REAL REASONS I RESIGNED FROM ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS-APC IN RIVERS STATE—SIR COLLYNS OWHONDAH REVEALS
The political landscape of Rivers state reverberated on the eve of the Supplementary election into Port Harcourt Federal Constituency 11 as one of the contestants to the position Sir Collyns Owhondah made public announcement that he had withdrawn from the race few days to the election re-run on Saturday 15th of April, 2023. Being that he is native of Port Harcourt Local Government Area the state capital a metropolitan City centre where several city dwellers also reside, his resignation as valid member of All Progressives Congress-APC Rivers state chapter which took immediate effect from 10th of April, 2023 also was dramatic in Nature as his popularity as Leader of APC In Port Harcourt Local Government Area -PHALGA Rivers State drew the attention of the fabric of Rivers State politics.
The team comprising Ibrahim Bakare, Kehinde Philip and led by the Bureau Chief Emeka Amaefula (+234(0)8111813069) Publisher/Editor-In-Chief of The Ear Witness News (www.theearwitness.net) went to town in search of Sir Collyns Owhondah a graduate of Rivers State University of Science and Technology Nkpolu-Orowurokwo Port Harcourt now renamed Rivers State University RSU Nkpolu-Orowurokwo, Port Harcourt and a Fellow of Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers and registered member of Estate Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria, Fellow Institute of Management Consultants and Certified Management Consultant being the Principal and Head of Practice of Collyns Owhonda Associates (Estate Surveyors And Valuers ) a very successful businessman a Philanthropist, a successful grassroots politician in Rivers state and beyond having started his political career since 1997 when he aspired to be elected into the Old Rivers state House of Assembly under the platform of United Congress Party of Nigeria UNCP during the Government of Late General Sani Abacha from 1993 to 1998.
On Friday 14th of April, 2023 Sir Collyns Owhondah granted exclusive interview to the crew at Port Harcourt Rivers state capital where he took time to x-rayed his life’s political trajectory and how he found himself in love with the services of humanity which found expression in finding a better living condition for his People using politics as a tool. He also advanced several reasons that led to his resignation from APC in Rivers state and decamped to his original party being Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers where he was a foundation member in 1998/1999.
EXCERPTS
May we meet you?
I am Sir Collyns Owhondah , I am the Head of Practice of Collyns Owhondah and Associates. I am also the CEO of FUG Resources Ltd. I have never had any public office. I am a Knight of the Catholic Church.
May we know your place of origin?
I am from Port Harcourt Local government Area. Before now I was the leader of All Progressives Congress APC in Port Harcourt Local Government Area. And I contested for the Federal House of Representatives for Port Harcourt Constituency 2 which was conducted on 25th of February 2023but the election was cancelled and rescheduled on 15th of April, 2023. As we had hitches along the line. Along the line I discovered that there was no need for me to go ahead with the election because my Party honestly, are not prepared to go in for the election. Somebody asked me yesterday, when did I realize that the party was not ready for the election? And I said for a long time. But because they believe in themselves because of the popularity of the party they continue moving on believing that we can take it where we want. But when we realise that we are not making any headway, the best thing is to surrender. In my own case I am always interested in those who are with me. We have lost the Governorship of the state therefore for 8- more years it will be so terrible for much progress. And if I have decided not to contest what is the next move? I said okay, we can align with PDP. Maybe through that way my supporters will be able to be carried along. That’s what happened.
What is your past political history like? At what point in your political career did you realise that you need to serve your people?
During the late General Sani Abacha’s era I was in the Old Rivers State Assembly in 1998 and that was when I took a short at House of Assembly Primary election with Chief Azubuike Nmerukini under United Nigeria Congress party-UNCP, and at that time some people were perceived to be very strong backed because they have what it takes to mobilize thugs from the Motor Park that was Governorship candidate at that time was considering and he gave the ticket to Chief Nmerukini despite public opinion then. But that wasn’t possible as General Sani Abacha died. You at that time too, I was saying that the Mayor of Port Harcourt Dr. Allwell Amadi Wami (May His Soul Rest In Peace) if you meet my friend who was now was the gubernatorial candidate of APGA Chief Ugo Beke, he will tell you that I made Dr. Wami the Local Government Council Chairman of Port Harcourt Local Government Area, because I had the financial capacity to do that at that time and for making it possible for him to have the repour with State Chairman of UNCP Port Harcourt City Local Government Area. And he made it as I was asked to be the adviser on Revenue matters of the Port Harcourt City Council. I don’t like talking about if that was a political appointment that I had.
