Chief Ewie Aimienwauu is a successful businessman, politician, culture administrator and philanthropist of great repute. He was a one-time governorship aspirant in Edo State. In this interview, he speaks on the politics of Edo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission, among other national issues and solutions to power problems in Nigeria. He laments that thuggery and godfatherism are killing politics in Nigeria. Excerpts:
What is your position on happenings in Edo State and at the national level and what prompted you into politics?
My friends said to me many years ago in 2004 that I should go and run for governorship in Edo State. The state is in a mess. You like the praises of people; since you like people’s praise, I am sure if you emerged as governor, you will do what is best for the people. So I began to look at it critically because I like people to be happy. I love justice and equity. I have been doing a lot of philanthropy. The platform of governorship and political space is one that would enable me, do more good for people. This was what encouraged me into joining politics.
The year 2024 is Edo gubernatorial election, which is fast approaching; you have been an active participant in the politics of Edo, will you be contesting or you just want to sit back as a stakeholder, for events to unfold?
I am not contesting in this year‘s election. What I am doing is more of advocacy. I am advocating for good governance, right candidacy, free and fair elections and improved standard of living for Edo citizens. I believe there is enough for everyone and in this election; I will be putting my mouth where my money is. I will be helping the people to decide where to vote.
Peaceful and credible elections are essential for our democracy to thrive. When elections are peaceful, free and fair, it can help facilitate a smooth transfer of power from one administration to another and confer legitimacy on elected officials.
For the 2024 election, since I’m not contesting for any office, I will be involved with voters’ education and advocacy. But with my experience that I have acquired, I will be putting my mouth where my money is. I will be helping the people to decide through advocacy, not seduction, not by force and not by inducement.
“For this 2024 gubernatorial race, we want someone who has the sanity of a family trait in his affairs and not just one who needs power”
What is your assessment of the past administrations since 1999 and the incumbent. Do you think they have been able to transform the state, considering the fact that you were an aspirant?
The performance of past governors in Edo since 1999? I didn’t win the elections; I would rather say that all past governments in Edo had continued to endeavour to improve on the performance of their predecessors.
All past administrations have tried to improve on the last but unfortunately, we are not where we want to be. But I can tell you we are not where we used to be; the malaise of governance, in fact in all of the country called Nigeria, it is not because of the state governor alone. The local government chairmen too. It is not just the governors responsible to make life easier for people. Local Government chairmen have their roles to play.
Governors and the Federal Government have their roles to play. That is why we have the three lists in the constitution, the Exclusive, Concurrent and Residual list. If they are effective this executive, the society would be better as people will have more dividends of democracy. I am not exonerating the governors; they are my colleagues and friends. But they need to be more critical of every Executive holder. I’m saying that the Nigerian electorate should be more critical of every executive office holder, not just the governors.
You mentioned that the Local Government chairmen should play their roles but in Nigeria, this tier of government is often stifled by the governors as a result of the executive positions they hold.
Actually, that was in the past. The local government councils now have their funds directly from the Federal Government remitted to them. The law has been passed and I believe that the issue has been resolved.
It’s not only the governors that are responsible for making life easier for people. Local government chairmen have their roles to play as well as governors and the Federal Government. That is why we have the Exclusive, the Concurrent and the Residual lists in the constitution. If each of these perform its function, the society will be better; people will have more dividends of democracy. I’m not exonerating the governors because they are my colleagues or friends.
How would you view development in Edo State and why have you decided to provide alternative power?
I think that the issue of power in Nigeria goes beyond the states. It is an endemic national problem that is rooted in a number of issues and pedestals. For instance, for a country that gets its supply of power from the national grid, if there is a break at any point on the national grid, then all the other places below will have problems. The state governors are not empowered to generate power, so we can’t hold the states accountable for lack of electricity in their states. It’s a thing that’s beyond state governors. The Federal Government has however listened to us and has agreed that the generation of electricity should be decentralized and once that takes effect, then we will begin to have power.
The solution to our power problem in Nigeria is decentralization. Anybody that can generate power should be allowed to generate power and distribute within set guidelines.
Transmission lines should be owned and controlled by one central body and that body has to provide so much money. We have almost 60 percent of energy poverty in this country and we have almost 45 percent of people that will not get near the national grid in the next 5 to 10 years. How do they get power? The only way they can get power is by decentralized generation – Solar, Wind, Small hydro and medium size hydro. It’s a national problem and this government is beginning to solve it.
What criteria should Edo citizens consider in deciding whoever wins the gubernatorial race?
I think what should be considered in deciding the gubernatorial race should examine these factors.
