Chief David Edevbie
It was who is who in the field of community Newspaper publication in Delta State. These including the online publications. It was on a Sunday. Time was 6pm and it was just to be an evening like any other evening, when the family after the days church activities relax with the children to review the week and look ahead to the next week. But on this very evening and hour it was the gathering of different family, with a future Chief Executive of the state. It was a family because if he is elected, he automatically becomes the father and first citizen of the state.
The time set as earlier state was 6pm. This writer, the publisher of Ndokwa Reporters was there with the Publisher of Anioma News, who both travelled from Warri and Asaba to the remarkably modest country home of Chief David Edevbie, were the first callers. They were there as early as 5.35pm.
As usual, the African stigma will always set in, as at 7pm many of our invited colleagues were yet to arrive. But despite that it was not to be a dull moment as the chief host after some minutes the duo of us were ushered into his sitting room, a young looking man, with Jeans Trouser and a black polo Tee Shirt appeared from the side door smiling and stretching our his hands in welcome. And believe you, if not that his picture was sent to me the previous day by a relation of his, I would have mistaken him to be someone else. But there he is.
Immediately even before we could sit down we introduced ourselves, and an informal discussion was started. To tell you the truth most of what he said when the occasion started, we were already preview to it. We were offered drink while we waited for our colleagues to arrive, and informal talk was going on while he was entertaining us while playing a computer game. He jokingly told us that he was going to use Nigeria to beat Germany in the Xbox FIFA computer game which was a replica of the just concluded Brazil 2014. And to our delight and surprise behold Nigeria defeated Germany.
He was so unassuming, very friendly. Sitting before us was a financial expert who in many way through his actions under the government of Chief James Ibori had touched the development of many Nigerians positively, when he was the Commissioner of Finance. From his record, this Economics graduate of University of Lagos, and later Harvard Business School is not a small fish, but one who is full of ideas and knows how to go about it. Before coming to Nigeria at the instance of James Ibori, he was with the Commonwealths Development Coporation (CDC), a world renowned financial institution in UK. He left the comfort of that job to come and work for the state. But at the end it was not just Delta State, but Nigeria, as he was involved in the drafting of the 7 points Agenda of Late President Umaru Musa Yardua. He was a member of his campaign team and later after the election was appointed Principal Secretary to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. An Appointment he held untill the death of the President.
7.45pm other colleagues started coming in one after the other. And exactly 8 pm the gist started. The Chief host started with his story. How it all started that involved him so deeply into the governance of Delta State and Nigeria. And for 116 minutes he talked and poured it all. It was a night to remember. A night with possibly the future Governor of Delta State, David Edevbie.
To kick start the discussion, was the former Chief Press Secretary to for Governor James Ibori, Hon Abel Oshevire, and to borrow his words, he is “the Governor in-waiting.” A lot was said, but we can only feed you with some of the evening menu.
Excepts
Who is David Edevbie
In his own word, the aspirant Chief David Edevbie, described himself as a simple person. A man who spent his formative years in the United Kingdom, came back to Nigeria and attended Igbobi College and later University of Lagos, where he studied Economics, performed the mandatory National Youth Service (NYSC) in Enugu and later left for United Kingdom for his Masters in Business Administration. According to him he graduated from university at the age of 20.
After graduation he started his career, which was in investment Banking. He described this period as the best years of his life because he earned a good salary but had little or no family responsibilities. However, he later moved from Investment Banking to Development Finance, which looks at developing economies based mainly in the third world. He joined the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC). Working with CDC gave him insights of what happens and developments around the world, as he was opportune to visit countries of different sizes and at different level of development.
The travels also exposed him to countries that are much better than Nigeria, and some which cannot be said to be better than Nigeria. Despite this, he was able to learn how these countries which are better, arrived at a better state of development. While with CDC, it also gave him the opportunity to run the company’s offices in South East Asia, especially in the Philippines. These gave him the insight to their development strategy in countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Pacific Islands.
The Ibori Connection
According to the Chief, his joining the James Ibori government was by chance and due to the doggedness of the former governor that he was able to leave his work in Europe to join his government. He described how he met Chief James Onanefe Ibori in UK long before he became the Executive Governor of Delta State. According to him, they used to hang out together but after sometime he lost track of him only to learn that he had become the governor of Delta State. The friendship developed because Chief James Ibori took him as a younger son brother solely on the account that he was Urhobo.
