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He has been mentioned as one of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, [PDP] stalwarts in Delta State, itching to succeed the incumbent governor of the State, Emmanuel Uduaghan. His speculated ambition has also courted for him the disdain of certain leaders of the party who had in recent times described him in unsavoury terms.
But in this interactive session with newsmen in Abuja, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, declares that the issue of who succeeds the sitting governor in Delta State is a distraction, as he submits that his major focus is the success of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“I have told people who care to listen that today as far as I am concerned, my immediate concern and activities is to work for Mr. President, support Mr. President to enable him deliver his transformation agenda for the people of this country.’’
How do you react to the allegation by some stakeholders in the Niger Delta that you are just pocketing the money being made available for your Ministry for the development of the region?
I think I want to reason that that is another level of ignorance exhibited by people who think that the way they are, that is the way others are. Today in this country there is a process of doing things and the President has emphasized on that and he has put that in black and white to everybody.
There is a procurement law in place. So, how do you pocket money? How? For a project to be done, first it has to go through the National Assembly, to be passed into an appropriation law. For you to do anything, you have to go through due process, diligence on the contractors, on the pricing, on the funding plan you have made for the execution of that project. These contracts are tendered, advertised and people would tender for these contracts and when these contracts are awarded, they are awarded to people. So, how do you pocket money? People talk out of ignorance.
They don’t know what it takes for the award of a contract. As a minister, I don’t have the power to sit down in my office and call in Mr. ‘A’ and say I have given you this contract. It is not done, it is advertised.
And this level of contracts you are talking about, they are advertised, and it is when Due Process is satisfied that they would give you the Certificate of no Objection and it is with that certificate that you would forward your memo to the Federal Executive Council (FEC), where you have 42 ministers, the President, the Vice President and other technical advisers looking at the contract before it is awarded and so it sounds stupid, it exposes the level of ignorance of people to sit in their houses, offices and in the market places to say that ministers are pocketing money. It is absolute nonsense.
Is Elder Orubebe actually corrupt in view of the recent outcry by some Delta leaders and a group led by a former m ember of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dino Melaye, asking the EFCC to prosecute you over alleged corrupt practices? How do you feel about the allegations of corruption brought against you? Categorically, Elder Orubebe is not corrupt and cannot be corrupt.
When Dino Melaye came out that time and said that I awarded contracts that were not in the budget, that I awarded contracts worth N27 billion and that I have paid the money and that I have pocketed the money. That I awarded particularly one contract for N1.2 billion and then increased it to N12 billion and paid it.
I think that Nigerians are more clever now, Nigerians now understand what governance is, Nigerians understand more the process of awarding contracts. Of course, that time I came out on air and addressed a press conference. The man said N27billion but the contracts that were awarded were just N6 billion and he said we have paid all the money but the contractors were mobilised with only about N990 million and as at the time they were talking, we were owing the contractors and we were even talking to their bankers to let the bankers know that look we gave contracts to these people and the money is not available yet and that they should give them time to work and went to the extent of mobilizing , inviting the media.
I had a media tour, where all media in this country were invited because the mischief makers also claimed that the contracts were not in existence and that the contractors and the communities were not in existence. I had a media tour, involving over 50 journalists, AIT, Channels , NTA and other electronic media and all Nigerian newspapers were there.
Even the South/South journalists, journalists operating in the South/South also went for an independent investigation, they went and they also came and told Nigerians that the things they were talking about this man is not correct.
So, most of the negative stories about me in the media are stories that are fabricated, are stories that are developed in the bedroom of people, who claimed all kinds of things but it is unfortunate that that is the kind of society that we have. But Elder Godsday Orubebe is not distracted, he would continue to do his work to support Mr. President to deliver on what he has for the people of this country.
But are you bothered by the call on Mr. President to sack you from the cabinet?
