Category: New Woman

They came, saw and conquered. This aptly describes the journey of some new political amazons who floored their opponents at the just-concluded 2015 polls. Yetunde Oladeinde takes a look at these political amazons, their antecedents and what they would be bringing to the political scene.

WHILE some came out for the first time, others have been in the system, rekindled trust and emerged victorious.In the pack, you have Senator-elect Hon Binta Masi Garba from Adamawa State; Biodun Olujimi, former deputy and acting governor of Ekiti State; Fatimah Raji Rasaki, Senator-elect from Ekiti Central; Funmi Tejuosho, Lagos lawmaker; Stella Oduah and Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

Hon. Binta Masi Garba is another woman to reckon with on the Adamawa political landscape. The Senator-elect worked hard and achieved political fame over the years before this victory. Interestingly, the Adamawa-born politician has recorded a lot of first in various aspects; including being a politician to having represented two states in the National Assembly as well as emerging first female state chairman of a political party in Nigeria. Garba had represented Kaduna South Federal Constituency in the National Assembly for eight years and later represented Michika/Madagali Federal Constituency, Adamawa State.

Garba had worked with the New Nigeria newspapers in the marketing department as an advert officer before venturing into politics.

“What made me to join politics was that we were supposed to be promoted and one of my colleagues got a double promotion ahead of me and when I protested, it was at that point that I began to look for avenues to speak against injustice and gender inequality.”

 This struggle landed this amazon in the world of politics. “I actually started in 1998 but couldn’t make it, and in 1999, I went out again to test my popularity and alas, I made it. When we were campaigning, the people in Kaduna South were like saying this lady is so determined. She is contesting again; let’s give her a chance and see what she has to offer. They were unanimous in their decision as to give a woman a chance and see if she could make any difference from the men.”

For Senator Oluremi Tinubu, this victory is significant for the people of Lagos Central senatorial district and also for democracy. “Months ago, when we declared the official opening of our campaign for the continuous struggle for emancipation of our people and for the defence of our 16-year democracy, I deemed it fit to reach out to you as a servant leader whose service to the people has evidently changed the concept of leadership and governance in our society, and not as a candidate.”

She stated that the journey so far has unarguably recorded many hitches, ills and faring storms. “We walked through victoriously with your prayers, unflinching supports and unwavering strength which have ushered in a historical victory for you the people.

“Your resolve and elastic supports brought us thus far and I am confident will take us further. No doubt, it has been absorbed in history that we are movers and shakers of our choices.”

 Stella Oduah contested for the Anambra North Senatorial seat and won. The former Aviation Minister who hails from Akiliozizor in Ogbaru L.G.A of Anambra State led the Neighbour-to-Neighbour movement that sold President Jonathan’s presidential candidature to the electorate in 2011. Her efforts contributed in no small way to President Jonathan’s victory at the presidential poll in 2011.

Even those who contested and lost are ready to tell who cares to listen that the experience was worthwhile. Professor Remi Sonaiya who holds a doctorate in linguistics contested as a presidential candidate under the Kowa Party. Some others tried contesting to be governors, senators, as well as members of the federal and state houses of assembly. This list includes Gbemi Saraki, Uche Ekwenife, Joy Emordi, Adijat Oladapo, Folashade Grace Bent, Kate Henshaw, Kenny Saint Best and Bukky Wright.

In Abia State, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, representing Abia Central, contested for the state governorship ticket. Senator Nwaogu was at the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007 and now at her second tenure at the senate since 2007. Adetokunboh Tobun Agbesanwa was the only female governorship aspirant under the platform of the APC in Lagos State. The political scientist who has been in the civil service for a while believes that she had the potential needed to run for the office.

“I have always planned to hold such a big position since my days of youth. As a student of political science, there have been theories and so many things we discussed in class that have always made me think of myself as somebody who would like to make a change in the society, especially in Lagos State. Over the years, working in government and serving with the current governor, I have had a lot of experience from governance and it is only natural for me to want to take my service of the people to a higher level.”