How He Became part of the Ibori Government
Edevbie explained that even though he was aware that James Ibori had become Governor he never contacted him. However, Chief James Ibori visited the UK and tried contacting him, but he never returned his calls, this was not out of disrespect, but according to him, he felt that this man is now a politician, and he didn’t want to associate with him. His belief which he admitted turned out to be erroneous was that those that hung around politicians were nothing but sycophants. But this did not deter the former governor, who now decided to call his office, and luckily on one of his attempts David picked up the phone and that was how the discussions that lead him to work with his government began. It all started with the request to help prepare a fund raising programme.
The Fund Raising Connection
The telephone conversation ended with a plan for both to meet in the former governors’ London home. When they met he told him his mission to London was to see how he can help him raise funds for development of Delta State, knowing that he was into Development Banking, He (David) could help his government. He agreed to assist him by preparing a paper and directed him on who to see at the World Bank and the International Monitory Fund (IMF). He did this and mailed the paper to the Governor. But James Ibori was not satisfied and he told him to come around and explain the paper. He went and after doing this Ibori told him that there is no better person to help carry out the fund raising than him, David. That he is needed in Delta State. To politely reject the offer, he informed Ibori that he needed to seek permission from his office, because at this point in time he was on the verge of joining the World Bank. He was at the time finalising his US visa documentation and school arrangements for his kids. The former Governor agreed, but to his surprise the CDC was happy to allow him to go to Delta State because they had been looking to work with Nigeria. But to release him, they, CDC, will required the CV of the person who is taking him away. Edevbie assumed that this would end the whole process, but it was not to be, as he was shocked, immediately he told Ibori of the CV requirement, he entered his room and brought out his CV. With this done, the Commonwealth Development Corporation released him for one year, with full salary.
Commissioner of Finance, Delta State
When he finally left CDC and came to Nigeria in June 1999 he was appointed the Commissioner of Finance, Delta State. He was to be in this capacity for only twelve months but later he wrote for extension for another one year, and the company gladly gave it to him, but before the end of the second year he submitted his letter of resignation.
As Finance Commissioner Edevbie brought a lot of changes in the financial management of the state, as through his initiative some innovations were initiated like the monthly cash budget, the 25% down payment to contractors and the first state in the country to publish audited accounts. He also championed the increase of the 13% derivation to the oil producing states from 1%. He chaired the Finance Commissioners’ Forum for many, though he was one of the youngest. Because he had worked in different part of the world before coming to Nigeria, which had similar problems, he was able to use his experiences in those areas to implement some of governments projects in the state. According to him the Philippines had similar power problems with Nigeria. The Agricultural setting was also the same.
He described the situation when he came back as a scene from a war zone. It was a situation where nothing was working.
After his first term as commissioner of finance, he left for Harvard to further his education. The governor kept his appointment open for three months until he returned. But after spending six years with the government of Delta State, he decided to leave, and he was allowed to go.
Steps In Yardua
As the evening progressed, so also the interaction. The governorship aspirant did not hide anything; he was ready to answer all questions. According to him, when he left the job of the Finance Commissioner of Delta State, as the 2007 Election was approaching, he was approached by the former finance Commissioner of Katsina State, that his Governor wanted to see him. He explained that he wanted to run for the president of the country. He went and after the discussion with then governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Umaru Yardua, he left and was called two days later to join the campaign team and was appointed the Director of Strategy and Finance. And in the course of this he was involved in raising some of the vital strategies that helped the late President to emerge as the PDP flag bearer. Subsequently, he left for the United States.
Appointment as Principal Secretary
However, the President after the election that brought him into office, looked for him and asked him to report to him but by this time he was in faraway Miami enjoying his temporary retirement. On the faithful day he was on a queue at the Apple store trying to acquire the new IPhone 2 when he received the call from Nigeria. He immediately departed the US and arrived at the presidential Villa 48 hours later, where he was pronounced the new Chief of staff to the President and commander-in-Chief of the Federal republic of Nigeria. But, according to him, that new appointment did not go down well with many in the government, especially because that office had always been held by a retired Military General. But he in his wisdom approached the president to change the name to the Principal Secretary to the President.
While he was with the president, and during the campaign to be president he helped to prepare the seven point Agenda of the president which was the working tool of the government and this was implemented by all ministers and heads of department of government in Nigeria federal sector.
And according to him, one area which gave the former president concern was the issue of the Niger Delta crises. But because of his experiences in the Philippines he advised the president to offer the group Amnesty. This the president did, and the Amnesty program in Nigeria was carried out which led to the cessation of hostilities in the Niger Delta. Chief David Edevbie held the position as Principal Secretary to the President until the death of the President.
