 The River State Independent Electoral Commission, Rysiwch, have been accused by some political parties in River State of not giving grants to parties participating in the coming local government elections. The Chairman of the African Action Congress, AAC, Progress of Bokuma, explained that although they were asked to submit their account numbers in the expression of interest form given to them by Rysiwch, Rysiwch is yet to pay the grant. He said that the Chairman of the Commission, Justice George of Merigee, told them that the grant for political parties had been given to the IPAC Chairman, Desmond Aqau, who is also the PDP Chairman in the States. Well, joining us at this conversation is Solswema Osaro, River State Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Progress of Bokuma. He is the State Chairman of the AAC in River State, and we also have Mr Samo Wanusike. He is the Chairman of the Aquarius Local Government Area. Thank you very much for joining us. Thank you for having me. All right. I'm going to start with the AAC man. You're accusing Rysiwch. I'm going to start with you, I'm sorry, Progress. You're accusing the Rysiwch of not giving you monies that are due you. And the elections are just around the corner. We saw pictures and videos of your protest today. Apparently, we heard initially you were going to Rysiwch office and then you decided to go to Government House. What exactly has Rysiwch's response been so far? The Rysiwch response so far. The Rysiwch response so far. You listen to my dream to have fact, to die all this evening. You listen to the lies that the Honourable Justice of Merigee came to give an example of an interview with Diolch on her staff. And he gave so many lies, he talked so many lies on that interview concerning these brands. And with what he told us, which was captured in camera, I have the videos, I will produce videos any day, any time, as we will start trying them on social media and Twitter. Because if he came to radio to live, with what we had, we had a state-of-the-art meeting here, we have the TV scene, we have the AI team, we have NTA in that state-of-the-art meeting where Justice Merigee told the political party chairmen who were there for that meeting and their secretaries who attended that meeting that money meant for political parties have been given to Minister of Justice Manaw, who is a cabinet chairman, who also doubles as a PDP chairman. So why would Justice Merigee, who is a retired justice, like he claimed, come to Nigeria info to lie that there was no such discussion? I have it on video. I asked my boys that day, particularly to video him, because I will use it as evidence against him any day, any time. Interesting. So what exactly did Justice say? Because you're saying he lied. What did he say differently from what you, according to your video, what different things did he say? What he said on Nigeria info with a hard part to die off? He said that he never said such. He said he never said such. He denied it, that he never said such. That there was no time that he told the political party chairmen and their secretaries who were there for that meeting that money meant for political parties were given to IPAT chairmen. I mean, so where is the money now that was promised to you? Is it that Rishak is saying that there is no money that should be allocated to you, or is it that... Let me come straight now. You see, there's a kind of arrangement between Rishak and the PDP. And let's say the IPAT chairmen, as I say, Rishak haven't known that the budget of this election is being controlled by the PDP. You know what they did? They deliberately exonerated themselves. They now launched the sections and the subsections that talked about giving political parties grants to participate in this local government election. You understand? And if they don't have the intention of giving political parties grants, who are participating in this election? Does Rishak have the power? I'm sorry, progress, progress can you hear me? Progress, can you allow me to ask this question? Does Rishak have the powers to expunge a section in that electoral act of political parties and grants that are due to them? Do they have the power to expunge it overnight? Is that even possible? I'm curious. Because now, I spoke to them yesterday. Yesterday, when I was in Rishak for the inspection of the non-sensitive materials that were moved to very LG, I told them they were aware. I told them that they were going to expunge but they were going to expunge because they were like this to pump. And they said, yes, that I know now how this thing that I should take it with them, they know. Interesting. So they know and they told me that the budget Rishak budget is not controlled by Rishak. It is the PDP that composes a budget that is meant for Rishak. So that is why they don't want to get into any trouble. And they have to expunge it from the guideline. So we will not have evidence from the guideline to sue them. I told them yesterday, I told them just yesterday, which