Erstwhile Group Executive Director of NNPC and former Minister of State for Works, Christopher Ogiemwonyi, recently dumped the PDP for the APC in Edo State. In this interview with Special Correspondent, TITUS OISE, he speaks on his days as minister, the problems in the oil industry, his reasons for joining APC and why PDP should lose February general elections.
The problem with Nigeria’s oil industry
In the oil industry where I spent 34 years, the call for diversification is proper. But before we talk about diversification, we need to look at the management of the oil and gas today. I will say we need strong and effective monitoring of this oil and gas business. We see the need to be more steadfast in doing that, so that the cost of our operation will be within what we expect.
Then on the diversifying, it is something that is imperative. We have seen some countries building refineries within two years. But our case is quite different. Our refining capacity is there, but vandalism is still a problem. So, it is a matter to be addressed holistically and let those who are very experienced drive this industry.
Government interference in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
It is not the best option. I always pride NNPC staff as competent and I think we should give them a better enabling environment to operate. There are lots of interference from the top. Talking about having more refineries, if we want to have that, then we must deregulate. Let market forces prevail. Today, the market is controlled. When investors see that they can guarantee their investment, surely people will want to invest. People feel that if we deregulate, the price will be higher than what we have today. But I tell you, the problem today is that we are subsidising products to neighbouring countries. The borders are very porous. I think we should go for deregulation, let the market forces dictate the price and then we block various leakages in our operations. At the level of our importation, a lot of things go wrong. It is just that the system has allowed these things to continue to take place.
Experience as Minister
I was Minister of State for Works for one year. And my recommendation when I was leaving was that if you have a Minister of State, if it is necessary, ensure that you give that Minister of State as well as the full Minister their respective job descriptions. We have seen cases where the Minister of State is really doing nothing or very little. My experience in the one year I spent, I can confidently tell you that I was under-utilised compared to where I was coming from – NNPC where I was head of an establishment. I did not shy away from this discussion when I was a minister. I remember I told Mr. President that it would be nice for subsequent Ministers of State to have job descriptions.
State of the nation’s roads
We can talk about roads from now till tomorrow. Before I went in as a Minister, I had a different perception; but when I was a Minister, I saw more than I did not know before. One common problem facing many of these projects we talk about, like the East West Road, is funding. The contract award process is not faulty, but when you remember you award a contract you pay 25 per cent mobilisation – say a N30 billion contract, you will give the first 25 per cent and subsequently every year you put N2billion into that contract. If care is not taken, that contract will last for another 10 years, which is not ideal. So the major issue facing most of those contracts is funding, and I think we must start thinking outside the box to see how we can fund our key projects. We also have issues in the health sector and our universities. Various services are contending with the limited resource at the centre.
One thing we equally did in the Ministry of Works the period we were there was to advise that the design for a particular road should be unique for that road and not generic designs. What we applied when I was there with Sanusi Daggash was to say: you must design as per that road because two roads are not the same. The terrains differ from place to place because within one mile you can see a variation in the strength of the ground. So you cannot use the design in Benin where we have firm soil to a place like Bayelsa that is waterlogged.
Reaction on appointment as Minister of State
Of course I was shocked because looking at the curriculum vitae (CV) of the contending people, there was none close to mine. When you talk about oil and gas operations, there was none. I thought it was given when I was called upon to serve, but I was shocked. I later learnt that you don’t have to be a petroleum engineer to work in NNPC in Nigeria. But again, it is something different that we are doing here. In other places, Ministers are supposed to add value to governance. If you are Secretary for Energy in the United States (U.S.), you must have been Senior Vice President in Exxon Mobil, or other big oil company. It tells you how we take things here. Here in Nigeria, I am told that Ministers are not supposed to know the business; it is the civil servants who will advise him. But I see it differently; it is one area where we talk about leadership; the leader must be good. Here in Nigeria, you see an architect in the Ministry of Health. That is why we are not making any improvement in many areas in this country.
