Frontline Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Victor Ndoma-Egba, needs no introduction, as he was in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly, representing Cross River Central Senatorial District between 2003 and 2015. He had held several legislative offices different times. He was at a time the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs and also been the Deputy Senate Majority Leader and Senate Majority Leader.
In addition, Ndoma-Egba has also been one-time Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Calabar Branch, and President of the Calabar Chamber of Commerce. He was also once the Commissioner for Works & Transport in the old Cross River State (now Cross River and Akwa-Ibom states).
A knight of Saint Sylvester in the Catholic Church, Ndoma-Egba in an interview spoke on the political situation in the country, his state as well as the pontifical order of Knighthood awarded to him by the Catholic pontiff as well as his childhood ambition to become a priest.
Razaq Bamidele brings the report from the media interaction:
What is the papal knighthood all about, its significance and what is your feeling about your recent investiture as a knight of Saint Sylvester in the Catholic Church?
I am indeed humbled by the honour. For someone with a failed aspiration for the Catholic priesthood, this is as far as you can get. The Papal Knighthood of St. Sylvester is one of the knighthoods bestowed directly by His Holiness, the Pope. It is a title of nobility conferred by the Pope in his capacity as a temporal sovereign.
What role has that assigned to you in the church?
It is awarded, among others, to lay members who are outstanding in their defence of the faith and the church. You become a role model and continue with the defence of the church and the faith when you are bestowed with the honour.
In 2018, you built a 1000 capacity Church for the Catholic community in your home town, Akparabong in Cross River State, and also bankrolled the erection of an adoration chapel in the church in memory of your late wife in 2020, among and many other philanthropist gestures too numerous to count. The question now is what exactly has been the motivating factor behind this spirit of giving?
We are not blessed by God to keep the blessings to ourselves. Blessings are only blessings when shared with others. God has been most kind to me in every ramification, not because I deserved it, but simply out of His grace.
Can you comfortably say that Nigerian leaders and politicians have run the affairs of this country with the fear of God?
I do not know. They all profess one religion or another; Christianity, Islam, traditional religion or whatever. I am not aware of any that professes atheism. So, it will be between them and the God they serve.
Would the Almighty God be happy with Nigerian leaders for failing to judiciously utilise the abundant resources He generously endowed the country with for the welfare of the populace?
I cannot speak for God. Each and every one of us will face Him at some point to give an account of everything, including the opportunities He gave us.
Do you feel concerned that Nigerians are going through serious pain and hardship amidst abundance of human and natural resources endowed us by God without asking?
Of course, I am worried.
What do you feel has made it so difficult for this current administration to effectively tackle the menace of insecurity in the country?
I am not in government so, I am not privy to the details and perspective available to government. There certainly must have been a lot of efforts to tackle the insecurity. I, however, would not know what the problems are but the problems that we have now have been long in coming.
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How sir?
Industries left Nigeria due to inclement, economic climate; education collapsed; unemployment soared. Infrastructures collapsed. Meanwhile, population exploded and corruption became endemic. There certainly will be no quick fix to our current problems, which require deep thought and comprehensive strong-willed approach. People are questioning government’s will to address the problem.
Do you see the presidential candidate of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as having the capacity and capability to offer the kind of leadership Nigeria needs at this point in time to take the country out of the woods?
He certainly does given his pedigree and record.
In your own assessment, has the APC governed well in the last seven years plus to deserve retaining the presidency in 2023?
There have been challenges and failed promises and expectations. Things may have been worse though just as they could have been better.
Can we have an insight into your view about the Muslim-Muslim ticket adopted by the APC?
It is a very emotive issue. I wish the APC had options open to it. As it is now, the Christian community should present its charter of demand to the party.
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With the way the ticket is adopted and the condemnation that trails it, don’t you feel it is likely to work against the party in 2023 general election?
Not everyone is happy but APC will win nevertheless. The emotions are not any better for the PDP. It will only work against APC in the event that both APC and PDP are rejected by the electorate.
Back to your state; how would you assess the chance of the APC gubernatorial candidate in your state, Senator Bassey Otu? Does he have what it takes to govern the state well?
He is the best we can put forward now. Our geopolitics is in his favour. He has grassroots appeal and is rooted in the politics of the state. He is knowledgeable, especially in economic matters and he is exposed.
With the impression that the state belongs to the PDP, do you think APC can retain the seat in 2023?
The notion that Cross River State is a PDP State will come under its very first severe test in 2023. From 1999, the government in the state has been PDP. For once it is not and the PDP in the State is not used to being out of power. It will be a fish out of water.
What is your take on the recent governorship election in Osun State where the sitting governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, was roundly defeated by the PDP candidate, Ademola Adeleke?
It is not the first time it is happening; it is nothing unusual.
Are you confident that the amended Electoral Act 2022 would guarantee a free, fair, transparent and credible poll next year?
We can never have a perfect electoral legal infrastructure. It can only get incrementally better. The 2022 Electoral Act is part of the incremental improvement.
