 On the road to November 11 governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Biasa states, the independent national electoral commission INEG has alerted the public to the acts of insecurity that could affect the smooth conduct of the exercise. Elections in the three states will further test the integrity of the electoral act 2022, which frowns on brigand age, ballot snatching and other vices. Also law enforcers have been admonished not to work for ruling parties but to work with the aim of rescuing democracy. Joining me to discuss this is Marlin Oyecha Okole, member Imo state governatory campaign council and member election management and monitoring Biasa state governatory campaign council. Hello Marlin, good to have you virtually on asset. Welcome back. We had an unfortunate challenge with the guest on her device earlier on. I guess she is back now. Hello Marlin. I can hear you perfectly. Yeah, we need to see. Okay, good. So how come you are in two states election campaign councils? Yes, that's because in Imo state I'm in media and publicity but in Biasa I'm in a different committee. I'm just wondering, I'm just wondering you live in England. That is, if elections were not to be carried the same day then I can cover up but now if it's on the same day I'm focusing on Imo. Okay, what has been your experience since you came back to the country regarding activities of politicians and the over reported incidents of violence especially in Imo? Don't forget I'm from the neighboring streets. I'm from Imo state and I contested for House of Reps. I ran for House of Reps just this past 2020-2020. It was not easy, it was difficult. I must say because like you said the security, should I say the insecurity back in the east in Imo is really really bad affecting us especially APC. I ran under the platform of APC so it hasn't been easy. But if you ask me how it is now with the purpose of trying to come, they call it 4 plus 4 come second time around. He has done a lot of work making sure that especially Imo state is safe enough for people to campaign around a common time vote. Considering the fact that he was immediately came and remember his house was gone down and made sure the security in Imo, he's still working on it but the security in Imo land is getting better than it was. One is just wondering what an average Imo light would feel like trying to get out on the day of the elections to go out and vote. Given the threats by some criminal entities, given the fact that in recent times the state had suffered some unfortunate incidents by some criminal elements. One is just wondering how well the average Imo light electoral would be confident to go out and perform his or her civic duty on the 11th of November. I initially stated the security aspect of it is getting better. For instance there's been an inauguration and flag of towards this election. During the inauguration when we got there it wasn't complete safe heaven but it was almost like a safe heaven because a lot of people came out. And the flag of this past two Saturdays ago he had a flag of it shows that Imo youths are no longer scared to come out. Because the flag of in that stadium I was there I was not expecting the amount of the multitude of Imo's that came out and of youths that came out. And yes like I said there are pockets of violence here and there but it's not like it was if it has been curtailed. And the security set ups that was put in place now in Imo state are there anybody that wants to come and disrupt the election? You will agree with me that because you move around with the governor and the governor's re-election campaign council or team you naturally will see enough security to forestall any unfortunate incident from some criminal elements. I am just sitting there now wondering if I were to be say an opposition candidate in Imo. Would I have the courage of character without the same level of security that you see with the governor to want to go out there and campaign? It's not I did first off I did not move around with the governor's entourage. No or the security of the governor no. He had a bit of protections security guardian but it wasn't like I needed heavy security to go around. Yes like I said when we were doing the campaign when we were doing run for election it was difficult it was more difficult then to move around than now between the May 25th of last year. And now a lot has changed in Imo state I must tell you. And the amount of years there is a lot of pockets of violence here and there. But people are not blind. There are places things were put in place to subdue the violence. There are three major places that don't get me wrong. There are three major places like our new zone is one of the places that this insurgency is a lot. But then those places did really. And the governor is from Imo. And the governor is from Imo I guess. Yes he is from Imo yes. Are these people not quite wanting to be re-elected or what would the violence be pronounced when they are small? The way things are going now I must tell you frankly the way things are going. I don't know who doesn't want him to come back. He has done so much now not just the security we are talking about. The infrastructure of Imo state has changed a lot. And I give credit to who was the man. Let me put this at this juncture. We really want to be fair and balanced. If you are watching this program and you belong to any other major parties. We would be too glad to give you the same opportunity that we are calling the lady who openly professes to be a governor who is the man's supporter. You know I need to do that. Given where the 12 years got a journalistic training. I need to let the public know that we want to be very fair and balanced here. But I think it is quite I must say very atman. Very pleasing to know that the security situation in Imo is getting better. It used to be when elections were about taking place in Barassa. Barassa used to have the infamy of violence. But suddenly now between Imo and Kogi Barassa seems to be dwarfed on reports of violence on this occasion. Isn't that strange to you on the side? Strange in putting up, securing yourself when you are about to run elections. There is nothing wrong in that. And especially when you think that there are problems. If you feel that there are negative things for you, you have to protect yourself first before anything. Which hope is that the man. Hope, yes. Because of the hatred and all that that they had. Without knowing exactly who this man is. They started negative within Imo state. And I must say right from the time getting to these three years plus that he has been there. Hope has been the most challenged and I tell you the most challenged governor. In that right from the day when he entered there there has been no peace in Imo state. I