Ndoma Egba
Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba spoke with A Cross Section Of Journalists At his Residents In Calabar On Why He is Aspiring For A Fourth Term In The Senate On The Platform Of The Peoples’ democratic Party. Our Regional correspondent, Diana Okon-Effiong Was There. Excerpts:
As regard your aspiration, people say why him again; let it be someone else? What is your opinion on this?
I have been very consistent in the growth of the NASS as an institution. The NASS is a parliament, and parliament is a peculiar arm of government where the institutional memory is made up of the aggregate memory of its members.
If you want to determine the institutional memory of the parliament today, you bring the memory of each of its members together. So, when we have a situation where there is always such massive haemorrhage, such massive erosion of membership of the NASS, it means that you are eroding the memory and capacity of the institution. That’s why elsewhere in the world, parliamentarians are encouraged to stay on because it stabilises the polity.
So for me, it’s nothing personal. We have managed to stabilize the polity during our own leadership. I have been in leadership since 2007 when Senator David Mark became senate President and we have seen stability in the senate. Why should we now leave and bring in instability when people are looking for stability so that the nation can move forward. Cross River State has a Senate Leader today for heaven’s sake, it has taken over 30 years from the days of Dr Joseph Wayas for us to get this close then you now say for somebody’s personal interest we should go back and start all over.
David Mark is coming back for an unprecedented 5th term and his people recognise the advantages of his coming back. And the State including the Governor has gone out openly to say this seat is not available because they know the benefit the seat brings to them.
Has the Cross River State Governor, Sen. Liyel Imoke also encouraged you to continue?
I am a very methodical person. If I want to do things I make sure all the processes are followed. I have been to him to formally inform him at least twice that I am running for my seat and he did not oppose it. He said it makes sense. And if you notice, forget the speculation you hear outside. Has the governor ever openly said he is opposed to me? He has never said it. It’s just speculation.
How would you assess the level of insecurity in Nigeria, as it reduced or still on the high side?
Insecurity is a global challenge. Today, we have the situation in Iraq, Syria and Central Africa republic. It’s a global issue but in Nigeria we are making progress. The military is now on top of the situation. It’s not something that will go away with the wave of the hand but I believe that the situation is being contend.
What is the thinking of Cross River Central as it regards the governorship race?
Their concern is about the process. They want to see a process that would be transparent, a process that is fair and a process that has integrity because at the end of the day they would want to claim ownership of that process. So, as far as we are concerned in the central senatorial district, we want to see a transparent process. A process that would throw up somebody that everybody agrees to its fairness. So, for us, we are not looking at persons, we are looking at the processes.
North Or South?
I think the party has come out openly to say that the governorship is going to the north and I belong to the leadership of the party.
East West Road?
The road will now terminate in Calabar. The initial plan was for it to terminate in Akwa Ibom, but its extention to Calabar has since been approved. We even believe that the Akwa Ibom/Calabar end of it will probably be finished before the rest of the roads.
Cross River State PDP Zoning Policy?
You will recall that sometime ago when you spoke, I said to you that all was not well in the PDP in CRS. I told you that they were trying to arrive at some unconstitutional zoning, with the caucuses arrogating to itself powers it does not have in the PDP constitution
with that recent statement of the State chairman, that complain has now been addressed. The State chairman has now come out openly to say that the caucuses cannot zone. But I don’t know after we met as a State caucus to say that the governorship should go to the north if any individual wants to go against that, he is free to do that. It’s his constitutional right.
It is not in the constitution that you must abide by what the caucus says. But with the statement credited to the State party chairman that the caucuses can’t zone any position, one of my complaints has been addressed.
Are you confident of retaking your position in the senate in spite of the opposition?
When you say formidable on ground and all forces, who are these forces, political forces, leadership of the State etc? I do know that the leadership of the State, as represented by Governor Imoke, has consistently assured that the process will be transparent. So, if you talk about political leadership, I don’t know if you have done a poll amongst your politicians to say where do you stand for us to reach that conclusion.
But for those of you who have gone round with me, I don’t know if you were with us yesterday? I was not invited sir. When they say on ground, I don’t know what you mean by saying on ground. Each time I am in the Central senatorial district, my people are with me, so I don’t know what you mean by being on ground. I am on ground. I am a home boy. In case you have forgotten, I was born in the central, grew up in the north, settled in the south, and practiced law all through in Cross River, not outside Cross River. I am grounded in Cross River.
The possibility of the NASS tidying up outstanding bills and issues before entry into another legislative year due to political activities?
I want to assure Nigerians that all critical bills would be passed. The appropriation, the budget will be passed. The PIB would be passed. We have prioritized the bills, those that are low hanging, we would ensure that we……… There is no parliamentary anywhere in the world that can treat or pass every bill in the system. We would definitely take on those ones that heavily impact on the society and economy and get them out.
Are There No border Crisis Between Nigeria And Cameroun In DanareCommunity in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River As Claimed By Rep. Owan Enoh?
I am indeed shocked if he actually said so. When I raised my motion on the floor of the senate, there was a public hearing and Rt Hon Owan Enoh attended that hearing and he contributed at the hearing. And he didn’t make the remark that I am now hearing from the press today.
