Prince Favour Reuben, former chairman of the Labour Get together in Rivers State, and at present the social gathering’s deputy nationwide vice chairman, South-South, on this interview with DENNIS NAKU, says Nigerians are offended with the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Get together, a motive he maintains will catapult his social gathering to victory in Rivers State and the nationwide stage within the common elections subsequent 12 months
The 2023 common election is quick approaching. How ready is the Labour Get together?
If there’s any political social gathering that’s ready, it’s the Labour Get together. I don’t suppose any political social gathering is as ready as we’re. We’re shifting in every single place. I believe the opposite political events are simply ready for his or her cash to work for them, whereas we’re working. And so they simply imagine as a result of they’re in energy, they’ll use cash to entice folks however the Labour Get together is working on the grassroots. We’re doing every thing doable all around the nation which is why you will notice a whole lot of a million, two million-man marches. They imagine Labour Get together is simply on social media, as we speak they’re seeing the bodily facet. We’re inaugurating unit-by-unit operations. So, we’re properly ready.
What has been the affect of this unit by unit inauguration?
As a result of this election we’re speaking about is a unit election. Transmission of outcomes of the election is finished within the models. It’s not accomplished within the coalition centre. And that’s the reason we need to maintain the models down, and that’s the reason we’re working within the models to verify the unit is properly organized. That’s what we’re doing. That’s the reason why the models are rising. This election is a unit election.
Do you suppose Labour Get together has what it takes to take over the seat of energy in Rivers State?
I do know that you already know Nigerians are offended with the 2 minor political events as we speak as a result of the Labour Get together is now the most important political social gathering in Nigeria. The 2 minor political events, APC and PDP have left Nigerians very offended as a result of they’ve been deceiving Nigerians to date. They’ve introduced the nation to a precipice. We’re in a rustic the place we would not have hope. We’re in a rustic the place you can not consider the subsequent meal. We’re in a rustic the place you aren’t certain of returning for those who journey. So, any affordable human being will know that at this level, a change is required and never simply wanted, however urgently wanted and that’s the reason I imagine that the Labour Get together offers hope to Nigeria. That is the one political social gathering that has human emotions, a celebration that wishes to deal with households. These different political events don’t care. So, each affordable Nigerian, Rivers man, or South-South man, will suppose Labour. We need to take this nation by drive from them.
What distinction does the Labour Get together intend to convey if it wins the governorship election in Rivers State?
The primary agenda of the Labour Get together in Rivers State is job creation. Rivers State is backwards if you speak about job creation. The one factor you see in Rivers State is the development of bridges. There isn’t any hope for the teaming youths leaving college. Lack of jobs and lack of scholarships for college kids are large issues. We’re going to pay bursaries to college students and industrialize Rivers State.
Your social gathering has been criticised in some quarters that you just don’t have a construction on the state and nationwide ranges. How would you react to that?
I don’t know what folks name construction. Buildings are those that have stolen cash. Is that what you name construction? Buildings are folks and we’ve extra folks than another political social gathering. We sampled our construction in Rivers State final Saturday. We stated we wish two million males, and we have been shocked to get greater than 4 million folks with out giving anyone a dime. No social gathering can arrange such an enormous crowd with out spending closely. So, what do you name construction? So, what do you name construction? Buildings are folks which can be struggling. The constructions are the ladies out there crying. Buildings are the lecturers that haven’t been promoted for years. Our construction is the okada riders, our construction is these pensioners dying on day by day foundation, our construction is the jobless youths which have completed college with out a job. We’ve extra construction than another political social gathering as we speak. That’s the reason I say the most important political social gathering is LP and the others are minor, they don’t have something. They use cash to persuade folks. As I’m speaking to you as we speak, main actors in APC and PDP are working underground with us in Rivers State, saying we’re going to be sure the Labour Get together takes over as a result of we’ve seen your manifesto.