he also said on air, I told him I would have sued him. If not for the expunge, they will expunge that a subsection exception because it was in the 2018 guideline. OK. Well, the PDP has someone representing them on this show. So they have a right of reply. The local government chairman of the inquiry. Ordebuwan Oseke, can you respond to these allegations because we're hearing that your party seems to be controlling the budget for this local government election? How does that even work? Your party is not the state government. Yes, we know that the PDP is in power, but should the PDP have its hands in the cookie jar for the local government elections? Well, first of all, I want to thank you for this opportunity to speak to the people of Nigeria about the local government election that is to happen on the 17th of February 2021. But if my memory serves me right, the man who just finished speaking to the world now is the same person that spoke before the commission of police the day before yesterday, in my very before, and liked before the commission of police that the state's party chairman, who happens to be the IPAC chairman of River State, instructed candidates of the People's Democratic Party to beat up candidates of other political parties, tear their posters and make it very difficult for them to participate in the process. And I took and I take exception to that. And I said there in that meeting clearly that I gave him 10 minutes to withdraw that statement or he will meet me in the court of law. And he didn't withdraw that statement that as I speak to you, my layers are putting the papers together, luck to him that the judiciary are just going to strike and we are praying God few days from now they will call off their strike and both of us will meet in the courts. I want him to come and tell the people of the world and to tell the courts where that instruction was given to my humble servant, one of the candidates of PDP in the Cwyrw Lwcag Government, and also want him to bring to the courts his candidates from the Cwyrw Lwcag Government to ask him if he was harassed or if any of his posters has been torn or he has been intimidated in his election. And so hearing him speak now has just confirmed to me that it is a strategy and it is a style to smell people's image, to score a political point. What we can understand where he's coming from, a man says he's not ready to participate in an election through his political party called APC and he decides to bring a surrogate political party called AAC to come and discredit the process. You are hearing him speak for two sides of my mouth. You are hearing him speak for two sides of my mouth. One, he's saying that he's directly telling me and you that INEC will give grants to political parties for them to participate in an election. He's telling Nigerians that it's not Cwyrw Lwcag that will give grants for him to be able to participate in an election that is coming up in two days' time. Well, for us, I don't want to join issues with him because I know that CIEC has responded and the People's Democratic Party has also responded. We don't want to get ourselves distracted with this kind of things. We don't know where he's coming from. He's sponsored by the need of APC, a fractional need of APC, which we got mentioned, to cause the smell, to discredit the Lwcag Government election because APC is aware if the participants in the Lwcag Government election they will be beating blue black. We don't want to worry ourselves. The truth of the matter is that the young man who has just spoken now has nothing to offer to the people of the Lwcag Government. We are moving forward with the election and by Saturday, the Lwcag Government will vote candidates of their choice to the 23 Lwcag Government of the Lwcag Government and the 390 votes. I have never seen anywhere in the world where you come and say that CIEC or INEC will give grants to a political party to participate in an election. So let me ask this question. Let me ask this question. It's very, very, very funny, my friend. Let me ask this question. Had there been any time in the RISEC Act for local government elections in river states where it was ever mentioned, because he mentioned that in 2018 this happened, that there was any time that RISEC was giving grants to these political parties to run the election? Had there been any time? You heard for him clearly. He said there was a time when I expect that, as he's speaking now, he will provide evidence because the accuser will be the one to prove. The body of proof will be upon that man who has accused. For us, I don't want for this RISEC a mechanism of an election. For me, his attitude and actions from the day I met him before his delivery for the very first time and what he's saying now shows clearly he's on a mission and the mission is simple because we cannot win PDP, discredit the process, lie against the process and smear the image of Honourable Justice Ombrygi who wrote to me a message and he's like, I've been trained and doing all