in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, in this interview with
CHUKWUDI AKASIKE, speaks on his plans for the state
and other issues
If you had not emerged the governorship
candidate, would you have defected from the
APC to another party?
I did not join the APC to become the governorship
flagbearer. I joined the party for two reasons. The first
reason is that I believe in the philosophy of the party. I
believe in the leadership of the party in Rivers State as
having the capacity to represent Rivers interest. I believe
that Rivers State interest would be best served under a
better arrangement in the All Progressives Congress. So, it is
only incidental that being a member of the APC, one person
must be chosen as the flagbearer and the lot fell on me to
represent our collective interest on the ticket of the APC in
Government House, Port Harcourt.
You talked about your four-point agenda for the
prosperity of Rivers State. How do you intend to
achieve this when the revenue of the state is
dwindling?
We have what we call the Rivers State Financing Strategy. In
that document, we captured in numbers what should be our
budget in the first year up to the third year and sources of
funding. We have looked at diverse sources of funding and
we dovetailed to four major sources.
One is the federation allocation account that will come from
the centre. This is going down because of dwindling oil price.
The second is the fund we access from multinational
agencies at rock-bottom interest rates. The third is the fund
that will accrue to us in the course of doing public-private
partnership.
There are some programmes that would best be funded by
public, private sectors working together. There are things
governments currently do now; social projects, capital
projects, economically viable projects that can be
undertaken by the private sector. We will also look at this
and provide the robust framework for private sector
participation.
The final thing we are looking at are ways of boosting our
internally generated revenue. That stream of income is
about the most dependable. But two things must be in
place if you must maximise benefits from internally
generated revenue: the first is provide conducive regulatory
environment and the other is provide a conducive fiscal
environment. These will help you to attract more businesses
and this means more people paying tax. The second one is
that you boost current businesses and block leakages and
loopholes in the current tax administration system so that
we can maximise the current tax regime without introducing
new taxes.
The issue of the monorail project embarked upon
by the current administration has always been
on the front burner. Do you intend to continue
with the project if you are elected the governor
of the state?
I will continue with monorail. Let me give it a little
background so that you will better appreciate it. If you talk
about population in terms of land, Rivers State is one state
that is under pressure. In terms of population density, we
are about number two in the country after Lagos. Now, if we
don’t run the vision, in the next few years in the city of Port
Harcourt, people would not be able to move about freely.
So, monorail is a product of vision to provide mass
transportation, not just for today, but for tomorrow. The
other thing that has inspired the monorail project is tourism.
Today, the monorail project is contentious; similar monorail
projects in the world are also contentious.
When monorail was initiated in Seattle in Washington, it was
a contentious project. For eight years, between conception
and foundation, nothing was done in Seattle in Washington
in the United States where people are enlightened. When
monorail was initiated in Mumbai in India, it was a
contentious project. It took eight years before it took off.
Today, everybody appreciates monorail in India. It remains
the safest means of mass transportation. So, we will
continue with the monorail project.
Monorail is not designed to be completed in four years
anywhere in the world. Governor Amaechi has initiated the
first phase of the project and has almost completed it. We
will continue with the second phase and we hope that those
who will take over from us will continue with the third phase
of the monorail project until we have an efficient mass
transportation system in Nigeria and particularly the city of
Port Harcourt.
As a member of the House of Representatives,
what experience have you gained in the National
Assembly that you may want to bring to bear if
you become the governor of the state?
I am sure you know that I am perhaps the only person who is
in the race that has served in the two arms of government
that are electable. I have served both in the executive arm
and the legislative arm of government. I am perhaps the
only person in the race who has served at three different
levels of government; at the local government level, at the
state level and at the national level. If experience means
holding government positions, I can say yes. I am coming
with a lot of experience.
But one thing that no one can deny me is that I am coming
with integrity; I am coming with a vision that is unmatched, I
am coming with character. I am coming from being part of a
team that conceived the shared vision of the Rivers State of
possibilities, which Governor Amaechi started its
implementation in 2007. This is why I have said we will
continue to run with that vision because I am part of that
vision. I know the challenges we face trying to implement
the vision and I know the next level we are planning to
accomplish.
At a time, you were the Works Commissioner in
the state. The opposition party said you did not
manage the ‘Operation Zero Pothole’ programme
established few years ago in Rivers State well,
how do you react to this?
