Mrs Mabel Oboh is the African Democratic Congress candidate for September 19 gubernatorial election in Edo State,a veteran Journalist,an actress of repute,who has traversed sectors in different climes. In this interview with Francis Ogbuagu in Benin City,she bares her mind on why she ventured into a vocation believed to be dirty and seemingly for the male gender,how she plans to transform Edo State. Excerpts.
What motivated you into joining the seemingly men dominated race for the Edo2020 gubernatorial election?
I always tell people, when they say the race is men dominated, that they are bringing gender into it.The reason why it looks like a male dominated race is because enough women are not coming out to fight for what belong to them.In the house-hold, a woman is involved in governance of the home,and it is often said that women are the pillars in the home.But in governance, women have taken the back seat
I can say that I was guilty of the same offence until recently, when I joined the African Democratic Congress,I discovered that they don’t discriminate against women or the physical challenged persons,because of their ideology.I am a well traveled person.I have seen the world. I have worked for some organizations outside Nigeria,and I realized that ADC actually has an ideology that suits Nigeria and should be implemented here.
I have not been involved in Politics before now,nor had I interest in party politics,until I joined this party. At the end of the day I was approached,and I said okay,I’m an intelligent woman, educated.
But some people told me , “it’s a man’s world,” “it is a gender thing”, just as you are saying the same thing to me. But I told them that gender should not be part of it. Bringing gender makes it discriminatory. What matters is the candidate’s manifesto, what does the person has to offer Edo people?
Because,I am a woman,are they saying, I’m not capable of running the state? It is what you have upstairs that matters, what do you have to offer the people.One man does not run a state, what you do is, to collect experts ,and if you can manage your home, your business, then you can manage a state. That is why you have Commissioners and Special Advisers.I am also using this opportunity to appeal to women to come out and support us. I am not saying that what a man can do a woman can do better,I am not a feminist. What I am saying is that everybody has a role to play,both men and women.
This present situation needs a woman to solve it, the men are busy fighting themselves, their ego is at play, they are not listening to anybody,they are busy throwing stone at each other,it is all about themselves,A time like this, is a time for women to come out. That is why I decided to come out.
We are saying leave these men alone,but they are still our brothers,our fathers, our husbands.We can’t throw them away,but a woman has to come out and solve the problem in Edo State. Edo people had been pushed to the corner ,Edo is hungry, hunger has taken over Edo State.Edo People are confused, they don’t know who to trust.In a nutshell, Edo is in crises. Edo used to be the heart beat of the nation, today that heart is bleeding.And that heart must be healed,and it can take a woman that is compassionate,a mother,a sister to do that; If any situation comes up in the home,it is only a woman that can bring her husband,her children and her grand children together and say,let talk about love here,a woman can go hungry for her husband. Nobody is in position to deliver Edo,if not a woman.
I am calling on Edo women to bring out their wrappers to save Edo State .The men that are fighting are our brothers, husbands, fathers and children. I ‘m not saying it to insult anybody or throw stone at anybody. I am here for a policy that will change Edo State. Maybe tomorrow,it may not be me ,it may be another woman.Even, if I am not voted in as next governor of Edo State.I will not throw my manifesto to the trash bin. Some people are beginning to pick from it. For example,the community policing. Some states are beginning to adopt it.I am very happy that my manifesto for Edo State will continue.
Madam, how do you intend to contend with the kind of Politicis in Nigeria,the dirty Politicis,so to say?
The mandate is the hand of Edo people,and whosever wants to play it dirty.It is the people that allowed them to be dirty.For example,you take my money,hide it and later begins to bring it out little by little,and people started clapping for you.Who is wrong,the person that stole or the person who allowed him to keep the money? It is time we wake-up to our responsibilities,the people are tired, we are tired,our votes are our power. Why will somebody sell his vote for #1,000.00(One Thousand Naira) on the day of election,and go home to be hungry for the next four years ? We complain about how the youths arelazy,but we have not given them anything to do.We owe our youths apology,we criticize them for not doing this or that, what have we given to them? Absolutely nothing.They have no direction.They don’t feel loved, they are hungry,and we complain that they are into bad business.
Ma, you said you have agenda for the youths and women, what is the agenda?
We want to reintegrate the women into governance.If they can run their homes and their businesses, they can do anything.Our women need empowerment, they need encouragement. My government will be geared towards creating jobs for the women and the youths through massive industrialization.Time has come for Edo to move from consumption to production.We must produce what we consume or we perish economically.
You know agriculture is the main stay of our people,We shall empower our youths and women to embrace agriculture, through our Agricultural Empowerment Schemes.There are a lot of opportunities in the agricultural sector of the economy. Production, processing. We’re going to tap grants from the UN,World Bank and the Central Bank of Nigeria.We’ll explore every opportunities of the agric value chain.
Another area is infrastructure, We’ll build urban and rural roads to aid evacuation of farm produce.We’ll establish pipe born water to eliminate water borne diseases. Edo people need shelter,and that is our priority.Social amenities is also important and we’re going to provide these amenities.What about the creativity industry? Edo is known for culture.We shall transform it to generate revenue for Edo State.
Also,through greenhouse,we can provide jobs for Edo people. Nigeria can produce non seasonal foods like mango etc. The Western world are no longer talking about seasonal foods.Here we have the sun, they use heater, but we are not taking advantage of what we have.
People are talking about security, if we take away hunger, security will automatically improve.Aside that,community policing is part of my plan,not just vigilante,but well trained community Police. If we do the right thing, investors will come to Nigeria.
What do you intend to do on health,if elected?
Aside making our hospitals work,we can create job through health tourism.We can bring in investors,give them land, they build their hospitals,train our youths and give them jobs. By doing this our people will no longer run to overseas for treatment. What about researching on our herbal medicine? We have not explored this area and as a government, we shall explore it.
Another important thing is health insurance,I run an NGO, that takes care of upcoming artists.Somebody advised me to incorporate health insurance.I was able to get some SMOs, they did a package with just #18,000(Eighteen Thousand Naira) a year with every aspects of health covered.You can choose your own hospital, any hospital in Nigeria. We will replicate that in Edo State.That is community health insurance,and it can get as low as #500.00(Five Hundred Naira) if you bring say a local government together as a community, because of their population, the cost will drop.
What are your challenges so far?
The Challenges I have so far is funds,not funds to buy votes.We don’t have any intention to buy votes. We need fund to facilitate things, like logistics.We are trying hard,we will not quit.
Seeing what is happening in other political parties, what is your message to Edo people in terms of a violence free election?
What is happening in the bigger parties is a disgrace, should I call it two fighting.They have forgotten the people.They have forgotten the oath they took.Their ego is at play. I am appealing that they should calm down. I also appeal to Edo people, that your vote is your power.If you don’t like what is going on, please vote out those parties.Also to the security agencies, they have been calling us to endless meetings,so they are not keeping quiet.They should continue,and if they see anybody who wants to rig election or who wants to put the lives of Edo People in danger.they should arrest him
Madam, your party was among the 31 Political parties that adopted the incumbent Governor, what happened?
That is a lie,I can say it anywhere, nobody approached me. Nobody came to me.I cannot sell out to anybody. Any day,I sell out,I give Edo people the right to stone me,my party is a party of ideology and that is why they choosed a woman. I am not selling out. My conscience will not allow me.
