•Reveals Why He Joined The Race
Mazi Sam Iheanyichukwu Ohuabunwa is one of the leading PDP presidential aspirants. He is from the South-East. He is a popular PDP party chieftain. Yet, not many know that he is a Pharmacist by training, who practised for over 40 years with intimidating credentials, nationally and internationally as a pharmacist and sales expert.
For about 20 years, Mazi has also contributed his own quota to the development of Nigeria. It was after he retired as the Chairman/CEO of Neimeth International Pharmaceutical Products Plc in 2011, after 33 years in the industry, 18 years of which were at the CEO level, that he went into politics full time.
He has a rich experience in the service of the nation. Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa has served on many Presidential Committees and Taskforces, the prominent ones being the Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC), and Presidential Steering Committee on Global Economic Crisis (PSCGES), and the Presidential Committee on Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (SURE-P). He was a member of the National Political Reform Conference of 2005. At the Community Level, Sam is a Christian, Knight of St Christopher, National Director of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International, Past President General of Nzuko Arochukwu, Chairman of Business Development and Investment Committee of the Alaigbo Development Foundation, and member of the Ime-Obi of Ohaneze Ndigbo.
Recently, the elder statesman volunteered to take up the almighty responsibility of reforming Nigeria, by identifying his interest to run for president in the coming election in 2023.
He spoke to City People Publisher SEYE KEHINDE and SEUN JOSEPH about his ambition and how it is important that Nigerians get it right this time. Below are excerpts.
What made you join the Presidential race?
A lot of reasons. The push has been there. I recall in 1996, I went to New York and I was nominated as The best participating sales manager. People began to applaud me. They asked me which university I attended and I said the University of Ife, and they asked where is that, and I said in Nigeria. And they were wondering if there was any school in Nigeria that good to have produced a product like me, and I said yes, there are many of them.
Then they said, that means there are a lot of smart guys like you back in Nigeria, then why is Nigeria still the way it is? That question gave me a push. By the time I got back to Nigeria, I started noticing all these things that are wrong with Nigeria, right from the Murtala Mohammed Airport. The toilet of the airport was not in order, the queue was so long, my luggage was delayed and before it finally got to me it has been ripped. I got outside and lots of Taxi drives were pulling me left and right. For the very first time, I saw the disorderliness in the system. This was not the same as when I was in New York. Since then I have been to about six other countries in-between. So I started developing that sense of responsibility to be part of the reformation agents. I felt the need to get the job done so that the country will stop receiving the shame that keeps making us look inferior. Because of out of 106 countries, one black boy was nominated as the best. Based on my participation. Why can’t we then stand out that way as a country in other areas of life? This is my drive.
What is the state of the PDP right now and how prepared is the party ahead of the 2023 Elections?
I am a man of principle. I am surprised that a party that says we have a policy around zoning and its now time to decide on a candidate based on this same principle and suddenly you jettison this idea. It doesn’t sound well.
But like I said, the party leadership hasn’t adopted any policy yet, but it’s the committee that sat, and they speculated where the committee may swing. I believe whatever it is, it will still go back to the NEC to take the final decision. Assuming they take that decision we know that every action propels a reaction. Has the party considered all the consequences of the decision they want to take? If they have considered the consequences and they can live with the result, then go ahead. Because I know there is going to be a consequence.
So, my feeling is that if the decision we make is a wrong decision, then just like Nigeria, PDP will be pulling itself back. See, the truth is, that Nigeria is waiting for the PDP. After 16 years, they felt PDP wasn’t doing well enough and they decide to vote the party out. But they have seen 8 years of reversals in our economic performance, thanks to the government of the APC. Today we have 71% of the poverty rate in Nigeria. 53% of our youths are not working. 22 per cent of the other 47 are under-employed. That explains the high level of insecurity and crime. It has even come to a stage where people don’t know who to blame.
Now Nigeria is waiting for an alternative. As I tell my people, Nigerians don’t like PDP, but they hate APC today. And as of today, they want to give PDP a chance, but it depends on what PDP is bringing up. If PDP does not bring somebody that will excite people, that will create hope, we will lose this opportunity.
The party is going through a difficult time and some people are trying to force themselves on the party, and it’s unfair. And when you are telling me that you are considering consensus, it means you are subverting the existing agreement that borders of justice and equity and you are talking about consensus, it’s unfair. This is why our people in the southeast are worried, that when it gets to our own time, all the principles will be changed. Is it the war that we fought that Nigerians don’t want to forgive us? If Nigerians don’t want to forgive us then they should send us away, so we know that we are not part of this country, we cannot continue this way, that anytime it gets to our turn, we get treated differently.
I think the greatest thing that PDP can do for itself is to allow a Southeast Candidacy for the presidency, which will solve so many issues and reduce the tension. One thing that the Southeast is known for is Wealth Creation, and Poverty is the number one demon facing the country; corruption is the number two demon and insecurity is the number three demon, and then injustice, but the most potent is poverty. And by disposition, the Igbos are known for their wealth-creating ability; we move around and we create wealth everywhere. Maybe Nigerians should try and see what benefit with be gotten from electing a southeastern candidate for the first time.
What is the position of the party Constitution on this matter of Zoning?
What the party constitution states are that there will be rotation between the North and the South. I must also admit that when PDP did this, they also have this feeling that they will rule all the time. Thye didn’t quite factor in that at some point, some other party will take over and rule. So at this point, we have to consider the broader picture of which region is ruling beyond party affiliation, this will determine who we will choose within the party. So the arguments of the northern PDP members now is that from1999 and now, there has been more southern PDP president than the north; that is only half of the story because the truth is that a northerner is currently serving 8 years uninterrupted despite the fact that he’s not from our party. So the best solution is to consider who is ruing and from which of the zone, before we decide which zone our candidate should come from.
