AN EXCITING EVENING WITH PASTOR AZEMHEN AZENA OF THE OMEGA FIRE MINISTRY, A FRONTLINE ASPIRANT IN THE EDO 2024 ELECTION ON THE PLATFORM OF THE LABOUR PARTY AS HE BARES HIS MIND ON SUNDRY ISSUES ON HIS ASPIRATION FOR THE EDO 2024 GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION AND OTHER RELATED ISSUES:

QUESTION: 

THE 2024 GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION IS AROUND THE CORNER. HOW PREPARED ARE YOU FOR THIS CONTEST ? 

ANSWER:

 I believe so much in the gospel of Jesus Christ that says who is he that says he wants to build a house that will not sit first to count the cost, less the man starts and could not finish and those who passing by will see him and begin to laugh and say this man started to build and could not finish. So, as a pastor, I have sat down to look at the situation in Edo state and I feel strongly that I have the solution to what is going wrong in Edo State.

I am also experiencing the problems and I am also going through what is happening in Edo state. I was born, brought up, schooled married and everything about me has been in Edo state especially in the three sentorial districts so I know exactly the problems of Edo state and when you know the problem of a certain thing or a certain place, to solve it will not be a problem to you but when you don't discover a problem that is when you have a problem with solving the problem. I know the problem of Edo state . I am not a politician and I don't want any of us to listen to the words of politicians. I am a leader. What Edo state is hungry for, what Edo state is agitating for that will change Edo state is not by politicians.

Like you said politicians are saying, I will do this, I will do that, those are politicians . I am not coming like the politicians to make empty promises. I am coming to lead, and I want to lead by example because I Am a born leader. I have been leading and I am still a leader and I will remain a leader. So am not a politician. So, what a leader does is to solve problems, what politician do is to promise the people what he or she can not do. But I am a leader that knows how to navigate the problems of Edo state They are numerous but time will not permit me to tell you how Edo state problems where created but let me quickly add that they were created by politicians and they can not be solved by politicians, they can only be solved by a born leader and that is where a leader like me want to come in

Secondly, Edo state problems cannot be solved overnight because we have problems in all the areas and they are numerous. In the Medical sectors,we have problems, on infrastructures we have problems. Poverty is one of the problems, insecurity is yet another of the problems, water is a challenge in Edo state.

Edo state is a capital of challenges especially in the past few years as we have not progressed from where we were. So as a leader, I am coming to solve these problems one after the other. In Education there are problems. Just go ahead and mention them, how I am going to solve most of them are not going to be issues that are going to be in newspaper pages because you know politicians can easily copy people and later they are not going to implement them, because whatsoever that is not from you, you can not do, but I have what it takes. The reason is because, I am going to give you three reasons on how am going to solve Edo state problems. 

First and foremost you must identify what the problem is. That's phase one.

 

Then identify who caused the problems and why.

  

Then what is the way out?

Like in the health care sector, if I want to solve the problems in the health care delivery services in the state is not by destroying the existing facilities but to improve on them. Before you burn your old house , you should build a new one first. Let's go back to those days when our parents give birth to children in health care centers in the villages. As I am talking to you, I am using my Local Government, Etsako East as an example. They have only one doctor in three zones. One zone Ivie zone, Okpella zone, and it takes You two hours to cross from Okpella and it takes You three Local Government before you get to the Headquarters and yet it is only one doctor, So, If I want to run a hospital, it is to employ more doctors, renovate the facilities and then bring in new and state of the arts equipment and I can tell you, all these things can be done even without using Government money. There are some institutions and agencies that partner with Government to save the lives of people. We have international institutions, donor agencies etc . So what am trying to say here is that the problem of Edo state is easy. It is not what somebody should stress, so long you identify it, remove those who are causing the problems and who are the people, they are the Politicians. If the politicians can step aside the problems would be easier for us. I won't be listing them one after the other, but all I know is that I am really prepared to solve Edo state problems.

QUESTION: 

FROM THE PULPIT TO POLITICS. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MARRY THE TWO DAUNTING TASKS?