 For Louisa Ono Ekhomu, the first woman seeking political office in her local government of Esan South East in Edo State, the experience was worthwhile, even though she did not finally make it. “I have been interested in politics since 1993. Then I was on my first job with the American Embassy. That was when the June 12 election was annulled and the former Electoral Chairman, Humprey Nwosu, living opposite the embassy at Aso Drive Abuja, came into our office then to see my boss on the annulment, I started to have interest. Thereafter, it was a traffic of political office holders visiting our office. The violence, death and destruction that followed the injustice against a free and fair election woke up my political desire.”

She added: “This was triggered years later in my work as a women human rights advocate. My work in my local community and my local government of Esan South East revealed the low perception of women on their ability to seek elective office.  Moved by this realisation that no woman has ever aspired in my community in the history of Nigeria, I braced up to end this challenge. I am therefore aspiring under the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Edo State House of Assembly under the Esan SouthEast constituency.

Asked about the challenges encountered, and she replied this way: “The challenges are many; from culture to mindsets and money politics. Convincing men that a woman can represent them is a big hurdle. An aspirant is automatically assumed to meet the needs of almost everyone. At every occasion, you must spend money and if people don’t get anything from you, you are slandered. Luckily, APC as a party is gender-sensitive. The interest and nomination fees were waived for women. This is an opportunity for any interested woman to join the race.”

Apart from the party, Ekhomu is also inspired by some female politicians who have made significant strides over the years. “The first is Franca Afegbua, the first female senator in Nigeria from Edo north. I am still amazed at her feat in achieving that high office in the midst of men. The second woman is Elizabeth Ativie, the first female legislator in Edo State House of Assembly. She is a great mentor and she grooms and support women in politics.”

Over the years, gradual gains have been made in women’s political participation and many believe that female political participation needs to go beyond numbers.

The proportion of seats held by women in the national parliament increased but kept fluctuating while female deputy governors have increased. Despite these improvements, women are still under-represented at most levels of government and have made little progress in attaining positions at decision-making levels.

Obiamaka Alumona is a woman of many parts. The Mass Communication graduate is, however, passionate about women, public relations, as well as entrepreneurship. The latter took the energetic Alumona into marketing and support services, where she helped to empower other women.  Interestingly, she also had a stint in the movie industry where she learnt a few things that opened other doors of opportunities for her. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talks about empowering other women, making a mark in business and more.

WHAT are the things you are passionate about?

First and foremost, I am business woman and I have tried my hands on different kinds of businesses which turned out to be interesting and successful. The exciting thing for me as an entrepreneur is that I carry other people along and a number of women have benefitted from some of the business ventures that I have been part of in different ways. In addition, I also like to assist women who have other challenges that are not necessarily economic and this way I have helped to bring smiles to faces as well as change the fortune of such women.

So, when I am not occupied with my business, you find me doing social work with organisations such as ECOWA (Echoes of Women in Africa initiative).

What are the things that you do as an entrepreneur?

Basically, anything I do I always have women at the back of my mind. That is why I collaborate with a company called Vemma. Their products are very good for women. Also on the job, we meet a lot of sick women who have been abandoned by their husbands. This includes sickness such as different kinds of cancer, blood pressure and hormonal issues.

This gave birth to another company where we take care of their medical needs. This does not stop here and I usually encourage those who have had their needs met to join the business so that they can make money and take care of themselves. The sole aim here is to have healthy and wealthy women in our nation. Interestingly, you also have other women who do not have health challenges coming in to empower themselves financially and socially.

Does it mean that these products are basically for women?

No, there are also some for men. It’s just that my passion is for women and it does not mean that men are not involved in the kind of business that I do. I am really interested in women because I believe in the economic empowerment of women.

What is the name of the business?

It is called Mangosteen Revolution.

What drives you?

My passion for women drives me. Though I’m not a feminist, I still believe in what women can do. They have the potential and they can manage those potential. Whenever I discover a project or a product that can empower women, I am very passionate about it. I want to be remembered for the role I played in women’s lives, mentoring women and impacting on their lives.