How do you blend in the political space despite your credentials in the corporate space?
The point is that it is a new paradigm, each time when I speak, they will say Mazi you have lectured us. In fact yesterday, they said I have preached a sermon (laugh). They don’t speak the way we speak. In fact, I went to speak to a serious party man in Abuja, and he umped up and said I have been in politics for over 30 years, nobody has spoken to me this wonderfully. So, it’s something new. They are taking it with a little bit of “Is this for real?”
For me, the little resistance in the type of polity we are preaching is because of the sacrifice that comes with it. We are talking about a situation where I do not have to bribe anyone to get a responsibility that will cost me so much. What I’m doing is making myself available, and meeting the minimum logistic requirement to set me on. You know in politics that we know, if somebody gives you, he takes more.
So we are forming a New Nigeria, that if we want a new country, with a new political culture with good governance and leadership, we must change our attitude. Otherwise, we will get the same result. Its been a tough task, but over time, people are beginning to understand. And our people have seen that after all the money sharing, nothing has changed from the local level to the central. So people are gradually telling themselves it’s not all about money.
I go out with my fliers reflecting the areas of my plans, and people are beginning to see that the idea is different from what they used to see around. Some people will even ask, does this man have the money to fight for the election? But they fail to realise that all those who fought for elections with their money don’t always have their way. Was it Obasanjo that fought his election with money, or was it this Buhari? The only people who have money to fight for elections never became president, starting from Awolowo to MKO Abiola, and Atiku. These are the people that you can say seem to have enough money to buy their way through, but we all know the story. People rallied around every person who had become Nigerian president. Nevertheless, that you have volunteered to serve doesn’t mean that you should go and borrow money, there are volunteers and solicited donations that people give you just as it is done in Europe and America.
Why, in your own view, do you think Nigerians are sceptical about allowing the southeast to assume the office presidency?
I really cannot tell, maybe it’s because the easterners tried to secede. It could be, but I know that it has also affected me. When I was on the board of a company, somebody said, “Gentlemen, we have no choice but to bring Mazi to the board, even though he fought against the nation”. It meant that has been an issue. I was embarrassed, but I thought that we should have forgotten about the past. That was in 1990. And besides, after the war in 1970, Gowon said, “No Victor, No Vanquished”. So why are we now being punished 60 years after? In fact, Igbo got close to being the president, 9 years after, when Ekweme became the vice president. Nine years after the war! So it’s unimaginable that 40 years after that, the animosity is still on the rise.
So those who are crying for Biafra, it is their own way of calling for equity, fairness and justice. And if the PDP went ahead and execute what they are trying to do with the consensus, it may just worsen the situation. It’s safer to be on principle because if you are acting based on your principle, nobody can fault you.
I believe that making Nigeria work as a united country is not rocket science. If you come with justice equity and fairness, every Nigerian in the north, east-west and south are saying the same thing. For example, those who are worried about restructuring are worried because no one has explained to them the benefits of restructuring; if you lose one, how do you regain one? If somebody tells you that when you lose A due to two restructuring and you gain B, C and D in the end, you will embrace the idea when you weigh your options. Nigerians are not difficult.
When I was in the political reform conference in 2005 when they were talking about the derivation funds, the people of the south wanted 25%, and they were arguing. My guys in the north refused. The south-south people walk out. I was a liaison between the committee and the south-south members. I remembered that the late Umaru Dikko was a member of that committee which made him realize that the derivation fund can be moved to 15 or 17%.
I told him, that if these guys blocked the pipes, we’ll all be at the receiving end. He said if they block, we’ll send the military after them. Of course, they tried to send the military but it didn’t bring the desired result until the government of Ya’radua came with amnesty, and recalled Obasanjo also introducing NDDC. Those were responses to fairness equity and justice.
Then two, you need to put people who understand how wealth is created, the guys running this country do not understand it. It’s a pity. This country is a wealth ramp. Look at what Dangote has done. There is so much money. Suppose you have like one thousand Dangotes across the country. What do you think will happen? All they need is just a push from the government. It’s the role of the government is to create an enabling environment. But if you want to start a business now, the motivation of our leaders is to come and kill you; the federal government will come, the state government will come local government will come, area boys will come; just because you want to start a business that will employ people and create wealth. That orientation is not healthy for us as a country. That is what I want to come and demonstrate, that we can have near full employment. Because when we start to process the agricultural product, processing minerals, processing or industrial base and then getting the young people into ICT; internationalizing our music and drama and dance, doing what I call reverse tourism. The tourist is not coming here but we take our culture there, occupy one or two stadia outside the country every week, and we are doing shows and they are watching our masquerade and drama as they cough our a few hundreds of dollars. We are making money and the participants are getting their share. The media is there to project the progress. So, I believe Nigeria is redeemable.
So what is your message to Nigerians?
My message is simple. We can rebuild this country. The country belongs to us. It doesn’t belong to Buhari, it doesn’t belong to Atiku. Each Nigerian is a stakeholder with equal rights. I don’t need anybody’s permission to do what I’m doing, as long as what I’m doing is legal. I don’t need anybody to agree with me. When my God agrees with me, that’s all.
So I’m asking Nigerians, let us not act hopelessly, let us not act as if we are helpless, because it is when you are hopeless and helpless that you get to make extreme decisions and say let’s destroy what is left.
You can see that showing up in the way we are turning Nigeria into a bandit nation; a group of people just sat somewhere and decide to start killing those who did not offend them. Nigerians should have hope, a new Nigeria is coming; a country that is globally competitive; a nation that will work for all regions, ethnic groups and geopolitical zones; the weak and the strong, the rich and the poor. Because we have enough resources. I am seeing Nigeria as a Garden of Eden, I have not seen a country as blessed as Nigeria.
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