INTERVIEW: ‘My Worst Distraction Was Facing Legal Battle’ — Abia Lawmaker Ibe Okwara Osonwa

Mr Ibe Okwara Osonwa is the House of Representatives member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia federal constituency under the Labour Party. Okwara Osonwa was declared winner of the February 25, 2023, National Assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, having secured 8,946 votes. But his election was challenged by his closest challenger, Daniel Chimezie Okeke of the All Progressives Congress who scored 6,635 votes leading to the nullification of his election by the electoral tribunal sitting in Umuahia. However, the Appeal Court sitting in Lagos reinstated Okwara Osonwa’s mandate.

In this interview with THE WHISTLER, Okwara-Osonwa revealed how the court case affected his constituents. The lawmaker further revealed his plans to focus on infrastructural and human capital development in 2024.

Excerpts:

What Are Your Plans For Your Constituents In 2024, Considering Projections That In The Mid-Term There Would Be Economic Hardship In Nigeria?

I am a strong believer in the fact that a community, state, or country is like a human body. For me, the economy is the blood, and the heart is the source of sustainace for the economy, which also means road infrastructure is a critical part of the economy.

My plan like Abia State Governor Alex Otti, is to focus on infrastructural development and healthcare and also to look at human capital development. That has always been my mantra campaign, and that is what I still stand. Once we can develop infrastructures and human capital, then we can focus on all other issues.

What Was Your Worst Distraction In Your First Eight Months As A Lawmaker?

It will be unfair for anybody to believe that you can focus on two things at a time. I’m a perfectionist, and whatsoever I focus on, I do it with the aim of achieving perfection. My worst distraction was facing a legal battle. You cannot be facing a legal battle and be focusing on other things. I faced a very gruelling legal battle from the trial court or the tribunal through to the Court of Appeal where our own ends and if I may I will speak for our governor who has also faced the tribunal, the Court of Appeal and he is currently facing the Supreme Court.

Once we have finished with these distractions, because they are distractions from the service of our people, then we can focus more on actual governance on our land. If you are coming from Ozu Abam to Atan Abam, Arochukwu LGA, the governor has started work on the development of the Ndi Oji/Atan Abam road all the way to Arochukwu. The same development is ongoing on the Arochukwu/Abiriba road, which will commence in the next few weeks. Contracts have already been awarded, and we are working irrespective of the distractions that are coming from our opposition. The fact of the matter is that we were voted in mass by the people, and we are going to focus on those people irrespective of what our distractors are planning.

What Are The Specific Areas Of The Economy That You Want To Explore?

So, the governor and I have always dedicated ourselves to developing the agro business. I don’t want to call it agriculture, because it is business. We are interacting with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture that will partner with us in the development of our agricultural sector just as they did in the South West. And we are working hard from provisions of grains , educating our farmers on how to transit from the old phrase of agriculture to the new phrase of agro business because that is where we are right now and it is important.

We will not continue to rely on revenue from fossil fuel. While we are looking for revenue from crude oil, we must also look for ways to feed our people sustainably. I have travelled across Nigeria as a lawmaker, and I have seen that we have green fertile land, and I, too, am a convert of the phrase from agriculture to agribusiness.

Do You Think 2024 Will Be Better For Nigerians, And How Can Lawmakers Ensure They Play Their Part In Making Life Better For Nigerians?

We are all witnesses to the difficulties of 2023, and every legislative agenda we have to pursue should be centred on infrastructural development and human capital in order to ease the pains of Nigerians.

Are you comfortable with the electoral process?

We need to critical review and develop our electoral system. There are so many flaws that need to be addressed. We need a paradigm shift, especially with what happened in the off-season elections. Nothing is perfect in this world and all we can do is what my old boss Femi Akinbe taught me, which is CONI (Continuous Override in Need to Improvement) and that is what we are doing. We need to push for strong reforms of the electoral system this year.