
Chief Stanford Onyirimba, a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); one time Majority Leader, Imo State House of Assembly; a global player in the business world and now one of the aspirants to the post of the Chairman of the Imo State Chapter of the PDP, spoke with EVEREST EZIHE in Owerri on the PDP, APC, President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Rochas Okorocha and the state of the nation. Excerpts:
Despite being a multi-millionaire businessman what motivated you into politics?
About 1999, probably due to my philanthropy and patriotism, my people in Ehime Mbano persuaded me into serving them as the chairman of the council but due to my passion for quality and effective representations, I opted to run for the State House of Assembly which I won and till date my constituents uses me as a case study for quality and effective representation. I revolutionized the state constituency by attracting infrastructural developments. I really gave them my best and Imolites were proud of me; people looked up to me in the House on any critical issue.
How do you access the present House of Assembly with what happened during your days?
Honestly, I shed tears because today’s House of Assembly is a rubber stamp of the state government. I feel so depressed seeing the robust House I was once part of, snowballing into a quasi-executive arm of the government. In those days, we were highly respected by other arms of the government.
Besides, other Houses of Assemblies use to come to Imo state House of Assembly to learn what they considered as people-oriented legislative business. As the Floor Manager between 1999 – 2005 we where the best in the East of Niger. The House today is a shadow of itself in terms of quality representation and obligation to the populace. I am truly ashamed because they have lost focus. They have been pocketed by the executive arm of the government at the detriment of the masses.
As a chieftain of PDP, are you not worried with the legion of crisis your party has been neck deep into, both at the state and national levels?
Honestly, what we have now in terms of the tenets of PDP is quite distinct from what the party used to be between 1999 – 2007. There was no impunity; there was respect for internal democracy. Then, what we have is a political party in which power belonged to the people. But today, what we have is ‘PDP!: power - the power no longer belongs to the people. The power now belongs to the self-acclaimed political leaders, chieftains and money bags. This is the bane of PDP.
The Gospel truth is that the power has been removed from the people both at the state and at the national level. I am happy that the party is now being repositioned, being re-engineered and being re-invigorated. The party has realized its mistakes and they are trying to bring the party back to the people who are the real owners and not to political money bags. Respect for internal democracy and returning the party to the original owners that is the only way forward. The party was overwhelmed by her victory for 16 years and they mismanaged and abused the success, privilege and honour through impunity.
It is an historical fact that All Progressives Congress (APC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and every other party making waves in Nigeria today, are all offshoot of the PDP. Once bitten twice shy, the party is undergoing transformation. Infact, the shortcomings of the present APC government should be a strength for PDP to be committed in people-oriented policies and programmes.

It is been discussed in certain political circle that you are eyeing the Imo State Chairmanship of PDP in the forth-coming congress. How true is this?
Well, I am a committed party man. I have made enough sacrifices for the upliftment of PDP both in Imo State and the nation at large. As it pleases God, the position is zoned to Okigwe Senatorial Zone. In Okigwe politics, I am a principle stakeholder. I have the experiences; I have the pedigree to re-invent the party. Though there are pressures from certain quarters, but I am still consulting.
However, if by providence I am elected the state chairman of PDP, my first task would be the enthronement of internal democracy, ensuring discipline among members and strict adherence to the democratic ethos and principles.
The party needs a courageous man to salvage it from the vitriolics of Governor Rochas Okorocha. The task is enormous but it is a responsibility I will love to embarked upon as a strategic measure and sacrifice to salvage humanity and the party. PDP needs overhauling and as a foundation member, I have the midas-touch to transform and rebuild the political party.
If you have the privileged of meeting President Muhammadu Buhari, what fundamental issues are you most likely to discuss with him?
I will commend him for his war against corruption. I will ask him to make it a holistic affair rather than the perceived lopsided approach. I will be courageous enough to tell him that most of his policies are anti-masses. He must do something to salvage the economy. Nigerians are suffering. His dividends of democracy to fellow Nigerians are illusionary.
It is time he addressed the petroleum sector properly. Nigerians wants positive transformation in the power sector. The change Nigerians voted for is not what they are getting. The educational sector is comatose and needs revival. The health sector is an apology and deserves military-like attention. Nigerian youths are roaming the streets; unemployment rate is frightening, government should create enabling environment for improvement in socio-economic activities.
The President should stop junketing; the time to think out of the box is now. Yes, we are winning the war against the Boko Haram Islamic sect but, the over 200 innocent Chibok Secondary School Girls abducted by the sect about two years now seem to have been forgotten. We voted for positive changes and we deserve nothing less.
You are also an elder statesman in Imo State can you give a candid analysis of Governor Rochas Okorocha’s Rescue Mission Administration for the past five years?
Sincerely speaking, Governor Okorocha re-defined governance in terms of infrastructural development, nobody can take that away from him. But his administration lacks tact. The qualities of his works are poor and lack proper co-ordination.
He has no respect for political leaders. I am aggrieved with his free education policy because the educational rating of the state has nosedived into a pitiable situation. The civil servants are complaining of delay in payment of their salaries as well as pay cuts. Pensioners are aggrieved over backlog of unpaid pension. The State economy is in shambles. People are suffering and crying.
The government concession policy is anti-masses. You cannot run an efficient and effective administration without due process. The administration lacks vision and purposeful governance. The state is being run like a private enterprise. It is not yet uhuru, we deserve God’s mercy and intervention.
What message do you have for members of PDP, Imolites and Nigerians at Large?
For members of PDP, it is important to remind them that no political party thrives without discipline. This is the dawn of a new era and things must be done right. Respect for internal democracy and zoning arrangement are the keys for rebuilding the party. PDP has optimal chances to regain power in 2019, but they must put their house in order; they must shun bickering, wrangling, rift and rancor. They must be patriotic enough to accept their mistakes and their willingness to make sacrifices in the overall interest of the party.
For the Imolites, if there is no pains there will be no gains. We can now make comparative analysis and say which one is better. With a visionary leader, the state will regain its lost glory.
Nigerians are too docile, they should compel the President to work in tandem with their high expectations. Yes, there is global economic glut but the government and the masses must be on the same page in terms of diversification. We must look inwards to salvage the economy.
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