I Gave Way For A New Leadership To Emerge - Hon. Victor Ochei

Swift Reporters  came across Hon. Victor Ochei in Abuja and decide to interview him on his tenure, election and some National issue.

SW: Who is Hon. Victor Ochei?

Hon. Victor Ochei: I was born in Kano and I also schooled in Kano (Basic and Secondary education at St. Thomas’ College in Kano). I hail from Ogbekenu in Onicha–Olona, Aniocha North Council Area of Delta State.  I later proceeded to the University of Benin (UNIBEN), where I earned a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) Degree in Chemical Engineering and I later obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1996, which set the stage for my success in many multi-dimensional business engagements.

I also earned Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Corporate Governance from Leeds Metropolitan University, in the United Kingdom. I am an Engineer, Businessman and Philanthropist

SW: Considering the fact that Senator Ifeanyi Okowa is from the same senatorial district with you, do you think you would have won the March 28 election?

Hon. Victor Ochei: I would have won the election because my people believed in me and from prior elections, we have seen such happen in Delta State, where people from other party won despite the fact that PDP is in control of the State.  

SW: You are of the Accord Party but the people of Akwkwu-Igbo endorsed Chief Peter Nwaoboshi as their senatorial candidate and also endorsed all the PDP candidates. Don’t you think that affected your election, considering the fact that he is also from this federal constituency?

Hon. Victor Ochei: Let me first and foremost tell you that the issue of the people of Akwukwu-Igbo endorsing Nwaoboshi was a non-event. It is just the way they chose to run their campaign. The same people endorsed me as they endorsed Chief Nwaoboshi.

SW: After the gubernatorial primary, there was a level of good relationship between you and Senator Ifeanyi Okowa. At what point did you part ways?

Hon. Victor Ochei: I never parted ways with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, we are friends and still communicate well.

SW: Why do you think you stood a better chance than Peter Nwaboshi in that March 28, 2015 election?

Hon. Victor Ochei: Some things come to play when you talk of chances. They include experience and political pedigree. In terms of experience, I have been a legislator for the past 12 years; two years and nine months out of that, I  have been Speaker, indeed the longest serving Speaker in the history of Delta. And when it comes to political pedigree, I have a sellable pedigree; a much richer political pedigree than that of the opponent and the people of Delta North recognize the difference and they see this difference as a determining factor in an election and that is where my confidence emanates from.

 SW: Don’t also forget that Peter Nwaoboshi was Chairman of the PDP for about eight years and he was a Commissioner in this state, he was the founding Secretary of the PDP in the state. Do you really think that you would have defeated him? What are the factors you thought would have work against him?

Hon. Victor Ochei: I look at it generally as an easy contest in the sense that I stood apart. There is no basis as such for comparison as a legislator par excellence. My works at the Delta State House of Assembly speak for me. It is a clear distinction to someone who is a two-time party Chairman, two-time commissioner and all that.

SW: You campaigned for former President Jonathan and Okowa, was it is a ploy to get sympathy of the Delta North people?

Hon. Victor Ochei: It was not a ploy; I have enough good standing to win an election on my own. Don’t forget there was an implicit endorsement of the South South Presidential Candidacy of Dr Goodluck Jonathan by Accord Party at the National Level.

 SW: Why did you join accord party of all other party after stepping aside from the PDP and why did you decide to contest as Senatorial candidate instead of Governor as earlier indicated in the PDP?

Hon. Victor Ochei:  I joined Accord Party because it was the party that accommodated me. Don’t forget that there is no difference between the PDP and Accord as most of the trustees are former PDP Members. If I had picked the Governorship ticket under Accord Party, it would have divided the votes of the PDP candidate as we are from the same constituency and that would have given opportunity to the other party to win the election based on divided votes from my constituency.

SW: Supposing you emerged as senator, what were your plans for the people of your constituency?

Hon. Victor Ochei: People tend to mistake the work of Legislators work with that of Executive. I can only influence projects for my constituency. I would have pushed for more funding from Ecological Funds to deal with erosion, ensure that my state benefits immensely from the NIPP and I would have ensured that donor agencies consider Delta State for their activities.  

SW: What is your relationship with the present Senator?

Hon. Victor Ochei: We have a good relationship

SW:  No doubt you would have been a minority member in the parliament considering your party affiliation. Do you think you would have been able to perform well as a senator in the opposition?

Hon. Victor Ochei: Don’t forget that legislative duties/performance is a collective binding. We must all work together to achieve results. There is no single individual that can achieve single handedly without the co-operation of other legislators irrespective of political parties.

SW:  Some people believe that your resignation as Speaker was as a result of 2015 election, what is your take on that? Where you were forced to resign?

Hon. Victor Ochei:  I was not forced to resign. I gave my reasons for resigning and the reasons were accepted. I gave way for a new leadership to emerge having contributed my quota. I feel a bit immodest to say I performed, but those who followed my era would attest to the kind of innovation I brought to the House. Today Delta State House of Assembly can rank among the best in the country and can compete with any other legislative house globally.

SW: What is your advice to the youth of Nigeria in general?

Hon. Victor Ochei: The youth should channel their energy on leadership. They should start working hard today to ensure a better tomorrow. The youth should have patience and remember that violence does not guarantee their tomorrow. They should also know that it is only God that gives power.

SW: What are your advice unemployment rates in Nigeria?

Hon. Victor Ochei: Unemployment is a national issue, the more initiatives Government brings on board, the better. Unemployment need to be addressed from the root. The mind of the youths should be prepared to venture into entrepreneurship. Government should create enabling environment for entrepreneurship, it is not necessarily in monetary terms.