CHief Frank Ovie Kokori, former Secretary General of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, is currently a foremost Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State. In this interview, the former labour leader adduced reasons why the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, should endorse Olorogun O’tega Emerhor of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the governorship of Delta State. He also spoke on why Gen. (rtd) Mohammadu Buhari is best fit to be the next President of Nigeria, among others. Excerpts:
By Godwin Oghre
AS a Deltan, how do you rate the outgoing gov of the Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. How would you also assess the performance of President Goodluck Jonathan?
I have always said that Delta falls within four special states with high oil revenue. Generally there is hopelessness in the state.
The past eight years of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan’s government is rated poor especially to the Urhobos and it has put our people in perpetual jeopardy. It has been harrowing for the entire Urhobo nation. Also in between six years were President Jonathan’s years of humiliation and uncaring contempt of the Urhobo people.
Shame and humiliation
Our people have been totally pushed to the wall after these years of shame and humiliation. Jonathan has squandered the nation’s resources. He has not been able to fight corruption. Nigerians are disappointed. He has no passion to fight corruption.
The general elections are just by the corner, how prepared are your people, I mean the Urhobos?
As I speak to you the Urhobo nation is at a cross road. The Peoples Democratic Party government both in the state and at the federal level have failed us totally. Our great and revered Urhobo Progress Union has come to the rescue with the famous and patriotic Uvwiamuge Declaration in mid 2014. It was a master stroke.
The people’s confidence on the dwindling reputation of the UPU was immediately rekindled once more and the leadership of UPU came back on track. Our worry now is that today we are receiving different signals from our great UPU on the way forward politically for our people. I am particularly concerned about this double speaks, particularly when the Urhobos are highly marginalized.
So, what do you think should be done now?
Let it be noted that after 83 years of the fruitful existence of the Urhobo Progress Union,UPU, this institution has come to stay as the oracle of Urhobo nation. A group regarded as the oldest registered ethnic organization in Nigeria surely cannot be left solely to the whims and caprices of leaders who will speak in tongues whenever it suits them. I say, no, no, no.
The Urhobo nation has two illustrious sons as governorship candidates in the persons of Olorogun O’tega Emerhor of the APC, a major political party and now the sole beneficiary of the Uvwiamuge declaration, and Chief Great Ogboru of the Labour Party, LP, a mushroom party and a repository of failed aspirants of the PDP. Also the nation has two great candidates to choose from this year as to whom becomes the President of this country, namely, incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP and former head of state, Gen.(rtd)Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.
Adoption by UPU
Emerhor must be adopted by UPU without further delay, and the over one million votes of the Urhobo nation must go to him and Buhari because APC is the only major political party, aside PDP, that is the sole beneficiary of the Uvwiamuge Declaration, in fulfillment of its letters, which the Urhobos have sworn to uphold in this year’s general election.
What will be your reaction if UPU takes a contrary step?
I demand from UPU leadership to immediately implement the famous Uvwiamuge declaration which naturally favours Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, the governorship candidate of the APC. It should also immediately renounce the adoption of President Jonathan and adopt Buhari. If these are not done, I will collaborate with other Urhobo leaders and patriotic Urhobo people across the globe , particularly, the Urhobo Leaders Intergrety Group, to resist with all means at our disposal any attempt by any retrogressive decision on the Urhobo nation.
You speak as a partisan politician, let’s not forget that you are known to be a national leader, having fought successive military dictatorships in this country, how do you combine these?
I am now old and I have now come back to my country home of Ovu in Ethiope East Local government Area of Delta state. I am now agitating for the rights of my people through the platform of APC which is now my party.
Before now you fought ferociously against the military junta as a unionist and rights activist, why are you now supporting the Presidential ambition of a former military dictator?
I fought the military junta because they were supposed to come in and conduct a free and fair election which they were not ready to do but they always wanted to stay in power, which is bad. Now Nigeria needs a firm, resolute, compassionate, responsible, humane and transparent leader, all of these you can now find in General Muhammadu Buhari. The business of the presidency is not for a puerile someone. We need a matured hand to run it, and this time, it is Buhari.
You have demanded from UPU to adopt forthwith, Emerhor in Delta and Buhari, at the national level, should it do that now and in the event of PDP wining one or both elections, where do you think will be the place of your people, I mean the Urhobo people?
Popular choice will always win elections. I want the popular choice to win. PDP cannot win any of the elections. That is the truth. The indices are there.
Deltans and indeed, Nigerians are fed up with PDP governments and they will vote overwhelming in favour of APC, the only successful and focused alternative to PDP at this time.
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