Sylvester Odion Akhaine, pro-democracy activist and professor of Political Science is s governorship aspirant in Edo State. Ahead of February primary election, he spoke on why he ventured into politics and why he is the right person to reposition the state in this exclusive with INIOBONG IWOK. Excerpts:
You have excelled as an academic and pro-democracy activist, why did you venture into politics?
Without mincing words, let me say life is meaningless if it is not led in the service of humanity. I am perpetually pained by the mass suffering of our people. With my global exposure, pro-people ideological orientation and consistent crusade against the oppression of our people through wrong-headed policy, I am equipped to help solve some of the critical existential problems of our people.
As an individual, I may be able to fend for myself and my nucleus family. No amount of individual accumulation of resources can solve community problems.
State power matters in solving societal problems. With state power, we can mobilise human and material resources to confront the social challenges of our people. State power is problem-solving.
You also need those we call ‘omata’, that is; embodiment of virtue in government. Otherwise you have a continuation of those with unwisdom and itchy palms in government with nothing to show for it, in terms of dividends of democracy; pillaging state resources has been the trend for years.
You met with the party leaders recently in Edo State about your candidacy, how was the reception?
The party leadership is there to receive every member of the party. I was accorded that respect as a member of the party. But my message was deep and outstanding, not commonplace. I put forth what they rarely get heard from other aspirants. I diagnosed the problem of the state and put forward a menu of solutions to the problems.
I let it be known that I am the only candidate with the reputation and network to draw support from the opposition parties in the state. I am a civil society man, counter-elite with national reputation and who has suffered for this country, especially the democracy we enjoy today. Edo people deserve the best.
The APC primary election is slated for February, what are your chances?
I know that the question is informed by the monetisation of the electoral process. As a Professor, I am not a millionaire. My wealth is my knowledge, capacity, commitment and courage to serve our people, the people of Edo State. My chance lies in my reputation and capacity to lead the party to victory. I have a cross-partisan appeal to all the parties contesting in the state.
My candidacy will unleash a mass movement in Edo, and usher APC into Osadebe Avenue in November this year. I was one the frontline leaders of the prodemocracy movement in Nigeria. I fought for the democracy that we are enjoying today, not the opportunists that dot the terrain.
So many aspirants are in the race and some are touted to be anointed candidates of influential politicians in the state. Does this not scare you?
The Nigerian sage, Obafemi Awolowo says that the just shall live by faith. Well, I do not have a godfather, but I believe in the anointing of the almighty God who created heaven and the earth. He has endowed me with what it takes to put smiles on the face of Edo people.
That is my selling point. I will say His grace is sufficient for me. The point that also needs to be made is that in a democracy the people are the boss; they should necessarily decide the fate of those who desire to serve them. The search for godfathers is a perversion of the liberal democratic principles. We should not reify false consciousness that godfather is.
What are the problems in Edo that you want to fix?
Edo State has its own share of the general problems facing our country Nigeria. The latter problems include unemployment, lack of industries, poor infrastructure, food crisis, inadequate housing, poor health facilities, illiteracy, misappropriation of resources, and lack of national values.
Let’s go down to specifics. Some of the problems include the lack of social amenities such as portable water, and good roads.
Others are lack of self-sufficiency in food production, in other words, food insecurity. Indeed, the agriculture sector has profound deficits, namely, lack of incentives for farmers, abandonment of the farm settlements schemes, and no backward integration in the sector (farm to factories), absence of feeder roads for the movement of food crops to the nearest market, low-yield of existing plantation; and absence of ready markets.
In the education sector including primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, you have the following deficits: poorly trained teachers, low staff strength, dilapidated facilities, and poor management.
In the Tertiary Institutions you encounter inadequate funding, erosion of university autonomy, poor Infrastructural development, inadequate vocational training institutes; mass unemployment. There is the atmosphere of siege due to insecurity and above all, poor revenue.
Without a bountiful IGR, you can’t fix all the problems with monthly allocation from the federal government. There is also an ethical crisis. Our youth must re-oriented to know the value of dignity of labour, and refocused their energy in productive activities to own the productive forces in the state and unleash them for the development of the state.
If you fail to get the governorship ticket of the APC, would you move to another party or work with whoever emerges?
You don’t pray to lose in a contest. Optimism is the game. However, it is anti-party to decamp. Work to ensure the party’s victory. Many people see parties as a special purpose vehicle to climb to power. When they are denied they go to other parties. There is no commitment to ideology, and the party structure is weak without discipline or what Leo Shaoqui calls tempering.
What is your take on the administration of Godwin Obaseki so far?
Observers say Obaseki has made a giant stride in the area of economy and infrastructure, among others. Do you think he could have done better?
Every government has its set of programme to implement. If they are not well thought through, it will run into problems. There are many problems in the state. No single administration can solve all of them, so you prioritise.
The wrong priority can undermine your legitimacy. By neglecting the construction and maintenance of good roads across the state, the administration alienated the people.
By not creating productive employment, the government alienated the people. How many can access primary health care in the state despite claims of huge investment in PHCs?
In plain terms, the health sector is buffeted by collapse of primary health care centres, ill-equipped general hospitals, non-integration of traditional herbal medicines, and lack of trained personnel.
Educational sector is in crisis because of the absence of an insightful understanding of how that sector works. Ambrose Alli University is in the doldrums run by a nondescript administrative organ. There is food insecurity in the state because of the neglect of the agricultural sector. Without material benefits of the democratic process, the governed are alienated, that is what has happened in Edo.
White elephant projects like Gelegele port are channels for primitive accumulation of resources. Edo refinery and Osiomo power plant are good projects. These can be improved upon. We must find ways to create an enclave economy that is productive and self-sufficient.
Are you optimistic that the primary would be free and fair?
There are basically two ways to go. You either do direct or indirect primary. Both are fraught with danger. Managing direct primary across the state is cumbersome but has more democratic content. However, it is expensive for the candidates and organisationally tasking for the party. Again, the party leadership will decide which way to go.