I am not bothered at all because Nigerians, including Mr. President know that these are people that are acting foolishly and they are ignorant of the measures Mr. President has put in place to ensure transparency in governance. I am not bothered about them and that is why most times I don’t talk about it because everybody knows that they are acting through malice and unfortunately, they don’t have the facts.
I think these people are day-dreaming and they have personal interest. Some of them expect certain things from me and when they are not available, Orubebe is a bad man and it is very sad. But as far as I am concerned, that concept of blackmailing people for personal gains is old version.
That is old concept. The new concept is doing things transparently and get things done so that Nigeria can move forward. A lot of them of them have sought favour from me and a lot of themhave benefited from me in one form or the other.
The smear campaign is a cheap blackmail and I will not succumb to that kind of blackmail. We are doing things transparently and we continue to do it despite the talks by this category of people. We cannot be intimidated, we are on course and we will get to where we are going. I think it is better that they begin to act as reasonable people and get their facts right before they come out to misinform the public.
If you insists that you are upright, why do you think they are after you?
Well, I want to believe that some of them see me as a threat, some of them feel that with Elder Godsday Orubebe around, they would not be able to realise what they want to gain in life. Some of them have confronted me that I want to take leadership from them and I begin to wonder if leadership is just for some people.
Leadership emerges through the will of God and I have never contested leadership with anybody. I am concerned about delivering what I am supposed to do to support Mr. President to deliver his programs for the people.
Others believed that 2015 is very close, either Orubebe is going to support somebody strongly or is planning to contest and they just go on but as I said, I am not surprised and I am not bothered because I serve a God, who is always there for me.
Speculation is rife in Delta State that you are nursing governorship ambition in 2015, how do you react to that ?
Well, I have told people who care to listen that today as far as I am concerned, my immediate concern and activities is to work for Mr. President, support Mr. President to enable him deliver his transformation agenda for the people of this country. I stand as one of the key supporters of Mr. President, one of the key loyalists of Mr. President to do what he wants us to do to move Nigeria forward. As far as I am concerned, 2015 is still very far and it is in God’s hands. When we get to 2015, that is when other things will come up.
When we get to 2015, I have the right to contest like any other person from Delta, but that is not in the agenda for now. I am working, standing by Mr. President to enable him deliver his promises to the people of this country.
But you have been accused of declaring for governorship during your recent condolence visit to the family of a prominent Urhobo politician, Chief Lords Alams Barovbe recently in Ovu, Ethiope East LGA.
Can any reasonable person ever believe that someone who wants to be a governor would go to a burial ceremony to declare his intention? It is absolute nonsense. I was there on condolence visit and we were talking about the activities of the man and that was how we ended. And so it was nonsense, it was cheap blackmail for anybody to say that. If I want to contest for governorship of Delta State, even if I want to contest in 2015 and I want to declare, I would have made proper consultation.
That’s number one. Number two, when I am declaring, the entire state will gather at one place for me to declare and tell them. It is not just to say I am going to contest; if I am going to contest and I am coming to declare, my programmes for the state would also be discussed. So, whatever anybody said was absolute nonsense.
The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Burutu LGA of the state, where you and Clark hail from recently announced your suspension from the party. Secondly, what is your relationship with the leadership of PDP in the state?
I think we have today, a group that was put in place by Chief Clark and it is these people that went on air to say Orubebe is suspended but as far as I am concerned, I don’t lose sleep over it because it is of no consequence. On the second leg of your question, my relationship with the leadership of PDP is very cordial.
Peter Nwaoboshi , is my state chairman, he is a very strong, great man that we have as state chairman and he is doing very well and I am supporting him and his entire executive so that we deliver PDP for all the elections in 2015.
Anytime and any day, the PDP is the only party we have in Delta State. I am very happy with them and the way they run the affairs of the party. We are very happy and we are all supporting them to succeed. What is your relationship with Chief Edwin Clark now? I don’t have any problem with Chief Edwin Clark. He is one of the leaders we have in Ijaw land. I don’t have any problem with him.
