Asandia Bassey Asuquo Hogan is a business woman and politician. The Amazon is contesting for the Mayor
of the Calabar Municipality under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). If she wins the election, she will become the first woman to be elected into this office. In this interview with Omolara Akintoye, Asandia takes us
into her world.
HOW do you feel being the first woman to vie for political position in Calabar Municipality?
It is a call for greater work because there is a huge amount of responsibility that comes with it. I am not ignorant of the fact that so many people (young and old), especially women, are looking up to me. Being the first women to tread that path, I did not go into politics because I am a woman but rather to encourage other women as well as make a difference. I am young and also a woman, those are the qualities I have that can make a big difference and make things to happen. There are some young people who are waiting for this position to be handed to them, but I don’t need to wait for any godfather.
Are you up to the task, bearing in mind the harsh political terrain?
Nothing good comes easy, especially with the things I want to do, but with God on my side I will effect positive changes.
How do you intend making the difference?
I have four major points, namely: Industrialisation and Employability, Security, Community Care and Healthcare.
For Industrialisation, I intend to set up a cottage industry which will encourage the production of palm oil and its by-products. This, no doubt, will employ 50 people at once in the local government area. Arrangements are on to undergo Public Private Partnership (PPP), which will have a spill over effect as it will take many people off the street and it will indirectly generate money for the area. There is a big market for natural products anywhere in the world and we going to tap into it.
For those that want to go into business, it is not only for you to have business idea, you must also be able to package yourself and your business in a way that it will attract your customers. When these people are employed in the vocational centres, and they are empowered, they are also able to employ others and thus it goes on.
There are some basic things at the local level that when you take them up and you do it, it will make such a big difference. Example of such is maintaining the graveyard. It may sound absurd but failure to maintain such place poses security threat, health hazard, and sanitation threat, among others. It is important that we cover the basics first. Still under community care, we need to be our brother’s keeper. Calabar Municipality is being engulfed with insecurity. So I must be able to address the current and the trending issue. Politics/governance in Nigeria is a social contract; we are going to set up neighbourhood watch which will involve people that live in the community. When you notice something strange going on in your neighbourhood, inform the neighbourhood watch about it. Provision of potable water: Hardly will you see potable water in Calabar Municipal. I’m already talking to foreign donors and plans are on to build at least 10 boreholes in each ward in Calabar Municipality.
Calabar Municipality has up to 45 health care centres, but only very few are functioning. I visited about four of the health centres, you can only use two out of the 12 beds that are in the wards. Most of the health care centres are in a deplorable state. Plans are on to address that. This is a problem of quality representation. Once all these problems are looked into, it will be sort of model for other local government areas.
If your local government chairman is not effecting positive changes, you have the right to query him.
How do fund your political ambition?
I have a wonderful and a reliable husband who is giving me all the necessary support financially. Funding also comes from my business, my friends both home and abroad have also been very supportive.
Don’t you think ‘god fatherism’ will be a threat to your political ambition or do you have any?
I don’t have any godfather, rather, I have God the Father and He has been good to me. Also, my parent’s name is also giving me a bandwagon to ride on, coupled with my integrity. I don’t believe in mediocrity; I believe you should work for what you earn. My vying for this position is to effect positive changes and I’m grateful to my husband for giving me all the necessary support.
You seem to have ventured into so many projects at a time, why?
You may say it was as a result of necessity, which is the mother of invention. But then I had flair for it all because when you are doing something and you find fulfilment in it then I can say that I have passion for it all. I knew I would do well in all. Also being a Nigerian gave me a push to venture into them and in Nigeria you can either float or sink. After I lost my mother, I started university in 2001, three months after which she passed on. Then I started doing fashion promotions. I later dropped out as a result of my mother’s death because I needed time to grieve. The course is Public Relations in the fashion industry. I later went back to it and I followed through and graduated after which I came back to Nigeria. I went into catering because way back then in Calabar, you would want to eat certain delicacy. Take ”Ekpang nkukwo” for instance, many at times you may love to eat it but you don’t get it to buy. Their excuse is that you can only buy it once in a week. So I started an Efik only restaurant where we cook only Efik foods. You would think Calabar being a land of food would have all the local foods at your beck and call.
Ekpang ukukwo for designing, I went into catering then I ventured into politics.
My philosophy in life is do the very best you can and excel in whatever you do.
Why did you join politics?
I went into politics because I wanted to see things differently. My age mates were known to sit on the social media and blow grammar but I want to see things happen in a different way.
Tell us about your growing up.
I had a wonderful childhood, thanks to my wonderful, loving and disciplined parents. My parents were grounded. I didn’t lack much and I thank God for their lives. I went to the best schools; my parents gave me the outlook that
I can be the very best in life.
Do you believe in mentoring?
Yes.
Who are your role models?
My mother, of blessed memory, was my mentor. Then Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, a one-time member of the House of Representatives, very kind; she has given herself to me. Though my mother is no more, I drew a lot of inspiration from her before she died. I started working for my mother in her restaurant when I was 15 years. I was born into seeing her running a restaurant, a salon and a cosmetic outfit in the 70s. In Cross Rivers politics, my mother’s name is an household name. My father (an Engineer) was a disciplinarian and I got my fire from him.
Tell us some of your achievements
I’ve showcased African London Fashion Week since 2011; another fashion show, African Rocks, also in London. Quintessential Fashion Week; I’ve done
some in Italy, Canada. In terms of politics, I ran for councillorship in 2010.I was disqualified on the morning of the election because I was 28 years, and the law says you must be thirty years to vie for councillorship and chairmanship positions. I was the campaign secretary for Calabar Municipality in 2011. I own a group that is called 300, which is aimed at encouraging youth to join politics. I campaigned and canvassed for PDP in two polling booths in Calabar Municipality, I oversaw everything and ensured that people voted and that their votes counted.
As a wife and mother, are you prepared for the challenges ahead if elected, especially from your family?
I think it goes without saying that I have a very supportive husband who doesn’t see me as just a wife and a mother, but as an individual who had/has dreams and aspirations and being a mother and wife doesn’t and shouldn’t stop one from pursuing those dreams. As a couple, we work around each other and plan our lives to fit in with our family as much as possible. As a mother, I naturally feel guilty when I’m away from my son, but I also know I’m teaching my son a valuable lesson about how to treat women. He needs to know that his Mrs as much as she’s his wife and the mother of his children, she’s a human in her own right too. I’m running this election because I want to fulfil my dreams and in doing that I will be the best me that I can possibly be.
If there was one thing you could change about Nigeria’s political scenery, what would it be?
I would want a few things but my priority would be quality representation devoid of ethnic, religious or any other bias. Because with that, a lot would fall into place and the other things I want would naturally follow.
And that is, have more women, especially young women, involved in governance. It’s as if femininity and governance are at loggerheads. I wish we focused