In an exclusive interview with Erevision MediaTV’s anchorman Robinson Erebi, Hon. Engr. Rodney Ebikebina Ambaiowei, the esteemed National Assembly member representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency, opens up about the hurdles he faces and the groundbreaking initiatives he has undertaken to bring positive change for his constituents. Read on for highlights from this enlightening conversation.
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Excerpts:
Robinson: Happy new year sir
Hon. Ambaiowei: Happy new year, my own brother Robinson.
Robinson: The last time we spoke was 7 days ago. That was on Christmas day, and you talked about a lot of things. And there’s a lot also that you’ve not said. In the spirit of this new year celebration, can we have an insight into some of your struggles, some of your challenges in the past one year, particularly your travails at the Court of Appeal and other places that you were taken?
Hon. Ambaiowei: Yes…first and foremost, I want to thank God Almighty for His benevolence towards my life and also, the life of the “miracle” Governor of our State, His Excellency, Sen. Douye Diri because in as much as my Governor is facing travails, that’s how it cascades down to me to face. There’re a lot of travails that I have faced that I want to give God all the glory. You’re aware, particularly my constituents that within the first two or three weeks in the National Assembly, I moved a motion concerning boat and craft mishap in the coastal lines of Nigeria, irrespective of my Federal Constituency but every other place that have boat mishap. And I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful to God Almighty because I know that that is what my people are facing. And, another challenge that my people are facing that I want to bring to the notice of Nigeria is about this electric buses or what they call CNG that the federal government wants to provide as palliatives to commuters in the federation. My Constituency, out of more than a hundred communities, only about four or maximum five that has motorable roads network. But out of the over hundred, over 120 or 30 is on waterways. So we should also look at that. That’s the next motion I intend to raise, but before I raise that motion, I want a bring a motion to the floor concerning Amassoma Community. That its shore protection is as outdated as far back as 1999. And by the grace of God, either the first week of resumption of the National Assembly or second week, my motion will be brought to the floor of the house. I critically at the problems of my people. I love Southern Ijaw. I love my State Constituency also, and I’m going to deal with each and every problems of my state Constituency as well as my Federal Constituency. Most of the Federal Constituencies have challenges. And I have also brought forth a lot of bills. I have brought some bills that will bring forth some institutions to my Federal Constituency which will be made known to my Federal Constituency in no distant time. One thing I want to tell my federal constituents is that the National Assembly is not money making machine. I’m there to speak on behalf of my federal constituency. I appreciate how my federal constituents are suffering. The same way they’re suffering is the way I’m suffering, but my mission in the Federal Constituency is to speak on behalf of them, it’s not about money. It’s all about what they’re suffering from and which I’m also part of it. Most times when I expect my Federal constituents to engage me on what they’re suffering from, each and everyone that calls me is all about their personal benefits. And I don’t have that capacity. I’m not an executive where I approve money. I don’t approve money. I only speak of the problems of my constituents. I want to beg my federal constituents, where I cannot reach out to you on monetary matters, please forgive me. I know that you have a lot of problems concerning billions upon millions of Naira. Even me, my immediate problems…my family and myself, I have so much to give but I don’t have that money to give. Each day, I’m begging my wife and my immediate family, my extended family to please pardon me because I don’t have the money. So I want to appeal to my Federal Constituents to pardon me where I don’t meet up with their monetary needs, please pardon me, but the little I can meet up, to eck out the little I have from my salary and my office running cost, I’ll do that to them gladly. But let them not feel that I have so much money that I’m not willing to give. I cannot go and borrow money to satisfy anybody. I cannot even borrow money to satisfy myself, that’s my nature of person. I want to appreciate all my constituents. I love each and everyone of them because I’ve been part and parcel of my constituents. I always tell people, I “bile gbou” in my community. I “tan okpukpa” in my community, I do “osi ango” in my community, I did “nama tein” in my community, I did “di kon” on my community, there’s nothing in the riverine area you’ll talk of that I’m not part of. I love each and every one of them. May God bless them. Their challenges are my challenges, and my challenge is their challenge. Whatever challenge they have, please reach out to me and I’ll speak it on the floor of the house. God bless you. Anua-ne, adoo! Aaeeeehn Southern Ijaw! Southern Ijaw keme emi baine keme fa? O mie mi ni-bai ne O mie-a fa? Anua-ne o!
Robinson: Now apart from the Shore Protection for Amassoma, are there other projects by way of oversight functions that you intend to bring to your people in Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency?
Hon. Ambaiowei: There are a lot of projects that Southern Ijaw needs. Southern Ijaw is one of the golden eggs that produces Nigeria. Southern Ijaw produces a lot of crude oil in this country. Southern Ijaw is educationally backward. Southern Ijaw in terms of tourism, is backward. No hospital, nothing to talk about. Southern Ijaw is a place that if you want to bring resources to Nigeria, we have the land, we also have tourism that can attract resources to Nigeria. So I’m looking at various means. And these are some of the bills I want to propose. Look at Amassoma. Amassoma brought forth university, and when you come to Amassoma, you can see how activities are in Amassoma, and which you Robinson who’s my interviewer is aware of. And that’s what I’m proposing for Oporoma. I’m proposing another one for Eniwari. I’m also proposing another one in Constituency 4. And by the grace of God, you’ll be aware of what I’m proposing in no distant time. In no distant time, you’ll be aware of what I’m doing. And I want to assure each and every constituent in Southern Ijaw that the equation will be balanced. Not because I’m from Amassoma that Amassoma will dominate Southern Ijaw, no! And I want every other Southern Ijaw member to note that it’s not all about where you come from. How do we move our Federal Constituency to the limelight of Bayelsa State. And that’s what I believe in, it’s not about the Ambaiowei family. It’s not about Amassoma or Ogboin clan. It’s all about Southern Ijaw and Bayelsa, particularly, my Governor. My Governor has made it known to each and everyone of us that, “even those who don’t support me, I’m the Governor for the entire Bayelsa State”. Likewise, I’m the Federal Lawmaker for entire Southern Ijaw…not only Southern Ijaw, even beyond Southern Ijaw because most atimes, in my office, the entire Bayelsa State comes. Not only Bayelsa State, the entire Ijaw State from Ondo, every other person comes. Provided you’re an Ijaw man, you’re also from Bayelsa State, you’re also from Southern Ijaw, that’s what I believe in. How long will I live on earth? How much will I acquire on earth that that money will speak for me? It’s what I build for Ijaw nation that will tell much about me, and that’s my philosophy about life. Thank you.
Robinson: Thank you very much. Is there any other thing you want to add to what you’ve said as we’re celebrating new year, drinking and eating?
Hon. Ambaiowei: All I want to tell Ijaw as a nation is that Ijaw people should come together. Ijaw people should queue behind the Ijaw National Congress, the Ijaw Youth Council, and let’s make Ijaw nation to be great. The only homogeneous Ijaw State that we have in this country is Bayelsa State. Every other Governor in every other State queue behind our miracle Governor Sen. Douye Diri to make unity of the Ijaw to be sacrosanct so that we’ll be at the forefront of the Nigerian polity. And my prayer for each and every Ijaw is that let us queue behind the Senator our miracle Governor His Excellency, Sen. Douye Diri. Thank you and God bless you. And I wish each and everyone happy new year.
Robinson: Happy new year, sir.
Hon. Ambaiowei: Happy new year.
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