Sir, Martin Ejiogu. is a youthful politician with courage. He is the Deputy Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Imo State, this American trained medical scientist turned politician spoke to EVEREST EZIHE of the AUTHORITY NEWSPAPERS on so many issues brothering on political party politics, APC governance of Imo State and the presidency, activities of IPOB and many other critical issues. It is a must read.
Sir, may we know you and your political experiences?
I am Sir, Martin Ejiogu, the Deputy Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Imo State. Last year, I was acting chairman of the Party earlier before then, I was Deputy Chairman under Hon. Vitalis Okafor, the first caretaker committee chairman. I was the state Deputy Chairman to sergeant Awuse, later I became the Caretaker Committee Chairman. I solely piloted the party affairs after till August last year.
I have earned much experiences in party politics. I have gone through the rough roads of politics and political activities.
Since 2011, your party has remained opposition political party, can you beat your chest and say PDP has played formidable opposition, role in Imo state?
Yes, of course, we have remained the mouthpiece of the people, without our objective and constructive criticisms; APC government would have mortgaged the state. The people appreciated our frontline roles in keeping the state government on their toes. For instance, the recent forceful removal of Eke Ukwu Owerre market and the subsequent death of 10 years old boy by stray bullet from the security agencies that came to enforce the demolition exercise. We took the state government to the cleaner for being insensitive.
We took up the issue of the state government Urban Renewal Project, which we know was a political gimmick, we have made Imo People know that the APC government is not offering them any good thing than deceits and lies. Though we have our in-house challenges, we are not perturbed as we continue to expose the ugly sides of APC government.
What have been your greatest challenges in piloting the affairs of the party in the state?
It is unfortunate that there are some critical stakeholders who out of selfishness are allowing themselves to be used so as to distract, destabilize and destroy the party. The good news is that we know them and their antecedents and we will never allow them to succeed again. They are simply on a failed mission, one of the agents of this destructive plans is Senator Hope Uzodinma, representing Imo West in the Senate. His anti-party activities did not start today, he was among the instruments used by APGA in 2011 to snatch power from PDP, Senator Uzodimma though a member of PDP was the arrowhead used to rob PDP its gubernatorial victory in Imo state in 2011 and he repeated same in 2015. This is not a hidden fact and it does not represent integrity and credibility. Right now, because he played a wrong political calculation by following Sheriff came and they lost out both in party politics and structure.
He is instigating confusion here and thereby setting up a parallel PDP structure in the state despite being warned by the party leaders. It is annoying that Sheriff also accepted his defeat but Senator Hope Uzodimma is just constituting himself a bull in a China shop. He doesn’t want to accept an obvious defeat and cue-in with the authentic state party structure and leadership. It is being alleged that Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo APC is using him to destabilize the party. The good news is that all the Leaders of PDP in Imo State are in one page while Senator Uzodimma is a man alone. He has done a lot to distract the party but we have vehemently resisted him. He will never succeed this time around.
Considering these distractions, how prepared is Imo PDP ahead of 2019 a general poll?
We are 90% prepared, if election is conducted today, Imo PDP will regain its gubernatorial sit. We are seriously working on the remaining 10%. The truth is that due to the bad governance as instituted by Governor Rochas Okorocha of APC, they have inadvertently done the campaign for us. An Igbo adage says “If a woman marries twice, she is in a position to determine the best among the two husbands”. Imo people have tested PDP government and APC government they are now seriously clamouring for PDP government.
APC government has unleashed a lot of hardship and poverty on the people. We told them earlier and they taught we were playing politics, now they have tested and are confessing that we told them the truth. Now, look at the state of roads in Imo, can you imagine the kind of fly over – Governor Rochas Okorocha is building for Imo People? Imo really entered one chance bus. All these will be redressed in 2019 because the campaign proper will be issue based. Where on earth do you see flyover being built manually? Okorocha is simply confused.
Are you saying APC has done the campaign PDP supposed to do in 2019?
Yes, they have done and finished the campaign. All we need to do is to tell Imolites that in 2019 they should forget all the rice and money from APC, it would be another ploy for anguish, penury, and hunger. We are aware Governor Okorocha has stockpiled money for the election and we may not match him in terms of money but our goodwill, purposeful and visionary governance will see us through. Certainly, Imo people cannot afford to go back to Egypt in 2019. I want them to resist APC and their sweet coated goodies at all course.
You are Deputy to High Chief Charles Ezekwem (Ikemba), how do you access his leadership qualities?
He is a young man with a good heart and full of energy. He understands the game of politics and he is playing it creditably very well. He is a team player and believes so much in PDP. He is fanatical when it comes to discipline, probity, accountability, and prudence. He is a good man and a good administrator. I love working with him. Ikemba is a workaholic and master strategist. He is a field General when it comes to party politics fight. His patriotism for good and visionary governance is unquenchable.
You are too emphatic that PDP will regain its lost glory in Imo state in 2019, can you say the same thing concerning the Presidency as an insider?
