By Victor Ahiuma-Young
Reverend Chukwudi Eke is the Commissioner representing Ndokwa ethnic nationality on the Board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC and also the leader of Integrity for Leadership and Sustainable Empowerment Initiative, based in Asaba, the Delta State capital, with member drawn across the states if the federation.
In this interview, he spoke on DESOPADEC, Boko Haram, President Goodluck Jonathan second term bid.
Excerpts
There appears to be no end to insinuations that the 2015 general elections are likely to be shifted forward. What is your view?
I do not see a reason to postpone the general elections. What are the reasons being giving? I do not think there should be need for it except in areas where the state of emergency could affect the elections until peace prevails. Unless, in one or two states where we have continuous violence and destruction of lives and properties. Other than that, I don’t see any reason why the general elections should be postponed by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
What is you take on President Goodluck Jonathan second term bid judging from his official declaration and subsequent endorsement to seek re-election in 2015?
If you have watched the performance on the screen during the declaration it was a mammoth crowd. People from all works of life were there. You can imagine even cripples struggling to come into the arena, also the Fulani herdsman came out massively, women from all works of life. In fact, it was amazing the kind of crowd that was attracted that very day. Non-Governmental Organizations, NGOs, were also there and all of them sponsored themselves as government did not spend a dime. You see they spent their money because there was need for them to make sacrifice for a good leadership to continue. I know of so many NGOs that came there with hired buses, lodged into hotels and paid just to make sure they were part of history. It was an epoch making event. It was very successful , the weather was so beautiful , in fact I give God the glory because you can see that the hands of God is upon the President , for him to do more for the nation.
The body languages of the President’s close aides have been clear that he would seek re-election. Was such elaborate ceremony necessary?
Well, it was necessary because what is worth doing is what doing well. We know for every event in history there are activities surrounding it. There are formalities so to fulfill all righteousness, Jesus Christ will always say, He knows His father answers Him, yet He knows many things that He tells us to fulfill all righteousness to let the world also see how many are for Him and how many are against Him. It was a symbolic event and there was need for him to do it. The body language you are talking is not only from his aides, but from Nigerians.
Almost every Nigerian was glamouring for him to declare his intention, even among children. The body language is not only restricted to the aides but to many Nigerians who want good thing for this nation. So it was timely and necessary.
The declaration came a day after the bomb blast that killed several students in the North East part of the country, would it not have been postponed because of the incidence?
First and foremost, I want to condole with families of those who lost their loved ones in that suicide bomb attack. It was a very painful tragedy to see our children destroyed and their lives terminated innocently for a crime they never committed. For no evil they committed just because certain group of individuals who want to come to power by any means possible, coming under any guise such as Boko Haram and perpetrating these crimes and perpetrating these act of wickedness and acts of inhumanity. Once again, I want to condole with these families and pray that the souls of these little ones will rest peacefully in the bosom of Lord. However, it is important to know that these wicked ones will stop at nothing to achieve their wickedness. Assuming if we postponed this very declaration and announced another date, I bet you given the history of this wickedness, they would still want to do something to distract governance. They would do anything possible to achieve their means, to make sure peace does not reign in our nation, to make sure there is no progress and to make sure we are not united as one. So, having condoled with the family, business must go on, because even if you postpone it, because we even have such instance in the past where government scheduled to do one thing and before you know it, there is bomb blast. When independence anniversary was scheduled some time back, before you knew it, there was a bomb blast. This has become their stock in trade and they do these to stop progress whether is in the area of governance or politics.
Governance or politics
These predators of evil are always there trying to disrupt development. So, having condoled with the families and shown our sympathy, we still needed to do what was necessary and that was what was done. The declaration was successful and even students were there, like other Nigerians who came out to make sure that a leader who has accomplished so much in the country, come back.
The PDP has already adopted the President as its sole Presidential candidate; don’t you think it impinges on other aspirants’ right?
It is a welcome development because other aspirants have also joined the masses to adopt our visionary President Goodluck Jonathan. It was not a one man affair. To other aspirants, they think that if someone is greater and more acceptable than they are, why should they not give him support to make sure he continues to do better than what he is already doing? They want to make sure that he finishes the job he has started because he needs another term in office to complete his transformation agenda. The administration is doing well, so we are all in support to make sure he finishes and accomplishes all the good works he has started.
