INTERVIEW: I'm donating my 4-year salary to widows and orphans - Rep member

INTERVIEW: I'm donating my 4-year salary to widows and orphans - Rep member

In this interview, Francis Ottah Agbo, the member-elect representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadigbo Federal Constituency of Benue State in the House of Representatives, explains why he would be be donating his salary to orphans and widows in his area.
   
   
   
       
       
           
               
                   

In this interview, Francis Ottah Agbo, the member-elect representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadigbo Federal Constituency of Benue State in the House of Representatives, explains why he would be be donating his salary to orphans and widows in his area.

               
           
               
                   

You have been elected as a member of the House of Representatives. What's your mission in the House?

               
           
               
                   

I have the three prong agenda, very robust agenda for the people of Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadigbo Federal constituency; effective lawmaking, effective representation and effective oversight. Under that effective representation, I have decided to interface with my people, to cry when they cry, laugh when they laugh. And as a matter of policy, for four good years of my sojourn in the National Assembly.

               
           
               
                   

Within this period, I will be donating my salary to widows and orphans in my constituency. A committee to be saddled with the responsibility of disbursing the money to my constituents that orphans and widows will be set up on the day of my inauguration. And then, there will swing into action immediately. Because I feel, very clearly, that I owe it a responsibility to fight and work for the ordinary people of my constituency.

               
           
               
                   

What is lacking in our geo-polity is the absence of selfless service and we want to reenact that. We want to establish that. We want to lay that foundation because at the end of the day, I believe very clearly if you serve man well, you are invariably serving God well. So that aspect of channeling my salary to the service of orphans and widows is just part of one agenda, which is effective presentation.

               
           
               
                   

                                   

Hon. Francis Ottah Agbo promises to donate his salary to orphans and widows in Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadigbo Federal Constituency of Benue State.

               

               
           
               
                   

What would this money be used for? Will it be disbursed in cash or through would it be in form of empowerment projects?

               
           
               
                   

Okay, what I intend to do is that first and foremost, I don't want to make it too elitist. I want to make it very, very practical. For example, we are going to have a data bank of orphans and widows in the three local governments. So the committee will decide whether, for example, the first stretch of three months, whether we will give that one to one local government. Then, another stretch of three months, we give another. Because I am from a triangle constituency. So depending on what we agree or what the community proposes to me.

               
           
               
                   

When we decide to say, okay, this year, let's give the money to a particular local government, then the next year, another local government. Depending on what they're going to propose. And in so doing, don't forget that the most practical thing to do, is for them to have a bank account. The money will be paid into the account. Some of them may be students, some of them maybe orphans, they may be looking for money to even feed. Of course, if have not eaten, you can't go to school. Then make sure that depending on what is their priority. 

               
           
               
                   

You have a family. How do you intend to survive without a salary for four years?

               
           
               
                   

First and foremost, I left a paying job as Chief Press Secretary to be an House of Reps member. Asides my salary, you know there are allowances that a lawmaker is entitled to. So, I can navigate around it and then take care of whatever I can do for myself and my family.

               
           
               
                   

But the most important thing is I want to set the record straight, lay the foundation to prove clearly that public service is supposed to be for selfless service. That is how I intend to do it. Luckily for me, my wife is doing very well and I need to receive our blessing. She was very happy because she suffered to go to school. 

               
           
               
                   

She taught primary and secondary school students before she was able to go to school. So, to answer your question right away, if I channel my salary to the service of orphans and widows, how do I intend to live? There are allowances that come with the job I could use. Then, I have a very, very supportive wife, doing very well that can also give support. I intend to leave a spot on life. I intend to live a Spartan life as member of the House of Representatives. So as I do all of this, I should also be able to attract some projects to my constituency.

               
           
               
                   

Is there a plan to incorporate the less privileged into you plan? I mean, those who are not orphans or widows, what plans do you have for them?

               
           
               
                   

For brilliant people and all of that, youths so that they could find their potentials and all of that. There is something I forgot that addresses what you're saying is we also intend to do scholarship for people who are not orphans and widows, no matter how small because apart from what we do for the orphans, and widows, the money is not enough. This over N700,000 is not even enough but at least, we will start with that. We are already giving scholarships in my local government already.