in their power. Why are you so certain? Why are you so certain, Honourable, that this is the workings of the Minister of Transportation? He has no dog in this fight. He's not running for local government elections. Why are you so certain that he has? Why are you dragging me into this conversation? Let me tell you why. Thank God you asked this question. In 2019, on the two weeks of the election, APC was not going to participate in that election because Supreme Court has said so. But you know what happened? I've got a letter from AAS and that started the romance between AAC and AAS in the River State. And so we know that as long as Aawara is there in AAS and is controlling AAS, AAS will be used as a tool to do whatever they want to do. OK, I'm going to go back to progress. Mr Progress, are you still there? I'm comfortable with this. Mr Progress, are you there? Yeah, I'm listening. So my next friend, Sam O'Romotito. Yes, well, he's making accusations that you are flying on the radar of the APC and you are being used to discredit the PDP and RISIC. What do you have to say about this? Because obviously, it wasn't just your party. The Labour Party was involved. I saw other political parties at that protest. So I'm trying to understand. Could this really be a gang up against the PDP? You know, this is the only minister for transportation. It's an inauthentment of this accusation that they are levelling against him or on him. I don't know where to pick this whole narrative from that is the Honourable Minister for Transportation is excellently wrote to me and mentioned that fielding candidates in the African Action Council. You know, when we fielding candidates for these principles, one local government in nations, you know, the PDP are overwhelmed. You understand? And when we erected the Secretary of State across the country local government and the 319 wall, when they saw what we are doing and they felt that is the Honourable Minister for Transportation that founded us all to do what we are doing. What it would be told, the Honourable Minister of Transportation is in the sense of this accusation that they are using him and this finger that they are pointing to the Honourable Minister for Transportation. So, some of what I want to take as it is, is he trying to tell me that the use of reverses cannot come together and mobilize and serve and donate for themselves and do what it needs, what this is then. In Ghana today is when we are in universities. When we believe in the cost, we go and extra micro-certified for the cost in our Alluta, Alluta continue and Victoria Sata. So, we do whatever we want to do when it is time for us to mobilize and mobilize people with our money to sacrifice to make sure that the struggle continues. I'm curious. He knows, he's an Alluta. He's an Alluta, he's three from Alluta struggle. I want to ask a question. We can do whatever we want to do as students. I'm sorry. You understand? And because we hear that these people in power who have failed us, including the Samarwona ticket, who have failed the people of the Ecuadorian local government in terms of good governance, giving them the social immunity and giving them what democracy entails. And the dividends of democracy, which we are not seeing today in people in the Ecuadorian local government in reverse state and in Nigeria at large. So, the use of these days, we are tired with this system and we are ready to change the narrative on the social. We are ready to get it in them and be on the ground to the ground in the system of government. All right, progress. Progress, can I ask a quick question? Elections are on Saturday and this is Thursday. You have just the day before Saturday and you have been protesting for grants that would enable you to conduct elections. So, I'm wondering, how have you been campaigning and how have you been going about your business, getting ready for this election if you're still protesting for monies from Resiek on Thursday? No. Now, let me answer that. The grants are saying it's not our problem but we needed to state our acclaim and to point out to Resiek that this is our right. And if Resiek said that there were monies that we are giving to IPAT-Cherman, if there were no grants, why would they respond in Amana but the money if it's IPAT-Cherman? And let me communicate. The Resiek grants we're talking about is in the budget that Resiek submitted to the government this week and that was what amanteced to the 2.8 billion that are used to the election. Which the IPAT-Cherman will also run in as the candidate for the PDP for the content is enjoying it from. It's because it's from that project which governs for the purpose of a reverse money that they use to fund the Resiek and they use to fund the PDP campaign too. And they are telling us that they have campaigned they have proposed to the 23 local government they have proposed and they have campaigned. And they are using reverse money to campaign and they are telling us that that's why we are complaining. Why are we talking about