Abdul Shaibu Oroh, a former National Assembly member representing Owan Federal Constituency between 2003 and 2007. He was also commissioner in the administration of Adams Oshiomhole for eight years. A journalist, human rights activist, and a lawyer. He spoke with IDRIS UMAR MOMOH shortly after the declaration of his aspiration to return to the same green chamber in the 2027: Excerpts:
You formally declared your intention to contest for the Owan Federal Constituency in the 2027 general election. Why the aspiration?
As I said during the declaration, our people are now living in fear and there is also no denying the fact that our country is also in danger. We need a strong voice, a firm voice that will help to mobilise popular opinions in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda to defeat terrorism, and that voice should come from Owan Federal Constituency, and I think I’m that voice. I’m also going to support the federal government in the fight against banditry, terrorism, and other challenges that we face, and also, the state government.
I will further be looking for support, including in the private sector, if possible, and the international communities to support the state government under the Senator Monday Okpebholo administration in executing many ongoing projects, having worked in Edo states as a commissioner for eight years, I was in better position to get involved with many networks in agriculture, commerce and in other sectors because we need to create jobs in the state as well as across the country.
We also need to establish firm institutions that will deliver good governance for the people of Nigeria, and I want to be that voice.
With my background in journalism, human rights, and all I will be fighting for a more solid, open society and stable democracy and supporting democratic consolidation. I will be supporting the devolution of powers to local entities and sub-national groups.
If I’m elected, I will work towards the acceleration of decentralising law enforcement because in every federation, law enforcement must be decentralised to be effective.
For a free and unfettered press, and to develop our country, we must allow Nigerians to express themselves freely, without hindrance and people should be able to practice their religion and freedom of conscience. So, I will support all that if I’m elected to return to the House of Representatives.
The last time I was in the lower chamber, I was one of those who fought for the Freedom of Information Act. I also conducted various public hearings that touched on discrimination in society. So, I would not want any Nigerian to feel that he is a second-class citizen in the country. I also want to see that in the Niger Delta region where I come from, in which the issues of environmental degradation are still prevalent, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is now more efficiently and professionally managed. I will continue to support that.
In addition, the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), which has just been established, will ensure that it further delivers on its promise to execute major projects in the South-South region that will benefit the people. That will further unite the country to connect the various commissions, so that they can unite the country more effectively.
So, for me, I will be supporting the Nigerian army, all the Nigerian forces, and other security agencies to be more professional, to be better trained, better equipped, to deal with the local and foreign enemies of the country because Nigeria should have the most powerful military in sub-Saharan Africa. But, because of the challenges we are facing now, the insecurity coming from Sahel and other potential threats from the North we should be able to take the battle to them wherever they are, not even whether it’s within or outside our borders and also to ensure that they have improved intelligence in all the various aspects of state power that are needed to deal with these challenges. I will definitely be supporting them.
Furthermore, with my experience in agriculture, and having worked as a commissioner for agriculture before, I will also be showing interest in how we can produce more food in the country, with value addition and proper management of soil and vegetation and rivers and waterways to promote food security in the country.
People may ask what you forgot at the National Assembly after close to two decades of your first tenure, that you want to go and pick?
The main reason, as I said earlier, is that our country is in danger. We are facing serious security challenges. In my community alone two people have been killed. A woman and a man, and then in the Erah community which is a neighbouring community and also part of my ward they killed one of my boys who was working with me. These people I’m mentioning were killed by suspected herdsmen. I was even driven out of my farm. I can’t go there. I used to have a 150-acre farm but now it has been taken over by nature because I’ve abandoned it. Even my farmhouse was burned and everything, all the zinc, everything that we used and all the stuff that we could retrieve if they are still there. I lost a tractor in that fire. And I believe it was herdsmen who set fire to those places to be able to get green pastures.
We also lost two police officers in my community in the battle against banditry and insurgency in the country. One was killed in the South East, by gunmen suspected to be IPOB and then the other one was killed in Zamfara State by bandits. So, the blood of these people should motivate us to ensure that we put an end to this insecurity. All these problems must be resolved and we must support the president’s effort to take decisive action to put an end to the problem of banditry and all that.
Why do you think after about 19 years of your first tenure as a Reps’ member, that you are the most qualified person to be voted for to represent the same constituency? Why must you also think that you are the right person who can address all these challenges?
I have been a journalist, and I have been an activist fighting for the restoration of democracy. I know the country very well and many people don’t have those unique experiences. Now that democracy has been restored, I want to continue to fight, to consolidate that democracy. I have worked as I said in the National Assembly. I was involved in police reforms. I was a member of the Army Committee. So, I understand the mechanisms and some of the challenges we are facing. I think I understand them better than many of those aspirants. I also worked as a State Commissioner for eight years in Edo State. That places me in a unique position to understand the challenges at some national level. So, bringing all these experiences together, I have what my co-aspirants don’t have.
I think if I am re-elected, I will do better than what I did when I was elected in the last 5th NASS because at that time our parliament was not in proper shape. We didn’t have enough infrastructure. 90 percent of the members didn’t even have offices to operate from but they were coming straight to the plenary sitting from their homes.
