Barrister Samuelle Ansaeso Ononokpono is a lawyer with eleven years of experience. In this interview with ENE OSANG, the mother of two and an ardent supporter of General Mohammadu Buhari expresses her view on the recently concluded general elections in the country. Ononokpono believes that the in-coming government will give women and youth the opportunity to thrive in the society.
What is your take on the recently concluded general elections?
It was a free and fair election, particularly because we have never had it so in this country where an opposition party wins an incumbent.
I was born into the cradle of politics, my father happened to be a House of Representative member back in 1979- 1983 with the then UPN party which was an opposition group where he later decamped to the SDP which had the likes of MKO Abiola and the rest. He was even the Akwa Ibom state party chairman. So I would say it’s a known come back situation where we have the opposition coming into power and I am positive that a lot of change will take place.
Considering that the March 28th elections came out free and fair, I did not expect anything less from the April 11th election.
Nevertheless, we must know that the process of gubernatorial and house of assembly election is a more cumbersome process than the presidential /senate elections. The former is termed as grass root and more in touch with the people. It requires intensive monitoring, work etc. There will always be discrepancies, aggrieved persons, gross misconduct but overly, I will still say it was conducted, free and fair.
Politics is not new to you, why are you not in the limelight?
My father’s shoes are not an easy one to put on but in my own little way I have made my contributions to politics in my state.
During the 2011 elections particularly, my father had passed on a year before but I ran around with some few comrades, so I have been in the light of politics just that I am not in the limelight. With APC coming into power I am sure the people will see more of me particularly my name Ononokpono which is not a hidden name in Nigeria politics.
Why APC and not any other party?
My father used to say when I was younger that the opposition party in any government is the conscience of that government, that for there to be an opposition it means they are fighting for something that is real. I have friends in PDP that I have given my support to at some point in time but I believe my conscience lies with APC because I believe in what they are coming to do. The PDP is actually the People’s Democratic Party but we all know that when you have bad eggs in a basket you cannot call the eggs fresh ones anymore.
There are as well good people in the PDP and I am not saying there are no bad people in the APC but the good will always override the bad, particularly because we have good leaders who believe in the conscience of the society, and who will actually shut the trap of the bad people in APC. I believe so much in the APC because of what they have presented and what I am sure they are going to do. They have a better manifesto, a good profile and an excellent leader in the person of General Mohammadu Buhari (GMB) and his Vice Prof. Yemi Osinbanjo and other likeminded people like Governor Raji Fashola whom I admire very much and others, so I look at the people in the party and not the party itself.
What do you think of increasing number of PDP members decamping to the APC?
These PDP members decamping to APC do so because some believe in the APC ideology, while some others decamp because they are afraid that if they remained in PDP they probably might be picked up, arrested or whatsoever and others are doing it because of what they will gain by remaining and aligning in power. They decamp to APC with their filth but APC as a dry-cleaning ground with many good people will change whatever foul interest the PDP people are bringing to APC if they bring it on at all.
The outgoing administration involved women and youth in governance, do you think women will enjoy such opportunity with GMB?
Absolutely he will, it will be a rouse to the upcoming government if we believe that the first Lady’s office will be abolished. The First Lady has her role to play and we have seen her do that by going about campaigning for her husband. What GMB is saying is that the government of Nigeria will be ruled, governed and presided by the President of the nation; the first lady will only be there to be recognized and make her contribution where necessary but her office will not be abolished. If you look at wife of the United States President Barack Obama, how often you see her make contributions to government it doesn’t happen.
When you see Michelle Obama is either she wants to say something to the women or she is accompanying her husband to an occasion. She is not set loose like what most of our first ladies has been doing in time past, they set themselves loose, they try to compete with the Presidency, they try to make a lot of ways and they want to make a lot of money. What GMB is saying is that he won’t let that happen in his administration.
What priorities do you expect the upcoming government to tackle head-on on assumption of office?
I am not here to determine what General Buhari should do or what he is going to do because Buhari and the APC like I said is coming as a dry-cleaning process. In the past six years or let me say since the democracy rule in 1993-2003 there was a lot of change in the country we had fuel to buy, we had food, water etc but shortly after a lot of things went wrong and issues coming up here and there. One would ask why we are experiencing all these when we are in a democracy. Buhari as an individual not even about APC now because he is coming to clean up the mess in the government of Nigeria and not what PDP has done or not, when he is done cleaning up he will make a lot of amendments.