We should not play politics with everything in the name of God. He attended the public hearing, he had every opportunity to make the comment that he is now making. We shouldn’t say things that seam politically convenient. We should not play politics with the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
I have been very consistent in the growth of the NASS as an institution. The NASS is a parliament, and parliament is a peculiar arm of government where the institutional memory is made up of the aggregate memory of its members.
If you want to determine the institutional memory of the parliament today, you bring the memory of each of its members together. So, when we have a situation where there is always such massive haemorrhage, such massive erosion of membership of the NASS, it means that you are eroding the memory and capacity of the institution. That’s why elsewhere in the world, parliamentarians are encouraged to stay on because it stabilises the polity.
So for me, it’s nothing personal. We have managed to stabilize the polity during our own leadership. I have been in leadership since 2007 when Senator David Mark became senate President and we have seen stability in the senate. Why should we now leave and bring in instability when people are looking for stability so that the nation can move forward. Cross River State has a Senate Leader today for heaven’s sake, it has taken over 30 years from the days of Dr Joseph Wayas for us to get this close then you now say for somebody’s personal interest we should go back and start all over.
David Mark is coming back for an unprecedented 5th term and his people recognise the advantages of his coming back. And the State including the Governor has gone out openly to say this seat is not available because they know the benefit the seat brings to them.
Has the Cross River State Governor, Sen. Liyel Imoke also encouraged you to continue?
I am a very methodical person. If I want to do things I make sure all the processes are followed. I have been to him to formally inform him at least twice that I am running for my seat and he did not oppose it. He said it makes sense. And if you notice, forget the speculation you hear outside. Has the governor ever openly said he is opposed to me? He has never said it. It’s just speculation.
How would you assess the level of insecurity in Nigeria, as it reduced or still on the high side?
Insecurity is a global challenge. Today, we have the situation in Iraq, Syria and Central Africa republic. It’s a global issue but in Nigeria we are making progress. The military is now on top of the situation. It’s not something that will go away with the wave of the hand but I believe that the situation is being contend.
What is the thinking of Cross River Central as it regards the governorship race?
Their concern is about the process. They want to see a process that would be transparent, a process that is fair and a process that has integrity because at the end of the day they would want to claim ownership of that process. So, as far as we are concerned in the central senatorial district, we want to see a transparent process. A process that would throw up somebody that everybody agrees to its fairness. So, for us, we are not looking at persons, we are looking at the processes.
North Or South?
I think the party has come out openly to say that the governorship is going to the north and I belong to the leadership of the party.
East West Road?
The road will now terminate in Calabar. The initial plan was for it to terminate in Akwa Ibom, but its extention to Calabar has since been approved. We even believe that the Akwa Ibom/Calabar end of it will probably be finished before the rest of the roads.
Cross River State PDP Zoning Policy?
You will recall that sometime ago when you spoke, I said to you that all was not well in the PDP in CRS. I told you that they were trying to arrive at some unconstitutional zoning, with the caucuses arrogating to itself powers it does not have in the PDP constitution
with that recent statement of the State chairman, that complain has now been addressed. The State chairman has now come out openly to say that the caucuses cannot zone. But I don’t know after we met as a State caucus to say that the governorship should go to the north if any individual wants to go against that, he is free to do that. It’s his constitutional right.
It is not in the constitution that you must abide by what the caucus says. But with the statement credited to the State party chairman that the caucuses can’t zone any position, one of my complaints has been addressed.
Are you confident of retaking your position in the senate in spite of the opposition?
When you say formidable on ground and all forces, who are these forces, political forces, leadership of the State etc? I do know that the leadership of the State, as represented by Governor Imoke, has consistently assured that the process will be transparent. So, if you talk about political leadership, I don’t know if you have done a poll amongst your politicians to say where do you stand for us to reach that conclusion.
But for those of you who have gone round with me, I don’t know if you were with us yesterday? I was not invited sir. When they say on ground, I don’t know what you mean by saying on ground. Each time I am in the Central senatorial district, my people are with me, so I don’t know what you mean by being on ground. I am on ground. I am a home boy. In case you have forgotten, I was born in the central, grew up in the north, settled in the south, and practiced law all through in Cross River, not outside Cross River. I am grounded in Cross River.
The possibility of the NASS tidying up outstanding bills and issues before entry into another legislative year due to political activities?
I want to assure Nigerians that all critical bills would be passed. The appropriation, the budget will be passed. The PIB would be passed. We have prioritized the bills, those that are low hanging, we would ensure that we……… There is no parliamentary anywhere in the world that can treat or pass every bill in the system. We would definitely take on those ones that heavily impact on the society and economy and get them out.
Are There No border Crisis Between Nigeria And Cameroun In DanareCommunity in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River As Claimed By Rep. Owan Enoh?
I am indeed shocked if he actually said so. When I raised my motion on the floor of the senate, there was a public hearing and Rt Hon Owan Enoh attended that hearing and he contributed at the hearing. And he didn’t make the remark that I am now hearing from the press today.
We should not play politics with everything in the name of God. He attended the public hearing, he had every opportunity to make the comment that he is now making. We shouldn’t say things that seam politically convenient. We should not play politics with the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
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