ANSWER: 

Just the way the Benue state Reverend Father is managing his own , just the way the Akwa Ibom pastor is managing his own so somebody has been there before me and so I have to follow the foot steps of that person. The present governor of Akwa Ibom state is the general overseer of a ministry and yet he emerged as a governor and the church is still going on and Governance is functioning smoothly. As a matter of fact you need somebody who is a pastor to govern the people. You know as a pastor, when you are coming to church the people come and see you, you see their challenges, you feel their pains, as a matter of fact, the best Governor of a state should be a pastor because you meet these people every day.

The major problem of our Government is that we are too far from the people. The western leaders are not far better than us in any way, the only thing I can bring out is that they are better than us is that they are closer to the people and you can't tell me that the pastor is far from the people . In fact, the pastor is closer to the people than the politicians.

 The same persons that attend Omega Fire ministry Edo state for instance, are still the indigenes of Edo or they live in Edo, so am managing the same people. They are not different people . They live in the same environment of the state. So, basically, we are going to be managing the people in the society not just empty institutions. I will manage the people and I and the people will help to manage the institutions. That way, we would have a fulfilled people and a functional institutions.

It is not just the institutions that I am going to manage, it is the people, and that's why I said am not a politician but a leader. 

 If there's anybody fit for this position, it is the pastor who meets the people not less than two times a day and I will never have any reason why I will not be in church no matter how busy I am because my people trust pastor Azheme and let me say this thing . I am a man that have stepped in to bigger shoes before now. Edo state has over 131 branches under me . Omega Fire ministry is 131 branches under me. That is if you are picking the pastors alone you have 131 pastors plus the assistant pastors you have 262 pastors and adding their wives, that's already going to about 393 .I have over 29 nations that I coordinate with Omega churches and yet I have my family. I have personal business,I have schools, am into hospitality business, am into real estate Business, and several other businesses, and I am still schooling . I am in AAU 400 level. It is not business that is affecting our country it is our government people that are far from the people.

QUESTION: 

 YOU ENUMERATED SOME OF THE PROBLEMS WE SEEM TO BE HAVING IN THE STATE WHICH INCLUDE DELIBERATE DESTRUCTION OF INSTITUTIONS SO THAT THEY DON'T FUNCTION APPROPRIATELY SO THEY CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE TO BENEFIT FROM SUCH MALFUNCTIONING. HOW DO YOU INTEND TO STRENGTHEN INSTITUTIONS SO THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN BENEFIT FROM SUCH FUNCTIONING PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS?

 ANSWER:

 Thank you for that question . You discover that the politicians we have do not know what administration is all about. What is destroying Nigerian Government is lack of administration . Administration is allowing things to be done in the right way . I was coming from a journey just now before this interview and I saw a Ministry of Road and Bridges. And I asked myself, why ministry of road and bridge. Why not ministry of work? Is bridge not part of works? Is road not part of works? But the question is, because politicians want to get money they will look for a way to manipulate several things . The ministry of works can no longer work because it is the governor that gives out contracts, the ministry of health will not be in charge of anything, it's the governor that gives out contracts and supervises. Governor has no business in supervising the road,they just want to have the money. I am a man of pure administration. I will allow the system to work freely without interference, that is all.

The Western countries are not better than us. It is just that their systems are not interfered with but are encouraged to work freely . Look at their constitution, look at our laws. We have them but the problem is, we don't allow them to function. If you allow the judiciary to function,you allow the legislative hand to function, you allow the executive to function and you allow the agencies around to function, we can replicate the United States system in Edo state. The only way to solve the problem is that he that must come to equity must come with clean hands. If I come to government, I will allow the system to have it's way, this will cut down corruption,this will straighten the systems and the government parrastatals . But when you don't allow it to work freely, that is when we begin to have problems. Let me tell you this, the ministry I belong is like the functioning of the organs of an organised government structure. This is a regional office, and in a regional office, I have 6 Provisional offices under me. Under the 6 Provisional offices, we have 27 Area churches under it before the branches. I don't call a meeting of the branch. I will reach the Provisional Pastors, the Provisional Pastors will reach the Area pastors, the Area Pastors will reach the branch Pastors. I can't take my phone to call them except for basis of personal issues but for administrative purposes I don't do that.

That is exactly what am going to bring here . I won't interfere with Local Government finances, even without passing the law I will grant them their financial autonomy because that is only when they can work and perform effectively.

