GOVERNOR ROCHAS OKOROCHA DID NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWTH OF APGA IN IMO STATE
After resolving the crisi that rocked the foundation of thier party in the UK, members of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA UK) have now elected an interim Chairman to run the affairs of the party until election is conduced. Among other taks, members of the party want the Chairman to pursue a purposeful leaderhip, unite the party nd recruit more members in ther fold.
The Ambassador Magazine met and interviewed the interim Chairman after one of their meetings
Can you please tell us about yourself?
I am Barrister Mike Merenini Esq. I am from Obibiezena in Owerri North LGA of Imo State Nigeria. I graduated from Imo State University Uturu Okigwe (the present Abia State University in 1989 with honours degree in Law. I proceeded to the Nigeria Law School Victoria Island Lagos and having satisfied all the academic requirements, was admitted in 1990 to the Nigerian Bar as a Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. I worked briefly with the Federal Ministry of Justice from where I joined the chambers of DOKC Ihekuna & Co. (Legal Practitioners and Notaries Public) as associate partner before travelling to Germany for further studies.
I undertook a post graduate course in web design and networking at the Media Design Akademie Regensburg Germany. I am happily married to Mrs Ihuoma Merenini with 4 lovely children. It was while working at the Federal Ministry of Justice that I in conjunction with High Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN and others founded the Universal Defenders of Democracy (UDD), a human rights organisation based in Lagos Nigeria. I am also the author of “Blame African Leaders”, a political satire about the political developments in Nigeria and Africa. It was published in 1999 in Germany. I have been actively involved in politics right from the University days.
You are now the interim chairman of APGA UK, what does your chairmanship portend for the party in Europe?
Anybody who has followed the formation and development of UK chapter of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA UK Chapter) must have noticed the enthusiasm expressed by Nigerians in joining the party at the beginning. Our meet-ings were characterised by massive turnouts. We were constantly looking for bigger halls for our next meetings as a result of the increasing membership. Such was the love the people have for the party but the leadership at that time was “something else‟. The truth is that people look up to good and quality leadership.
They want to see transparency and credible agendas being implemented by the leaders. Unfortunately, APGA UK Chapter was not fortunate to have such people at that material time and within a short period it became apparent that the leaders and the party members were pulling in opposite directions. This situation forced many committed members to take the back seat. Our numbers started declining to a handful. But with the new team with myself as the interim Chairman mandated with the task of turning the fortunes of the party around, most of our members have sensed a new beginning and seeing the calibre and quality of the new team have decided to come back en masse.
They trust us to do the right things, take the right deci-sions and my past record in public affairs is a guarantee that APGA UK chapter is in good hands. Therefore, it is safe to say that the current surge in membership is a vote of confidence on the team and our singular promise is that within the shortest possible period, the chapter will witness a massive turnaround in its fortunes. Our rebuilding and rebranding project is on course and will yield the desired results in due course.
Do you intend to stand for any elective position in 2015 or willing to serve in any capacity in Nigeria if given the opportunity?
It is the aspiration of every worthy Nigerian to contribute to the development of the country in any possible way. Political participation is another way of contributing and through credible electoral process; a winner emerges having secured the mandate of the people to serve them. I intend exploring that opportunity to serve my people. I will offer myself for service to my people. Yes, I will contest elective position at the appropriate time. I am a patriotic Nigerian and will there-fore participate in whatever project that will enhance her development.
Nigerians in the Diaspora do not have the right to vote in elections in Nigeria, what’s your take on it?
Sincerely speaking, this is a decision that I still find very baffling for the simple reason that Nigerians in Diaspora share the same aspirations with our brothers and sisters back home. We all pledge allegiance to the same country and share an inherent desire to see the country take its rightful place in the comity of nations. Nigerians in Diaspora have contributed immensely to her development. The amount of funds repatriated by Nigerians in Diaspora on a monthly and yearly basis has in no small measure helped a lot so why deny them the right to participate in the electoral process?
I have the gut feeling that some politicians are very uncomfortable with the votes of Nigerians in Diaspora which cannot be rigged or bought with money because of their level of enlightenment and these votes might make the difference in a free and fair election. Unfortunately, it is to the advantage of those politicians whose stock in trade is election rigging to keep away from our electoral system these untainted votes which might be a source of their defeat at the polls. But we shall not relent in pushing this agenda forward. I will continue to make representations to members of the National Assembly and will continue to impress it upon them the urgent need to have a rethink as far as this flawed decision is concerned. No country achieves greatness by excluding a vital section of its citizens from participating in making choices that affects them. Great democracies did not become great in this way.