We didn’t have offices to operate from. We didn’t have enough money for research, for consultancy, to get consultants to prepare quality legislation but even then, we still tried to put in place some landmark legislation. I think I have that unique experience now and I think I will do better, perform better than I did before.
With all these experiences don’t you think you have also grown beyond the House of Representatives? Why not aspire for the Senatorial seat or the Governorship positions?
Many of those who served with me in the 5th National Assembly, some have served as governors for 8 years. Some have served in the National Assembly as senators. Many of those people in the Senate that I knew were all my colleagues in the House of Representatives. But aspiring for a much higher elective political position depends on the political landscape of your area. The challenges you face in your areas, the configuration of forces in your areas.
For instance, my former governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is a Senator currently representing the Edo North senatorial district. Do you expect me to challenge him for the senatorial seat? No, I won’t do that because he is my principal. If you like. We have worked together, and I have learned a lot from him and all that. So, working with him would be a privilege at the National Assembly rather than working at cross purposes. Working with my other colleagues from the Edo state as a Caucus and the Southern Caucus putting our heads together, tackling common problems that face us to deliver good governance to our people will be my watchword and priority.
What are the people of the Owan Federal constituency in particular expecting from you in terms of the benefits of the dividends of democracy at this time?
Right now, there is virtually no electricity in the Owan nation. In my part of Owan East Local Government Area right now, since the beginning of this year, there has been no electricity. It’s been almost three years now, we have not had electricity, and the interesting thing is that Edo State generates about 1,000 megawatts of electricity at the Azura, Ihonvbor power plants. And of course, the State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo is trying to bring in about 200 megawatts of electricity. I don’t understand why all these are happening and our people don’t have electricity.
So, we will be working with our state government, giving more of the full support at our level at the federal level to see that all these major problems are resolved.
There are key challenges that we face that we should not face as a nation. We will be focusing on them, highlighting them and getting results through various activities by asking questions and getting answers. For example, if you are in the Ministry of Works, and there are potholes in all the roads you will be asked questions, why are there potholes? What of the money that has been voted to do those roads? If you are not doing your job, I will carry out the necessary legislative duty to ask the president to sack and replace you with somebody who can do better.
I want to tell you that we owe the youths, especially the unemployed ones, a duty to ensure that they find something meaningful to do. At the National Assembly, I will not keep quiet. I will ask for jobs for them by ensuring that all governments’ Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are well positioned to generate jobs for our people because our youths cannot go to school for between four, five, six years and above and at the end of their education they cannot get a job. We are going to fight to ensure that the necessary policies and programmes are in place to generate jobs that can absorb our people both in the public and private sectors.
I will be going to the National Assembly for my selfish interest but rather for the interest of all the members of the constituency. I assure you that my people will enjoy the benefit of the government that they have voted for.
For the widows, they deserve special government attention in terms of taking care of themselves, their children and empowerment funds. I will propose a bill for the establishment of a national endowment fund for the upkeep of the widows and children. In the bill, the government should set aside some money to support their children from primary school up to secondary school. They don’t have to pay anything to be in school.
She will not need to pay for medical bills. She and the children will enjoy free medical services. Pregnant women should enjoy free medical care during the antenatal and postnatal periods across the country.
Those who are 60 years old (male and female) are not supposed to walk into a hospital and pay money. The government ought to take care of them. So, we are going to be fighting for a welfare scheme. If that bill is established, it would now be the duty of the government to take care of all elderly people in terms of their health care as long as they are 60 years and above.
Nigeria is still an oil-producing nation, and we will make a case that the money made from the proceeds of crude oil and other solid minerals is properly managed so that our people in the society on account of their age or because they are widows or because they are children without jobs the government will have to support those people so that they can live a meaningful life. I will also ensure to put the people first and at the heart of governance, defend respect for the Fundamental Human Rights of all Nigerians, fight corruption, official arrogance, and impunity, and courageously demand accountable and transparent governance and fight to consolidate the democracy through a restructured Federation that is a home for all. Fight against environmental destruction and for control of Natural resources by communities where they are located, fight for gender equality, fair representation by women, youths and people with disabilities in all government institutions.
Align with the Renewed Hope initiatives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all efforts to restore internal security, rule of law, and secure our communities. This includes the creation of State Police services, to reform Agriculture and rural economy to restore Owan’s glory in cocoa, cashew, Oil Palm production and other staple crops. To fight for the creation of more Local Government Development Councils (LDCs) in Owan Federal Constituency, and full control of revenue allocations to local governments from the Federation Account and the State – Local government Joint Account (State Internally Generated Revenue).
To promote free primary health Care, Social Welfare for the elderly (60 and above), and free and compulsory basic and Secondary education and to promote the establishment of a Special Endowment for sports, civic activities, cultural promotions and Digital Skills by youths and small business owners among others.
Message to the people of your constituency?
My message to the people of Owan Federal Constituency is that I have not changed, and I think I’m better now and I assure that am going to do better than I did in the past. I’m going to focus on most of the ongoing projects that are federally-related to ensure that they are completed or accelerated. So, definitely, there’s more work to be done.
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