               
           
               
                   

                                   

Hon. Francis Ottah Agbo promises to donate his salary to orphans and widows in Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadigbo Federal Constituency of Benue State.

               

               
           
               
                   

The reason why I'm so particular about orphans, and widows is because of the spiritual connect. Because they are neglected. Politicians don't even talk about orphans and widows. if they want to help, they go for people whose father's were either senators or ministers and all of that. But we got to work very hard to return power to the ordinary people. That's why even the internal democracy bill because people must own their political system. A House of Reps member doesn't have too much resources and all of that. But I am thinking that we should be able to bend backward and do some of these things I intend to do and you will see them.

               
           
               
                   

Have you shared this idea with your colleagues? Are they also buying into it?

               
           
               
                   

No I do not intend to share it with them. I have always said that the grand philosophy of my agenda is to turn Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadigbo Federal Constituency into the center of Idoma politics. My colleagues at the lower fiber, House of Assembly, will be put on that intensive pressure to also do some of these things.

               
           
               
                   

What bills do you intend to sponsor in the ninth assembly?

               
           
               
                   

One of the bills I intend to sponsor is the internal democracy bill. The political parties we have today, like I told you, the one that controls power the national level, even the PDP lacks internal democracy. So we intend to sponsor bills that will address that concern. We need to make the political parties to be robust truly. The Nigerian people must own their membership of political parties, most own the political parties, for example, members of a party should pay some dues. Don't just wait for somebody to bring money to come and run the affairs of a party. 

               
           
               
                   

My bill is going to talk about that too. The essence of the bill is to make sure that Nigerian people, actually own the political parties, so that the political parties will not be owned by money bags where somebody and his wife, will just sit in the comfort of their rooms, and say "Mr X" has won primary but not qualified to be a candidate, then they replace him with Solomon. We can't allow this continue to happen. It has made a mockery of our democracy and our political system. We want a situation where somebody truly wins election and he is sure he can go to sleep. His name will be submitted to INEC.

               
           
               
                   

I also intend to sponsor a bill that will truly make independent what you call the Independent National Electoral Commission. As it is today, INEC at best is a dependent National Electoral Commission. We need to know how Electoral Commission operates in Ghana, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde, and many of them. You must know that, so that you'll be able to make sure that the Commission, is truly independent. So we intend a bill in that direction. 

               
           
               
                   

Because if you look at the internal democracy bill and the INEC bill, they are related some how because one of the reasons why we don't even have internal democracy is because we don't have an independent INEC. Because the political parties know that INEC could be remote controlled. So they do whatever they do. So the point is that I want to really sustain democracy, make it robust. And one of the ways that I think we could do is to is for me to put my feet on the ground and sponsor internal democracy bills, sponsor a bill that will address the ills in INEC.

               
           
               
                   

                                   

Hon. Francis Ottah Agbo promises to donate his salary to orphans and widows in Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadigbo Federal Constituency of Benue State.

               

               
           
               
                   

And of course, I also intend to truly define what a journalist is. That somebody moves with midget doesn't make you a journalist. Nowadays, even citizen posters, those who post things on Facebook, called a citizen journalists, but there are claimed to be journalists. Who is a Journalist? What is the minimum qualification that will make you a journalist? How do you become a journalist? The bill was address it. Because the journalism profession is so important. So much so that it is the only profession that the 1999 constitution addresses with specific responsibility. Section 22 states clearly that the media shall at all times hold government accountable to the people. But the question is, if the media holds government accountable to the people who now holds the media accountable. The bill must address that. And many other things I could do that time could permit.

               
           
               
                   

And intend to raise motions on the floor of the House especially the incessant killings around the Agila axis. As I speak to you, Agila is the only place that as you are entering the town you see AK47 all over the place. A clergy is preaching in church behind or beside him, you see AK 47 because of the attacks. So I intend to move a motion calling on the federal government to do that road from Otukpo to Ebonyi and establish a mobile police barracks in the disputed the boundary area so as to minimize the perennial killings. These are the minimum of the things I call lawmaking. Now, effective representation is where I intend to dedicate my salary to the servicing of orphans and widows.  