There is no way a governor sitting down in Osadebeh Avenue to know what is going on in Okpekpe . It is the Local Government chairman that will know what is going on there. If there is no finance he can't solve the problem and that is why we have several things that are drawing the attention of the government that the Local Government now are impotent because the state Government has made them impotent. If you allow them to function, what Ambrose Alli did, what Odigie Oyegun did in the past, what other Government that actually did well did was that to allow this agencies, Arms of Government to function and that is how to lead.

QUESTION:

SINCE 1999, DEMOCRACY HAS A WAY OF PROPPING UP WRONG PEOPLE INTO GOVERNANCE. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO AVERT WRONG PERSONS GAINING ACCESS TO POWER IN EDO 2024?

ANSWER:

If you ask me, from 1990 till now, the last Election has actually showed us that there is a shift from the old order. It is no longer as usual. If you watched well that before now, who would have told us that the people that emerged under Labour can have access to power. A man came, our Principal, called Obi, under Obidient. I will tell you, the three problems we have why wrong people emerged in governanc 

First and foremost, the people in the society are responsible for allowing wrong people emerge in position of leadership and Governance. If a good man comes up and he doesn't have money, people sing the Praise of he that has money and that is why we keep on collecting four to six thousand Naira during elections and later suffer for the next four years of clueless administration from individuals who gained access to power through vote buying. But thank God for this last election. Some people collected the money and voted for the right persons. So, there is a shift from the old order already. The second problem is the political parties where Godfathers decided who gets what. But what is going on in Labour now will not allow such to happen because it is filled with young men who are ready to sacrifice their money and their time. Another problem why wrong people emerge is that the good ones refuse to come up. If I don't come up the wrong person will come up, if the good ones are much in the process, even though not all of them will come up many will come up,so that is the reason why we are clamouring and telling everyone who are there who have the dream of a better Edo state to come up because when you want to drive out darkness you bring up more light, so you can't say other people should go when the good ones are not available so that is why I must come.

QUESTION:

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE NEEDED FINANCES TO EXECUTE YOUR LOFTY IDEAS CONSIDERING THE LEAN RESOURCES OF EDO STATE?

ANSWER:

 Is it personal resources you are talking about? WE are talking about the state. I expected you to tell me in datas what is the present revenue, internally generated revenue and federation revenue to Edo state then I can answer you well. If you as a journalist can tell me in the last month this is what Edo state generated then I will then tell 

you how to make use of the money.

QUESTION: 

THAT IS EXACTLY WHERE AM DRIVING AT . AT THE MOMENT sir, WE HAVE NOT SEEN THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF WHAT THE STATE GENERATES.

ANSWER:

 That means there is something they are hiding and then you can not say there is a short fall. When you say there is a short fall, and you don't have access to datas that means it's a wrong information.

QUESTION:

 SO HOW DO YOU INTEND TO SPREAD THE MUCH THAT IS AVAILABLE TO MAKE THE STATE A STATE TO BE PROUD OF ?

ANSWER:

If there is no enough then let them give you the datas of what the state generates. For someone who has nothing to hide, for someone who has nothing to claim have nothing to hide,let Edo state come out and tell us this is what they generate and this is why they couldn't manage some situations that are in Edo state economically . But I will tell you the truth . And that is that Edo state has what it takes to effectively develope the state. What the state generate and what comes from the federal allocation is enough to manage Edo state . How many people do we have in Edo state let say up to five million or four million persons in the last calculation. Five to four million people in Edo state. What is our internal revenue though they have not told us but if there is no money the governor according to information cannot be having close to Eight hundred million as security vote in a month when someone has close to one billion naira in a month for security vote and the Deputy will have his own and all that and if there is no money we will also have to check their real cause. They are building filling stations every where,they are doing their personal business everywhere,so where did they get this money from? So, that simply means there is money that can repair and coordinate and better the economy of Edo state. If they say it is a lie let them publish their figures then we analyse it for them.

QUESTION: 

 If YOU EMERGE EVENTUALLY AS THE GOVERNOR OF THIS STATE, TAKING A CLOSE LOOK AT THE PAST ADMINISTRATION , WHAT DO YOU SEE THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO CONTINUE AND IMPROVE ON ?