2015 Governorship Ambition
On why he wants to be the governor of Delta State come 2015, the aspirant told the gathering that friends and relatives approached him, and he asked to be convinced on why they want him to run for the governor of the state. He however, confessed that before then some of his friends who are also in the race had approached him to support them. However he was convinced by his political friends that he would make a better governor, he decided to go for it himself.
He said that one of the reasons given was his international private sector experience and also his public sector experience at the State and Federal levels of government.
Another reason was to encourage people in the private sector to stop complaining about government and actually try to do something about the problems by participating in the political process. All these helped to convince him to run for the governor of the state.
On his Agenda
To him the best plan or manifesto is that which involves the people and not the one you write and implement without the people. According to him, he has a draft manifesto, draft according to him because until he has toured and met with the people of Delta State, the manifesto will not be complete. Yes, he said “I have one, a World Bank Plan, but for now it is a draft”.
He said that the problem of the three senatorial district are obvious, without any manifesto. For instance, in Delta north, the major problem there is lack of potable water and erosion; while in Delta South, it is the issue of creating links between the towns by building bridges, while in Delta Central, poor roads and they lack industries. So with this hindsight, I know what the people of Delta State want.
Insecurity in Delta State
He also talked on the issue of insecurity in Delta state during the interaction session. When a question on the security situation in Nigeria, especially Delta State, with his experience in the South East Asia. He told the guests of how he advised the late President to use the Amnesty carrot to stop the insurgence in the Niger Delta. As he said when there was similar situation in the Philippines the government offered the people Amnesty, and that was how the problem was solved. And this was the case with the Niger Delta struggle. He also said that the same was the case of kidnapping. The Philippines had the same problem most especially when elections are approaching. Kidnappers used the ransom paid to finance their elections. That it was as bad as that. He pledged that if voted as the governor of the state, all necessary steps that will help to stop all form of crime will be implemented.
Continuing, Chief Edevbie said that one way to curb crime and insurgency is for government to provide jobs that will improve the livelihood of the people. Improvement in Agriculture, agro allied businesses and other developmental programs.
He also said that he is a believer of community policing, which is a very good way of reducing crime.
How he and Ibori tried to truncate the ascension of Jonathan as President
In reply to this accusation, the host of the evening described them as laughable rumours. He said there was nothing like that, because if there were he would not have the courage to be thinking to go for the governor of the state. Chief Edevbie said that there is also the rumour that Chief James Ibori recommended him to the then President. He said yes, Ibori made it possible for me to come to Nigeria and work with him, but on my Job at the presidential villa, I just explained how I got the job.
Again on the burning issue that I and Ibori tried to truncate the ascension of Jonathan to become the president, this also is false. It is rumour that those that were not involved at the time peddle. I won’t be here If I had done that. But we all know the reasons for these false rumours, this is politics and weak politicians favour mudslinging as opposed to addressing the real issue of convincing the electorate why they should be chosen over others.
You see, rumours are everywhere, there was the rumour that Chief Amori slapped me when I was the Finance Commissioner for failing to release money to him. The other day chief Amori met me at a public function, and publicly stated, “They said I slapped you when you were the Finance Commissioner. Utter rubbish!”. So all these are lies. It is just rumours, I never did anything personally or with the former governor to truncate the ambition of Jonathan.
The Government and Ibori and Corruption
In a question on his personal credibility being the commissioner of finance during the time of Ibori, and a court in Uk officially sanctioning the whole government for corruption, he said the sentencing of Ibori was based on personal ground, and also based on the guilty plea entered by the former governor. That the head of that government was adjudged corrupt does not mean everyone was corrupt. According to him, otherwise it would mean that the present Governor and his deputy are corrupt because they were part of that government along with senators Okowa and Manager and many others.
He concluded that the assertion is wrong, and reminded the guests that it should also be remembered that he left the government two years before the tenure of Ibori ended.
On 2015 and Power Rotation in PDP
On this burning issue, which seems to bring the people of Delta North and the other two senatorial districts to war part, the aspirant says the constitution of their great party, the Peoples Democratic Party does not allow for rotation of public offices. However, he emphasized that the word, equity, justice and fairness is enshrined in the party’s constitution. In his word “I am a full supporter of the words” but the underlying principle of the PDP is democracy.
There is no mention of rotation among the senatorial districts. In every election in this state every one has been allowed to participate. And I am participating. If you want my people to give you their position you plead. If you want me and my people to concede our position, you plead with me and my people and I and my people are at liberty to accept or not.
His Contribution to His People
According to Chief David Edevbie, he helped in his little way to attract projects to not only his senatorial district but to the three senatorial areas while he was serving as commissioner.