grants? Whereas these same grants is in research budget. It is in research budget that they make provision for the public for the public that has interest to run for these 21 local government elections in reverse money. So some of us want to see it now. They are just coming up to print and to talk live. All right, because we're running out of time I'll just quickly give you a minute to Hon. Wan of CK. He's made a truckload of allegations that you have I mean you're running for your second tenure I know this. And he's saying that you haven't really done anything for your query people and that's the reason why there are a lot more people contesting against you. But with all of this happening I want to for you to tell people who are watching because reverse date has always been a hotbed when it comes to elections. What's the certainty that you're going to have three fair credible elections devoid of violence and drama on Saturday? Yes, thank you for the question. First of all, let me make it clear for you not to be partial. You won't tell me about responding to a question that was asked for one minute. Now, for the purpose of this interview let me just say clearly. It shows that this young man that have just spoken out does not live in reverse date. Maybe he's coming from New York or he just came out from Canada and maybe because of COVID he was quarantined and he doesn't live from quarantine. And so he doesn't know what's happening around reverse date. So you can't even know what's happening in Coru Llew Cagwbeth. He's on record and your station knows. Your own TV station knows. Even the Hon. Minister for Transportation, his boss, his sponsor knows that Wan of CK somewhere has to be branded and transformed the Coru Llew Cagwbeth that was not transformed under the decision of Rotsie Beach Bigamedia's Governor of Riverside. Even when the Coru Llew Cagwbeth was his own Llew Cagwbeth. This Llew Cagwbeth has been reduced by Wan of CK somewhere like his team. A Llew Cagwbeth that was abandoned since 1958 to date. I have 13 projects in the 13 political works of the Coru Llew Cagwbeth, including Hon. Minister's Ward and building a brand new police station. As I'm talking to you, I have commissioned the brand new secretariat with internal roads in the secretariat, new office complexes, new facilities built all over the place. Last two weeks, the former senator, the President of the United States, former governor of the United States, got married in my local government premises and they came and they saw for themselves the good work of the Lord Almighty that God used us before the Coru Llew Cagwbeth. You couldn't people can sleep now under the watch of Rotsie Beach Bigamedia's Governor of Riverside. The entire community will be mawed in the forest. It was a ghost town. Today, the Coru Llew Cagwbeth is safe. Everybody, our mothers have gone back to farm. Our young youths are going back to school. We are doing wonderfully well. We're out of time. So this man, you haven't answered my question. You know that he's clearly not even invested. You couldn't people are willing and ready to vote on a secretariat and he came back, come 17th of April, 2000 and 17th. They want a secretariat. Well, your campaign, your campaign. 150,000 votes are standing up for the people of the Democratic Party in the Coru Llew Cagwbeth. And so also the other people in the Coru Llew Cagwbeth. We're out of time. We're out of time. Honourable Wanusikei, I'm sorry. We're out of time and you're campaigning. So you owe us a check because you have used our airtime to campaign for the PDP. But I want to say thank you to you, Mr Progress, for being part of the conversation. Honourable Wanusikei, thank you for being here. We are out of time. We are hoping that river states will have very peaceful local government elections. Thank you for being part of the conversation. Thank you very much. We need to go. Thank you guys. We'll take a short break and when we come back, I'll give you my take. Well, here's my take. The conversation about insecurity in Nigeria has been taken more or has to be taken more seriously because we seem not to understand how bad things are across the country. There are kidnappings, there are robberies called clashes, banditry and of course Boko Haram. Regions are creating security networks to protect the citizens because of how bad things are. We're under-policed that our security forces have been stretched thin. More disturbing is the fact that there are those whose job is to stop the fire and expand the embers of original hate and ethnic biases. Now, causing more problems and adding swords to the injury. We're facing an absolute tough time as a country, but as we call on the federal and state governors to rise to the occasion, we all have a role to play. Let's stop this hate game and the segregation. Let's build and not tear down because Nigeria belongs to us all. We cannot go anywhere else. So let's not destroy our home. I'm Mary Anna Cohn. Thank you for being part of the conversation. Good evening.