Hon. Patrick Asowerien represents Orhionmwon/Unhunmeode Federal Constituency of Edo State at the National Assembly. In this chat with our correspondent, Onazena Abbey, he talked about his ambition for a second term and the recent booing of President Muhammadu Buhari by some lawmakers during his budget presentation. He also spoke on INEC’s ability or otherwise to conduct free and fair elections next month, among other issues.
Why are you seeking to return to the House of Representatives for second term?
Well, I want to go back for many reasons. First, to continue the work I started in the first term. As a first timer, if you don’t go back for second term, you would not be able to actualise your goal; a lot of things you’re supposed to do for your constituency, a lot of projects you cannot complete in the first four years. That is the truth. The budget of the National Assembly is always running from year to year and we have just passed the fourth budget and they have not started the implementation.
So, if you don’t go back, anybody that succeeds you will implement the budget for you. It is very good to go back to implement the 2019 budget and other projects you have started that are still ongoing in the 2018 budget. For example, the town hall project in my village is still ongoing because of the way they release money for capital projects. It is not always 100 per cent. There are other projects in various communities that are still ongoing. There is also a bill on illiteracy I intend to sponsor and I need to go back to ensure the bill is passed into law.
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Some persons are of the opinion that you have nothing on ground to show for your first term. What do you say?
Anybody saying so is an enemy of progress and democracy. There is nobody living in Orhionmwon/Unhunmwode Federal Constituency, who is not aware of the capital projects I have done or the empowerment of youths and women. During the party primaries, all aspirants were given the golden opportunity to showcase what they have done. I printed handbills, showcasing all the projects I have done, the motions and bills I have moved, the empowerment programmes I have done, the people I have given jobs to at the National Assembly, as the deputy chairman, House Committee on Interior.
Also, I was able to give more than 30 people jobs. So, with that you will know that such people are not in tandem with the real situation in Orhionmwon/Unhumwode Federal Constituency. They are not in tune with the reality and, maybe, they are the people who listen to rumour and campaign of calumny. So, that is not the true picture, I have my records and file. They (records) are there. It is only the blind that don’t see my projects. I also influenced some projects into the 2019 budget. So, by the time I end this second term of four years, I don’t think any honourable member would equal my achievements. For those people who think I only concentrate on stomach infrastructure, they are wrong.
By the way, what is wrong with stomach infrastructure? That is what politics is all about. I am not somebody that will receive salary and pocket it only to tell my people that the country is bad, times are hard and all sorts of stories. I don’t believe there is hunger in the land. It is just that some people are keeping and hording the money because of the forthcoming election. That is why a lot of people are thinking there is hunger.
What is your reaction to the recent drama that unfolded at the National Assembly where President Buhari was booed by lawmakers during presentation of the 2019 budget?
I will say, it was a national embarrassment to Nigerians and to the president himself. You saw it that day; they were the PDP thugs in the National Assembly. The protest did not emanate from APC members. But as they were mocking democracy and the nation, APC members were praising the president. That is what you get when you have opposition who want to win election by all means. You saw the way they looted the nation’s treasury, now they cannot steal.
Buhari is fighting corruption and they are aggrieved. They only want a president who shares money, who steals money. Since I have been a member of the National Assembly, I have not received any money to pass budget. President Buhari does not share money; that was what prompted the protest. He only came to tell them what he had been able to achieve. They only shouted because the man did not share money. The man does not owe us salary.
What has been the magic of your electoral victory at the poll since your days at the state House of Assembly?
Stomach infrastructure is what the people want. When you eat, you remember others, you remember your constituency, there is no way they won’t vote for you. Stomach infrastructure running side by side with capital projects, empowerment programmes. Go and find out. In the history of representation since 1999, nobody has been able to do what I have done in Orhionmwon/Unhumwode constituency.
I have the highest records of achievement and with that there is no way the people will not want you to return. In fact, the hub of the matter is that when your hands are open and you have a good heart, people will always vote for you.What kills a politician is when you are stingy, when you don’t reach out, no money today, no money tomorrow, the people will nickname you, they will give you a bad name. They will not give you a return ticket when you are greedy and selfish.
The opposition PDP has expressed fears over the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct free and fair elections in February. What is your take?
You know it is their usual way of thinking everybody is likely to do what they were doing while in power. They did not envisage that the table would turn. Now that the table has turned, they are expressing fear that APC will do what they used to do. You heard the president that day when he said APC would deliver on credible election. It is when you don’t have the people that you will be afraid of credible election. APC has the people.
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Take Edo, for example; you know we are more on ground. So, why would anybody, who is on ground, be looking for ways to rig election? The PDP is always afraid, thinking APC will revenge their years of atrocity. Vengeance is for God. It is normal that opposition must shout during election in Nigeria. It is always their tactics while planning to rig election. It is their political gimmick
What should the people expect of your second term in the House of Representatives?
Better performance, better results. Because we are going to complete ongoing projects; we are going to give employment to more people, empowerment programmes, more stomach infrastructure will be factored in. One advantage you also get when you are a ranking member is that you can be a chairman of a good committee and when you are the chairman of a committee, your people will get more projects, more dividends of democracy to your doorstep. There is nothing like continuity of lawmaker. Lawmaker is rated according to the number of times he or she returns to the House.