was one of the people that was clamoring on that camp hope. Since he's gotten there already given chance let's see if there will be difference. And I tell you now there's a lot of difference. Not because I'm supporting hope is that the man. And not because I'm APC. If you check the antecedent of the people that were there. And you talked about all the parties, the three major parties, people running now with him. Is it somebody from PTP or is it a senator at time that's who competes with hope is that the man. Check the history. You know. Yes you might say given his turn of these days that there's insurgency in Imo state. He was created by the opposites. Your position. He was created. If they had given this man chance to come in and not completely saying he came in the back door. He came this again. Give him chance to work. And the few time I gave you two years. I thought these three and a half he has been there. But he has been there in Imo state. There's a lot of changes you need to come to. He will stay to see. This is security like we noticed was bad. If I'm telling you now, if you ask me to put a percentage, I'll tell you 70% is less than it was before. When I was going back for my election, I take it back again. On Mondays it's at home. You could not travel in Imo state. But now you can drive straight on a Monday. In Imo state nothing will happen. Okay ma'am. Wish you all the best. Keep safe. They want you back in Imo city safe and well in England. So be safe. My best wishes. Thank you so much for that. You're welcome. It's good. Thank you. Bye bye. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. and integrity. J.K. Koka became very popular because of his own personality and his ability to help others find economic fulfillment. A lot of the young people at Breffry Church loved him and readily followed his decisions at any time. At about this time, the European missionaries quickly detected the brilliance of evidence and feared that they would be asked if care was not taken. A series of repressive measures were therefore taken to discourage African church workers especially those that they felt could go far in in priesthood. Student rules and regulations were introduced into the church regarding polygamy, baptism, confirmation and marriage which kept many traditionalists from coming forward for baptism. Islam spread more quickly in areas such as Abel Kuta, Ijebu, Lagos and Ibadan where Europeans dominated the priesthood for many years as opposed to areas like Inesha, Ondo, Ekiti Niger Delta regions where Africans largely pioneered and created the missionary works. These problems led to various schemes within the Anglican Church similar to the ones in the Presbyterian Mission in Calabar in 1882 and the Lagos Baptist Church in 1884. Such schemes were barely avoided in the Methodist Church Lagos in 1884. Many Africans became well educated and had university degrees while most of the world machineries had no such thing. To cover this inadequacy many of them were orally given honorary degrees so as not to be superseded by the well educated Africans. In fact, it is known that the consecration of bishop Samuel A. J. Crowder Coast heated exchanges of letters between Henry Van and European missionaries in Africa, especially under the leadership of Henry Townsend. In such partitions were sentences like this I quote Native teachers of whatever grade have been received and respected by the chief and people only as being the agents or servants of white men not because they are worthy our esteemed brother Mr. Crowder was often treated as the white man's inferior or more frequently called so not withstanding our frequent assassinations to the contrary. This state of thing is not the result of white man's teaching but has existed for ages past. The superiority of the white over the black man, the negro has been forward seek to acknowledge the correctness of this belief no white man can deny. Koka wu has been mentored by J. P. L. Davis Davis in technique of planting the exotic cocoa on his farm at Ifaqo in Aege district to compliment the cutting and Kola not only it was between 1901 and 1906 when he championed the formation of the very first wealth creation democratizing cooperative society in Nigeria Aege Plantas Union This made Aege to become an important agricultural center of excellence because a robust agricultural training institute which ultimately governized the spread of cocoa plantation to the interland of Yoruba land the midwest and parts of southeast too. The relationships leveraged from the independent churches after champion the founding of the African church as a sprinter movement from the then discriminatory Anglican church. Many clergy men and laymen in the newly formed African church moved to Aege to farm to supplement their earnings and to escape from the noisy city of Lagos. Among those who joined Koka on the Aege farm wherever in D.C. J. A. Wright W. B. Yuba J. S. Falimoku S. Koka J. A. Lakeru D. A. Hughes Among the laymen were F. E. Williams A. A. Abadina J. O. Brekli T. B. Dawoodu C. Collins Cole S. E. Jibo D. Karun W. M. O. Shomefou and I. S. M. Williams I. S. M. Williams was later sent to Tuskegee Institute in the USA to learn about scientific agriculture in order to teach the other farmers how to improve the methods of the industrial institute founded by Elder Koka and other leaders of the African Church called Marighe Plantasinio. A farm-stead methodology that the administration of Chifobafemi Awolawa adopted when he became the leader of government business in 1952 in western region and the same Koko became the agricultural gold that made the administration to become the preceptor in qualitative governance in Nigeria. The farm quickly became a center for evangelism as well as a center for the distribution of various seeds to the farmers in the interland. Naturally with such an extensive agricultural life there was a need to recruit skilled labor to work in the farm. Many people came to work on the plantation from different parts of Nigeria, Nigeria's interland. Life at Fako was advantageous to the workers in several ways. They were paid their wages which was the main purpose of their coming. They were taught how to best to plant new crops which was to their advantage. Most of them were converted from their traditional beliefs to the Christian faith and when they returned from on they were allowed to take some of the crops to be planted in their villages. So they newly converted Christians to the efforts of efforts of Koka to the different homes in the interland. I hope that after listening to things like this those of us who engage in any form of religion these days they are not using religion for divisiveness but are using religion for the empowerment of their followers. That's it for today. I'm Bola Ababa.