What would you make out of the increase the activities of Boko Haram and botched reported ceasefire agreement?
Well, the case of ceasefire could not work because of the lapses associated with the agreement, but there is no turning back. I don’t look at failure as failure, but as a step towards success. When you look at the history of great nations you will see that nothing good comes easily.
Reverend Chukwudi Eke is the Commissioner representing Ndokwa ethnic nationality on the Board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC and also the leader of Integrity for Leadership and Sustainable Empowerment Initiative, based in Asaba, the Delta State capital, with member drawn across the states if the federation.
In this interview, he spoke on DESOPADEC, Boko Haram, President Goodluck Jonathan second term bid.
Excerpts
There appears to be no end to insinuations that the 2015 general elections are likely to be shifted forward. What is your view?
I do not see a reason to postpone the general elections. What are the reasons being giving? I do not think there should be need for it except in areas where the state of emergency could affect the elections until peace prevails. Unless, in one or two states where we have continuous violence and destruction of lives and properties. Other than that, I don’t see any reason why the general elections should be postponed by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
What is you take on President Goodluck Jonathan second term bid judging from his official declaration and subsequent endorsement to seek re-election in 2015?
Chukwudi Eke
The body languages of the President’s close aides have been clear that he would seek re-election. Was such elaborate ceremony necessary?
Well, it was necessary because what is worth doing is what doing well. We know for every event in history there are activities surrounding it. There are formalities so to fulfill all righteousness, Jesus Christ will always say, He knows His father answers Him, yet He knows many things that He tells us to fulfill all righteousness to let the world also see how many are for Him and how many are against Him. It was a symbolic event and there was need for him to do it. The body language you are talking is not only from his aides, but from Nigerians.
Almost every Nigerian was glamouring for him to declare his intention, even among children. The body language is not only restricted to the aides but to many Nigerians who want good thing for this nation. So it was timely and necessary.
The declaration came a day after the bomb blast that killed several students in the North East part of the country, would it not have been postponed because of the incidence?
First and foremost, I want to condole with families of those who lost their loved ones in that suicide bomb attack. It was a very painful tragedy to see our children destroyed and their lives terminated innocently for a crime they never committed. For no evil they committed just because certain group of individuals who want to come to power by any means possible, coming under any guise such as Boko Haram and perpetrating these crimes and perpetrating these act of wickedness and acts of inhumanity. Once again, I want to condole with these families and pray that the souls of these little ones will rest peacefully in the bosom of Lord. However, it is important to know that these wicked ones will stop at nothing to achieve their wickedness. Assuming if we postponed this very declaration and announced another date, I bet you given the history of this wickedness, they would still want to do something to distract governance. They would do anything possible to achieve their means, to make sure peace does not reign in our nation, to make sure there is no progress and to make sure we are not united as one. So, having condoled with the family, business must go on, because even if you postpone it, because we even have such instance in the past where government scheduled to do one thing and before you know it, there is bomb blast. When independence anniversary was scheduled some time back, before you knew it, there was a bomb blast. This has become their stock in trade and they do these to stop progress whether is in the area of governance or politics.
Governance or politics
These predators of evil are always there trying to disrupt development. So, having condoled with the families and shown our sympathy, we still needed to do what was necessary and that was what was done. The declaration was successful and even students were there, like other Nigerians who came out to make sure that a leader who has accomplished so much in the country, come back.
The PDP has already adopted the President as its sole Presidential candidate; don’t you think it impinges on other aspirants’ right?
It is a welcome development because other aspirants have also joined the masses to adopt our visionary President Goodluck Jonathan. It was not a one man affair. To other aspirants, they think that if someone is greater and more acceptable than they are, why should they not give him support to make sure he continues to do better than what he is already doing? They want to make sure that he finishes the job he has started because he needs another term in office to complete his transformation agenda. The administration is doing well, so we are all in support to make sure he finishes and accomplishes all the good works he has started.
What would you make out of the increase the activities of Boko Haram and botched reported ceasefire agreement?
Well, the case of ceasefire could not work because of the lapses associated with the agreement, but there is no turning back. I don’t look at failure as failure, but as a step towards success. When you look at the history of great nations you will see that nothing good comes easily.
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