After that Abacha died and the political system came and thereafter, I belonged to the Peoples Democratic Party-PDP as a founding member of 1999. I was very interested in contesting any election like that even when I was approached as we weren’t sure that the military was ready to hand over power. So, I didn’t participate as those who participated were lucky. I think the next time I went for this House of Representatives, I can’t remember the date and I was asked to withdraw for Madam Blessing Nsiegbe the wife of our member who lost his life Honourable Charles Nsiegbe.
And I had to withdraw and I accepted. Then we continued until we all got back to All Progressives Congress-APC. And I won the House of Representatives Primaries for Port Harcourt Federal Constituency 2 in the 2014/2015 General election. One funny thing that happened at that time was that during the Presidential election, it was a taboo to go against Goodluck Jonathan that was exactly what affected me in the APC Federal House of Representatives Election. My supporters were deceived to Press hand for President Goodluck Jonathan in PDP and weren’t told to Press hand for APC House of Representatives in another ballot paper they were thinking that after that election mine was the next election, in fact, they trooped into my house after the first election Saying “ah they have voted for President GoodLuck and that since my own is coming next …“(Laughs) That affected the election as they are my community people and they will not say that I am not a popular candidate. But I have found out that in politics it’s not how popular you are that determines your victory. That was in 2015 and we went to the Election Petition tribunal and the election was Cancelled. And we have to go for another rerun in March 2016. And 2016 was also a problem in election rigging and all that. Because you can only rig if you have people. And if the election Petition Tribunal had listened to our case, if not for some technical issues which I believe were made possible by even our Lawyers, I think that our lawyer compromised in that case. You can imagine that I went to INEC Headquarters and brought the Certified True Copies-CTC of the Election Results and filed our case and our Lawyer could not find out that when I filed, I did not file out of time. And my lawyer was arguing for a different thing. Funny enough that day, if it were not a court matter, I wanted to say ‘Point of Order,’ That I did not file out of time. But when I now met them after the Court Trial I was made to handle -the PDP Lawyer said and they saw it o o o! So, when you want to say anything because if he had said anything it would have been against it to their own lawyer in terms of argument. They saw it and our lawyer as arguing a different thing. So, that’s how that one was stopped and I went back. The beautiful thing is that each time I lose I go back to my business and it has been rewarding as God has made it possible that once it happens that way I will go back to the business and it has been helping.
May you get your academic background?
I attended the State School Amaigbo, now State School Rebisi, I was at Stella Maris College. And people like us then if you finish Secondary School your father will feel that he has done one big thing for you and they will call you and tell you that you will help train your younger ones. I got a job with Elf, now Totafinaelf Oil company. From that I realised that I need to go back to school for further education and I got admission in Rivers State University Of Science and Technology Nkpolu-Orowurokwo Port Harcourt. That is where I graduated as an Estate Surveyor in 1985. And now I am Head of Practice at Collyns and Partners. This story I am telling you now, once you finish secondary school your parents will tell you that they have finished with you. I was now gisting with two of my sons that I am recording all my expenses that I am going to deduct when they start work and that will be my first gift. And one of them asked me “did you pay your daddy?” And I said yes, and he said how? I said I paid my daddy this way “When I finished secondary School, I was working so that I had to take care of my siblings as my mother had ten children. By the special grace of God, I have been able to train seven to university education level while the remaining three couldn’t get to that level. So, do you know your uncle who lives in London? I trained him…”and when I finished telling that they started laughing. What I did is that if children ask you questions, answer them. When I was small at your age, I trekked to school and no one drove me with an air-conditioned car to school. Be prepared as I don’t know whether in your time too whether it will be a Helicopter Chopper, so you have to work hard so that you will be able to buy that car and be able to go to School.
Why are you defecting a few days to Rerun in Port Harcourt Federal constituency 2 in Rivers state?
