Senator, Gil Nnaji is a Senator representing Enugu-East senatorial zone of Enugu state at the National Assembly, he is the chairman senate committee on communication, in this exclusive interview with RAPHAEL EDE, said he has attracted projects to his constituency more than former senators had attracted put together
Sir, how democratic are the calls that some of you should give room for new brigade of political aspirants?
Well, thank you for this opportunity for me to air my view. Well it is most unfortunate that somebody after sleeping wakes up and tell other people not to contest for an elective position simply because of the high authority and position the person is holding. It is not obtained in any democratic setup, never, in the whole world that a man or woman will tell other elected officials that they should come back home from where they are representing the people well; that they should not further run for any political position at all. I believe that it is undemocratic and it will not augur well with our democratic setup and as far as somebody stand to say such a thing, the person is only saying his own mind and not the mind of the people that ceded their franchise for me to serve. So he has said his own, I believe it is left for the people to make their choice.
How do you intend to achieve your second time bid amidst the wrangling within the PDP?
Well, first of all, I don’t take questions anyhow especially questions about PDP. PDP is a very good party and we do things according to the constitution guiding the party. So for my plans on how to return to the senate, I believe it is only God that giveth power and not man. So no matter what men do, I still insist that it is God who giveth power. So, I have plans for my second tenure because this is my first tenure as a Senator of the Federal republic of Nigeria representing Enugu East Senatorial Zone and from what I have done so far for the people of the zone, I believe that it is left for the people to decide for me. We have achieved a lot within this period we served in the red chamber. As a legislator I have attracted Federal Government projects within my senatorial district. If you watch what we have achieved on ICT, as the Chairman, Senate Committee on communication, I have made sure that all schools in Enugu East Senatorial Zone both secondary and tertiary institutions in our zone have Information and Communication Technology ICT base. Computer equipment has been installed to make sure that there is easy access to ICT. This is in a bid to create communicate link with the outside world. It entails that if you go to these places we have ICT labs which have been established in the whole secondary schools within my Senatorial Zone. We know it has not reached every part of the zone but majority of the secondary schools in Enugu East senatorial zone have been connected with ICT laboratories, equipped with computers, air conditioners, ICT facilities both internet services and solar systems that powers them. So we thank God today about what we have achieved and I believe if my people want me to go back to the senate, they will surely vote for me. For instance, if you go to Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, we are building a gigantic project that is almost at the finishing level, the same thing at Godfrey Okoye University where we are doing “E Library” this is the first of its kind in this country. When you visit the University, you can see what we have done.
We have projects in, Caritas University, IMT Enugu, UNEC and Eha-Amufu Federal College of Education, all these institutions have benefited from one ICT project or another. If you go along Nike road; you will see a very big institute which NCC is building (Digital Bridge Institute) it is the training institute of the commission which is to serve the whole of South East. It was attracted by me. So I believe in what I have done. I can’t start naming hospitals and roads which I have attracted to my zone, like Agbani, Ugbawka, and other roads; it is under construction now by FERMA. The Ugbawka Bridge which was built by the military for a very long time collapsed and for so many years, the people were caught off, nobody enters into that area because of this, but today, I have done the bridge and it’s my personal effort. So you can go there and see things for yourselves so, I have really done a lot also in terms of health-centers. We built health centers in Akpugo, so there’s a lot that I have done. It is Federal health centre, a very big hospital that I have also done, so I can’t name them, but I can list it and give you so you go and see for yourself.
Apart from these achievements, which other things do you intend to do if you are given a second chance and how do you intend to go further in empowering the people as well as other ideas you want to put in place?
Well, I believe that as long as you stay in the senate, you will be gaining lots of experiences, and it is better for you to stay and if you stay, you may be chairing committees and so on. I believe that if I am re-elected, the position that I will get may be better than the one that I have now. We know that some of our South-Eastern roads are in very bad conditions, that needs to be addressed, so as a experienced member, if I am re-elected, I will make sure that I meet the people in authority to make sure that all these roads are repaired because I know that the South East roads is one of the worst we have in Nigeria.