To be candid with you, the national leadership of PDP is more prepared than us in the states. They have learnt their bitter lessons. It is only in Imo state, you still have some doubting Thomases. I am just revealing a secret to you now, watch out what will happen in the next few months among APC leadership, over 70% of them have advanced plans to dump the party and carpet crossed to PDP, for the presidency, in 2019, I am 100% sure PDP will regain Aso Rock Villa.
Your certainty is questionable because APC is government and in total control of machinery of government, including INEC and security agencies, have you foreclosed the issue of rigging in Nigeria electoral system?
You see, what happened in Rivers State during the re-run elections, is an eye-opener. Rigging will only succeed when the people allow it. Any person thinking of rigging is still an old fashion and purely analogy. If the people stand firm, INEC will never rig election, INEC will succeed if the people are docile (oke adighi eri ihe onye mu anya) Rat does not eat an awake person thing). Recently, there is a media statement made by a reputable Hausa man and I believed him, he said we that are from the North, we saw what happened in 2015, and that time, the only problem we have in the north is President Goodluck Jonathan, now we don’t have Jonathan as a problem, now PDP has zoned the presidency to the North, if APC tried what they did in 2015 that it will not work, if you are ready to bring a Hausa man, we are also Hausa, so let see how it would work. That they allowed their fellow Hausa brothers to massively rig the last election is because they want Hausa man to be President since their only problem then was incumbent President Jonathan a Southerner and now that Jonathan is no longer a barrier they cannot try anything funny in 2019 and see if they will not be resisted with fire and brimstone with this mindset, I am convinced that these people are truly ready.
As a politician, what is your take on the recent rift between Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and members of Operation Python Dance in Abia State ?.
To be honest with you, the Military has no business being in Abia state. They have a lot of work to do in Borno state or even in Sambisa forest but the issue is hatred. An average Hausa / Fulani man always want to suppress the Igbos. If not, what has Chief Nnamdi Kanu as leader of IPOB done, is he using arms. Definitely, he is not violent, he is only talking. The only sin he committed is that he has exposed the country to the outside world in terms of ethnic injustice and marginalization. Many things unknown to international communities that are happening here have been exposed to them. These have made some countries to start having interest in Nigeria, earlier before now, everybody seems to keep sealed lips because Kalu is exposing them thus why the President and the Presidency are jittery. Recently I read and watched a video of where President Muhammadu Buhari was condemning Israel for disturbing Palestinians because the Palestinian Moslems are their brothers. Then the issue is that why is Hausa / Fulani ethnic group disturbing the Igbos? Is it because they are not brothers? This is the truth, I advised the Igbos to ensure that what happened in Abia state is vividly captured and send to United Nations as a genocide. President Buhari must be tried for genocide for ordering the killing of innocent but defenseless civilians by bloodthirsty military men as well as Buratai, the Chief of Army staff. Thank God some eminent Nigerians and the National Assembly has declared unconstitutional the declaration by the Federal Government that IPOB should be declared a terrorist group.
What is the profile of Sir Martin Ejiogu?
I am from Amandugba in Isu Local Government area of Imo State, I did my primary and secondary school in Imo State. In the 80’s, I managed some businesses before I joined Nigeria Customs later I went to America where I had my university education. When I came back from American I ran for a Federal House to represent Isu\Njaba\Nkwerre\Nwangele Federal Constituency, I was in the Development Centre, later I became the Imo State Deputy Chairman of the Party and subsequently an Acting Chairman. I read Biotechnology at Boston University School of Medicine and then read Biomedical Laboratory and Clinical Science at Boston University, Massachusetts, very close to Cambridge and Harvard. I was born in an average family. My father was the first chairman of Isu county council and a member of Owerri Provincial Assembly( Today’s Imo State Assembly). He was a Director of South East Free Education Board. He was also an educationist.
What motivated you into politics?
When I was in USA, I never taught about joining politics. My focus was to read Medicine but immediately after my first Degree, I wanted to enter University to read Medicine before my father called me. He said to me, I have 10 children out of which are 7 boys and am the fifth born of my father. He said out of all my sons, I want you to go into politics. He insisted I must come home to learn the political intrigues. That was how I joined politics.
Thus why up to now am not a liar, I don’t play dirty and deceptive politics. I am an honest man to a fault.
Thus why many of the politicians are afraid of me. I say things the way it is, because of the kind of politics I play, am often misunderstood. This is how and why I always fall out with people like Senator Hope Uzodimma who believes so much in shortcut to success.
Finally, what message do you have for the people of Nigeria especially Imo State?
For my good people of Imo State, it is pertinent to remind them that in 2019 they must look well before they leap. Vote for the right person so that we can move the state forward.
For Nigeria, if we are bringing a Hausa man again let he or she be a person that have the interest of Nigerians at heart. A Hausa man that will know that an Igbo man is also a Nigeria and a Hausa man that believes in Restructuring so that the nation will amicably solve all her problems.