Why I’ll enforce anti-open grazing law if elected – Ikyaan
Rev. Dr. Frederick Ikyaan is the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) governorship candidate in Benue State in the forthcoming general elections. In this interview, he says if voted into power, he will retain the anti-open grazing law enacted by the Samuel Ort
Daily Trust: Why do you want to become Benue State governor? Ikyaan: My reason for seeking to become governor is not an extraordinary one, it is very simple. I have lived in Benue all my life and I have witnessed the rise and fall as it were, of the state. I have followed the trajectory of development here in the state, very consciously as far back as 1980 and as a concerned citizen, I decided to yield to the call by my people to come and serve them. So, if given the opportunity to become governor, that same kind of service would still be rendered to God and humanity. I am not looking for opportunity to become a wealthy man or to enhance my personal status or personal aggrandizement, but is simply that a person in Benue can be improved socially, economically, and even religiously, because at the end of life, each of us whether a politician, economist or teacher, journalist or whatever profession, you will stand before God.
DT: You said you have witnessed the rise and fall of Benue. Can you identify when this fall became glaring and what you will do about it if elected?
I may not be able to say precisely when. You know fall does not happen in one day. Its a cumulative effect of actions and inactions. So, its not possible to tie the fall as even the rise you cannot tie a particular time to it because it is cumulative. It spans over time but is evident that there is something wrong in our state. Just one quick example. In the very beginning days of Benue State, assets were bought or laid to put in place. We had companies like Benue Cement Company that is today called Dangote Cement, Benue Breweries, BEN Cola, Otukpo Burnt Bricks Company, Taraku Oil Mill and so on. Today you cannot find them. So, we cannot say precisely when these things happened but over time we have come to realise that Benue does not own any of such companies. Today, perhaps all the companies that we have in Benue are owned by individuals. So individuals are richer than the state as it were. May be this is not bad in itself but the state also ought to have its own that it can claim to be its own rather than individuals.
DT: What then would be your administration’s priority?
One of the things that one notices, and that is so glaring, is the lack of friendly environment to do business. There are too many bottle necks. People seem to be more interested in their personal things. It is becoming more difficult for our friends from outside Benue to locate themselves and do business favourably and competitively in Benue. We know that there is something wrong. One of the things we need to do is to provide that ease of doing business. Land can be acquired with simplicity, with ease. Power supply, a friendly environment and above all, a secure environment. Sometimes our friends in the western world want to come over to Nigeria, particularly to Benue, but reports indicate that it is not a safe place. These are some of the things that have deterred some people from coming to do business in Benue. This is obviously one thing to look at security, and I keep saying that what has happened so far is unfortunate, but it is not the end yet. Is not as if there is no hope for us in Benue. There is, whether you talk about herders invasion or some other issues militating against security, it is possible to sit down with a view point of improving it on the present efforts that have been made by the present government.
DT: What are you going to do about the anti-open grazing law, sustain or repeal it as advocated by some groups?
The law is not that of Samuel Ortom. He is not the owner of the law. The law is an expression of the wishes and aspirations of the Benue people. The governor is only an individual. When I become governor, I cannot override issues that are of interest to my citizens. For your information, I also played a remote role that led to the formulation of that law. I played a very remote, discrete role that led to the core formulation or establishment of that law. So I cannot as governor begin to repeal the law when it expresses the desires of Benue people. I will rather enforce it the more in the best way that will bring the best results. I know Ortom has tried a lot so if given the opportunity, I will even push it forward so that Benue people are truly relieved of this issue of invasion by herders. Let no man think that whoever comes to be governor and repeals that law has done anything good for Benue. No, there is nothing like that. I really don’t understand whoever that will call for the law to be repealed. I am sure no Benue indigene will do that, but it is the invaders that are calling for the repeal of the law. But no sane minded Benue citizen, will ever think like that.
DT: Given the unwritten political power sharing formula in Tiv land, at the moment, it is the turn of MINDA axis which Governor Ortom has just done only four years, why wouldn’t you allow him to complete his eight years tenure?
The eight years tradition is not about individuals. Its about the lineages like you said. Is not about the individual concerned. Remember, it is not written, it is an unwritten tradition. I also come from MINDA where Ortom comes from. It is our turn to rule Benue for only eight years strictly. That is the argument. But when you formulate it wrongly, you also get it wrong. The eight years is not about an individual but about the lineage. Jemgba under Senator George Akume did eight years, Dr. Gabriel Suswam did eight years on behalf of Sankera, so now is the time of MINDA. This is not a do or die battle. It is not out of jealousy, and we are not fighting a war. Of the 30 governorship candidates contesting for this position, 90 percent or so are from MINDA axis. May be this question should have been directed to the other people who are not from MINDA. But so far as you are a MINDA son, you are qualified. At least if for not any other reason, it is to showcase the sons of MINDA. We are in large numbers. Ortom is not the only son of MINDA.
DT: Do you think you can win the election under your party’s platform given its limited spread in Benue?
The foundation for winning is not the party. That is the truth. It is the electorate that determines who will win and not the party. The party is only a platform on which someone presents him or herself. I have presented myself on the platform of the PRP as one of the oldest political parties in Nigeria, but the people who are working for me have felt the need to shift the compass a little bit again, and that is why I am here.
DT: Given the role money plays in Nigerian politics today, how confident are you that you will be able to finance this project?
Yes, people have been concerned about how much money I have or don’t have. Truly, I don’t have money, but like I said a while ago, the people that invited me to contest, their voting me would not be dependent on how much I give them. Of course, we need money for logistics like in going out for campaigns, that involves fueling of our vehicles and all that. And God in His mercy has been supplying us no matter how insufficient, it has been yielding positive results from the people. It is not the volume of money that can sustain the project but God in his own way has decided to spread the project in the hearts of men. People who have not even seen me are already dying for this. Even though we don’t have money, the project is spreading, the willingness is increasing, the desire to vote for us is already there. Secondly, other candidates have sufficient money to pay and even to woo some of my members but the resolve to vote for me has gone beyond money.
I cannot as governor begin to repeal the law when it expresses the desires of Benue people. I will rather enforce it the more in the best way that will bring the best results