Mrs. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, the Deputy-Governor-elect of Ogun State, is today full of thanks to God and some persons for helping her take what was then a tough decision that has now turned out a life transforming step of faith. Recalling that before her emergence as the running mate to Governor-elect Dapo Abiodun, she was new to partisan politics, the Ota-born engineer said some events leading to the last guber election in the state were her own baptism of fire in politics. In this interview with ‘Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor, the people of the state that their decision to elect the APC candidates into the Government House will bring lots of dividends of democracy their way after inauguration on May 29.
LOOKING back at the whole scenario before and during the campaigns, how do you feel these days?
We are indebted to God and the people of Ogun State. We appreciate all those who made this possible, especially the very steadfast and determined members of the APC across the state. It was their resilience in spite of all odds that made this possible. They are the real achievers in the struggle. Every time I have to talk about this, I always say it is the party APC our people preferred and they showed it. In spite of all, they stood firm and voted for Dapo Abiodun as the man they want to govern them.
And that is why we are here rejoicing today. The people are the real winners. Not my boss, Dapo Abiodun, not me. These are the reasons why I am particularly thankful. To tell you the truth, I was amazed by the determination with which our people stood by the truth and the party. Ogun people proved to the world that our democracy is growing fast.
There are talks that APC members who supported and worked for another party back then will not be allowed back in the party. What is your take on that?
As it is now, the party is stronger and better. The APC in Ogun State is one united family and the people have spoken that the APC is their preferred political party. We should be rejoicing, not fighting anybody. We are ready to be governor and deputy governor for all. Not just APC members, not just for those who worked for us and or voted for us. But for every citizen and residents of Ogun State. There is nothing to fight about. The elections have come and gone and there is so much work to be done together.
In my opinion, this is actually the time to consolidate the strength of the party by embarking on advocacies that will enlighten our members about party politics. We need to inform them about what democracy and party politics are. They need to know so that nobody will be able to deceive or mislead them again. This is the time to grow the party and ensure that our members are more enlightened about their rights and privileges as party members. Once we do that, nobody, no matter how highly placed, will be able to deceive them or lure them to work against their party in future. That way, we would have protected the supremacy of the party.
Considering the enormous work ahead of your administration and the current economic situation in the country, aren’t you worried that delivering on your electoral promises may not be easy?
We are not here to milk the state but to work hard and turn the fortunes of Ogun State around for better. So we believe God that achieving success will not be difficult for us. We didn’t just promise the people, we meant to achieve all we offered to do. Moving round the state during the campaigns, we have seen the many needs of our people in the nooks and crannies of the state. And I can assure you that gradually, we will touch every part of the state. We promised to manage the resources of the state well. That is exactly what we will do.
We said all the people of Ogun State, be it the Egba, the Remo, the Ijebu, the Yewa, Awori, the Egun, name it; and also the non-indigenes resident in Ogun State, will all be top priority to our administration. Everybody will benefit from our administration because everybody had a hand in our emergence.
We are not campaigning for elections again, it is time to touch the lives of the people who elected us and we are ready for the task ahead. The people should continue to believe in Dapo Abiodun and I can assure you once again that he means well for Ogun State.
The people expect a lot from your incoming administration. Can you mention some specific areas your government will surely intervene upon taking office?
We know there is a lot of work to do. We will try to touch as many areas as possible quickly when we take office. Remember, we have our manifesto which we presented to the people while asking for their votes. We will keep our promises to the people. In education, not only the schools will receive attention, the teachers too will be attended to. The entire sector will be examined and improved upon by the grace of God. We will bring quality to our education sector. All other sectors of government will be given attention as soon as possible.
During the campaigns, we visited many new developing areas across the state where people are making effort to develop these places on their own by building houses and the community development associations are driving developmental efforts. We will support the efforts of the CDAs and the residents in such areas.
We will work with them to bring light, roads, and other infrastructures to these areas across the state. Every government should appreciate the efforts of these people developing their areas all by themselves. We promised to support and help them. We will do that.
We spoke a lot about job creation during the campaigns. We will create jobs. This is one way to curb cultism and thuggery across the state. When our young people are gainfully engaged, they will be too busy to have time for any form of violence. When they return from work, it is to rest, eat and sleep. We will support traders and artisans as we promised to do. We will provide help for women and youths. I am optimistic because I have confidence in the man we all have elected to lead us. Dapo Abiodun has great plans for us all and he has the ability to achieve all these plans. Remember he is a successful private sector player.
Some of your supporters are urging you not to forget them once you get into office…
I always tell people that I didn’t just get to where I am suddenly. I have struggled in life too. I recall that I used to board Molue buses in Lagos in those days moving from one place to another. In my career too, I struggled before getting to the position I am today. So, I know what our people are going through and I will always have them in mind. My admonition is just that our people must always remember that Rome was not built in a day. As our administration makes gradual efforts to meet their yearnings, the people should be supporting us with prayers and encouragement. We are going into government to work for the people.
Tongues are still waging about how you unexpectedly emerged as the deputy governorship candidate of the APC in Ogun State. Can you recollect the events that led to your choice as the running mate?
My candidacy remains the act of God and the benevolence of my principal, Dapo Abiodun and other party leaders. Also, I benefited from the party’s zoning arrangement. Following his victory at the primary election, my principal, Dapo Abiodun had to get himself a good partner on the ticket. The expectations were high, as such, party leaders met severally to deliberate on who the deputy governorship candidate should be. A lot of factors were being considered at the time.
