Hon Timi Tonye Is the lawmaker representing Patani constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly. He recently spoke on some burning issues as they affect his constituency and others that touched on national matters.
The lawmaker had during the interactive session with journalists drawn from the stable of Isoko Mirror and Rural Front community newspapers in the state, bemoaned the insecurity situation in his constituency which recently threw up such crimes as kidnapping, insisting that the development was strange and unheard of in the area before now.
Hon Timi Tonye while responding to questions bordering on national matters had also advised the Federal Government to tread softly on the issue of the Biafra Republic agitation as dialogue was the best way to wriggle out of the problem. He warned that the continued incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the agitation was not the best. His words ‘’government should look at other options other than using force, which would not work. What would work perfectly in this issue is dialogue’’ he said.
The lawmaker also harped on the current economic down turn facing the country. He pointed out that the country’s over dependence on proceeds coming from oil resources was largely responsible for this.
He pointed out that any government that depends on natural resources to run its affairs would definitely have problems of poverty, crisis and want, if proceeds from such resources can no longer be relied upon.
His words’’sole dependency on natural resources had never helped people to develop; hence government should be run with revenue from taxation. So let’s go back to taxation.
The lawmaker also raised alarm over the erosion problem that is currently threatening to wipe out Abari community in his constituency. He said if something was not done immediately the community would be completely submerged within the next twenty years.
Reproduced below, find excerpts of this engaging interview with Hon Timi Tonye as written by December Gboru, our editor in chief.
Ques: Hon Sir, you have been in the saddle as the representative of your people in the state house of assembly for about seven months now. A survey carried out by our media team recently shows that patani constituency which you represent is not free from such problems as lack of access roads. For an instance, there is this vital road running from Asaba-Asei to Abari and then through Eruwa to Patani town in your constituency which had been abandoned for years. The completion of this road would have connected the community along this route to the outside world with ease. What are you doing about this?
Ans: Truly, the non-completion of that road is a thing to be worried about. This road project was awarded by the western region government in Ibadan in the early fifties. Then it was a foot path used by bicycles. It is sad that the project had not been completed about 61 years since it was awarded. Something had to be done. The value of that road to the people cannot be overemphasized as it would network farms and create a robust economic activity for the rural dwellers out there.
Besides, the road would reduce travelling time for motorists navigating through the area to Asaba, Delta State capital from either Portharcourt or enroute Patani to Asaba if completed. And then for the Abari community where the road passes through, it would no doubt enhance their culture in addition to other socio-economic benefits.
Ques: You have said much about the significance of this road. What are you intending to do to complete it?
Ans: The Abari community belongs to the Kabowei clan with headquarters of the kingdom in Patani town. The absence of that road has indeed cut off the Abari people from their kins and kiths in Kabowei clan as Abari remains one of the few places you must pass through if you want to get to Patani by road from that axis. What we are going to do is to draw government attention to this abandoned project.
Less I forget, people have also been talking about the abandoned Asaba Asei-Abari road and others in my constituency. Truly the Asaba Asei-Abari road project I was made to understand was one of the six roads awarded by Governor Ibru’s administration. It was awarded to a company. It was not done because it was allegedly caught up with some legal issues. Why the government appears to have not been able to disentangle itself from this logjam and construct the road is a thing that is surprising to me. Our advocacy is that government should complete that project. The advantages of doing that are many. Besides opening the area to the outside world, travelling time for those using the area to get to Asaba would be greatly reduced. As at now, if you take off from Patani or Porthacourt travelling to Asaba, you have to pass through Ughelli, and travel in a roundabout manner before hitting Asaba. But with the expected completion of Asaba Asei to Abari, Eruwan to Patani road, travelling on this route would knock off an hour of the travelling time to Asaba.
Ques: What are the other nagging problems you would say is consuming the Abari community besides this road project.
Ans: Abari community is also devastated by erosion problems over the years. The community is fast eroding. If something is not done, by say in the next twenty years, there won’t be Abari anymore. It is that bad. So this alarm had to be sounded through your important medium. Abari shore had to be reclaimed so as to save historical records and cultural relationship of the people in the area. It is time government should do something about the Abari shore problem and also construct the Patani-Eruwa-Abari-Asaba-Asei road so as to open up the area.
