community that we don’t have light. I am also worried that the little farming that my people are doing is suffering setback because their crops are being ravaged by cattle. But I am not worries about faction in PDP because I know that these people that led us to failure have refused to go and allow the party to evolve and heal. That is not the kind of thing to worry me because I know that the people who have fate in PDP will remain when others have left the party for others.

What is your take over the prolonged absence of elected Local Government Chief Executive in the third tier?

I was in the constitution review in the 6th Assembly, but in the 7th Assembly, we came back to our various constituencies to hold public opinion and get peoples verdict that Local government should have autonomy. 

We got back and reported the result of those outing. But then, at the conclusion, states voted. I can tell you that Abia voted for local government autonomy because they believe that local government should be autonomous. Apart from states like Lagos, I equally know some states who didn’t vote and so, we couldn’t get the needed two-third majority vote to make it work.

This government (Abia government) is new and I believe that before the end of this year (2016) run out, if all things being equal, he should conduct local government election because Abia voted for it.

 Tambuwal, the present governor of Sokoto was the Speaker then. Sokoto voted for local government autonomy, this year, he held a local government election and elected local government chief executive are occupying the seat as we speak.

How would describe the anti-corruption battle by President Muhammadu Buhari?

I support the anti-corruption fight, but what we are saying is that it should be open and it shouldn’t be one-sided. Nigerian constitution doesn’t condone corruption. It is not a Buhari thing; it’s there in our constitution.

 The only thing that I am saying is that the ruling government or the people driving it should be free, fair and follow rule of law because everything that is happening now is imbedded in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 We have a law that is governing us and if any government decides to follow the law, it is not going to be a new thing. This government has not signed a new law so to speak, as far as fight against corruption is concerned and I believe that there is no PDP person that is not in support of the fight against corruption going on in the country.

 The only thing is that they (APC led government) should be free and they should be fair. There should be no victimization; people should be tried according to law, if you convict them, let them go to jail.

Taking the scenario in Abia as an example, do you think that pre-election matters should terminate before the swearing-in ceremony?

Yes, it is good to speak so and it is possible if our lawyers want it so. 

You know that sometimes, it is not the judge that determines the life span of any case.

 If the lawyers come with several injunctions, it means that we are going to have a case last beyond the original time which these election petition matters should have lasted. 

So, I want to believe that there should be collaboration between the Executive, the Legislature and of course, the Judiciary; that’s in terms of amendment to the laws that we already have.

 But I also believe that no matter how beautiful that the laws are, if people are not willing to comply with it, you will have issues.

 In the last election petition, we saw most cases that were time bound which also prevented people from getting away with justice. So, for me, I believe it’s attitude; if someone wants to twist the law, he could find loopholes and reasons to do so. So, basically the problem is not in our laws, but attitude.

Do you see Abia producing a female governor soon?

Why not. I wouldn’t know how soon.

 We still have four years to go before we start talking about having a female governor. 

You won’t believe it that I supported Nkechi Nwaogu and if she happens to come out again, I will support her. For now, I don’t think that I want to take a shot at the governorship seat, but if I decide, I know that men and women will support me. laughs…

 my people will even want me to even be the president of the country.

What advice would you give to women who are afraid of participating in politics?

I have been a Local Government chairman, a commissioner, a third term member House of Representatives, am a Christian and I am not wayward. 

 So, nobody is forcing you to anything. 

You do what you want to do.

 Women don’t have enough resources. 

You have many women who are strong-spirited with strong character, but they won’t be able to have funds to run for an election.