But as God would have it, the position was zoned to my Local Government Area, Ado-Odo-Ota. All the leads and the governorship candidate then agreed on this zoning. Also, as part of that agreement, it was said that a Muslim was needed because the governorship candidate is a Christian. They saw a need to balance all factors. In our part of the world, we pay attention to religious balance whenever we are talking about politics and governance.
Luckily too, I got to know of the search for a Muslim running mate from my part of the state. So, I went for it. I put in my curriculum vitae and told those who should know. Quite a number of us were interested and eventually we were shortlisted to six eligible aspirants. We were invited for a screening session. We had interviews and then there was voting. After everything, I was announced the deputy gubernatorial candidate of our party.
As much as I will say I emerged the running mate in a very unusual manner, it wasn’t forced on me. I was interested because I have always wanted to be in a position where I could contribute my ideas to running the government so that I will bring to the table the things I have been turning over and over in my head over the years. What is unusual is that among such number of very qualified aspirants, I got nominated despite not been a dye in the wool politician at the time. I have always been interested in how our common patrimony is being used for the people.
And how did you receive the new of your nominations as deputy?
I felt a lot of relieve. All along, while we await the final choice of the party, I knew that I am well qualified for the post. I also held on to my passion about people. I saw the process as the opportunity I have always wanted and I went for it. God was on my side and fate, providence and destiny also played significant roles in it all. It was a process that took about two months of hoping and waiting. And in all those two months, I was thinking and praying about it all. Wishing that I will get the chance to do the things I have always wanted to do.
There was a lot of anxiety while we waited but I was optimistic I can be the person to be given the chance. No doubt, I was on edge too. The anxiety was so much that when I was announced the candidate, I was very relieved. The wait was long and uncertain, especially after the interview. I remember somebody telling me as I entered that ‘oh, you are the number six aspirant.’ I almost fainted. I repeated the ‘number six’ like three times. I went home relieved and partly fulfilled. I was no longer anxious.
But by the next morning, the feeling changed from relieve to surprise. I had received hundreds of calls, messages and visits. My pictures were everywhere on all the newspapers and blogs here and there. People were putting my name on Google and all sorts of stories were popping up about me. I was amazed because before that day, I used to be a very private person! That was when I realized that things have changed and I am no longer a private person.
Now, as deputy-governor elect, the change from being a very private person to becoming public office holder is clearer to me and I understand the expectation of people and I can say we will not disappoint the good people of Ogun State who deemed it fit to entrust their lives into our hands. For me, this is a case of preparedness meeting opportunity. I am well prepared for this job. I am educated enough; exposed enough; qualified enough and I have had a career that equipped me. Then, the opportunity came and I went for it.
Have you been in politics before now?
I am now a politician and in fact, I can now do many things I thought I wouldn’t be able to do. If I sing and dance now, you will not believe it is the same me (laugh). And I enjoy doing these things, especially when I am among the members of our great party. I haven’t really being much of a partisan politician before now. But I have always exercised my civic rights to vote. Even whenever I am abroad, I ensure I carry out my civic responsibilities on election days. I didn’t have politicians in my nuclear family. My dad was a thoroughbred professional. I have some of my extended family members being council chairmen and the likes.
A cousin of mine is the immediate past federal legislator that represented our constituency here. But a lot of things have changed about me surprisingly. Since joining Dapo Abiodun on the ticket, I have been dragged out of my privacy into the public to feel the pulse of the people and relate with them better. I can now sing, dance and speak in Yoruba language for a long length of time unlike I used to do before. And I am enjoying it all. Very importantly, I have gone round the state the way I have never done before, and I have seen things I have never noticed before.
I have a very strong sense of despair for what our people have had to endure all these years. The people of Ogun State, especially the people at the grassroots, need urgent help. We must do all we can to bring succour to these people. Life is really hard for our people. Infrastructure is in dire state and the people lack basic amenities in most parts of the state.
Health, education, roads, name it, are all in need of attention. Campaigning round the state was an eye opener and one is able to understand why our people are eager for a better government. I am saddened by what I have seen and challenged by the tasks ahead. We have a lot to do. We have a task to bring hope to these seemingly hopeless situations across the state. The people received us well. They told us their needs. They pleaded that we must come to their aid.
They want a new direction that will give them hope and they trusted us to bring about this new direction. The task is daunting but I am sure we have the right attitude and intentions and those are the things that matters. We will work with all and sundry to bring about the much needed changes. We will bring in new sets of skills from our various backgrounds to complement what the civil servants have on ground. That way, we will achieve more results and touch more lives. We will learn from the civil servants, they will learn from us and that way, the state will witness a better administration.
Talking about women and youths, what should they expect from your incoming administration?
Very strongly, I believe the Dapo Abiodun administration will create more rooms for women. Already my emergence as his running mate has shown he is not gender biased. He had a role to play in my emergence and he supported it. Among six people; four men and two women, I was nominated as his running mate. It is a sign that he will not discriminate against women. And he has even professed his readiness to allow merit to determine who gets what in his administration.
During the campaign, he kept telling everyone that I am a very significant part of his team. In our team today, we have a lot of competent people and there are a lot of women among these people ready to serve and being given the chances to serve. I see in him a man who recognizes efficiency. I am not surprised. He is a successful entrepreneur in the private sector, so he must have worked with a lot of competent women.
I am a woman and I am his eye among women. I will do all I can to propagate more roles for women within and outside the government. If you check Dapo Abiodun’s mission statement, it states clearly that women will receive special attention from him. We spoke about programs like ‘Okowo Dapo’, a free interest loan scheme and others like it will put smiles on the faces of our women once we are elected. Women will benefit a lot from the administration.