You can check the 9th Mile-Nsukka-Benue roads by now it’s supposed to be completed but it’s because of some issues beyond us. I would make the Federal Government to dualise that road because it’s an inter-state road. The same thing is applicable with the Enugu-Onitsha road; the contractors that were given the job are doing virtually nothing. Though we have a lot of challenges, we may appropriate but can the executive execute it? There’s a lot of money that was appropriated in the 2014 budget on that particular road but because of the way the releases are being made, the contactors are not doing anything but l believe that when we come back that we must take it as a challenge and make sure that we disturb the ministry of finance and the presidency to make sure that road is completed. It is also the same story with the 2nd Niger Bridge, it has been awarded to Julius Berger but we must make sure that once we come back and they see you as an experienced Legislator you will have an upper-hand. You will do a lot for your people in terms of job creation as you can see there’s unemployment lingering everywhere in our areas. Presently a lot of people have been gainfully employed through me and if I am re-elected, I would do more than what I have done so far.
Is it true that the so-called powers that be said that nobody from your zone had been to the senate for a second term and therefore you should not run?
I want to point out clearly that at no point in the history of Nkanu land and Enugu-east senatorial district was there any form of agreement that senators should be elected for only one term in office. It is not true… There is no reasonable person that can contemplate such backward ideas. What then is the essence of calling democracy the government of the people by the people whereas it is only one person or a few individuals that determine the fate of the people? But I think it is the figments of the imagination of people who are afraid to face the court of public opinion and also who have made up their mind to fail the people if given opportunity to serve. For instance if such an agreement exists, then once one is elected he or she should not even bother to deliver since he or she must vacate office whether or not he or she performs. But because such is non-existing, I have deployed all efforts in making sure that my constituency, Enugu-East, is not left out in the dividends of democracy both in terms of representation and attraction of federal presence So it is laughable that people could wake up and start spreading falsehoods just to cover for their lack of morality and failure to serve the people creditably. Again and so far, there is no past senator in Enugu-east that can match, not to talk of beating my record in terms of performance and attraction of federal presence. All these people who today are the agents of misinformation should show evidences or dividends of the people’s mandate they enjoyed while in offices. I still maintain that the people should be allowed to choose their leaders instead of imposition. As far as Enugu-east senatorial seat is concerned and the people are allowed to freely elect their choice candidate I am the candidate to beat by God’s special grace. In short it is only God who can stop me if only it pleases Him but I know He is with me and will guide me to victory.
I know I will still render my account of stewardship but as of today I have the following to my credit.
Finally since the people that I represent are obviously satisfied with my performance and as a result have been clamouring for me to serve them again, I have since graciously accepted to offer myself for their mandate renewal. Do not forget that all the political leadership positions I have held before now were through elections including even the one I am currently occupying. So in the same tradition I have offered myself to the party and the people for re-assessment of my stewardship which by the grace of God and sincere judgment of humanity is quite impressive and enough to take me further. But for now, I am still exercising the mandate already given to me to the best of my ability and to the glory of God. And you know that governance and politics are different things that should not be combined if our democracy must grow. There is time for everything.
So what is your message for the electorate?
Well my message to the electorate is that they should vote with their minds. They should not listen to anybody. Nobody is God. It is only God that decides what anybody should be. If I had performed, they will vote for me. And I know they will but let them not say that somebody said that you are not going back. I am telling this to the delegates of Peoples Democratic Party. The nomination comes up on the 22nd of November for the Senate. So, let them go out there and cast their votes for me because I have done marvelously well and I am proud of what I achieved and I believe that ‘No Senator in the history of Enugu East Senatorial Zone has achieved what I have achieved in the zone’. So let them use the indices available to vote through their conscience and not allow anybody to tell them because he is in Government.