The Governor of your State (Imo) Chief Rochas Okorocha recently pro-nounced that APGA is dead in Imo State; Is APGA truly dead and did his defection in any way affect the party in the State?
The Gov. of Imo State Owelle Rochas Okorocha was not fair to himself when he made that statement. APGA in Imo State did not die before he joined the party and he expects it to die after he left the party. That in essence means he did not contribute to the growth of the party while he was a member, as a leader of the party in Imo State which is very unfortunate. The truth is that the party is bigger than any individual, the Governor inclusive and has continued to attract more genuine members since he left.
This shows that APGA members in Imo State are not Sycophants rather ordinary committed and dedicated men and women who love the party with their hearts and are willing to work for its‟ growth regardless of the odds. Gov. Okorocha is the luckiest politician from the South East geo-political zone of the country in my humble opinion. I say this because the political road to Government house in Imo State was already paved for him with the „sweat and blood‟ of diehard APGA members who kept the party alive even at great odds. People like Chief Martin Agbaso…Ocho Udo of Igboland sacrificed so much to keep the party running. Gov. Okorocha’s presence added energy and impetus to the party‟s cause and I thought he fitted perfectly into the mould of “man of the masses” which APGA as a political party represents.
I have met him on many occasions in my capacity as the Legal Adviser and Chief Strategist of Imo APGA UK and I have expressed the view to him that the interests of Imolites are betters erved in his continued membership of APGA. Unfortunately, he thinks otherwise. That is his right and that is the beauty of democracy, freedom of association. The truth is that his defection to APC is a temporary setback to the party but knowing our people, Imolites, “Obigboans‟, we will overcome this initial setback because our capacity to overcome such setbacks is legendary. APGA is a way of life and therefore will continue to thrive. My plea is to the leadership of our great party to redouble their efforts in steadying the party for the political tasks ahead. APGA UK Chapter is calling on our able National Chairman Sir Victor Umeh, KSM to adopt the posture of a “father of all” and an “impartial arbiter” in his relationship with this chapter. It is to the party‟s advantage. For Gov. Okorocha, I wish him well while urging him to have a rethink.
Do you intend to stand for any elective position in 2015 or willing to serve in any capacity in Nigeria if given the opportunity?
Definitely. The current trend especially when you go to social media networks is for Nigerians to bemoan and cast aspersions on the integrity of the leadership at various levels of government. It is good to criticise the activities of govt. This is what democracy is all about. But I do not want to be an armchair theorist. Rather I want to be a participant, a servant leader in the midst of the people. Having garnered enough experience schooling, living and working abroad, I am placed in a very good position to use my experience in effecting the necessary positive changes if called upon to do so. It will be gratifying to replicate what I am doing for my host country back in Nigeria. Yes. I am willing to serve my country, to contribute in whatever capacity and at whatever level of government in order to move her forward.
In your mission statement you promised among other things to conduct a credible election; Are you interested in contesting for the position of substantive Chairman APGAUK chapter?
Most politicians are afraid of elections, forgetting that a credible election is one of the main ingredients required in developing democratic practice. Credible elections confer on the winners legitimacy because the mandate given to them are genuine since it emanates from the majority of voters. It represents the peoples‟ will in any given political setting. The problem is that most politicians in Nigeria and in most African democracies are not popular. They therefore make every effort to sabotage credible elections since it will expose their unpopularity. I will conduct credible election to choose officers who will pilot the affairs of the chapter in the coming years. This is absolutely necessary and desirable. The environment in which we operate does not expect anything less from us (I and my current team).
We have to demonstrate our competence to organise ourselves and in the process cement our prem-ier position as purveyors of good democratic tidings. Unfortunately, the former Chairman did not see it this way due to his questionable democratic potentials and his penchant for imposition. My participation in any election organised by APGA UK Chapter will depend on my performance because my main pri-ority at the moment is to reposition and rebrand the Chapter in order to achieve its‟ set goals. I want to broaden the political landscape especially in the UK so that many more Nigerians will be glad and eager to participate. Therefore it is fair to say Time and circumstances will inform my decision either to contest for substantive chairmanship or not.