ANSWER:

If you say I should check what they have done well, I will tell you what they have done half if they should complete it they have done well because most of their projects have not been completed, when we talk about road project , health projects , economic projects talk about the Park project , the Gelegele project most of the projects have not been completed . If you give me few days to be in office , the first thing I will handle will be to look into the schools, especially the Ambrose Alli University. Why will I look into Ambrose Alli University is because it's a state school. The staff in that school are from Edo state , you can't tackle poverty without looking into the well-being and the welfare of the Staff.That is one of the institutions that has many staff of Edo state origin, talking about casual workers, lecturers and all that, when I look into that issue, I think about how do we make sure that the staff that hasn't been paid in the past 18 months will get their arrears of salaries. First and foremost, the SIT will be ruled out because it is corruption in disguise . I am saying it publicly because I am a student of that institution . The lecturers are dying of hunger. Even the bible says that ,'the labourer deserves his wages. The school needs to be revitalized. Those days, there used to be a pure water factory functioning in Ambrose Alli University that they shut down, a bakery used to work also and it has been shut down. That factory and the bakery used to generate money for the institution but it is like the school is in life support now and that urgently need to be resuscitated and that is the first I will attend to before talking about other Schools and when you do that, you have tackled its economy because that is the only institution belonging to the state that generates money for Ekpoma and it's surrounding local governments so doing that alone indirectly and directly you have attended to five local government and most of us here in Benin have stakes there, so, with that alone, we would have tackled the economy and repositioned the school to function effectively and productively. I think that is what I will focus on because I can't be talking about grading road, yes roads are good, but a hungry man will not see a smooth road. I don't see anything in this Government that you say I should continue with. What has been done and completed? I am still asking, maybe you say Ekenwa road. Has it been completed? So, what will I continue ? . 

QUESTION: 

BACK TO POLITICS. THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE THAT INITIATES AN IDEA. SO, IN YOUR OWN TIME, WHAT ARE YOU BRINGING ON BOARD, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR UNIQUE SELLING POINT, YOUR CARDINAL PROGRAM, IS IT GOING TO BE FREE EDUCATION, FREE HEALTHCARE? 

ANSWER: 

There are many laudable programs and projects that I am going to initiate and complete for the good and great people of Edo state who have suffered so much disappointments from greedy and negligent politicians. First let me just give you four areas.

ONE: Security: there can never be development where there is no security . This administration tried their best but at a time they missed it . And I will tell you where they missed it from.You brought in vigilantes or any other name they call them, Edo security Network. They have not been paid till now that I speak with you. You don't use hungry stomach to carry guns. That on its own is a security threat to the society to have hungry people with guns among the civil populace. They are not being paid so what I will do I will make sure I redefine Edo security network to complement other security agencies.

Still on security, I have been into security matters for so many years, urging and appealing to the consciousness and consciences of people to drop their guns and embrace peace. I will follow the YarAdua system of amnesty . I have come across many criminals who are not enjoying being criminals, but just looking for means of survival, just for want of what to eat. Give them amnesty like what happened in Niger Delta and they will drop their guns in sixty days and then you take over this person, rehabilitate them back to the society .

QUESTION:

AND THE CULTISTS?

ANSWER:

 Cultists, kidnappers, armed robbers, all of them will be ready to drop their guns if properly coordinated. If they can come to my church and drop their guns and now being the governor and I say drop your gun and let the government take care of you , they will drop their guns without hesitation . And also on security our people cannot go to farms because of herdsmen, all that will be handled on the security blue print which I will not want to say here because they are security and sensitive matters.

 Now lets go back to the 

 economy? 

 Agriculture is one major area God has so much blessed Edo state with. As for Edo North, they have cashews, you can get rice,you can get cassava , coming to Edo central you can get rice you can get pineapple, you can get everything. Coming to Edo south you can get palm tree, you can get cocoa you can get all manner of agricultural produce But unfortunately till now we bring rice from the North. We have good arable land that can be cultivated to yield surplus rice production that can surpass domestic consumption.

Have you ever seen any past Government that have established rice industry where rice can be processed in factories in Edo state? No, the farmers are not encouraged. When last did you hear farmers loan?. This is my program and I will make sure that areas like Sabongida Ora, Afuze areas, Ilushi, Agbede, Ekpoma, etc would be fully encouraged to go into intensive and massive farming to ensure food security because any country that is not food sufficient can not be said to be fully independent. Till today Edo state is one of the leading palm oil producing states, so, we need to work on that to maximize production that would surpass domestic consumption and generate revenue and increase employment potentials.

