“If we want to have peace as Ijaw people, all the traditional rulers should go back to their villages and interact with their people and the Niger Delta region will grow”
Chief Combolous Ikisa, is a politician with a lot of difference. The former Special Adviser on Security and Youths Development, Burutu Local Government Area and Director of Mobilzation, Okowa Mandate, in a recent Interview with GBARAMATU VOICE NEWSPAPER did not pull punches as he shot straight from the hips. Ikisa tasked the Delta State Governor, Sen. (Dr.) Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa on the development of the Riverine area
He spoke passionately on the challenges in the Niger Delta area and the way out of them. Ikisa lashed out at Ijaw politicians and traditional rulers from the area for deserting their people in the time of need, adding that they have not been sincere with their people.
The grassroots Businessman-cum politician, glowingly about controversial Tompolo and advised that the Federal Government should work with the man variously tagged as the people’s messiah.
Excerpts;
ON HIS PERSONALITY
My name is Chief Combolous Ikisa, the Director of Mobilization, Okowa Mandate. I am a true son of Ayakoromor and Odimodi communities under the Burutu Local Government council. I was born in Ayakoromor, but my mother is from Odimodi. As the last child of my parent, I decided to stay with my mother’s relatives and that is why most people think my father is from Odimodi. I am a contractor and a Politician and God has been faithful to me and my family. I belong to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). I went into politics in 2004 and I have been one of the beneficiaries of the system. When Hon. Asupa Forteta became a council chairman, he made me the Special Adviser (SA) on Security and Youths Development in Burutu Local Government.
Since then I have stayed in politics and I have been faithful to Hon. Asupa forteta. He is a successful politician and I am proud of him as a boss. He is a nice person. I have been in PDP right from inception till today.
GOV. KOWA IMPACT ON HIS PEOPLE, SO FAR
I have not have the opportunity to meet with the Governor in person, but before he became Governor, I have played my part for his mandate as the Director of Mobilization of the Okowa Mandate that campaigned in all the Local governments of the states.
However, as at today, we have not benefited anything in the riverine areas, that is why I keep telling the leaders of Ijaw nation, that they should present our case before Governor Okowa that he should open up Ayakoromor bridge that will go through the Burutu axis and the Bomadi Local Government and at the same time he should liaise with the Federal Government and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to complete the Omaduno to Escravos road project.
That is the only road through which we can access the Nigerian Marine University, Okerenkoko.
If those things are not done by 2019, the Ijaw people should sit down and deliberate extensively before deciding on who to support as the next governor, who they can trust with our lives.
We cannot participate in any government and end up being losers in that government. I am saying this things categorically to every Ijaw people to know that these are the only roads in Delta state that we are have that can open up the riverine area for us.
If Okowa can do it, we shall be grateful and I want the people to meet with Okowa one-on-one, to advise him to open up this road for us because as it is now, we don’t have anything to show as the riverine people that massively voted for this man and gave him one hundred support.
OKOWA MAJOR CHALLENGE
The major challenge I see in this administration is the paucity of funds. However, one thing I know is that a man should never fail when it comes to promises .
You know politicians can tell you all sort of things, but at the end of the day, they would not do any of them. I don’t know for now why he has not done these things for us, but in terms of appointments, I give him a perfect one hundred percent because his appointments have been fair and transparent along the tribal and ethnic divide, even all the local government areas are beneficiaries of these.
However, I am still emphasizing on the riverine areas like the Omaduno to Escravos road project and Ayakoromor Bridge. Those roads should be done by his administration and that is the only way, we will know that he loves us.
During his campaign agenda, he noted that there is only one local government in the state that is not accessible by land, and that is Burutu.
So that is the only area I want to task His Excellency, to fulfill his promise by doing something about that bridge, because the area is only accessible through that bridge.
ON THE LACK OF PIPE BORNE WATER AND ELECTRICITY
Generally, that blame will go to all Niger Delta political office holders from 1999 till date, because we have been crying to the federal government that they have been neglecting us right from the country’s independence.
Look at the budget in Niger Delta Ministry, the funds that we have collected from Federal Government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), for the development of the area are have stuffed into the personal pockets of certain individuals.
We are our own problem, if you look at what Ibori, Alamieyeseigha, Igbinedion, Odili, Amaechi and Attah have collected from 1999 to this present day, you will see that they only utilized about 25% of the funds for the projects, we don’t know what had happened to the rest.
HOW TO ACHIEVE PEACE IN THE NIGER DELTA
To be honest, the only thing that can give us peace in the Niger Delta, is that they should bring the Marine University, service the Amnesty programme and the Federal government should open up roads to Forcados Terminal, Escravos, Brass, Bonny, and to Eket.
To be honest, the only thing that can give us peace in the Niger Delta, is that they should bring the Marine University, service the Amnesty programme and the Federal government should open up roads to Forcados Terminal, Escravos, Brass, Bonny, and to Eket.
