Godfrey Ishegbe is a PDP stalwart from Okpara in Ethiope East Local Government of Delta State. A very vibrant and politically-enlightened young man, Ishegbe is known to be very highly connected both at state and national levels. He is strongly in the race to make the next House of Representatives member for Ethiope Federal Constituency at the green chambers of the National Assembly, come 2019. In this interview with The New Diplomat’s South-South Bureau Chief, John Oghojafor, Ishegbe revealed that his mission is to rescue the Ethiope East federal constituency from its present free-fall in infrastructural deficit and overall under-development, among other salient issues.
Excerpts:
For some time now you have been criss-crossing the entire Ethiope Federal Constituency consulting with leaders, elders and stakeholders of the party in pursuit of your aspiration of becoming the next House of Representative member for Ethiope Federal Constituency. What has been the response of the people to your consultation visits so far and what has been your impression?
First of all, you must realize that this is a divine mandate and our message is very simple. We are on a rescue mission to salvage and bring proper development to our people. You know, the mandate is very clear. Every challenge of life has an expiry date. We are in this race to attract development to our people; to offer effective and vibrant legislation; to bring economic development; to bring things that will benefit our people. If you look at the Ethiope federal constituency as a whole, you will discover that there is no federal presence. What about the injustice going on in Abuja? It is too appalling to even think about it. You go to the ministries, the agencies and parastatals, our people are not represented. Why? Is it that we are not qualified? Or we don’t have people to speak for us? Or is it that we don’t have a voice that will speak and we will say this is our mouthpiece that we will rely on to negotiate, lobby, meander and meet other legislators, other senators and people from other region to negotiate with them to bring development to our people? It can be done. It is very simple.
I have over the years, built my contacts at the national level. So, I can tell you without fear or favour that I’m going to bring development to our people, I’m going to end the injustice that is going on against our people.
Some time ago you were widely reported to have paid a visit to a former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar and some other former leaders from the north. People are asking of what advantage is your relationship with a former Head of State from the northern part of the country and your aspiration to represent the people of Ethiope federal constituency in the House of representatives. What is your take on that?
Oh, it’s very simple. One cannot rule out the fact that these are former leaders, former presidents that have reach across the country. First of all, I’m very close to them. I didn’t just go to them for the first time. I have had a relationship with Gen. Abdulsalam and Gen. Babangida for the past 20 years. And they are like my fathers. It is very important, very crucial and normal that if your son is going to contest for a position, he should consult his father and tell him sir, I’m going for this position, please give me your blessing. And besides, don’t forget that what we are going for is the Federal House of Representatives, the green chambers of the National Assembly. We have people from all the regions: the North West, the North Central, the North East, the South South, South East and the South West, the six geopolitical zones. We have representatives that are coming from all the regions to the National Assembly. And you will agree with me that these former leaders being from the north, they control sizeable number of representatives. People cannot come to the House of Representatives without the blessing of these former leaders. So, if you don’t identify with them now in advance, when you get to the House how do you lobby with their boys? I would have to identify with them now so that if I get there and there is something I cannot do on my own that would require and external assistance, I can always meet these people to say, please talk to your northern boys for me, let them support this bill. It is synergy. One person cannot do it all alone. That is what is affecting us in the south. And that is why we are being shortchanged, because we don’t mingle. We don’t extend a handshake across the Niger. That is our major problem in the South South. We just believe that we are local champions, let us remain in the South and do things our own way. We just have to extend a hand of fellowship beyond the Niger so that when it is time to share allocation and constituency projects, you can reach out. If you are my friend from the North there is nothing that I will bring to you to support that you will not support. But if you are not my friend if you come I will tell you that I will look into it. We just play politics. So, it is synergy that will make development to come to your people.
So, what I did was to first of all have a personal relationship these former presidents. In fact, if you don’t have a personal relationship you cannot see the former presidents. You must have a personal relationship. So, because I’m playing politics now, do you mean I should just leave them? No. I must go and see them because politics or no politics I always have a relationship with them. So that is just the fact.
The number of aspirants to the Ethiope Federal Constituency is increasing every day from both sides of River Ethiope. In the past, the PDP has been criticized for their attitude of imposing candidates on people. They also call it consensus candidate stuff. Would you succumb to this tendency if it rears its head at the primary?
First of all, party is supreme and every party has its ideology and manifesto. PDP over the years has been known for consensus, has been known for unity list, has been known for so many things. But as you can see, PDP is changing, it is rebranding and we trust that the party is going to give all of us the aspirants a level playing field to contest the election. And it is obvious it is going to be without any rancor. This is because we all need each other. If per adventure I win the primary tomorrow which I know I will win by the grace of God, I will need other aspirants to support me. So, I will avoid a situation whereby I will provoke other aspirants either through hate speech, castigating, insulting or fighting any aspirant. We are running a very decent campaign and we are meeting the delegates and we are taking our message of hope to them. It is left for them to look at our message of hope, our message of liberation, our message of advancement and development and to give us their support to represent them. That is just our simple message. And we believe the party will give a level playing field so that the people can decide who will represent them.
Don’t forget that the governor came through a free and fair process. He emerged through a transparent process. Today, Okowa is in validation of that mantra of one man one vote because he emerged through a free and fair primary. And he has said that he is going to give us that level playing field through which he himself emerged. And we believe he is going to execute it.
Some people refer to you as a green horn in the party. How do you take that?
I can’t really say I’m a green horn. You see, I’m not so desperate about this whole thing. What God cannot give to me I don’t need it. I’m on a rescue mission. I have the capacity to be in anywhere in the world and be whatever I want to become. But what about my people? I have been in national politics for a very long time. In fact, I was a pioneer chairman of PDP young professionals from 2003 to 2005 during the Obasanjo days. I have been in national politics, I have been involved in the former president’s electioneering campaign, I was involved in TAN, I was involved in door to door campaign, I was involved in neighbor to neighbor campaign. In fact, if I was new in the party, how would I had successfully put 13 members of my constituents (Ethiope East and Ethiope West) in the last national convention as Committee members? I discovered the injustice in the list, only 3 persons were selected. And I stamped my feet on the ground and said no, we must include more people from my constituency. So, that was how I was able to put 13 persons as Committee members at the national level PDP National Convention planning committee. A green horn cannot do such. So, I have been in the party for a very long time and in fact, as I speak now, I’m a very strong chieftain of the party at the national level more than any other aspirant.
Would you say that Ethiope East PDP has become so united as to be able to throw their weight behind a particular aspirant from the area?
Don’t forget that a few months ago, the governor mandated that a reconciliatory committee be constituted in Ethiope East and a meeting was held in Chief Bernard Edewor place. I was there. All the party leaders met and we all resolved to work together. As at today, Ethiope East PDP is one of the strongest and most united in the state. All leaders are working together to ensure that come 2019 PDP wins with hundred percent.
If you peradventure win the election to the green chambers in Abuja, what will be your first assignment to address the problems affecting the people of Ethiope Federal Constituency?
First of all, I will constitute a very functional constituency office where I will inaugurate the Elders’ Advisory Council and ward to ward council whereby they will go to the wards and identify the challenges with such wards. Once they identify the challenges we will now meet to reconcile those challenges and put them in the appropriation so that we can attract constituency projects to that ward. We must work with the wards to identify those challenges because if we don’t work with the wards to identify those challenges there is no way you can know their problems.