I don’t know if somebody is constantly changing. I have been in APC for a long time now. All of us know Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, I think I have done my best as leader and founder of PHALGA even before I became leader, I have been spending my own money. Most of them here know this. That I will be tied down to belong to a party that will keep quiet when there are responsibilities. Now, even as leader I had never one day called my leader Rotimi Amaechi “Please we have this problem o o o” But I have discovered that while you are doing all this, some people are out there destroying your name in one way or the other. I heard the news that says the Minister gave me a job of N1.5Billion Contract and some will say N2.5Billion. The record is there at CCECC Construction company Ltd. The only job I got there was a job of N21m. It created a problem among my supporters because some are looking at me like somebody who had collected so much money and I can’t give them enough to their own expectation. In one of the meetings we had with our leader, he asked is there any problem in PHALGA? ” And I said “ Yes,” and he said “What is the problem?” And I said “Ah some of your Exco members here with me are telling my supporters that you gave me a contract worth N1.5B or N2.5B. My leader, you know that the job your Ministry gave to me was N21m. They now move it to N700m . Maybe one day it will come down to zero. So, those are the problems that we face when you are a Leader. If I discover that people I am working with don’t appreciate the much I can do…what do I do, but to leave them. I am quite sure everyone knows me that where I am going now, I am happy to be with them.
What matters is the timing, why must you defect to PDP two days to a Supplementary election you are going into as APC member of such magnitude, why?
I was the leader of my former political party and nothing was being done to people contesting elections. Do you go into elections just because you want to go into election or you are going to win? Are you going to win? Or you just want to go to a contest election and come back and spend your money?
If you were listening to me when I was talking earlier as I said at a party, don’t ask me the question,” How are we going to face this election” Nobody cares. And the matter in court there is nobody talking to me. If you are not talking to me and it’s just on Wednesday, a few days before the election that’s when you have decided to be calling me that I left the party, that’s why they were calling me. If you are preparing for an election should it be for at least a week to have the money.
It’s the political party that sponsors candidates for an election, is it so in APC, at least the money realised from selling of Nomination Forms should have been deployed to sponsor candidates?
Good, that is what I am saying. If they are not ready, do you want me to go?
Have you sent a Letter of resignation to your Ward that you have resigned?
I have done that.
You are now being seen as a serial election contestant for Federal House of Representatives Port Harcourt Constituency 2 as you have contested against Honourable Barrister Chinyere Igwe, Honourable Mrs. Blessing Charles Nsiegbe and now against Mrs. Blessing Chigeru Amadi in 2023, are you very satisfied in your outings so far?
I am philosophical about such issues like when in 2019 when the Supreme Court Judgment said that we in APC in Rivers state should not contest, you know what I said, I said God decides who He gives power to. If God does not want you to go somewhere God can use your friend, He can use your enemy or He can use your sister to do something for you. Mark it, if I had gone to the National Assembly because I was desperate to be there, and then maybe they were fighting using the Mace and the mace hit on my head and I died. If God does not want me to go there but God knows everything and imposes who He wants to. So, you just have to believe that God is the one that decides He knows who to give power. If I have made an attempt one hundred times, President Buhari made it too, and Abraham Lincoln made it too, and some succeeded. What if it’s not my calling to go to the National Assembly? How can you see that too? If I listen to my heart and say look it is okay. Even as I speak with you, from the way it is with me, I am thinking that I am done with anything that has to do with the election. Honestly, it is from my heart but my constituency will decide. After all, the governor of my state said that he will not go to a party that has Cancer and that he will leave the one that has Malaria but when this matter is taken up now, they will say what are we talking about he had established Dr. Peter Odili Cardiovascular and cancer treatment Hospital so, he can treat it. (Laughs) So, we can treat it. Election for me, shouldn’t be a do or die affair. You showcase yourself if you want to serve. All these people that are from my village, if you ask them privately is this man going to represent them? The answer is Yes. But if there are other forces that make it impossible, I intend to believe that it is the will of God.
