By Leadership Newspaper
Can you tell us a little about your early childhood?
I had a humble beginning, in a strict home. My father was always on a journey with Scottish missionaries and my mum was a teacher. Of course, there was no way one would have escaped from going to school.
I had a very disciplined and tough principal who was feared by everyone including the teachers. You dare not pass close to him without showing fear.
Can you tell us the challenges you face(d) politically?
With the way I see power, I have always believed that power comes from God. I didn’t plan to become governor. My intention was to serve two terms in the Senate before leaving the political scene. Unfortunately, the powers that be did everything to make sure that I didn’t smell the Senate for a second term. Even though I was denied a second term in the Senate, of course, I had many followers who couldn’t allow me to walk away from politics even when I wanted to quit to enable me to live my private life. I was supporting people politically to see how I could add value to the well-being of the state.
When it became clear that things weren’t going as planned, I had to move into the ring myself. The fact is that I had always been like a bridge to many; I had been a voice for the voiceless. At a very early age in my life, I used to fight for many who were oppressed or cheated. As a youth, I paid school fees for some of my friends back in our early school days. I had been very enterprising right from a young age up to 1999/2000 before my people called me to come and serve them. Before this time, I had always supported people of my choice.
Can you tell us a little more about your exploits at the House of Reps and probably, the Senate?
I was elected Into the House of Representatives by my people in April 2003 to represent Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Federal Constituency and I was also privileged to be reelected in April 2007.
Within this period (2003-2011), I served as chairman, of the House Committee on Petroleum (Upstream); vice chairman, of the House Committee on National Population, and member of committees on Power, Ministry of Niger Delta, Inter-Parliamentary Relations, Inter-Intra Party Relations, Environment, Water Resources, and Defence.
As chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), I led other members to work on a draft amendment bill to reposition the Petroleum Technology Development Fund as an effective vehicle to develop local content in the oil and gas industry.
For effective delivery, I and other team members were able to sponsor the Nigerian Content Development Bill which became an Act that revolutionized the petroleum sector and has put food on the table of many Nigerians.
I was lucky to be elected as senator representing the Cross River South senatorial district at the national assembly by the people of Southern Cross River in 2011.
Upon arrival in the Senate, I was made chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and subsequently, chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking and other financial institutions.
I was also privileged to serve as a member of the Committee on Navy, Power, Petroleum, and Water Resources.
I got appointed to the board of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2018. I am a receiver of several awards of honor and meritorious service nationally and internationally probably because I delivered.
I joined politics for service to humanity. This is evidently true, my record of empowerment ranging from the award of land documents and financial support to building, car awards, and scholarships, among others, for the people is yet to be broken in our state.