Sir, may we know you?
I am Hon. Sagbegha Korokorosei, Chairman, PDP Burutu Local Government Area.
How long have you been the PDP Chairman in Burutu Local Government Council?
I was elected on the 10th of March 2012 and I have been on the seat till date.
How would you describe Burutu Politics generally?
Well, Burutu politics is a little beat complex because of the size of the local government. It is the only river side headquarters in Delta State and the area is complex just as the people are complex politically. As a matter of fact, today the Burutu Local Government PDP is not one. They are in two groups; one is headed by some leaders while I am in charge of everybody in spite of the division. I try to bring the people together in one way or the other since I became chairman.
Why are you people divided?
We are divided because of some politicians who are intolerant to others. Some of them have been in politics for a long time and they do not want to leave government. They want to impose their candidate on the people because they know that without imposition they cannot win elections. Some of them are spent horses who do not want to leave and the only way they can survive is to put their surrogates in positions. They do not like to imbibe democratic culture in themselves. They want to be in power perpetually, so they will challenge anything that does not come through them. This is why there is frequent disagreement in Burutu politics even though some of us are trying to bring peace to the area.
On the 4th of this month, it rumoured that you and Orubebe were suspended by the Burutu PDP, who are the people behind this?
The suspension came as surprise news to me because since I was elected as chairman there was no opposition. The place is relatively peaceful. But suddenly, the group I described as intolerant connived with some powerful forces and imposed someone on my seat without my knowledge. On the 1st of October, 2012 we heard that they have purportedly sworn-in a chairman who did not even attend congress and who is a civil servant. They call him chairman because they are in a faction and we are surprised because a faction cannot suspend a whole. The whole drama is being sponsored by those who are dancing a political dance in Burutu local government area. And the suspension cannot stand because these are people who are supposed to know the constitution of PDP. And because of that, they are even suspending the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. They do not have the power to suspend a minister. I am not even competent enough to suspend the minister. How can you suspend somebody who has not committed a crime? An un-elected government cannot suspend an elected government. Before you suspend somebody, the person must have committed an offense punishable by the laws of the PDP constitutions. In this case it was not so because they do not know what they are doing. They will not know and they will never know because they are not elected but imposed by people who do not want to leave power. Can you imagine swearing a civil servant on the 1st of October? It is unbelievable and it completely illegal and of no effect.
We were made to understand that you people are now in court?
I told you earlier that I have been elected as PDP chairman un-opposed on the 10th of March 2012 at the PDP local government congress and I went ahead to elect the state chairman and the national leaders that are ruling today. That is to tell you that nobody has removed me as a chairman and a group that did not even attend that congress is even imposed on me purportedly as the Chairman of Burutu PDP. And that was why we went to court because we do not want crisis and bloodshed in the area. We want to be law abiding citizens, and as law abiding citizen I have to go to court to reclaim my mandate. The shortest way to peace in Burutu local government PDP is to give me back my mandate that was illegally stolen from me. Also, since we are in court, we should allow the court declare the true positions of things and eventually peace will return. I am going to abide by the judgment of the court because I think it will be in my favour.
Who do you think are the people causing problem in the court?
Since the inception of democracy in 1999, the party has produced a lot of people. For instance, I have been in the party for some time now. Some of them connived against me and did this havoc because they are oppose to my leadership. They are afraid of me because they are used to imposition. I want to instill the tenets of democracy on the people and I will not succumb to imposition.
Now that the local government elections are drawing closer, don’t you think the opposition will capitalize on the crisis?
When we say the party is divided, it does not mean that the people are divided. When they are saying division, they are saying it because they are never satisfied. As soon as the court rules on this matter everybody will key into the PDP reforms and we will move forward. Of course, do not forget the whole idea s transformation. You are aware of the transformation agenda of the Presidency, which is transforming to the state and local governments.
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