Non-participation in 2012 Edo governorship election
When I was Minister of State for Works, I was thinking of running for the governorship of Edo State; but when I noticed the leadership style of those driving the PDP in the state, I pulled back to re-strategise. In my profession, we always believe that one plus one is two, but I realised that what I was seeing here was quite different. I came from a system where you would use your best 11, where competence is key. But I realise that in Edo PDP, preference was loyalty. So I pulled out. I did a lot for PDP during the 2011 general elections because I remember the President asking us ministers to go back home and work. He asked ministers who were from PDP-controlled states to go and work under their governors, but states with non-PDP governors, the Minister from that state was supposed to take leadership of that state. As the Minister from Edo then, I was supposed to take charge, but Edo was quite peculiar because you had very strong leaders who are very domineering. They were not prepared to allow you as a minister play your role. I noticed all these things. I was not prepared to be confrontational with these people. I just felt the best thing was to allow them do what they knew best, which was politics, and I went back to my business. But from all indications, their politics have led them nowhere today. They are gnashing their teeth for all they have done to Edo people. Our people have embraced change. PDP members are not used to change; they are clueless.
Dumping PDP for APC
My decision to have a transition from the PDP to the APC was based on some other factors, notably the leadership style of Governor Adams Oshiomhole. I always believe that once the head is good, there is high probability that the body will be good. But once the head is not too straight, there is high probability that the body will not perform well. I am pleased with the type of leadership that I see among the APC people. I see very refined people. I see Oshiomhole doing what he speaks. He is hardworking, focused and smart. Even at the centre, look at the National Chairman of APC. I see APC as people I can work with, I see people who are sincerely working towards a change due to the decadence we have observed today in Nigeria caused by the PDP government.
If you look at the APC governors, you will know that they mean the change. Look at Babatunde Fashola (Lagos State governor). There was a day I took that Lekki new bridge to Osborne. When I got to Osborne, I took my phone and called him and told him: my brother, I am proud of you. Go to the entire Edo State and see what Oshiomhole is doing. Roads they said before were going nowhere, today, are going somewhere. Today we have red-roof schools. The first thing you give to a people is education because once they are educated they can diversify. If you see what APC governors are doing, you will say these people are focused; they know what they are driving at. If you give them the opportunity to lead Nigeria, you will see growth. Those were some of the reasons I am glad to say I want to be a progressive.
PDP winning Edo in 2015 general elections
Our people are not stupid. People like to do comparative analysis. PDP was in Edo for 10 years and APC is here now for six years. A boy in University of Benin (UNIBEN) or Ekpoma will compare when PDP was here and what they are seeing today. We are no more fools. Nobody can come here and talk about using federal might to rig; the people of Edo will decide. Time has passed when one man would decide who becames who in Edo.
We are all giving support to Oshiomhole because of what he is doing in the state; our people can see the difference. Look at our roads with six lanes. Look at the Benin Water Storm project. Flood no longer sacks our people. But for the bad state Oshiomhole met this state, we would have been comparing Edo with Lagos. Edo people will vote APC come 2015 and 2016. I have no doubt about that.
Nigerians are no longer people you go and give rice to deceive them at the event of an election, giving them fake promises. We have since passed that stage. What Nigerians need now is effective leadership, a leader they can trust, a leader that will make a promise and deliver; a leader that will stop oil theft, corruption, improve our power sector and solve our insecurity problem. We need a federal government that can guarantee us security, take roads seriously; a government that will respect the rule of law. And if you see what the APC is saying, that is the direction. The current PDP-led federal government is incompetent.
Childhood dreams in terms of career preferences
I wanted to join the military. I did apply for Physics; my intention was to do a Ph.D in Military Science. In those days, the Federal Public Commission used to visit the universities. When they came to UNIBEN, we were 14 graduating. That was in 1974. When I faced the panel, my first choice was the Army, second choice was Air Force, third was Navy. I recall that the chairman, the late Sir Manua, a gentleman and a father, asked me: why military? I won’t disclose the answer I gave him, but he changed my destiny. He gave me another form and asked me to fill Petroleum Engineering-in-training. I did, though I contested that in-training. I thought that with my B.Sc in Applied Physics, I was on top of the world. But as a father, he convinced me to accept Petroleum Engineering-in-training; that I was going back to Ibadan, and while at Ibadan I would be receiving extra money. He used that to convince me. So I accepted. He changed the course of my life from going to the military to petroleum engineering. Looking back, I express appreciation to him for what he did. Today, I am one of the world-class petroleum engineers this nation has ever produced.
Lessons and life experiences
Some of my lessons in life are humility and simplicity, contentment, sharing with the less-privileged, mentoring the younger ones, and love. Coming from my background of polygamous home, being able to navigate my way through life has thought me to be very humble because through humility there is so much you gain from people. I don’t look for those things I don’t need. I am satisfied with what God has done in life.
