"Exclusive Reveletions from Edo State's Prince Kassim"

Prince Kassim Afegbua, former spokesman for Ex-President, General
Babangida and Present SA Media to the Governor in Edo State Opens up on
his view about President Jonathan's Regime as well as his political
aspirations. Olori Wendy who interviewed him in 2013, likewise followed
him up in Edo State in 2014, where she got his intricate views on his
personal and political matters.


What have been achieved since last year in terms of Edo State's development?

We have continued on our programs and projects, those we couldn't finish,
we are commencing on them. Like the state health care. The hospital in Edo
North have been completed. Their general hospital have been refurbished,
there is a brand new hospital in Ishan completed and stock with state of
the art equipments, there are roads that have also been completed like the
airport road, 8.7.km with street lights and walk way, there are also
ongoing ones like Igarra, Akoko and many others with street lights and
walk ways.
A lot of schools have also been completed, the schools in Edo State are
now called Red Roof Revolution as the peculiar style in the state as they
are all constructed with Red Roofs,with fans, tiled floors, beautiful
chairs and tables . The schools were in terrible state before now.


What further plans or new plans are set for Edo State?

We don't want to leave a regime of uncompleted projects, we want to ensure
we complete the ongoing projects before we commence on new ones. Though
there are new ones like the 24.4km Okpella Road that will be commencing in
this year's budget, as well as drainages, erosion, walks that will be done
especially in Benin City due to flooding during rainfall. We are doing a
storm water project that is costing 25 billion Naira.


What are the plans for the youths in Edo State?

 Early this year we did a youth summit where we tried to set agenda for
them and also look and make plans for the future. At the summit, we tried
to educate, sensitize, mobilize and conscientize them so that they should
be able to tap into their potentials and gain meaningfully from their own
God-given talent. They don't have to wait for Government white collar
jobs before they are self reliant. A lot of speakers came from both home
and outside Edo State, and after that was the concert where we explored
local talents as well as established talents outside the State. Youth
employment scheme in the state have employed 5,000 to 8,000 youths. We
also have other skill acquisition centres where we train people with
skills and when they finish, the government will buy them tools that are
necessary for their set up. The Information Technology is also a huge
employer with it's different fields, the Comrade Governor is also
revamping the Bendel Insurance of old and is now handled by Austin
Eguagon former Super Eagles player as a coach. Amodu Shaibu is handling
the Football academy. Part of what we have is to build technical colleges
where skills acquisition will be taught.


What is being done to stop kidnappers as it is mostly committed by youths
who want fast money?


In Edo state, I will give credit to this present Government, in
partnership with the Police and SSS. We cannot eliminate a particular
crime completely but the rate of kidnapping is now very low. The US
Government blacklisted Edo State as a no go area for their citizens but
lifted the embargo in December 2013 because of the fact that they now see
Edo State a safe place for business. Infact we are receiving a lot of
investors like Shop Rite, Rubber Resource etc.


Plans for the forthcoming elections

2015 will be decided by the Party, that is the APC. INEC has given it's
own timetable. In Edo state there will be no Governorship election, that
will be 2016 because we came on stream at an unusual time outside the
official time table for election, but other elections will be conducted in
2015.


What is your view about President Jonathan's regime, are you in support of
the President? On your BBM Status, you wrote that "Great leaders put the
interest of their country first just like Mandela did, Tiny leaders care
less about their country, but more about self. That is Jonathan"

I am not a fan of Jonathan, and I am not shy to say it. Reason is that
there has been so much corruption in this regime than any other time in
the history of Nigeria. This is the first time I'm hearing people stealing
trillions of Naira and we can't trace it. This is the first time we are
hearing about altercation between the Central Bank of Nigerian and NNPC,
over billions of dollars. This is the first time also people are being
held for certain crimes like Subsidy Scam, Pension Scam, and as we speak
till date, there has been no arrest or prosecution, so in a country of
such with a leader that has not shown clear cut policy focus on these
sensitive key area of corruption, then it becomes so ordinary for even a
citizenry to appreciate such President. We have been reading all manners
of corruption, Stella Oduah was accused of buying two vehicles for 255
million Naira, they should go to the airport in Abuja, the local wing, you
will see four limousines parked there rotting away, bought with tax payers
money and not serving any purpose, you will now begin to wonder what kind
of country we are in. To someone like me, I have an inquisitive mind, I
like to probe into the ideological strength of my leader, also know his
capacity to take good decision at the appropriate time and I want to sleep
and wake up believing I have a president if anything happens, he will be
decisive enough to take measures that will curtail such incidences and for
a Government that professes so much on anti-corruption, the budget for
EFCC is ridiculous, EFCC came out in January 2014 to declare they have
just two million Naira. It's like just saying there is nothing like
anti-corruption agencies. I have some literate knowledge on
anti-corruption, I did a Diploma Course in the US where I was trained on
how to nip corruption in the bud and how to identify one, my inquisitive
mind tells me we actually haven't started any anti-corruption crusade, we
just use it to witch hunt political opponents, to wipe people to lie so
they can do the bidding of powers that be, on the final analysis, the
issues are left unattended to, so for President Jonathan, as an individual
he might be a good man, but as a President he has not lived up to my
billing or expectation and I have not seen a clear cut leadership
orientation that can take away Nigeria from it's present morass to
something that will place it amongst the committee of Nations. I don't
expect he will be seeking third term in office. If he will be contesting
election in 2015, I want that to be subjected to judicial interpretation
so that we can test the capacity and resonance of our constitution to
meeting up with situational crisis as we may have with respect to his
aspiration.