These are areas where Nigeria derives its revenues and yet, they don’t have roads. The federal government should come out with a special budget for good road networks in those places and you will see that peace will reign.
Somebody that has better thing in his hands won’t want to spoil them. We need a network of good roads and that is the only solution to all these challenges. When there are good road networks nobody will want to jeopardize their own things.
If you talk about employment, it is a general thing in Nigeria. Apart from the people that went for training, we have a lot of graduates in Nigeria that are not employed.
Personally, I believe that Nigeria have enough resources to take care of all its citizens. Our problem in this country is that we are not sincere to ourselves. If we are , everything will work out for our collective good. Even though there is no job, everybody will be okay. The only solution is political sincerity.
ON PANDEF
Our Father, our leader, Chief E. K. Clark has taken a very good step and the thing we have been asking for over 50 years is the same thing we are still crying about now.
We have been shouting to all that cares to listen that when individuals have the opportunity to do something, they usually fluff the chance and that is the problem we have.
The traditional rulers are agitating for us, but when a traditional ruler leaves his own domain for other peoples’ land and live there for many years, instead of doing so with his own people we shall continue to have problems.
If we want to have peace as Ijaw people, all the traditional rulers should go back to their villages and interact with their people and the Niger Delta region will grow.
If I have the opportunity to be the Governor, I will monitor them. If you are not in your domain, I will not invite you for government functions because you are not doing your constitutional duties in your kingdom.
ON VICE PRESIDENT’S VISIT
It is a good step, that is to show that we should put people with the fear of God in office, no matter what it takes. The step the vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has taken was the same thing Goodluck Jonathan did when he was in office to bring peace to the Niger Delta and that is the step the Vice President is taking. He is” my man”, I am happy he is taking this step. That is the way to rule people. We are in democracy and that is a very good step.
WAY OUT OF ELECTION VIOLENCE
As a people, let us have the fear of God and be sincere to ourselves. If it was the military that is protecting the lives and properties in this nation, if they are not taking sides against certain political parties and they sincerely provide security cover for election materials, nobody will come and steal them (election materials).
If the military, police and army are up and doing, during elections, everyone will vote peacefully. It is because the military take sides in favour of certain political parties and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) skews elections in favour of certain parties that leads to all these violence during elections.
When you want to hijack my mandate you will make me angry and I will want to die with you. If you don’t make me angry I will not fight with you. So the military and INEC are our problems because they are partial Judges during elections.
HOW TO ENSURE STABILITY OF PEACE IN HIS AREA
The only thing I can say, to bring peace to my domain is sincerity. But most problems we have today are caused by the politicians because of their insincerity.
During the military era, there was a little of decorum unlike in the present democratic settings. At the moment, we all live like friends, but when some people have the opportunity to be in top positions, they alienate the people and these things only infuriate the people.
So the people are fighting for stomach infrastructures, and that is one of the problems we have today. If everyone becomes sincere, the country will be at peace.
MISCONCEPTION ABOUT TOMPOLO
Tompolo is not the problem of the Federal Government in the Niger Delta. From my own perspective, everyone in the Niger Delta should pray for Tompolo. When we are in church, we pray for God to connect us to angels that can make us successful.
Tompolo is one of those angels that God has sent to the Niger Delta to come and open our eyes and show us light.
Recognition are given to the Niger Delta people today because of this man. Everyday, I pray for him for taking risks for his people. They should not think that he is fighting for himself or his own people. He is fighting for everybody.
We have more than 30,000 youths in the Amnesty programme and it was Tompolo who fought for amnesty for the Niger Delta. Most of the millionaires in the Niger Delta were made by Tompolo because he opened their eyes.
The only person I respect that Tompolo has assisted to become one of the Federal government appointees was Patrick Akpobolokemi.
He is the only Ijaw man that has attained office and employed people massively. He brought schools to Ijaw land while other people are fighting for their own pockets.
Have you seen any person that have built a Technical school in his place before? It is only Patrick Akpobolokemi that I respect apart from Tompolo.
SPECIAL MESSAGE TO IJAW NATION
I pray for the unity of the people of the Niger Delta everyday. Let politicians not use us against ourselves. That is my advice to every Niger Delta person.
We should think of how to build the Niger Delta and not destroy it. I want to thank my brother, Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi, former deputy governor of Bayelsa state for standing by me. He is a man I respect a lot. There have also been others who are role models, I respect them and I will continue to respect them.
I always pray that God fulfill their heart’s desire in life. Some of them have done so much for my family and I am grateful. I have a friend who is like a brother from another mother, Arch. Azaiye Piniki. He has shown me a lot of love like a friend and a brother. I also thank Tompolo as a brother and as an in-law, I will continue to pray to God to continue to stand by him. People misunderstand him, that is why they are criticizing him. He is a man that the Federal Government should work with.
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