EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW: As Council Chairmen, We’re Expected to Improve Upon People’s Livelihood, Says lgri, Forum Chairman
Judex OKORO, Ebi COLLINS and Missang AKPET
Recently, you were elected as chairman of Cross River local government chairmen forum. How do you feel taking up such huge responsibility at this crucial stage?
What I must confess to you is that chair of chairs is like a class prefect whose duty is to run around for the benefits of the whole class, who is the first among equals. I am just like the nexus which connects the executive in the state and the Local government chairmen. My job is not so cumbersome, it is sitting with the government on behalf of the 18 local government chairmen to negotiate the welfare of the third tier of government and make sure that good luck must prevail up to the grassroots and we as apostles of good luck must make sure we render good account.
Whatever the state and local government agree to do must better the life of our people at the grassroots. So, for me being the chair of chairs, I see it more like an errand's job than being of service to my people. And by representing them as a leader with the mind to serve, I didn’t choose myself it may not be because I was better than other chairmen but maybe they saw me as somebody who has the characteristics of one who can lead in that position and I take it as first line charge. If the chairmen of the 18 local government areas work well with the state, it will create a conducive environment for us to operate democratically. There’s nothing that will go well if the state is doing well and the local government is not doing well that will augur well and spell good prospects for our democracy.
Our democracy is still growing and we must nurture it with carefulness. For some of us who are chairmen of councils, we did not take the chairmanship because it was the right time to take it but because it is the time the responsibility falls on us. Therefore, you must carry it and show people why you are what you want to be. When we are running politics everybody will tell you he’s a politician but it is only when you hold a position that you tend to show the qualities of a politician that is when we’ll know if you’re a good politician or not because all the followers are politicians but give them a responsibility. It is the outcome of our duty that will let us know if we are good politician or not. A politician should think of the people first. As chairmen of councils, we should be able to serve the people who queued and said they want us because they expect us to render service to them and improve upon the livelihood of our people.
Chairman Sir, people have been expressing fear that the current chairmen may not have free hand to run the administration. How do you look at such scenario?
We’re all literate, we’re all politicians, we are experienced people and the people who voted us into power know what is expected of us. It’s only time will tell whether we’re given free hand or not. For now, I can tell you that the current Governor is a complete democrat. He is somebody who likes to relate with the people. I’ve never dealt with a politician who gives you ear and listen to your opinion about issues. Since I emerged as chairman of chairmen, I’ve had audience with him a couple of times and I’ve seen the openness and willingness to allow us operate maybe because he’s a grassroots politician. His own is if you do well you’ll have very minimal and less job to do. So, he implores us to do well, reach out to people because this his “peoples first mantra is from his blood, it is in his DNA.”
What made him ‘Sweet Prince’ was that the people who followed him got to understand that a National Assembly member could reach out to his people to the extent of empowering and developing people who did not support him. He didn’t leave that gap then, so is it now that he has the powers of an executive governor that he will come to influence us not to do well?
I think it is just a misconception or wishful thinking that he might not give us free hand. However, he has even started giving us the free hands to operate and we even advise him sometimes and he says no you are the chairman, do what you decide as a chairman what you think is proper. I rather want the people there to be telling me that this government is good. Some of you were elected maybe because they know you can render that service. So as a government, I had no option when you emerged. For me, any democrat that wants to grow should be very conscious of the feelings of the people who he is rendering services to. If you are not doing well, this will also make the job difficult for him when he comes back to look for another tenure.
What will you consider to be the missing link in local government administration that makes it nearly impossible for people at the grassroots to feel the dividends of democracy? How do you think you can be fixed it?
It depends on the person involved. If you are elected chairman and you know that you are close to people that you see every day and you want to deprive them of what they are constitutionally entitled to them, then it is unfortunate. The dividends of democracy is what everybody knows and, as you are coming to government, you must provide the services and other basic amenities. If you don't even do that which is constitutional to them, it is an abnormally. For us, who are so experienced politically, it is to live a legacy behind so that people will say so-and-so person, when he was a chairman, he was able to do this and because of that I've been able to feed well. We should have that self-principle.
What is your advice to the people?
For now, we call on all stakeholders across the communities to join hands in rebuilding the local government administration so we can restore confidence at the grassroots level of governance. I can assure the people that Governor Bassey Otu has a lot to offer and reposition the state. The APC-led government will not disappoint because the reforms going on will bring in long term economic prosperity and political stability. All we need is just cooperation and quality advice and constructive criticism to enthrone virile democratic institutions across board. Do remember that Rome was not built in a day.
