Hon. Pascal Adigwe, a former member, House of Representatives. He is currently an Adviser to Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state. In this interview with Charles Okogene, he speaks on Okowa’s development efforts, aimed at opening up the rural areas, including the plans for Abbah Unor/Adonte Road.
After your attempt to replace Senator Patrick Osakwe as the Senator representing Delta North at the Senate, not much has been heard of you. Are you still in politics?
Yes I’m. Politics is like a market, there are different ways to enter into and operate in it. There is elective politics, whereby one is known and stuck to contesting elections, whether he wins or not. Also appointive politics where one never contests for any office but works for, backs or supports those running with the hope to get appointed when they win. Then also, there is sponsorship politics where one sponsors a candidate financially and otherwise with the hope of patronage when they win.
So yes, I’m not contesting elections for now due to some factors but I’m actively in other forms of politics both at local, state and national level.
In your days at the House of Representatives, you did a lot by attracting many projects to Delta North, do you like the present lack of Federal presence in the area?
Thank God I did. The factors that bring a project are numerous, tortuous and varied. You must have a clear understanding of your place vis a vis their needs assessment and priorities from day one, then you weave them into a vision then you humble and equip yourself to investigate their possibility and route to take, the apparent obstacles and how to surmount them, then you embark on the mission. For example, the Ogwashi Dam. My town sits on altitude of about 475 meters above sea level, so natural water and ordinary borehole is almost impossible in the area, so we needed industrial water, get the dam and it will trickle down to other towns and entire constituency with no cost. We had someone who was strong in Water Resources Ministry, Abuja, which would make the quest seemingly easy. So as I got to the Reps, I moved in on the Committee and today you have the Dam.
Second: I imagined the benefits to Illah and Ebu if the whole Eastern travelers pass there to Abuja. So I moved into Works Committee and became strong to the extent of bringing that road and Utor Bridge, which cuts off more than two hours of our travel time to Abuja. The effect of these projects are unquantifiable.
Thirdly, we were derided that we were not oil producing area in Delta state, and so wouldn’t be considered in NDDC budgets and programmes. I cashed in on President Obasajo’s visit to Okpanam to visit Nzogwu’s mother and explained it to him and the then Governor Ibori. He directed me to Hon Emma Agwariawodo, who was then the MD of NDDC. I moved in and changed the narrative. Today NDDC projects litter our place.
And very many other projects seen and unseen, such as employment opportunities. When my colleagues go to ministries and agencies to ask for contracts, I go cap in hand begging for employment. You saw my parents’ burials, those people in different uniforms like police, immigration, costoms, military, civil service, they were the beneficiaries of that effort.
Now, you don’t see a lot like this because people go to this political market for different products and also this market environment could be hostile and different too. So, don’t blame them so much. A mad person may wish to eat roasted meat but who will give him the fire. The politics of the country is funny now.
Two years ago, some of us saw your efforts in making sure there is pipeborne water in Ogwashi, what is the situation now?
Yes, water means a lot to me. The state government helped me. We revamped the old water reservoir and other sources and then changed the old asbestos pipes to latest heavy duty pipes and we have water now in a larger parts of Ogwashi running as we speak. Like Azungwu, Umudei, Ishekpe, Ogbe Ubu etc spanning an area of about six kilometres.
The latest move now is USAID/DELTA for three more sources and about 14 kilometres coverage, which should substantially cover the entire town and even beyond. It will happen soon.
Note also the whole route covered has also been installed with street lights on account of my struggle and helped by our Senator.
Aside the Ishiekpe internal road that the state government is reconstructing, what is the state of roads in other towns in Aniocha South LGA?.
I served in the transition committee that ushered in Gov Okowa’s government and we agreed on urban renewal of which Ogwashi Uku in Aniocha South was penciled down.
I sponsored the mapping of the roads in the town and the crucial ones are 22. This is a white paper to be used going forward.
We have achieved very many of them like the Agidiehe, Mission, Part of Agifiasei, Ogwashi to Ubulu Unor Road, Council Road.