Ques: What are equally worrisome are the recent security problems affecting your constituency especially in Patani and Abari towns. We learnt you were a victim of these onslaughts when you narrowly escaped an alleged assassination attempt on you. What is the security situation in your constituency now?
Ans: The security situation in Patani of recent had been bad. Originally, Patani area has been known to be a very peaceful all this while. Off course, there have been these petty crimes such as stealing but violent crimes especially kidnapping was never known to us in Patani. But certain criminals from suspected neighboring communities, perhaps from the bordering state appear to have transported such violent crimes as kidnapping to our constituency. They started by kidnapping a Whiteman who was working with a construction company in Patani. They also kidnaped the Vice Chairman of the council and others followed in that sequence. There was also an assassination attempt on me in the area, I escaped by divine grace. So it has been worrisome. Mark you, one of the main responsibilities of the government as spelt out in the constitution is the security of lives and property of its citizens. Where there is no security for the people, there cannot be progress and development. We have made several reports about this to the security agencies. I make bold to say that the security agencies had not been helpful. They should brace up to the occasion and tackle all security problems in the constituency headlong.
Ques: As a lawmaker, what other things would you put in place to check mate this situation’
Ans: There is nothing I can do. It is purely a security issue that can be best tackled by experts. That is the police, army and other security agencies. I am not a security expert. I have done my part, by making the necessary reports to the agencies. That is the best I can do as a lawmaker. Our people are however living in fear as a result of the recent ugly developments. Everyone is wondering who the next kidnap victim will be. That is where we are in Patani as I speak.
Ques: of recent, there has been this agitation for the creation of Biafra state out of the Federation. What is your take on this?
Ans: Perhaps the agitation for Biafra might not be purely for the sake of Biafra creation per se, but to point to the fact that something much change or be done by the Nigerian state to right grievances. That is if there is any component of the country that is not happy about the way they are been treated, I think government should address that. In the world today, there is nothing like forced relationship. Relationship should be voluntary. So many countries had experienced such agitation. Most of them in the process decided to separate and yield to self-determination. So the agitation for Biafra, from my own thinking is a pointer to other issues in the country. Government should look at other options than using force to suppress such agitations. Using force will not work. What would work is dialogue. I am therefore calling on government to release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of Biafra agitation, unconditional. They should release the man seen as the symbol of the struggle and use him as a point of dialogue. This current kind of incarceration of such agitators had never helped us in this country. They did it to Adaka Jasper Boro, Saro Wiwa, Gani Adams and it never worked. So applying strategies such as dialogue in solving a universally known problem is the best. The agitators for the creation of Biafra republic are not happy and so everyone has the right to be happy.
Ques: Okay, looking at the dwindling revenues now facing the country, it appears this fallout is not just affecting the ordinary Nigerians but also those in government, your reaction.
Ans: I will disappoint you in my response to this question because I am one of those who believe that government should not be run by proceeds accruing from natural resources whole sale. Past experiences had shown that countries that depend solely on natural resources to run their affairs would definitely have problems of poverty and crisis especially when the going is no longer favorable. I am advocating that government should be run with revenue from taxation. So let’s go back to taxation. It is a settled issue that depending on natural resources had never helped the people to develop. Go to the Middle East countries and the sub-Sahara areas. They have rich natural resources, but they are always in and out of crisis. The story is the same from Algeria to Nigeria and Peru that are also endowed with rich resources but always in one form of crisis or the other. It is my submission that sole reliance on natural wealth does not allow the people to be creative.
It does not also allow the ingenuity of man to come out. Based on this reasoning government should be run by taxation and perhaps with some additional support from revenue accruing from the proceeds of natural resources. If I may ask, what resources have such countries as Singapore? But some of the biggest wonders of growth are coming from there. So I don’t believe we should wholly use our natural resources to run a government. Material resources can come in as an addition to running the affairs of a country.
The gospel truth is that if as a citizen you are paying your tax, you can hold government accountable. We don’t pay taxes, that is why we find it difficult to hold governments accountable.
Ques: Finally, your predictions for the Bayelsa guber polls.
Ans: PDP will win. The governor has performed. He is one of the governors that do not owe civil servants their monthly salaries. So the people would reward him with their votes.
Thank You