Our relationship is still very cordial. Do you have a sustained warm relationship with the Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, because there has been insinuation that he isn’t comfortable with your speculated governorship ambition? My relationship with the governor of Delta state is very robust. He is being a friend and he is a man that I have come to like.
I have been supporting him, I have been standing by him to ensure he delivers to the people of the state and has been doing his best to ensure there is peace and development in the state. I am also using this medium to appeal to all stakeholders in the state, leaders, young and old, everybody, including traditional rulers to support him so that he can deliver his promises to the people of this state.
How is your Ministry helping in the actualisation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda?
This issue of Mr. President’s transformation agenda revolves around doing things in a normal practical way. Mr. President believes that the right way of doing things must be the order of the day. First, he said we must think, we must plan and we must prioritise. Today, we have a President that thinks, we have a President who plans, we have a President who prioritise things.
We have a President who believes that we have to plan before doing anything and we have to start and complete it. Now when he became President and I was appointed Minister of Niger Delta, Mr. President said, ’look, East/West Road must be completed!’
You know this is a project that was awarded in 2006 and it was expected to be completed in 2010 but as at 2010 it was like we were doing a new project again because when it was awarded in 2006, there were no drawing and designs at that time and so the road was just going on without baseline drawing and it was in 2010 based on the thinking of Mr. President in line with transformation agenda that we have to move forward, we must have detailed designs and drawing and we must have action plan, we must know where we are and we should know where we are going. So by 2010, detailed designs and drawing of the East/West Road were completed.
And we came to realise that this is a road that has 42 bridges, spanning from 70 metres to 850 metres. I came on board as a minister and completed 36 of the 42 bridges, a road that has over 1000 culverts and today we have completed 704 culverts, because we have financial plans put in place.
The critical areas are culverts and bridges and we have gone very far on that and I have told everybody that by December 2014, this road which has been there since 2006 will be delivered to the people of Nigeria. I think we are on and nothing will stop us from getting to where we want to get to.
He has been mentioned as one of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, [PDP] stalwarts in Delta State, itching to succeed the incumbent governor of the State, Emmanuel Uduaghan. His speculated ambition has also courted for him the disdain of certain leaders of the party who had in recent times described him in unsavoury terms.
But in this interactive session with newsmen in Abuja, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, declares that the issue of who succeeds the sitting governor in Delta State is a distraction, as he submits that his major focus is the success of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“I have told people who care to listen that today as far as I am concerned, my immediate concern and activities is to work for Mr. President, support Mr. President to enable him deliver his transformation agenda for the people of this country.’’
How do you react to the allegation by some stakeholders in the Niger Delta that you are just pocketing the money being made available for your Ministry for the development of the region?
I think I want to reason that that is another level of ignorance exhibited by people who think that the way they are, that is the way others are. Today in this country there is a process of doing things and the President has emphasized on that and he has put that in black and white to everybody.
There is a procurement law in place. So, how do you pocket money? How? For a project to be done, first it has to go through the National Assembly, to be passed into an appropriation law. For you to do anything, you have to go through due process, diligence on the contractors, on the pricing, on the funding plan you have made for the execution of that project. These contracts are tendered, advertised and people would tender for these contracts and when these contracts are awarded, they are awarded to people. So, how do you pocket money? People talk out of ignorance.
They don’t know what it takes for the award of a contract. As a minister, I don’t have the power to sit down in my office and call in Mr. ‘A’ and say I have given you this contract. It is not done, it is advertised.
And this level of contracts you are talking about, they are advertised, and it is when Due Process is satisfied that they would give you the Certificate of no Objection and it is with that certificate that you would forward your memo to the Federal Executive Council (FEC), where you have 42 ministers, the President, the Vice President and other technical advisers looking at the contract before it is awarded and so it sounds stupid, it exposes the level of ignorance of people to sit in their houses, offices and in the market places to say that ministers are pocketing money. It is absolute nonsense.
