An aspirant for the Kogi Central Senatorial seat, Monday Onimisi in this interview, explains his interest in the race and the changes he seeks to bring to the zone. Excerpts:
[Note: AB=Interviewer, M.I=Interviewee]LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW
AB: We understand you are interested in running as a senator in 2015, why did you choose to go to the senate?
M. I: Yes I chose to go to the senate to make a difference, to see how I can sanitise what has gone wrong, because currently in the central zone, we have so many issues which I believe will take a youth to make the desired change. That is why I particularly chose to run for the senate, it will give me the power and assist me in addressing these issues I am talking about especially empowering the youths due to the crisis that the zone has suffered, particularly Okene and the bitterfact that a very high percentage of Anebira are illitrates, 70% or more. So, part of my promise is to bring education to the doorstep of every house.
AB: Kogi Central has been represented by the elderly. Do you see the elders accepting you?
M. I: Sure, by God’s grace. Because I understand one thing in life; it is not about age. It is what you have upstairs, it is what you can offer to the people. So that is why I said if that mandate is given to me, I believe by God’s grace I will make a difference.
AB: Considering issues like insecurity and youth restiveness plaguing the place, do you think the youths would listen to a person in their age bracket?
M. I: The youth presently are not satisfied with what is going on in the central zone. I will want to assure you that the youth will want to support somebody with the energy and right frame of mind to pursue their cause. The central zone has been polluted and our leaders in the past have misled us, so both the elders and the youth want to see something different.
AB: But why PDP?
M. I: When you talk of the party system, APC is dominated by hungry power starved individuals. PDP is one party the Kogi people respect and the party the people of the central zone have respect for. Like I said, during the crisis in the past, PDP has suffered so much in the hands of the opposition parties. But since, that party was restored, we from the zone are not in support of introducing any party there in order to avoid crisis. Yes, it is allowed, any party can be introduced, if it is a legally registered party, but we in the central zone, the Kogi Central, are not in support of any party apart from the PDP. We are doing this because we want to avoid any form of violence. We have suffered in the past so we are not supposed to suffer in future.
AB: But are you not bothered by the fact that PDP is split both at the national level and even in your state of Kogi?
M. I: No, not at all. I have thought of that and looked at all those things you mentioned and I put it in a larger perspective. PDP is a very large family. It is a very large family in the sense that where a mother has many kids, there are problems that are bound to happen between the younger ones and the junior ones. I believe it is an internal issue. It is an issue that can be resolved soon by God’s grace.
AB: So which of the PDP’s do you belong to?
M. I: Like I said, it is an internal issue. I know I am going to contest on the platform of PDP. I don’t believe the party is divided into two. I believe it is an issue that will be resolved.
AB: Have you made consultation with your governor and other stakeholders, before deciding that you are going to contest?
M. I: As a man, whatever you are doing you have to consult other people. Because there are people before that are there, who can lead you and guide you as they are more experienced than you. I am not talking about godfatherism. That is not what I am talking about. I’ve paid courtesy visits to each of these consultants who are from the party. I am working on that gradually but surely, I am going to be there. Then, talking about His Excellency, Captain Idris Wada, the executive governor of Kogi state, I have tried to make contact with him. I have been trying to make contact with the state government to just express myself to the state government that one of their son, is aspiring for this elective position from the central zone.
AB: What is your assessment of the present National Assembly?
M. I: I believe there is no way one or two, three people will come together that here is not going to be a misunderstanding. But how it’s handled, and how each one is going about it matters a lot. Nigeria is a place that so many things are not in place, and I believe it is not something that can be done in just a day. It is something that has to be gradual. God in His infinite mercy should see us through and should give our lawmakers the wisdom to be able to go about those things, to put things in place so that the masses will benefit from that, because if it is good from the top, it will affect the down. But if it is bad from the top, the same thing goes to the down. We are praying they should change, and gradually, change is coming.
AB: What will be your call to the senator representing the zone, are you asking him to step down for you?
M.I: No. asking somebody who is a serving senator to step down is not there at all. It is an elective position, and people are allowed to show interest. My position is, show the people of the central what you have, show them what you can offer, then they can vote it is the people who are to choose those to serve them.