Note also that Idumu Ogwude to Ogbe Ubu to St Rose’s by NDDC, through our Senator, has been done. Many hands came on deck to achieve these. We had done Azungwu, Ogbe Ihago, Ogbe Ofu, Okonjo’s Crescent, Inner Agidiasei part earlier.
We also have many in the pipe line, including the St Patrick Catholic Church Road, which the contractor has not gone far but caught up with the issues in NDDC. So, I would say we are rapidly capturing the roads in the town and if we continue like this, it won’t be long the whole town will be covered. As for other towns a lot of work has gone in by me and many others. See Ubulu-Unor, Ubulu-Okiti, Nsukwa to Ejeme, Ubulu-Uku etc.
You seem to be actively involved in supervision of works in the road and water projects, are you the facilitator?
I humbly would say yes that I’m a major facilitator and I had to now supervise in person because I have found out how wicked the world is. How far, wide and wild they take ones name should anything go wrong. So I breathe down on the neck of the contractors to ensure they deliver.
Why is it that all amenities coming to Aniocha South ends in Ogwashi, what of other towns like Adonte, Nsukwa, Isheagwu, Ewulu, Abbah Unor etc?
It will be ridiculous and ungrateful of any one to harbour or suggest such. Over five roads have been done, or ongoing in Ubulu-Uku, Ubulu-Okiti and more are coming. Ubulu Unor has one of the longest road of eleven kilometres done in our area now. Ubulu-Unor has been linked to Ubulu-Uku.
The express through Nsukwa to Ejeme is nylon tarred now. Ubulu-Unor to Ashama of over 2kms has been awarded by NDDC through our Senator. Very many schools have been rebuilt to standard everywhere including Adonte your town. Check well and help correct this impression please. There’s no road in the entire Ogwashi that’s more than three kilometers. We are on top of the matter concerning other roads too, like the express to Isheagu to Ewulu nine kilometres has just been awarded by state government.
Talks have gone far with our Senator for the 11-kilometre Express to Ewulu town. I have gone far with talks with the Governor to link the three kilometres Abah road done by our Senator to Adonte to Ashama then later, through Abodei to Ogwashi. Adonte Union President General shall be going with me the same way we did with President General of Isheagu to the Governor and I can assure you that the Gov Okowa that I know will do it.
This same Ishiekpe road was few years ago done by DLA and it collapsed months after and it set tongues wagging. Has any sanction be meted out to DLA officials that did the shoddy job instead of this full scale reconstruction job the govt is doing with you as ‘site’ supervisor?
The road was initially done by Direct Labour Agency (DLA), primarily to recover a terribly bad portion. Hardly did we know the flood that goes through there was so high that their capacity couldn’t stand it, so the road failed.
They called for my head, I became their object of abuse and attack. Enemies and the envious and the wicked who dinned with me found an instrument. Even the discerning joined. Does DLA give contracts? But they didn’t care. I saw raw wickedness but many are the afflictions of the righteous but our Lord will deliver him from them all.
God has shamed them. Governor heard my cry and came to my rescue. I took real engineers from works ministry, they thoroughly investigated the road, established the problems and gave a very experienced engineering company the charge. Go now and see what is going on. It’s unbelievable. I have been vindicated.
What is the situation of Adonte/Ubulu Unor/Ashama/Egbudu Aka/Abbah Unor to Ogwashi road?
Like others; it will be done. Talks have gone far. Just let’s pray the economy recovers substantially and watch our governor in action. He loves us. I have planned it with Adonte Union President, Mr. Ifeanyi Okonma but we have to be quiet till it materializes.
Do you sincerely think that Okowa’s government has favoured Aniocha more than what they got when people from other ethnic nationalities were in charge.?
It is obvious for all to see. Need I say more? Other than roads and other infrastructure, can you not see how many appointments he gave us? Can you not see his open attention and love towards us.
We should all continue to pray for him and every opportunity we have we use it to support him as a thank you for what he has done for us. It’s uncommon and unparalleled. The difference is clear.
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