SENATE Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, represents Cross River Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly. In this interview, he bares his mind on the $1 billion loan required to combat the Boko Haram insurgency and the alleged bid to stop his return to the Senate by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River State. He also spoke on other issues. Excerpts:
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
At what point did you start having problems with the state chapter of your party?
As a person, I have no problem with the state chapter of my party. I don’t have any problem with them. I just noticed certain actions that have no constitutional basis and I believe that they will advise themselves properly and follow the constitution of the party, I don’t have any problem with them. Caucuses were composed in the state with membership that is not provided for in the PDP constitution.
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
At what point did you start having problems with the state chapter of your party?
As a person, I have no problem with the state chapter of my party. I don’t have any problem with them. I just noticed certain actions that have no constitutional basis and I believe that they will advise themselves properly and follow the constitution of the party, I don’t have any problem with them. Caucuses were composed in the state with membership that is not provided for in the PDP constitution.
How true is it that the state governor, Liyel Imoke is behind the purported caucuses ?I have always known the governor to be a stickler for law and the constitution. And nothing has happened to make me change that opinion. I know that he is somebody who respects the law and the constitution. It will be quite strange in my view if he has anything to do with it. I have no evidence to that effect and I don’t believe he will be behind any unconstitutional move. It was alleged that your problem with the governor started when it was rumoured that you are behind the governorship aspiration of Mr. Goddy Agba.
There is no such thing. Becoming governor requires a process. So how do you bring out somebody without following the rules? And I have said it again and again that I have no hand in it. The President has confirmed that no such thing happened. I have never taken anybody to the President.
What is your take on the new zoning formula of your party?
The caucuses have no powers to zone. The constitution clearly spelt out their powers. It is just an advisory body in the PDP constitution. In the Electoral Act, a candidate can only emerge through primaries. The way positions have been shared in my senatorial district is between old Ikom and old Obubra. That has not changed and any day the Senate seat leaves old Ikom, it is supposed to go to old Obubra.
Why is it that despite the prominent positions you and others occupy in the National Assembly, the Federal road from Calabar to Obubra has remained in a bad shape?
I think the proper place to get an answer to that is the Federal Ministry of Works because I have done what we are supposed to do. We secure adequate appropriation for some remedial works. That road was commissioned in 1977. When it was built, the kind of traffic on it now was not anticipated. So I think the road has reached the end of its life span, it now requires total reconstruction.
Former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme reportedly said there was no need to send the report of the National Conference to the National Assembly. What is your comment on that?
I have already said that it is up to Mr. President who instituted the conference or who established the conference to decide what he wants to do with the report.
There are some pending reports in the Senate like the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, the report on Ezu River and others. What is happening to them especially, the PIB?
I want to assure Nigerians that the PIB will be passed before the end of the Seventh Senate. I have said that it is a very technical bill, it is a very complex Bill because of the technical component of the bill.There is also the legal component of the bill, financial component of the bill and gas component of the bill.
When you are going to be compressing about 16 existing laws regulating the industry into one bill, it will not be done in a hurry. It is an important bill and we want to make sure that when it is passed it will sufficiently capture every aspect of the industry and essentially protect the overall interest of Nigerians.Before the Senate went on vacation, Mr. President demanded for funds to prosecute the war on terror. Why has the loan not been approved?
To the best of my knowledge, the National Assembly hasn’t approved Mr. President’s request. You will recall that the request came a day or two before we proceeded on annual vacation. So it hasn’t been approved.
When we resume, we will address it because the situation in the North-East has even become more challenging than it was before we left for recess. It is of great concern to Nigerians and we are going to address it.