This might take a while but I can assure you that within the first one hundred days he will stay in office we shall begin to see changes.
How will the BFON which you are a member help Buhari achieve the much talked about change in Nigeria?
The Buhari Friends Organization Network (BFON) is like an advisory council. We started that organization about two years ago following the believe by many that no one can come in and disturb the process of the present government but we came in because we saw, and were concerned about what is going on in the country.
When we had our first meeting with Buhari we told him; “Buhari we know you do not have money to run this election, or run campaigns, we don’t need your money but all we need from you is when we call for meetings show up let people see and appreciate you”. The BFON put money together just like many other support organizations to campaign for him door to door talking to people even though we didn’t have enough money like the incumbent government. Buhari is a down to earth man, if you meet him in person you will understand what I am talking about, many have used derogatory words on him but I assure you he is a very simple man.
What position are you lobbying for as is seen with most of his supporters?
I am not lobbying for any political office but I can assure you I will be recognized. If for any reason the Buhari government decides to give me an office and recognizes me with a portfolio I will appreciate, take it, and I will deliver to the best of my ability, but if they do not I will still work with the Buhari government.
Why do you think there are fewer women representatives this year unlike 2011 with high records of women in governance?
Probably women were discouraged or found their hands tied and could not express themselves fully. For me when this government comes in and the women see the positive change we all crave for, I can guarantee you that more women will be encouraged to run for positions in 2019.
How do you manage work and the home front?
I am a superwoman. I had a very talented and multi-tasked mother and fortunately for me, I am her first child and I had first hand opportunity to learn from the palm of her hands. Unfortunately for me also I was the one who grew up on her punishments, lecturing, chastisements and all of that so I grew up being able to do so many things at the same time and excel. For me there are no substandard or 50% marks, it has to be 100% or I don’t accept any option.
As someone conversant with politics from childhood, why did you study law and not political science?
My father attended a university at Teleavive in Israel and he applied for law but unfortunately he did not make the cut and he was given political science. When I was six, my father started taking me to court to witness court processes and his cousin Justice Ikpeme the lady who cancelled the June 12 elections, he will drag me to go listen to her deliver judgments, watch lawyers, and he kept drumming it in my ear that he wanted me to be a lawyer.
I did not listen to him in secondary school, I applied to be a business studies student then when I was in SS2 my father showed up at my school and requested to see my results. When he discovered I was not a full art student he cancelled all my subjects and made me stayed back at school for the second term holiday.
I lived at the vice principals house studying what I missed in SS1 then later took exams which I passed and he became happy I was going to study law. Again when I took my Jamb I applied for business management as first choice and law as second choice, I got admission into my first choice which is business management, but my father insisted I was going to take my second choice so he pleaded with the school and they took me for law but am glad it turned out well for me.
So do you regret not studying business management?
Absolutely no because am still a business woman any day. I sew, design, cook, I make supplies to a few establishments, am a chauffeur, a mother and everything.
Do you face any challenges as a female barrister?
Maybe some five or six years back I did but not now. The challenges have all been put behind me now I’m flying with all the senior people at the bar, I am a very confident woman and I don’t fall for any intimidation.
Where do you see yourself In the next ten years time?
I know I am going to be a writer that is what I intend to retire with, I know I’m going to serve this government I may not run for an elective office but I will serve this government, I will give my contributions and I would be recognized.
What would you say you have achieved in life so far?
I am a deeply satisfied woman who has attained all the heights I had dreamt of when I was much younger, and I have been to places where my mates have not been able to penetrate through the keyhole. I have wonderful family, terrific friends, I have almost reached the height I wanted academically, socially I have made myself versatile in so many areas, my Christian life is on point and I smile always so I think that and many other are enough achievements.
Do you have any leisure time?
I play a lot; I think I play much longer than I work. I am a workaholic but when am done with work I play.
So what are your hobbies?
I do a lot of sports, I do poetry I write on my own things that might not make sense to anyone but generally will make people laugh.
What would you advise women finding it difficult to reach the peak of their career?
If you can dream it, you can make it. I used to have very shallow dream because I used to thing that there were certain things that were not meant for women, and used to feel that a woman is not complete without her man by her side. I used to also think that a woman is not complete if she does not have the necessary attributes like education, husband, children and all of that but that was me of before. Now I advise every woman if you can dream you can make it and if it’s in you, all you need do is put it into practice and take one step at a time.