Earlier, you talked about the 2 million-man march which happened in Port Harcourt right here. Some folks stated the group was employed. Kindly reply to that
Who employed or sponsored them? Does the Labour Get together have that sort of cash? We haven’t stolen cash from the federal government. It’s solely the 2 minor political events, APC and PDP which have stolen cash. So, who sponsored them? These are individuals who volunteered to work on their very own, spend their cash, purchase their meals, pay for his or her transport, rent buses, and make T-shirts for themselves.
We didn’t spend one kobo as a celebration. In the event that they attempt to arrange a two million-man march in Rivers State, they’ll spend billions, and never obtain the specified end result. The youths have determined to take again their state and nation.
How would you assess the administration of Governor Nyesom Wike within the final seven years?
In every thing the Rivers State governor has accomplished, I solely give him a move mark in constructing roads and bridges and that’s all. The remainder is a failure. We speak of employment, failure; we speak of job creation, failure. Safety, I can provide him 50 per cent, as a result of for those who create jobs, safety can be lowered. When you speak of promotion, failure; for those who speak of gratuity and pension, failure; Discuss of scholarship to the scholars’ failure; for those who speak of schooling, failure. So, the one factor the governor has succeeded in and I give him a move mark for, is that he succeeded in constructing roads and bridges, which is nice. Agriculture is zero, the governor pumped in N40 billion final 12 months into revamping agriculture, however did you see anyplace they did it? The cash was squandered.
What was the affect of the 2 million-man march for Peter Obi in Port Harcourt?
Nice affect. We found that there was an explosion within the social gathering. People who don’t imagine that Labour Get together exists began speeding in. Folks began registering, folks began calling. They need to determine with Labour Get together now due to what they noticed. So, what we’re having as we speak has even overwhelmed the one we anticipated. That’s the reason you see within the models, we’re having a crowd. Within the native authorities as we speak, we’re inaugurating 17 executives in a unit, as a result of there’s a large crowd. So, the 2 million-man march gave us an edge over each different political social gathering in Rivers State.
The campaigns can be beginning in a few weeks. What would be the central message your social gathering can be telling the Rivers folks?
We’ve already accomplished the central message by our social gathering principal. We’re turning Nigeria from consumption to manufacturing. That’s what Nigeria wants. That’s our central message. That’s the reason I stated job creation, industrialization. It’s going to be a revolution.
The state chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mrs Beatrice Itubo is the governorship candidate of your social gathering. How did she emerge?
Nicely, she did by way of due course of, and that’s the reason PDP couldn’t take her to court docket as a result of they know we did a superb job. We adopted due course of and she or he emerged by way of the first. They have been two that contested and she or he defeated the opposite particular person, and she or he emerged because the governorship candidate of Labour Get together, and that’s the reason we’re working together with her as we speak.
A bit of the NLC has stated she has ceased to be the chairperson of the union following her emergence in response to the union structure. Don’t you suppose this growth will have an effect on her campaigns?
They’re mendacity. There’s nowhere within the structure of NLC that claims for those who emerge as a winner and need to run in an election you could resign. Labour Get together, although shaped by NLC, is backed by regulation and is an entity by itself. Bear in mind, this isn’t the one time that we’ve NLC officers working elections underneath the platform of Labour Get together. We’ve a number of states, and no state requested them to step down
What’s your tackle Peter Obi’s latest assembly with Governor Nyesom Wike in London? Are they negotiating one thing?
It’s for session. They’re simply consulting. Bear in mind Atiku went there to seek the advice of him. Tinubu went there to seek the advice of him. So, it’s session. Whoever you’re feeling that may be of assist to what we’re doing, you seek the advice of. Bear in mind the Labour Get together isn’t a political social gathering, it’s a motion. So, it’s envisaged that each Nigerian with a sound thoughts ought to be a part of Labour social gathering.
Because the elections draw close to, what will probably be your message to Rivers folks and to Nigerians?
Nicely, my message is straightforward. Hope has come. Labour Get together is the social gathering bringing hope to Nigeria. Due to this fact each man who needs to outlive, each man who needs to see good schooling, everybody who needs to see safety, and everybody who needs to see a superb life in Nigeria ought to suppose Labour, play labour, and imagine in labour.
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