There’s this speculation that former Deputy Speaker Austin Opara is a chief, and former Mayor of Port Harcourt Chief Azubuike Nmerukini is also a chief because of this that you are eyeing the Chieftaincy title of your Kingdom and that is the reason why you defected to PDP for you to realize this ambition through PDP Government, how true is this?
There are two things that I don’t even value, one is a chieftaincy title and the other one is Honourable. When it comes to titles, I prefer the one church gave to me being Sir, as a Knight. There are several chiefs being honorary. I am a Prince and my lineage makes it possible that I can become a traditional Ruler. So, why am I going for honorary chieftaincy title? Those ones are honorary Chiefs. My family holds the EziUgo of the Rebisi Kingdom.
So, you are entitled to Paramount stool?
Yes, if my people say that I should be. How can I be pushing for that? Do I want the person there now to die? (laughs).
When we look at the geographical location of Federal Constituency Port Harcourt 2, being the heart of the city centre and you look at the population density it is a cosmopolitan City where you have people from other ethnic groups, so didn’t realize that the Obidient Movement Labour Party will have upper hands in the outcome of the election in your constituency before you contested under APC?
I need to be very honest with you, nobody expected the Labour Party to win even the candidate who knew him. He never campaigned one day as nobody saw his posters. So as far as the Labour Party is concerned, I thought that I was contesting with PDP and most of the election within my area here after me is Labour Party. So, there are things that will happen that we don’t contemplate and that’s why I have told you that whatever happens I know that God has a hand in them. And I cannot question God. Even in my decision not to contest again I believe that God will decide. What is service? Is it only when you get to the National Assembly that you can serve your people? For me the answer is no. There are various ways of serving your people by attending to their needs.
Let me tell you the problem of leadership is that mediocre find their way to the top. I used to tell some of the people during the electioneering campaign that the problem that I will have if I make it to the National Assembly is to take bribes. It might be difficult for people to believe that I may not want to take bribes. And they ask me “Do they give bribes?” And I gave them an example…may be today I am there, and I belong to any of the committees and we are asked to go for an oversight function. And, when we get and we discover that maybe ten billion naira is the amount of a project. And you know that these people are also intelligent, that is, those who steal the money are also intelligent. They have kept about N2 Billion for the people that will come to inspect the project, Then, we go and they offer N2Bn and I say, “No, I can’t take it because me I have conscience because that money should have been used to executive another project that can benefit the ordinary citizen. When I do that my committee members may go behind and collect the N2Billion. And when they collect it and I come to the House of Representatives not knowing that my committee members have collected it, I say to Mr. Speaker that when we got there, we discovered that the contract was N10Billion and they offered us a bribe of N2 Billion. And he would like to hear from other Committee members who will say that “Oh there is nothing like that, that I was even the one who was offered N2 Billion bribe” when you people hear it and you will believe. That is the problem of Nigeria’s leadership.
Ok, as an Estate Surveyor, If I am going there, I would like to know why are we having Housing problems in Nigeria? Why is it that poor people will not access the Mortgage Fund for low income earners? Then I will try to see how I can make a law that can make that possible for mass housing and you will see some Committee members or some members who will think that Maybe some people are sponsoring you and they are giving you money. For that Bill. Bill will die. Any Bill that you see that goes through is sponsored by people who bring money and give to all of them. But once it is a Bill that nobody is sponsoring bringing money from outside most of them won’t succeed. Because the people around there think it’s very funny. That is the problem we have in politics. So, you can understand why we are not progressing today. So, if I go to the House there are things that I have in mind that I want to discuss. There are Bills that I would like to discuss but if I am outside it will be difficult for me. My business with SHELL Petroleum Development company, I have come to discover the way some hospitals don’t have refuse syringes disposal means. These syringes we use are poisonous and the way we dispose of them nobody cares. In advanced countries they can’t be disposed of anyhow. So, you can understand what is propelling me to go to the House of Representatives. And you will discover that a lot of them that have the opportunity of going there don’t have anything up in their heads to contribute for the people. They don’t have anything to offer. So, when they go there everybody is interested in how much they make. And you know the funny aspect of it is that if you go there and you don’t make that kind of money and you don’t bring money to be giving all of them, they won’t give you the next ticket to contest the election. So, everybody is looking for that money to give to them in advanced countries where you cannot go against what your constituency wants. That’s why they will contribute money to make sure that the person they want goes to represent them. I was thinking that BVAS would have helped us to achieve that. But it failed us.
