BEN MEMULETIWON
Senator Yele Omogunwa, representing Ondo South in the Red Chambers has opened the Pandora’s box saying that the combatant Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators are gunning for President Muhammadu Buhari’s jugulars because he stopped the flow of Ghana Must Go to the floor of the house.
Senator Omogunwa is miffed that some lawmakers place personal interest above the national interest insisting that no amount of gang up can unseat Buhari from Aso Rock.
“In the past, I learnt that Senators usually had field days with Ghana Must Go bags changing hands,” Senator Omogunwa said. “You want your budget passed, the President must flood the Senate with Ghana Must Go. You want your nomination as minister confirmed, you must come with loads of Ghana Must Go. For Board, Agency chairmen, you must rub the backs of the Senators with large quantum of Ghana Must Go. But Buhari came and says this menace must stop. And that’s the President’s sin.”
The former teacher and four times commissioner in Ondo State spoke with The Crest in Akure recently on his campaign strategies to win a second term to the Senate. He x-rays the political landscape and gave a verdict that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock. Excerpts:
WHY I DESERVE SECOND TERM
This is one question several people in Ondo South have asked me. Why do you want to go to the Senate for the second term? Nice question. And my response has always been that we need continuity. I have started great work in the area and I need more time to complete them.
By my calling, upbringing and nature I am not used to blowing my trumpet or jumping on roof top singing my achievements in the last three-and-a-half years to the ears of the people of my constituency. I have done a lot without making it public. I have given a lot out to people but I think I should keep it to myself. If somebody is sick and I give money, should I climb the mountain top to proclaim that? If someone could not pay his school fees and I assisted, that to me is not for public consumption. I have paid people’s house rent, assisted during naming ceremonies and burials but I see that as humanitarian. During weddings, the Senator must give out or be there.
I have assisted over 500 people in the constituency without making a noise. Unfortunately these people will not defend me when people castigate me for doing nothing. They will rather keep mute.
But I have my modest achievements since I became a senator. As a lawmaker, I am not in charge of contracts but the little the government approved for me as constituency projects funds, I have made the best use. I have touched lives in the six local government areas that make up Ondo South. We are talking of N250 million here, and you have to be prudent with the spending.
In my first year, I embarked on rapid empowerment in the area even when we have a lot of Senators who did not do anything with theirs. I distributed hundreds of motorcycles, generator sets, hair-dressing equipment and speed boats for the people in the river-rine area.
I did same in the second year but this time to the voters at the ward levels. But I later learnt that these things did not get to the voters as the ward leaders were accused of giving them to their wives, friends and family members. The people complained and I promised to be proactive in the third year.
In the third year, I distributed bags of rice, clothes, soap, mattresses direct to the people and hospitals. I distributed 40,000 Mathematics text book to JSS III students because I wasn’t good in mathematics during my days in secondary school. I gave hundreds of bags of cement to renovate some dilapidated schools in the constituency.
Same year, I reached out to the widows. I gave quite a huge number of them N30,000 each to start something for themselves. Then, I took a loan from the bank to buy a tractor worth N43 million to bulldoze the rural roads to the farms at no cost to the farmers.
The politicians run to these farmers every four years for votes and they are often forgotten after election. We have been effective in five of the local government areas except Ilaje LG where the “Big Boys’ threatened to destroy the tractor and even kill the workers. But I have since settled with them and now that the dry season has come, we will touch the place. I also used my place as a Senator to influence the NDDC in the area to rehabilitate a number of roads.
I strongly believe that I have left a legacy in the constituency though I still have till June next year to round up my first term and you can expect more even when the Federal Government sometimes releases only 50 per cent of the Constituency Projects funds. Unfortunately, the senate has no control over this.
If I could do all this as a first timer, I honestly call on the people to give my a second chance so I would be ranked and perhaps made a Senate Committee chairman where I can influence a whole lot of things. As a first timer, there is little or nothing you can do other than to be a bench warmer. At first time you are a mere Distinguished. But in the Senate, there are Distinguished and there are the Most Distinguished.
You can’t compare me to a senator that has been there for 12 years. But now, I know the rules, the intrigues and the antics. My eyes are now opened to some of the things that were opaque when I joined them.
I am happy that my party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), has been gracious to put me forward again as candidate and I shall be vibrant this time. I will not only support President (Muhammadu) Buhari as we have been doing but also influence some things for my constituency.
ONDO SOUTH IN DARKNESS FOR YEARS
Yes, for obvious reasons the Southern part of Ondo State has been in perennial darkness for over five years. I am pained that this is happening to my people and yet I can’t do anything. As you may note, this problem happened long before I became a senator and nothing was done. That is to tell you that the damage to poles and wires in the area is total. It is not what the Senator can do with his salaries. Even the entire N250 million Constituency Projects funds can’t even start it. If the state government could not do it then you know that the Senator is also handicapped.
However, I discussed the issue with the former Finance Minister who happened to have come from the area and our discussion did not see the light of the day.
But I am happy now that there appears to be light at the end of the dark tunnel. The Federal Government is looking into the crisis.
SARAKI STILL LEADING SENATE
It is an aberration for minority to lead the majority in normal life. But Saraki’s leadership of the Senate at this time is a peculiar and abnormal scenario. Unfortunately, the APC Senators can’t do anything about this yet, even with our numerical advantage over the PDP. The bone of contention is that we don’t have the required two-third majority to remove him.