The issue should be the closest to the people. Compassionate, the winner must have compassion for the people. A family person, all of this is the element of what a good leader should possess. When we say nearness to the people it means someone who understands the tears and pains of the people. The ability to understand and deploy resources where it is needed. A family man. It means, looking at the state from the lenses of a family.
There is a need to strengthen families in Edo State. I came from a family where my father was a headmaster in primary School. I know a lot of people invested in their children because they were told that the easiest way out of poverty is to educate your children. And these children have been educated either inadequately or adequately, yet they are unemployed. Some of them sell their patrimonies for their children to see greener pastures abroad.
In Edo State, I have seen lots of people die in the Sahara, and statistics shows Edo State indigenes are also high in the number. For this 2024 gubernatorial race, we want someone who has the sanity of a family trait in his affairs and not just one who needs power. We need a person who is willing to hold families accountable and together. A society of a country is a conglomerate of families.
It is not so difficult and it is not rocket science; let the person with these qualities win election
How would you assess development in Edo?
Most citizens are impoverished and can be lured by politicians through vote buying among others. Also credibility is currently a challenge by the people to trust INEC. How do we ensure free and fair elections?
Most midterm elections in the country have been free and fair to a large extent as all candidates always accept the outcomes of the election. So, the Edo State election is a midterm election and I am sure it is the only election that is for governorship on that day. If INEC deploys all their resources and security agencies use most of their best hands and the electorates are ready to vote and wait to defend their votes, I don’t see any challenge at all.
Are you saying the issue of vote buying is no longer possible in the Edo gubernatorial race?
I am among those politicians that believe there is nothing like vote buying. The reason is that a politician is one who is one, among the people all the time. When I visit Edo and I interact with the people who are always in the state, those who are domiciled in Edo are political leaders.
They don’t have to buy anybody’s vote. Through the year, they have been providing support. The wife of a kinsman who just gave birth this morning and he is in the hospital to see them, takes care of the bills and assists. If a child needs to go to school and the school fee is not complete, the political leader assists. The man’s bike developed a fault and he supports the repairs. They need farm labourers, the political leader assists in solving that problem.
Things that we do as politicians linger in the heart of the masses. The issue of care especially in a system where there is no formal scheme; the social scheme in Nigeria is our extended family system. We are in that system and if through the years we have provided the support, you don’t need to buy votes on election day. They won’t even accept the money if one gives.
“The unemployment situation in Nigeria became the arsenal for thuggery; more human resources and traditional cults have become an issue”
What has actually changed in the political settings of Edo State with you being a gubernatorial candidate some years ago?
The politics of Edo have become very dynamic. In the past, Edo politics was leadership politics. The parties were guided by the leaders. Presently, politics have become more open. When I first ran for the gubernatorial race in 2006/2007, the number of aspirants across the board could be counted with the number of my fingers. But today, I need my fingers, toes and I need to borrow more people’s fingers to know the number of aspirants on the field now; that tells you something about egalitarianism. It tells you about freedom, speaks about awareness, and concerns.
It tells you that the politics have moved. There is more awareness; more people are ready to solve the problem of the state. The people are ready and it shows growth.
Nationally we have seen the cost of living and security challenges. What is your take on what is happening in the judiciary?I am not in position to reconcile these two issues. But if you ask me this: Why has Nigeria become impoverished?
We are not poor, money is being taken out but nobody has come out to say this is the amount stolen by certain groups. No record to prove that but Nigerians who have money in foreign countries’ banks should come and bail us out. A combination of a bail out system involving Nigerians who have access to foreign exchange plus an enabling environment and strategic exploitation of our mineral resources would bail us out of this quagmire in less than no time.
One of the things that have rocked the Nigerian polity is political thuggery and godfatherism and Edo is not an exemption. In the last two administrations, we saw the state moving from being peaceful to cultism and political banditry.
Everybody who is qualified to aspire for the gubernatorial race be allowed to. We should not de-franchise people. If we are democratic and anybody wants to run for a political position, he should be given the opportunity.
Even when the presidency is zoned at the national level, certain people equally contested. So, it is only fair that anyone who wants to run for positions should be given.
Relationships should not only be on paper. It should be those you can relate with in private. The relationship between the Edo State governor and his deputy should not just be on paper. Don’t trust everything on paper. About thuggery, most places in Nigeria experience it and Edo is not an exception.
The unemployment situation in Nigeria became the arsenal for thuggery; more human resources and traditional cults have become an issue. But for this coming election, what we stand for in a political state like Edo is that everybody is an ethnic person, we should not kill our brother and sister because of governance at the end of four years.