I am also passionate about helping the girl child to realise that she can really be what she wants to be. I also wish to be remembered for contributing to the wellbeing of the people in the society. To achieve this, I have a wellness club where I interact with people and talk to them on natural things that they can take to be healthy like fruits and vegetables. A lot of people are battling with cancer, diabetes and so on as a result of the kind of lifestyle they live. Remember, a healthy nation is a wealthy nation too. If you are healthy you can achieve a lot.

How do you empower these women?

As a counsellor, I talk to women who have suffered gender-based violence which has become very rampant in our society today. The organisation has a quarterly forum which is called the Encouragers Circle. It’s like an interactive session and the stories you hear are moving and most times, you are moved to tears. It does not end with stories alone because we help to proffer solutions to their problems.

One other interesting part of the process is that the women who have passed through violent relationships and survived come around to encourage those currently going through violence in their relationships or marriages.

We also handle a number of rape cases, which is something a lot of people do not like to talk about.

Apart from this, the organisation collaborates with other stakeholders who assist with support services. For instance, we also attend to women who are displaced. Presently, we have a woman from the north, who came back with her children; her husband has been killed by Boko Haram, and we had to look for a shelter for her right now.

What inspired you into charity work?

I would say that it is my passion for women that inspired me; this is my own contribution to the African women and I wish that I could actually do more. Women are going through a lot of things and you know our culture does not permit women to speak out. So, the drive for me is to help those women to get their life back and put things together positively.

 Generally, it is to give women a voice. We equally organise trainings for women, including those who have not gone through gender violence too. I do that under ECOWA and personally too. We normally tag it “Being a Woman That a Man Needs, Not A Woman That Needs A Man”. What we do here is to teach women how to be resourceful and discover their hidden potential. By understanding that you need a man, means that it is important to encourage relationships. However, it is not to make it look like your life depends on the man. We also educate these women to know that one of the things to make marriage work is to have something doing. One of the reasons that bring violence is when a man discovers that you are a nuisance and you add nothing to his life. It is therefore important for a woman to develop herself and empower herself economically from time to time. Empowerment must be continuous and productive. Marriage is not all about having children; you must be of help to the man financially too.

What are some of the challenges encountered?

Some of the women don’t know what they want. In as much as a woman needs a relationship, at the same time there is life after it, and you must have an option if the relationship is becoming abusive. Generally, my passion is to help women to know that they have a purpose in life. A lot of them want the good things of life but they don’t want to work for it. They want the man to provide everything.

Do you have any regrets?

Not really, I am in the school of thought that believes that whatever happens to you is a kind of mentoring. It gives you the opportunity to learn and to move to the next level in life. I see them as challenges that help one to forge ahead. The experience in life actually teaches you to be stronger in life. For that, I don’t have any regret. I actually teach women I come across to embrace any challenge because it makes them to learn and forge ahead in life.

What is your advice to women generally?

Know what you want, be focused and resourceful. As I have always said, be that woman that a man needs, and not a woman that needs a man.

Victoria Praise Abraham is a woman of many parts. She is an entrepreneur, writer, motivational writer and singer with an album and three books to her credit. The Founder/Executive Director of Vic-Abraham Media Nigeria Limited holds a degree in Physics Education and a certificate in Media Enterprise & Script Writing from the Pan Atlantic University in Lagos.In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde , she talks about her passion, the things that motivates her and life working with Prof Pat Utomi.

HOW did the idea of designing with frames start?

I am a wordsmith. I love playing around with words and this has become more than a hobby but now it is a profession. Initially, I used to write quotes and people used to commend me about how great the words were: for example “If you can think it, you can pray it. God listens to every word of prayer”. I wrote these quote and then I got a graphics person to create designs for the words, I then got my photographer to frame it up and so my company started producing these kinds of products which I called portraits.

Who are you targets?

My targets are the discerning, the educated and those persons that desire to be inspired by these frames which they use to decorate their living rooms, offices and give out as corporate gifts.

Tell us about the women that you admire

I admire women who are strong, godly, and purposeful and focused. Some of them include Mother Theresa, Margaret Thatcher, BeBe Winans, Joyce Meyer, and Pastor Nike Adeyemi.

What was it like starting your own business and what is unique about it?