We want to go by the constitution and remove him without rancour. So, I will say it is not yet time to remove Saraki as President of the Senate but he should not sleep with his two eyes closed.
What is playing out here is that a Senate President defected to the minority opposition party but we don’t have the required majority to unseat him. Not yet. But the good news is that justice must be done before the expiration of our term. We shall right the wrong. We will effect the change constitutionally and normally. There won’t be any foul play because as lawmakers we must be law abiding. Saraki must be impeached even with one hour to the expiration of the life of the 8th Senate.
It is even abnormal for a minority to lead the majority in a civilised setting. Nobody is saying Saraki has no right to defect, but if you have integrity, you have to resign. Unfortunately, nobody resigns in Nigeria.
Here is a man flexing muscles with President Buhari, a man who is not happy with the system and yet can’t resign. He wants to rock the boat. Too bad! There is enough in-house mechanism in APC to resolve our grievances but Saraki chose to rock the boat and destroy the party. No way! He thinks the best he can do is to go on an ego trip with Mr President!
Those of us who are loyal to the state are solidly behind Mr President. We know that irrespective of whatever PDP has planned, they can’t remove one strand of hair from Buhari’s head. If they give us tit we shall return it with tat. We are in the majority in the Senate and nobody can influence us. One sure thing is that if Saraki refuses to toe the line of honour, we shall be left with no option than to show him the way out. There must be discipline in the party and in the Senate.
Well, the gale of defections in the Senate has not really affected the workings of the Red Chambers. We are law abiding. Everything is still normal for now in spite of the hide and seek games until such a time when change will be inevitable. At the Senate, we play down party partisanship and work in the larger interest of the country.
ATIKU AS PDP FLAGBEARER
This is one battle the APC must fight with all the arsenal in our armoury. We are prepared for it. Atiku has come to challenge the APC and not President Buhari and we know that Atiku is not a stranger in the political game. So also is President Buhari. Buhari is a sitting President while Atiku’s highest credential is being a vice President.
Let me tell Nigerians, without mincing words, that Atiku can never be Nigeria’s president now. Not now. There are certain things money cannot buy which include integrity. No amount of money will make Atiku to rattle the President and APC.
Atiku does not have two heads, so I think other Presidential candidates from other parties should be taken seriously as well. It may not be a straight contest between two candidates afterall. So, APC is battle ready for Atiku as nothing will stop Buhari from spending his constitutionally allowed eight years in Aso Rock. In fact, let me re-echo the slogan that ‘There is no vacancy in Aso Rock now.’
The problem with Nigerians is that we don’t want change. This is a president that says no to corruption in Nigeria any more. Through his efforts, over N900 billion has been refunded by the looters of our commonwealth. Buhari is doing the work and Nigerians must support him.
Those who stole this money are the same people ganging up to unseat Buhari. No way! They will meet their Waterloo. It is fire-for-fire. They want to continue to steal our money. Not any more! We won’t give corruption a chance to fight back. Nigerians must say capital NO. Never shall these corrupt smart alecs take us back to Egypt again.
PDP has been there for 16 years and they looted the country blind. And now you want them to come back? Nigerians must not mortgage the future of their children by making the mistake of bringing these looters back.
As for me and my family, we are for Buhari, we are ready to fight and defend Nigeria’s interest. I am into farming and can easily go back and fend for myself and my family. But we must all say no to these hawks. They looted this country and it is still bleeding. Bringing them back will be a catastrophe. We don’t want corruption to come back to this land again. Never again!
The times are hard but that is normal in the life of a nation to pass through trying moment. We must support Buhari and weather the storm together.
WHY PDP SENATORS ARE ANGRY WITH BUHARI
In the past, I learnt that Senators usually had field days with Ghana Must Go bags changing hands. You want your budget to be passed, the President must flood the Senate with Ghana Must Go. You want your nomination as minister confirmed, you must come with loads of Ghana Must Go. For Board, Agency chairmen, you must rub the backs of the Senators with large quantum of Ghana Must Go. Buy Buhari came and says this menace must stop.
Why are we senators earning big salaries every month? The Senators are merely doing their constitutional obligations. So Buhari is right to stop flow of Ghana Must Go bags in the Red Chambers.
Do you expect Buhari to bring money to the Senate just because he wants his budget passed? For what? It is arrant nonsense. A Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria earns enough to justify being a senator. With a monthly salary of over a million naira plus add-ups, a Senator ought to be comfortable, except those that have looted their states and still believe they don’t have enough.
But someone like me who comes from the background of a teacher, I’m contented with what I earn as a senator. I am not rich but I don’t need Ghana Must Go from anybody to do my work.
So, I am saying Buhari must come back at all costs for another four years to stabilise the system to a reasonable level. After his eight years it must have been etched on our hearts that corruption is a leprosy in Nigeria. All the elite and youths must work together to return him irrespective of the volume of money the PDP may flaunt during the campaign.
Nothing can remove Buhari. We are doing our work. Fortunately, he is not a lousy person like some of his traducers. He is doing his work quietly. People hate honesty in this country. They wish him dead but God is with him. They wish him bad but God is lifting him. They want to destroy him with their tissue of lies but God has vindicated him.
And you want these people to come back to power? To come back and loot the treasury? We have to stop them. Every Nigerian with wishful thinking that Atiku is coming back, I have good news for you. Not this time. Atiku should wait for his time. He is a strong challenger but not formidable enough to unseat Mr President.