Is Elder Orubebe actually corrupt in view of the recent outcry by some Delta leaders and a group led by a former m ember of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dino Melaye, asking the EFCC to prosecute you over alleged corrupt practices? How do you feel about the allegations of corruption brought against you? Categorically, Elder Orubebe is not corrupt and cannot be corrupt.
When Dino Melaye came out that time and said that I awarded contracts that were not in the budget, that I awarded contracts worth N27 billion and that I have paid the money and that I have pocketed the money. That I awarded particularly one contract for N1.2 billion and then increased it to N12 billion and paid it.
I think that Nigerians are more clever now, Nigerians now understand what governance is, Nigerians understand more the process of awarding contracts. Of course, that time I came out on air and addressed a press conference. The man said N27billion but the contracts that were awarded were just N6 billion and he said we have paid all the money but the contractors were mobilised with only about N990 million and as at the time they were talking, we were owing the contractors and we were even talking to their bankers to let the bankers know that look we gave contracts to these people and the money is not available yet and that they should give them time to work and went to the extent of mobilizing , inviting the media.
I had a media tour, where all media in this country were invited because the mischief makers also claimed that the contracts were not in existence and that the contractors and the communities were not in existence. I had a media tour, involving over 50 journalists, AIT, Channels , NTA and other electronic media and all Nigerian newspapers were there.
Even the South/South journalists, journalists operating in the South/South also went for an independent investigation, they went and they also came and told Nigerians that the things they were talking about this man is not correct.
So, most of the negative stories about me in the media are stories that are fabricated, are stories that are developed in the bedroom of people, who claimed all kinds of things but it is unfortunate that that is the kind of society that we have. But Elder Godsday Orubebe is not distracted, he would continue to do his work to support Mr. President to deliver on what he has for the people of this country.
But are you bothered by the call on Mr. President to sack you from the cabinet?
I am not bothered at all because Nigerians, including Mr. President know that these are people that are acting foolishly and they are ignorant of the measures Mr. President has put in place to ensure transparency in governance. I am not bothered about them and that is why most times I don’t talk about it because everybody knows that they are acting through malice and unfortunately, they don’t have the facts.
I think these people are day-dreaming and they have personal interest. Some of them expect certain things from me and when they are not available, Orubebe is a bad man and it is very sad. But as far as I am concerned, that concept of blackmailing people for personal gains is old version.
That is old concept. The new concept is doing things transparently and get things done so that Nigeria can move forward. A lot of them of them have sought favour from me and a lot of themhave benefited from me in one form or the other.
The smear campaign is a cheap blackmail and I will not succumb to that kind of blackmail. We are doing things transparently and we continue to do it despite the talks by this category of people. We cannot be intimidated, we are on course and we will get to where we are going. I think it is better that they begin to act as reasonable people and get their facts right before they come out to misinform the public.
If you insists that you are upright, why do you think they are after you?
Well, I want to believe that some of them see me as a threat, some of them feel that with Elder Godsday Orubebe around, they would not be able to realise what they want to gain in life. Some of them have confronted me that I want to take leadership from them and I begin to wonder if leadership is just for some people.
Leadership emerges through the will of God and I have never contested leadership with anybody. I am concerned about delivering what I am supposed to do to support Mr. President to deliver his programs for the people.
Others believed that 2015 is very close, either Orubebe is going to support somebody strongly or is planning to contest and they just go on but as I said, I am not surprised and I am not bothered because I serve a God, who is always there for me.
Speculation is rife in Delta State that you are nursing governorship ambition in 2015, how do you react to that ?
Well, I have told people who care to listen that today as far as I am concerned, my immediate concern and activities is to work for Mr. President, support Mr. President to enable him deliver his transformation agenda for the people of this country. I stand as one of the key supporters of Mr. President, one of the key loyalists of Mr. President to do what he wants us to do to move Nigeria forward. As far as I am concerned, 2015 is still very far and it is in God’s hands. When we get to 2015, that is when other things will come up.
