I joined politics to make my people rich, says ADC senatorial aspirant, Navy Cdr Esor, retd

Excerpts:

Actually I have been in the private sector, I have been a wealth creation coach and an entrepreneur. I have trained over 50,000 people on wealth creation and raised more than 3,000 millionaires within 4 years; I have over 700 staff spread across all the regions in Nigeria. My area of business is real estate construction, industrial security and cryptocurrency/block-chain technology. Prior to all these, I was a naval officer but retired early to follow my mentors – Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki – who thought me how to be wealthy. I’m a member of the International Association of Consults, New York City USA and also of the Institute of Directors in Nigeria.

I decided to throw my hat into the rings ahead of 2019 to represent the people of Central Senatorial district. I joined politics to make my people rich and to open local and international doors of opportunities for our youth. Besides, I want the youths to come into politics as President Macron has advised. The like of late M. T. Mbu were minister at 23. So, the-Not-Too-Young-To-Run is good, but politics is not a professional calling. You must be successful elsewhere before coming to lead people in politics irrespective of age. I am a grassroots politician; I grew up in the village; had early education there and have been involved in community development activities constantly in the past 20 years. I enjoy massive grassroot support.

Since the present PDP-led government in Cross River State assumed office three-and-half- years ago, they have not been local government election even when court has ruled they should conduct it. What does such portend for the state in terms of grassroots development?

I am worried that PDP, which claimed to be democratic, cannot conduct local government elections two years after the tenure of elected council officials has ended. The PDP in the state is a very big disappointment and have lived below expectations. We have never had a situation as bad as it when it comes to grassroot politics. The present administration has killed the spirit and principle of local government, forgetting that the grassroots is the bedrock of development especially once they are elected council Chairmen and Councillors. People tend to relate more with their council officers because they are closer to them. So, it is ridiculous to think that local government does not matter or to think that they don’t even have a right to existence therefore, it should be discarded. So, the non conduct of local government election in the past two years is very bad and undemocratic. It is a rape of democracy and a very unfortunate precedent. This must not be allowed to continue. It is a total denial of the right of all Cross Riverians to choose their leaders. It is dictatorial and criminal to allow this to continue. To say the least, PDP has killed democracy by not conducting local government election in the state. And that’s why the electorate must rise up to vote out the PDP for not conducting local government election because it is a constitutional matter.

Zoning of elected offices seems to be at the front burner as we approach 2019. Do you subscribe that offices should be zoned to accommodate all segments that make up various constituencies?

Nigeria is full of ironies; they are lots of hypocrites in our society. We are like the Roman, mob-hail him today and sacrifice him tomorrow. We only shout zoning when it does not favour us and kick against it when we are the beneficiaries. Those against zoning are the greatest beneficiaries in our polity today. The North fought against the former Jonathan-led PDP government because they felt they were short-changed after the death of Musa Yar’Adua. To them it was their turn to have concluded their eight years after Obansanjo had done eight. So, when they saw power slipping off their hands, they shouted marginalisation and finally got it through Buhari. Today, APC is in power and they are accused of lopsidedness in appointments into some key offices.

In Cross River, Ayade won’t have emerged governor, if they did not zone it to the Northern part of the state where he comes from. So also so many elected political office holders are beneficiaries of zoning. But once they enter they jettison the arrangement meant to accommodate all segments that make up their political unit. It is indeed, criminal for anybody who benefitted from zoning to turn around and kick. Therefore, I subscribe to zoning of political elective positions to widen the opportunities and give a chance to everyone zone. For the critics against zoning to say it breeds mediocres and that it is anti democracy is very unfortunate and is equivalent of someone who climbed a tree with ladder and later threw the ladder away after climbing up. Critics of zoning are not sincere. There is no particular zone that is more endowed than the other in terms of leadership. No one zone can claim to have a monopoly of good leaders.

The ruling APC at national has failed the electorate and the entire populace. What we are seeing is quite different from what they promised us. Once they assumed office in 2015, the game changed. They lost direction and good sense of leadership. Their focus now is on witch-hunting political opponents, leaving out bread they promised us and now giving us stones. I can tell you that the electorate are regretting voting into power this APC government; they are not getting their due in terms of service delivery; democratic dividends; rule of law and laying foundation for a brighter Nigeria we can be proud of. The economy is in shambles; security apparatchik has collapsed; the entire nation is in total darkness as power has also collapsed even when they say power generation has increased; every sector is almost in crisis including education; road transportation, banking sector and then industries. It is worrisome that a party that promised to tame Boko Haram suddenly can’t fight the herdsmen menace. All over the country, herdsmen are killing and maiming thousands of Nigerians in Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Kogi, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna and Enugu as well as destroying farms and houses. We are back to Stone Age under APC government and nobody is saying anything. On economy, people in private sector are passing through hell as the government has no clear cut directive on where it is going in terms on investment and industrialisation policy.

On the fight against corruption, I support it but can’t fight corruption effectively when the people are poor and minimum wage is nothing to go home with. And that is why there is need for a change from worse back to good governance where there will be rule of law, free, fair and egalitarian society. And Africa Democratic Congress, ADC, would offer that if voted into office in 2019.

At the state level, the PDP controlled government is worse off. It is like a child’s play and all comers affair. The government in the state is not creating jobs for our people. It’s selecting a few people to give stipends monthly whether they work or not. This is not good for the economy and is helping no one. The Ruling PDP in the state has disappointed everyone because all the mega projects promises to industrialise the state seem to be a mirage. Besides, I am sure billions of tax payers’ money have been committed to some of these projects, yet there is no head way. We had expected the PDP government in the state to have laid paid attention on entrepreneurial development because that is where the world is moving towards. Even the APC in the state is in shambles and factionalised. They are enmeshed in leadership crisis. All these are to ADC's benefit. So, our people cannot wait for another 4 years before they get good jobs and opportunities. My party, ADC, African Democratic Congress, is what we have been waiting for. To open doors for our people who have been in bondage, lack and want for years. Our people will get a sigh of relief come 2019 because the incumbent has failed woefully in the state.