               
           
               
                   

What is your view on the current leadership tussle in the 9th Assembly? The ruling party has declared its support for one of the candidate. What do you make of this?

               
           
               
                   

It is legitimate for a political party to attempt to impose political leadership, or the leadership of the National Assembly. It is a legitimate ambition. Which party chairman won't be happy. If you are a party chairman now, definitely be happy to have the person you want to be Speaker, as Speaker. True or false? That is the truth of the matter. So it is a legitimate ambition and legitimate interest to now say a political party wants to impose a leadership on the National Assembly.

               
           
               
                   

But I tell you, the ninth assembly is going to make political consideration as a second factor. The number one factor that we shape who emerges as speaker or what have you, is the national interest of this country. Once you have won election, party becomes secondary. And the moment you enter that gate of the National Assembly, what should be uppermost on your mind, should be the election of a Speaker who will protect and preserve the 'Nigerianess' of Nigeria. And that is what we're going to do but anybody who tells you that it is not a legitimate ambition, or a legitimate interest or a tenement for a political party to want to impose a leadership then that person is just deceiving himself.

               
           
               
                   

And if you look at the history of this country, Obasanjo did it. You know it. The immediate past president, Goodluck, he tried to do it. Now you know what I'm saying. So it has been a trajectory of our political experience. So as a PDP person, and as somebody who's an activist in politics, I cannot sit here and tell you that what the APC are trying to do is strange. I know it is not strange.

               
           
               
                   

                                   

Hon. Francis Ottah Agbo promises to donate his salary to orphans and widows in Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadigbo Federal Constituency of Benue State.

               

               
           
               
                   

Are PDP members in the House in support of the APC candidate?

               
           
               
                   

The PDP, we are going to vote in bloc. And like I told you, what is going to be uppermost on our mind is going to be the Nigerianess of the National Assembly. National Assembly is regarded as a people's parliament to the extent that it protects the interest of Nigerians. And therefore, whoever will be a Speaker, whoever I will cast my vote for, must be somebody I am very sure that is willing and ready to protect them preserve the Nigerianess of Nigeria. And I tell you, almost all the PDP members, almost all the PDP lawmakers acting in this line. We are going to vote for such a person. We are very sure that it will not be easy for us, PDP to produce a Speaker but out of the APC lawmakers, we are going to go for the person who can protect the Nigerianess of the National Assembly so that the National Assembly will truly be a people's parliament. That's what we intend to do.

               
           
               
                   

Lastly, what should Nigerians expect from the 9th Assembly?

               
           
               
                   

Nigerians should look forward to a very robust National Assembly. Our hands are full already. There's so much to be done. Already, this country has become almost infested. Blood has become cheaper in Nigeria than pure water, killings all over the place, And no reasonable parliament will sit and fold it's arms as the country slides into something that is even higher than the state of nature where life is short and brutish. So the point I'm making is that, we have so much to do.

               
           
               
                   

The amended Electoral act, we have to revisit it. So that we don't disgrace this country like the way we did in the immediate past election so that we will truly have a credible election. That bill that wasn't signed, we are going to rework it and send it back to Mr. President to tell Mr. President to be ready this time to sign the bill into law because Nigeria cannot tolerate the election that took place in 2019. One thing the President must know, is that fighting corruption is not a vision but fighting electoral malfeasance is a vision and electoral corruption is worse than corruption of Naira and Kobo. Electoral corruption is like a superstructure that everyone. We must make sure that we address the problem of electoral fraud in this country.

               
           
               
                   

And to do it, it must make sure that we rejig our status so as to be able to do it. So our hands are really full. Nigerians should not lose hope. Nigerians should continue to rely on the National Assembly because at the end of the day, there will be hope.

Source: INTERVIEW: I'm donating my 4-year salary to widows and orphans - Rep member

- gist culled from pulseng