Again every senatorial zone and local government must have for example, cassava processing factories where people can bring their cassava and process. You encourage the farmers with loans so that they can improve on their farming capacity and then they also have where they can process their cassava and this one will take garri to the north and every other parts of the country thereby making Edo an agricultural export hub. You know till now that garri still goes to the North but you don't see people who farm anymore because our forest are no longer safe and nobody wants to go into farming because it lacks incentives.

 

QUESTION:

 NOW YOU ARE SAYING THAT WOULD GUARANTEE FOOD SUFFICIENCY?

ANSWER: 

You see,even till now there are many things I don't buy but I provide them myself , so I am going to make sure that people who left farming will go back to farm because it is going to create job opportunities, it's going to create food security and it's going to even boost the economy,it's not just going to be food sufficiency alone, it's going to affect the economy, it's going to affect job creation, it's going to affect revenue generation, it's not only food food food, so when you tackle one aspect it will generate several things and boost the economy.

Now lets go back to Education, we have not put much in our Educational system. You see what is happening in Ambrose Alli University, they say they want to increase the school fees . I am not going to support that. I am the first person who criticized that when the government came up and said law students should now be paying six hundred and sixty thousand Naira for school fees. I paid two hundred and five thousand Naira and you are telling me now that the incoming ones will pay 660 thousand. That is not possible and it is a way of killing the Education sector because it will be burdensome and discouraging to students and their parents.

QUESTION: 

SO, ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE EDUCATION FREE OR WILL IT BE SUBSIDIZED?

 ANSWER: 

Yes, there is going to be subsidy in education. I am not going to preach free Education but I will make sure that the poor man on the street can afford what we are going to come out with.

QUESTION:

HOW FAR HAVE YOU GONE TO REACH OUT TO THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS TO SOLICIT THEIR SUPPORT?

ANSWER:

I have gone very far. Among all the aspirants from diverse political parties I am the one that woke them up.Yes when they saw my consultations , my Publicity and all that, every one of them woke up. I am just coming from consultations and again I have been to the 3 senatorial zones and I have met with both non labour members , I have met with all political actors from diverse political parties , fathers of political parties, I have met with the various village heads, even some INEC people , some kings, chiefs, I have met with them and am having their words. I have gone so very far , and all I am asking is let us give everyone equal chance to contest. When we say fairness , equity, fairness does not zone, fairness will not be talking about it is my turn , fairness gives equal opportunity. If for example the Esan produce in the primary a person in a free and fair contest, I will support the person ,if it is Bini person that produce the candidate of my party, and the primary is free and fair, I will support the person. You will know and you will agree with me. when we were growing up you will know the person who is clever than you in a class and when the result comes out you won't be shocked he is the one taking first.If some one better than me emerges I will have to collapse my structure to go ahead and support that person. What l am saying is that if there is an anointed candidate then we are not ready to change Edo state. I believe so much that it's Edo turn it is Edo agenda than to say one senatorial districts agenda. So, it is not about a district but it is all about the person so if they get the right person we support the person. We are looking for individual who will deliver Edo state from this Canka worm and caterpillar that are eating up Edo state. Where ever the person comes from is not the issue so long he's from Edo state approved by the Nigeria constitution that is qualified then I will support the person .

QUESTION:

YOU SEEM TO BE A VERY HARDWORKING INDIVIDUAL. IN THE MINISTRY YOU ARE DOCTOR AZHEME AZENNA, THE PASTOR. AT HOME YOU ARE DADDY, YOU ARE HUSBAND. HOW DO YOU FIND TIME TO COORDINATE AND TO RELAX. 

ANSWER:

I was not born with a spoon. I am trying to create a spoon. I was given birth in a very poor home. I did bike work for over ten years.

I was not given birth with any spoon. You know, they say someone is born with a golden spoon but I was not born with anyone I was born with hand but I want to create a golden spoon and because I want to create a golden spoon I need to work for it.I take rest when I am not doing anything . what I do most is reading and that is when you come to my room you see my bed full of books that's what I love doing. If am not doing anything at all I take my books at a time I go through like one hour or so, my body will relax and I will sleep off .