Start-up, like we have everywhere in the world, is very challenging. There is also the challenge of finance. Having said these though, I try not to see a challenge as any form of difficulty. Rather, I see opportunity in them. I’m a very purposeful and focused person, so I try not to let anything weigh me down. Choosing to start small has been beneficial in this regard. But in terms of selling my books, the major challenge is finding a market because, generally, a lot of Nigerians do not read. I am, however, driven to continue despite these challenges. It was really tough. It took very great faith in God as well as commitment. You know, Nigeria is not an easy place to do business but God has been helping me. Every year has been better and I’m hoping for greater years. Ever since I set up my business in 2009, I have been utilising the gift of motivational words, which I make use of in making unique designs, frames and distributes for sale.

Who or what do you consider as the greatest influence in your life?

Jesus Christ is my greatest influence because he alone knows everything. He is the unseen manager of my life. A lot of the things I come up with are His ideas. Every creative person gets inspiration from somewhere but mine comes directly from God; the things that I pen down, create and so on, all come from Him.

Pastor E.A.Adeboye is one person that has also influenced me over the years. I have learnt, as a Christian under his ministry, that virtues such as integrity and humility are things I need to carry on in life. Of course, my local parish pastor, Pastor Fred Odekhian, has also played a pivotal role in my life. On the international scene, someone that has influenced me greatly is Nelson Mandela. Even though he was in prison, he chose to be free. Meanwhile, a lot of us are free but live as though we were incarcerated. Interestingly, religion doesn’t clash for me in business. Rather, it enhances my business because I’ve chosen to ensure everything I do is as God wants me to do it. So, even though I’m a Nigerian, I’m Jewish when it comes to business. And you know Jewish people are very prosperous in business. My progress over the years amazes me most especially because I have stuck to doing business God’s way. I do not compromise.

What are the things that you are passionate about?

You know, most entrepreneurs buy, sell or provide services but I operate beyond those three. Interestingly, I got the name ‘Creative entrepreneur’  when people saw the passion I exhibited on the job, it was actually a name an editor in Business Day coined because of the creativity I bring into my work. I’m gifted with words, so, I like to play around them. I decided that I was not just going to be writing them but also create portraits for them. So, I play around words that are inspirational and get experts to add graphics to them, as well as some sort of photographic finishing, and then I sell.

That is not where my creativity ends. I’m also a singer and writer. My maiden album, Jesus Did It, is a nine tracker that comes with six motivational poems (as I’m a motivational writer and speaker) and three songs.

Apart from the portraits, I also have posters, diaries, key holders and many other items that I embellish with inspirational words.

What were you doing before this?

Officially, I started my business in 2009. Prior to that time, I had worked in a Bible School in England for about two years before returning to Nigeria. I was later a College Administrator at Trinity International College in Lagos until 2003 when I joined Leadway Assurance as Assistant Training Manager. I left Leadway in 2008 and worked briefly for Vivante Media, a company owned by Prof Pat Utomi. I was deputy editor of the magazine called Viva. I was there until 2009 when I officially began my business. I have written and published three books. They include Treasures, Twelve Golden Law of Success and Hope on the Go. I still have two others unpublished and I strongly believe that those two will see the light of day this year.

What was it like working with Prof Tom Utomi, and what are some of the things you learnt from him?

Personally, I would say that he is someone I see as a mentor even before I started working with him. When he was running for presidency years back, I was also part of a youth organisation campaigning for his election. At that point, we had a small think-tank and I was one of its leading members.

Looking back now, I would say that working with Vivante Media was quite good, but, somehow, the magazine didn’t last in the market. I guess that was because Prof Utomi was not directly involved in the running of the magazine. You know, with magazine business, it pays when the owner is directly involved and gets people to buy into what he or she is trying to do.

What plans do you have in the next five or ten years?

I have this dream of Vic-Abraham Media owning a radio station or TV station of its own. But ultimately, I’m starting with my gift; the things that I can do without needing huge capital. I’m not going to the bank to borrow money so as to embark on anything too large. I first have to walk my way up and that’s what I’m doing at the moment.

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