When we get to 2015, I have the right to contest like any other person from Delta, but that is not in the agenda for now. I am working, standing by Mr. President to enable him deliver his promises to the people of this country.
But you have been accused of declaring for governorship during your recent condolence visit to the family of a prominent Urhobo politician, Chief Lords Alams Barovbe recently in Ovu, Ethiope East LGA.
Can any reasonable person ever believe that someone who wants to be a governor would go to a burial ceremony to declare his intention? It is absolute nonsense. I was there on condolence visit and we were talking about the activities of the man and that was how we ended. And so it was nonsense, it was cheap blackmail for anybody to say that. If I want to contest for governorship of Delta State, even if I want to contest in 2015 and I want to declare, I would have made proper consultation.
That’s number one. Number two, when I am declaring, the entire state will gather at one place for me to declare and tell them. It is not just to say I am going to contest; if I am going to contest and I am coming to declare, my programmes for the state would also be discussed. So, whatever anybody said was absolute nonsense.
The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Burutu LGA of the state, where you and Clark hail from recently announced your suspension from the party. Secondly, what is your relationship with the leadership of PDP in the state?
I think we have today, a group that was put in place by Chief Clark and it is these people that went on air to say Orubebe is suspended but as far as I am concerned, I don’t lose sleep over it because it is of no consequence. On the second leg of your question, my relationship with the leadership of PDP is very cordial.
Peter Nwaoboshi , is my state chairman, he is a very strong, great man that we have as state chairman and he is doing very well and I am supporting him and his entire executive so that we deliver PDP for all the elections in 2015.
Anytime and any day, the PDP is the only party we have in Delta State. I am very happy with them and the way they run the affairs of the party. We are very happy and we are all supporting them to succeed. What is your relationship with Chief Edwin Clark now? I don’t have any problem with Chief Edwin Clark. He is one of the leaders we have in Ijaw land. I don’t have any problem with him.
Our relationship is still very cordial. Do you have a sustained warm relationship with the Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, because there has been insinuation that he isn’t comfortable with your speculated governorship ambition? My relationship with the governor of Delta state is very robust. He is being a friend and he is a man that I have come to like.
I have been supporting him, I have been standing by him to ensure he delivers to the people of the state and has been doing his best to ensure there is peace and development in the state. I am also using this medium to appeal to all stakeholders in the state, leaders, young and old, everybody, including traditional rulers to support him so that he can deliver his promises to the people of this state.
How is your Ministry helping in the actualisation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda?
This issue of Mr. President’s transformation agenda revolves around doing things in a normal practical way. Mr. President believes that the right way of doing things must be the order of the day. First, he said we must think, we must plan and we must prioritise. Today, we have a President that thinks, we have a President who plans, we have a President who prioritise things.
We have a President who believes that we have to plan before doing anything and we have to start and complete it. Now when he became President and I was appointed Minister of Niger Delta, Mr. President said, ’look, East/West Road must be completed!’
You know this is a project that was awarded in 2006 and it was expected to be completed in 2010 but as at 2010 it was like we were doing a new project again because when it was awarded in 2006, there were no drawing and designs at that time and so the road was just going on without baseline drawing and it was in 2010 based on the thinking of Mr. President in line with transformation agenda that we have to move forward, we must have detailed designs and drawing and we must have action plan, we must know where we are and we should know where we are going. So by 2010, detailed designs and drawing of the East/West Road were completed.
And we came to realise that this is a road that has 42 bridges, spanning from 70 metres to 850 metres. I came on board as a minister and completed 36 of the 42 bridges, a road that has over 1000 culverts and today we have completed 704 culverts, because we have financial plans put in place.
The critical areas are culverts and bridges and we have gone very far on that and I have told everybody that by December 2014, this road which has been there since 2006 will be delivered to the people of Nigeria. I think we are on and nothing will stop us from getting to where we want to get to.
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