Doris Uboh-Ogunkoya, an engineer by profession, is also a politician of no mean repute. She was in the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2011, representing Ika Federal Constituency of Delta State. In this interview with RAZAQ BAMIDELE in Lagos, the political amazon gives reasons she deserves another chance to represent her constituency in the National Assembly.
Excerpts:
Between 2007 and now, a lot of water has passed under the bridge politically. What lessons has the period taught you?
I have learnt a lot of lessons. It is possible you win your elections on the field but you might not actually get your seat. My experience has been a terrible one. Like I said, it is one that did teach me a lot of lessons, which means you must follow your votes not just at your ward level but all the way to the collation centre because if you fail to do so, a lot of things are bound to happen. Eventually in my own case, results were manipulated and that caused me my deserved victory.
Between 2007 and now, a lot of water has passed under the bridge politically. What lessons has the period taught you?
I have learnt a lot of lessons. It is possible you win your elections on the field but you might not actually get your seat. My experience has been a terrible one. Like I said, it is one that did teach me a lot of lessons, which means you must follow your votes not just at your ward level but all the way to the collation centre because if you fail to do so, a lot of things are bound to happen. Eventually in my own case, results were manipulated and that caused me my deserved victory.
Why do you want to go back to the House of Representatives and not something higher?
I will start by answering your question: why not? I say why not because everybody says we must build Nigeria but I am yet to find such people called ‘we’. I think I am not part of the ‘we’. All I am trying to do is contribute my own quota to nation building. I do not think because I was pushed off the horse once, I should stop learning how to ride a horse. If I do that, then I will not know how to ride a horse.
I will start by answering your question: why not? I say why not because everybody says we must build Nigeria but I am yet to find such people called ‘we’. I think I am not part of the ‘we’. All I am trying to do is contribute my own quota to nation building. I do not think because I was pushed off the horse once, I should stop learning how to ride a horse. If I do that, then I will not know how to ride a horse.
I believe anything worth doing is worth doing well. I believe that the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. There might be pitfalls. But if you say because of that pitfall you go back, then you will never see light at the end of the tunnel. There are so many things to be done in Nigeria. Our education sector is lagging, as a matter of fact, any sector you want to put your finger on, is lagging. And it is only people like you and I that can turn it around. If some of us do not blaze the trail, ignoring all the pitfalls along the way, and to actually take up the mantle, then that power transformation from the older generation cannot happen. So, I want to be part of the solution and not one of the complainants that Nigeria is not good.
While in the House of Representatives, you co-sponsored the Minimum Wage Bill…
Point of correction. I did not co-sponsor the bill but I sponsored the bill all by myself. Not because other members did not want to but because a lot of people want to stay away from controversial bills. If you look at the controversial bills, they are usually the ones that belonged to the underdogs. To me, the common man is the reason we are in the House of Representatives. We are there to represent them. The minimum wage bill was something I started and it went all the way to third reading in the House. Coincidentally, an executive bill came to meet my bill and the bills were merged together to become one.
Point of correction. I did not co-sponsor the bill but I sponsored the bill all by myself. Not because other members did not want to but because a lot of people want to stay away from controversial bills. If you look at the controversial bills, they are usually the ones that belonged to the underdogs. To me, the common man is the reason we are in the House of Representatives. We are there to represent them. The minimum wage bill was something I started and it went all the way to third reading in the House. Coincidentally, an executive bill came to meet my bill and the bills were merged together to become one.
Eventually, it was accented to and became law. I think that is the singular thing I can say I am really proud of and I will like to be given another chance in the House to even do more because we have a lot of issues in Nigeria that need to be attended to. I think it was a rather positive thing for me that I was able to stand up for what I believed in and also say this is how I feel even if it takes me being dragged on the floor of the House to have my voice heard on the floor of the House. That was what happened.
Would you say you are satisfied with the outcome of the bill?
No, I would not say I am. I think it needs to be amended. If you compare our minimum wage bill the way it stands today, to most West African countries, it is still not enough for Nigeria. They should have included how often they want the increment to be. Things like that should be included in the bill. That way, the Nigeria Labour Congress will not be coming to argue about increment because it has been embedded in the bill. But it was not done, it ended up being a one liner and I think that needs to be looked at again to serve the purpose it was expected to serve.
No, I would not say I am. I think it needs to be amended. If you compare our minimum wage bill the way it stands today, to most West African countries, it is still not enough for Nigeria. They should have included how often they want the increment to be. Things like that should be included in the bill. That way, the Nigeria Labour Congress will not be coming to argue about increment because it has been embedded in the bill. But it was not done, it ended up being a one liner and I think that needs to be looked at again to serve the purpose it was expected to serve.
You served in the House of Representatives during the Dimeji Bankole era, can you tell us how the experience was like?
I think my experience is out there for everybody to know. It was good, bad and ugly but I took it all in my strides. I did not expect it to be all rosy. Dimeji Bankole led us to the best of his capacity, though to me, his best was not good enough. But he did what he could and it was an experience. Rightly or wrongly, it was an experience, I have taken it and I am learning from it.
I think my experience is out there for everybody to know. It was good, bad and ugly but I took it all in my strides. I did not expect it to be all rosy. Dimeji Bankole led us to the best of his capacity, though to me, his best was not good enough. But he did what he could and it was an experience. Rightly or wrongly, it was an experience, I have taken it and I am learning from it.
0 comments:
Spread Love, Laughter, Ideas not Hate...