The truth is that they are the ones that are electing themselves. If you elect yourself then you won’t care for the masses.
What is your relationship with the incumbent Governor and the incoming Governor Sim Fubara, are you expecting a Cabinet appointment?
I have known the governor for a very long time. So, I wish it was possible when I meet him you will see how we relate. You know I like the way the Governor operates. He’s somebody who has promised that he will not interfere with the administration of the incoming government. For the incoming Governor Sim Fubara, I have not been close to him. But I have had the opportunity of sitting with him and the governor and with the party chairman as I was formally introduced. So, the most important thing is that you are coming into a party to bring value to the party whether you have known the man just yesterday doesn’t make any difference. and if you are going, I won’t say that some people don’t go without benefit but you must show working. If you ask me, I don’t think that somebody like me is interested in being a Commissioner.
There’s this rumour that you were offered money to the tune of N400Bn to defect to PDP, how true is this allegation?
You see in APC everybody that goes to PDP is being given money. That is the general belief. Let me tell you one thing, I have respect for myself and I cannot go and tell somebody that my condition of coming here is that you give something in exchange for me to support you. If you tell that person like that, he can decide not to talk to you. As it is, if you go for an election, they will use other ways and remove you. So, if you are intelligent why will you go asking for what you will not get. For me, those who have been following me commend me and that is why today before I went with APC Wards Chairman and they said that they will follow me and I told them not to talk about what they are going to get if they are following me to PDP. We have 20 Wards Chairmen in Port Harcourt Local Government Area. And out of that 20 Chairmen, 13 today before I met with Ward Chairmen, they said that they will follow me to see the State PDP Chairman of the party. And with the possibility of more.
You mean that they are not demanding for any settlement?
Let me tell you, because they have to toe the way I toe, and how did I go? I said I am coming to work with you by forgoing my Federal House of Representatives seat election ticket and working with you. I believe if I go like that without demanding anything tomorrow it is not impossible that there could be something for you. If I go there now and tell them that you have to give me this for me to support you, they can decide to say you can go to hell. So, why will I go and do that? Even as leader of APC in Port Harcourt LGA, I know that those who were leaders before any small thing they will call Amaechi to give them money. I have respect for myself and if I want people to respect me, I don’t go giving people conditions. What are you giving conditions for? If you say that you want to go, alright go and contest the election.
On the eve of the election for Governor on 18th of March, 2023 I met with the Governor and I told him that I am going to switch to PDP. So, if I met him that day and told him Governor, you have to give this in order for me to support you. And I came back and I told my people to slow down and that we have a new plan. In my area there was a clean sweep for PDP.
We have seen a situation where before the presidential election some party bigwigs from the opposition party in Rivers state are leaving to the ruling party in the state in great numbers like you did, what is the cause of this?
Well, we have people that don’t mean well for their party, blackmailing those that have good intentions, those that have good intentions will leave, that is not to say that some of them are also not hungry, like I know in the social media that a lot of what people say are not true. Like people are saying that I went to PDP because I am hungry. A lot of people will buy that because they don’t know who Collyns Owhondah is. One of my people replied to them. In my community have I not been helping people? I have been helping people. Am I helping as a poor man? For where (his aides replied) This is my community Chairman, how can some people now go to Social Media and say such? The main thing is that I look at the election and I am not going to please anybody… I can’t make it not because I am not popular but because the forces there make it impossible for me to win. Then, my former party APC is not prepared to win. They always have somebody to blame, INEC, Police. In Port Harcourt Local government most of the people contesting elections don’t know who the Electoral Officer is, Police, they don’t know.
Must they Know all these personnel that you have mentioned?
Officially they have to know, go and let them know that “I am the candidate of so and so party” All they have to do is say ‘Oh Wike has taken over INEC.’ There was an incident that happened in a junk record of location of Collation Centers in Rivers state that was done around the time of SDP time most of them(hotels) are not into operation today…I told my people here that it not true because I have gotten in touch with my Electoral officer here EO. The next thing they wrote a Petition.
