You have been elected the National Coordinator Uyo Peoples movement, how did the victory came to you?
Well I will say it was an act of God because in any position or place of leadership that you find yourself it is God that made it possible. Secondly my people have that confidence in me and they know the kind of person I am, so having gotten that in their mind they unanimously elected me. It was an election not appointment. I contested and they found me worthyto be their national coordinator.
How do you intend to reach out to those that are not in Akwa Ibom state and Cross River?
We have packaged a programme, it will soon be on air so that we will enlighten them on what that is going on here at home so that they too will be able to contribute their quota in terms of support to the projects we are handling. So we will use the media effectively, we will also liaise with them through some organizations that are in other places that is been cordinated by Uyo people. I am Uyo man and whatever that is happening to any uyo person outside this place concerning the project that we are handling, we will always reach out to them. My group, Uyo Peoples Solidarity Movement is for everybody we don’t discriminate, we have four clans in Uyo and our membership cuts across the four clans.
How old is you group?
Uyo Peoples Solidarity Movement was founded in 2008 precisely. So you can see how many years we have been in existence.My tenure is for three years.
What is your manifesto to your people after you have been elected, how will they benefit from you?
I will make sure that whatever the group is doing is for the benefit of the Uyo people especially as it affects the project of our principal, we will make them understand why they should come out en masse and support him because having a good person as a representative of uyo people at the federal Parliament is something that we will gain. Because what we lost in the past, we will regain it this time around Sending Hon. Samuel Effanga to the federal parliament is the ultimate goal of Uyo Peoples Solidarity movement in collaboration with Uyo sons and daughters where ever they are.
Taking about sending Hon. Samuel Effanga to the federal House of Representatives to represent the people of Uyo federal constituency, you are going to look at those that are interested in that position, he appears to be the youngest, don’t you think when you go to sell your product people will say that he was a commissioner and that he has eaten enough of government. How do you intend to cope with the challenges when you are trying to sell him to the public?
You see from the biblical account, David was the youngest, you know the story of Joseph and the rest of them that is exactly what will happen here in Uyo. Sending someone to the federal House does not depend on age, rather it is the integrity, the sincerity of purpose and the conviction that the people will have on whoever they want to send to the National Assembly. For me and some Uyo people that believe the way I believe, he is very qualified to represent us. Why am I saying so? He was a commissioner; we are talking about his wealth of experience in governance and having people like me and others we will have to package him show him the lead way for effective representation. We are not making any mistake in asking him to contest, in fact I have found none like him in humility, sincerity of purpose and what have you, he has gotten everything that qualifies him to represent the good people of Uyo federal constituency. So there is no problem.
Uyo local government is like a Republican society, they don’t have one way to follow when it has to do with politics and elections, i think the last time they followed one was the 2011 elections between Governor Godswil Akpabio and Senator John James Akpan Udoedehe. How do you think you will be able to harness the votes of Uyo local government area to favour your principal?
Like you have said, Uyo local government is a Republican society I know but then we rely so much on who is to be represented whom we want to send, if you present a good material, a person with focus with good understanding of the political terrain of Nigeria and who understands the challenges facing the people,I can assure you that we will have a reasonable amount of votes from Uyo local government area. Because this is the very first time we want to send a young, vibrant, dynamic and courageous person to go and represent Uyo federal constituency. I think with him as a talented and humble young man I think there will be no hindrance for him, we will be able to gather support for him. After all in 2008/2011 we had the largest number of people as members of Uyo people Solidarity movement so it will be possible for me to go back and drum this message into their ears convincing them that this is the man who founded this group and sending him to a higher position of responsibility will bring a higher dividends of democracy to the people of Uyo. Every Uyo man irrespective of the clan he/she comes from will want to support Samuel Effanga on this course.
You are a member of PDP I suppose and Uyo in 2011 was seen as an opposition and it was very recently that the governor said that he has forgiven Uyo. Don’t you think APC will come and take over like they did the other time?
Like I said before, it depends on the caliber and the creditability of the person presented for an election. Like when Obama came to contest against the person in the Republican party, people thought it was the man in Republican party that will win because they did not understand so much about Obama, it was after the nomination that people come to see really who Obama was and they decided to support him so that also will happen in the case of Samuel Effanga I am telling you. Uyo used to be opposition I agree with you fine but at the nick of time people do have a change of mind when they want to do things, for example, like in my ward where I was a councilor, right from the beginning of my ward no politician use to win on the platform of the ruling party but I resigned my position as a Party secretary to contest the councillorship in my ward and because of who I was andmy accountability to the people they voted me, I happened to be the first person to win on a ruling party platform, it does not matter whether there is opposition or not, the truth of the matter is that it depends on the material you are taking to the election and this material is the personality that is contesting.
What is your advise to Uyo PDP as they are involved in crises of confidence and ambition?
What you see happening there is a game of interest because they have allowed personal interest to surpass the interest of the local government and the interest of the party. My advice to them is that they should throw away whatever they had and then turn a new leave and embrace dialogue and see the other people as brothers. For example if someone should tell you this is wrong, you shouldn’t do it.
Don’t you think this wrangling may likely affect your principal?
No, it will not affect him because he is quite different. He is a man of good conscience who loves the Uyo people. I do not see him turning his back on his people now. I know at the appropriate time, the crises in the Uyo PDP will be resolved. But as it is the crises in the party will not affect our principal Samuel Effanga. He is a man of the people, the representative Uyo federal constituency need.
What has been the level of cooperation of others towards this project?
Going by what happened on the 15th of January and thereafter, I will say we have 75 percent of their support leaving the other ones to what we say unforeseen situations and they are ready to work with us for the actualization of the Samuel Effanga for House of Representatives project.
What message do you have for the people of Uyo federal constituency?
What I will advise them is that they should really stand down, have the focus, carry out proper scrutiny of those that are coming out for election before they give such people their mandate. Money does not come in here it is their acceptability by the people. It is a democracy, government of the people by the people and for the people. So the people have the right to choose who they want judging by the caliber of the people that are involved. The understanding of the political terrain and the quality of great leadership in each of the people that are coming out to contest that is the most important thing not money. Money only play secondary role.
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