Operation Zero Pothole was an intervention programme I
initiated and got the approval of the state executive council
as the then Commissioner for Works. In the two years that
we executed Operation Zero Pothole, I challenge anybody;
there was no single pothole in the greater Port Harcourt City
or the Central Port Harcourt Business District. I received
commendations from all well-meaning Rivers people. Now
that I want to run election, somebody is talking. I left
Ministry of Works and few people are saying Operation Zero
Pothole did not work.
The programme then was supposed to be some palliative
measure before those roads are reconstructed. In any case,
of all the roads we fixed, the areas we fixed, not one failed
till today. Some of the roads were constructed 20 or 30
years ago, some were constructed during the colonial
period. Rivers people can still recall the passion with which
we pursued the Operation Zero Pothole project.
For me, that is one high point upon which I am riding to the
office of the Governor of Rivers State. People know that I
am associated with efficiency and effectiveness and that
whenever I am given the opportunity, I approach it with
seriousness; I approach it with single-mindedness and with a
passion to serve the people of Rivers State.
How do you react to claims in some quarters that
you were once a member of a cult group?
I challenge anybody born of a woman; anybody on earth to
show proof. I have never in my lifetime joined any cult group;
not as a student, not after graduation and I have absolutely
no need to. I am a born-again Christian and everybody
knows that I fear God and I don’t profess God for nothing.
I have a track record of the fear of God and integrity. I
believe that mischief is becoming a characteristic of Rivers
politics but I am confident that Rivers people will be able to
separate mischief makers from those who are saying things
that are factual. This allegation is strange, but I know that
nobody who knows me will take it seriously.
Rivers people are discerning; they know those in the race
who are Ogboni and those who are true Christians. The
people know our antecedents and I am sure, I am very
hopeful, very optimistic that given the opportunity anytime,
any day, Rivers people will make a choice that best
represents their interest and who they are.
You were in Okrika when violence broke out and
suddenly you disappeared, we did not see you.
How were you able to leave the scene?
I was in Okrika as you said and what happened in Okrika is
unfortunate. Worst still, the trend has not stopped. After the
Okrika incident, several of our rallies have been attacked.
Recently in Port Harcourt, we had a ward rally and after the
rally, at about 2.20pm, I got information that our members
were attacked and six of them were wounded while several
cars were destroyed. This happened on Saturday, the 28th of
February. It is most unfortunate.
The orgy of political violence in Rivers State is becoming
unbearable. It is not a trend that will do anybody any good.
We must all rise up and stop this political violence. I was at
the National School Field in Okrika and we started hearing
sporadic gunshots. We were very calm and trying to identify
where the gunshots were coming from. We noticed that the
gunshots were coming from the Okrika Cemetery. The
security men attached to me insisted that I must move.
They had to literally whisk me away and put me in a vehicle
and took me away out of Okrika and after some time, I
reconnected with members of Greater Together Campaign
Organisation. We later addressed a press conference,
drawing the world’s attention to the incident in Okrika.
But the PDP in the state later came out with a
statement, blaming the attack on APC members
in Okrika on the division in your party?
The implication is that PDP knows what happened in Okrika.
They had prior knowledge of what happened in Okrika. I
expect that the police will invite them (PDP) to provide
further information on what happened in Okrika.
But nothing can be farther from the truth than the claim
that it is a faction of the APC led by the State Commissioner
for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker and another faction led by
David Alagbere. There is absolutely no APC faction in Okrika.
Alagbere is the leader of the APC in Okrika; there is no
dispute about that and Dr. Parker will tell you that. We don’t
have dispute in Okrika among our people.
What the PDP sought to do was to misinform the people for
a selfish reason. If they know that they are not culpable, they
should not bother themselves. But today, the whole world
knows that the PDP has some explanations to give on the
incident in Okrika and I expect the security agencies to do
what is right. Two things; God is watching all of us and the
people of Rivers State are watching and history will record
all of us.
Are you not afraid that the charged situation in
Rivers State could mar the forthcoming election?
If the current situation is not brought under control, there is
the likelihood, the tendency to affect elections in Rivers
State. But like the incurable optimist that I am, I believe that
the security agencies would rise up to the occasion; I believe
that the authorities will rise up to the occasion and bring the
stage of stress and strain under control. If we can’t achieve a
peaceful atmosphere, there is no need conducting an
election here and exposing our people to risk.
No man’s ambition, like our President would say, whether he
means it or not, is a different matter, is worth the blood of
anybody or the life of anybody. We cannot continue with
shedding of blood, with this unnecessary wastage of lives. It
is unacceptable to any well-meaning political leader. It
constitutes danger and if we don’t stem the violence, it
would outlive the election.
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