You were General Babangida's spokesman and now SA to the Governor on Media
in Edo state, it is insinuated you travel every other week to Minna to see
General Babangida.

I have left being his spokesman to taking up this appointment because he
rightly endorsed this my appointment, I can travel to Minna every week to
see him because he is my boss for life, I'm proud to say that he is a man
I respect, admire and have learnt so much from. He is a man that has also
given me a clear cut view about leadership, about followership, about
citizenry, and about civic responsibility, and as a trained soldier he has
been able to marry his knowledge of leadership training and leadership
orientation to this democratic dispensation, so when you sit down with
General IBB, you are bound to gain a lot that will also prepare you for
greater challenges, and as I young man, he is someone I always love to
interact with because he always have solutions to problems or questions
that are nagging my mind every now and then as a result of this present
Jonathan's misgovernance

People say the Governor had an affair with d widow, is there an atom of
truth in it

 (laughs) for God's sake, give us some respect. Government does not work
on public hysteria, Government does not also run on public opinion,
because public opinion is not always right, because there are no
parameters to gauge the impact of public opinion, so for those of us who
are in Government, we try to rationalize issues and see how best those
issues can sort the commonality of the existence of the people before we
take decisions, if you follow public opinion, you are definitely going to
go astray because some of the public opinion are uninformed, not well
researched, based on gossip, heresay, rumours and so for a government
that is worth it's salt, what you do is to have your own think tank that
looks at the society, the aspirations of the people and aggregate them in
a manner that when you come up with decisions, it will suit the
peculiarity of your situation, so on the issue of sleeping with the
widow, it is unthinkable for anybody to say, that is more like an insult.


5th march last year, ur interview was published on my blog, amidst other
info shared. You mentioned your political dream is to be the President on
Nigeria, what steps are you taking on achieving that?

I'm still growing, I still have that dream, I want to be the President of
Nigeria someday, I also want to be in leadership position where I can
affect positively the lives of people because by growing up I'm workin
with several people and different platforms and organizations. I have been
able to acquire the political knowesis and experience that will prepare me
for greater leadership, I certainly will do better than president Jonathan
if I'm given the opportunity to preside over Nigeria because I will be
able to articulate issues properly, I will be able to define the policy
focus of the Government, I will also be able to set up an agenda for the
greater majority of the Nigerians, I will also be able to represent the
interest of the youths in a way and manner that their collective
aspirations will be catered for. In a 21st century Nigeria, we don't have
to behave like the medieval era where there is crude politics, politics of
grand acquisition, and some level of bucaneering posture that will not
take us anywhere. In this 21st century Nigeria, we should define our
politics and engagement with refinement, good and sound education, ability
to understand a situation, and taking the right decision at the right
time. But for the wrong decision, boko haram would not have been escalated
the way it is now, if Government was prepared to nip the issue in the bud
right from day 1 and involve the locals, the people in the area in helping
them to solve their own problem. It is not all the time you have to wield
your big gun to shoot down your opponents, there are ways and means of
resolving crisis that are located within your fringes of a nation, if I'm
in President Jonathan shoes, I will explore the opportunity of dialog, no
matter demeaning, how anyone may see it, once you explore that, you will
be saving lives that are being lost in a manner that make us not value
life as it were, so for me, I still have my absolute confidence in
Nigeria, that this country remains a great country for me. It is the only
country I can call my own, we have equal ownership of it, Jonathan does
not own the country more than anyone, what he has is the opportunity to
preside over our collective patrimony and if he has not been able to
manage our resources in a manner that will make us fulfill our individual
aspirations, then he has no business being in power


How is your clothing line doing presently?


 We are picking up, my work in Edo State has also slowed down our level of
clientele patronage but I call still tell you I have my tailors and
designers working there. 80 to 90 percent of what I wear are from my
clothing line. I choose my own designs, styles which are very peculiar to
me so if you see any outfit that I wear, you won't see them anywhere, I
speak the fashion,the business aspect of it has it's own challenges,
power generation, sales and the economy generally.

Personal words to share ?

I like to share my dream, my dream of a greater Nigeria, of being one
united Nigeria, irrespective of different configuration, ethnic
multicultural, we have all it takes to be among the best 10 nations in the
world, a good leadership, positive thinking and resilience, we will
achieve our dream.