Mrs. Olabisi Salis is getting set to face the forthcoming
general elections to represent the people of Lagos East Senatorial
District from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Her political journey dates back to 2006/2007, when her
husband, Chief Owolabi Salis contested for the governorship seat of Lagos State.
Mrs. Salis is confident that time has come for Nigerian women to take the bull
by the horn and give men a run for their money.
In this interview she granted the press recently, Mrs
Olabisi Salis revealed that she wants to go to the senate to eradicate poverty
in her senatorial district and make life better for her people through
people-oriented programmes.
She also stated that she has been involved in empowerment
programmes several times as she is passionate about helping the poor. She
speaks on her ambition and other matters in this interview.
Why are you starting your political ambition with a
senatorial election?
Actually, I started my ambition in 2006, when my husband,
Chief Owolabi Salis contested for the governorship seat of Lagos State.
I had to resign my appointment with the Central Bank of Nigeria, and
since then, I have been in politics in Lagos
and I have helped so many people in the state. I have empowered so many men and
women, and I help the poor regularly. I believe that the voice of the people
must be heard. Our people are not adequately represented at the senate. We need
to eradicate poverty, empower the women and ensure that their voice is heard in
the society. I want to enact laws and initiate bills that would enhance the
improvement of the people in my district.
What do you think are your chances of winning the
election?
My chances of winning are very high looking at it from the
feminine perspective. I know the incumbent senator from Lagos East Senatorial
District is deep in pocket and he has been there for four years. But that
doesn’t stop my chances of winning, it would be like the story of David and
Goliath in the Bible, you look at David as being minute and small, while Goliath
is giant and big. But at the end of the day, David won, I believe that in this
contest, I stand a better chance of winning. The voice of the people must be
heard, the people are not happy with the way the incumbent senator is treating
them, most of their lands are being taken over. I am ready to go there to fight
for the people, especially the poor, if you don’t take care of the poor, the
masses, your chances of winning any election is eroded. He was given four years
to perform and I don’t see anything he has done, people are complaining
bitterly. I want to go there, let them give me four years to perform and see
what I can do because a woman can perform, we are better managers, I believe I
have a better chance.
Politicians are fond of saying that they were called by
the people to contest elections, but in your own case, was it a clarion call by
the people for you to contest or you just decided on your own to contest?
The call to gun for the senatorial seat of Lagos East
Senatorial District is from the people, they want me to come and represent
them. When they look at my performances amongst the poor, how I have been
helping them to eradicate poverty, to pay school fees and take care of them,
they called on me to represent their interest at the senate.
You have been campaigning for long, how has the reception
from the people been?
In my campaign so far, the reception has been very positive,
people want a change in Lagos
State. People have been
telling us they want PDP in Lagos
State. Most of their
lands are being taken over in several areas. People are being maltreated, the
okada (motorcycle) riders are complaining, the market women are complaining,
they want the PDP in Lagos at all cost, they want me in this senatorial
district, the incumbent has not been performing, he has not lived up to
expectation, he promised them many things that he has not fulfilled.
The issue of politicians promising people and not
fulfilling them has been a problem, as a woman politician, how would you
convince the people that you would you would fulfill your campaign promises to
them?
We are all individuals; people of integrity would not fail
campaign promises. In my journey in life, I have promised people and fulfilled
them. I believe it has to do with individuals. I don’t think such will happen
in my own case, I have been promising people and I have not failed them. If you
don’t try me, how would you know if I would perform or not? From my own side, I
have never promised and fail. I believe in performance in my own way, people have
tested me and I have never failed them. I promised them so many things, which I
have fulfilled, if I am given a chance at the senate, I would do all that I am
promising them.
People say our leaders turn to something else, when they get
to political offices, what do you think is responsible for this and how can you
assure us that if you get there, you would not change?
You are right because so many people, if they want your
vote, they would come to you and promise heaven and earth. They forget the downtrodden,
I have said it that is depends on individuals, you cannot say that all the
leaders do that. Some fulfill their promises, I fall on the side of the people
that fulfill their promises and I believe that people should encourage leaders
to perform by not extorting money from them during their campaigns. When you
spend money during campaign, you believe that you have performed your own part
of it and when you get there, people want the other side of the bargain, it is
not possible. Politicians spend much money during campaigns and people expect
so much from them during campaigns, so you cannot have it all. You should talk
to the electorate to minimize their demands, while we are campaigning so that
they would not stop us from doing what we want to do.
Your senatorial district, Lagos East consists of rural areas; Epe,
Ibeju-Lekki, Shomolu, Kosofe, and Ikorodu. What are some of their problems that
you have identified that you want work on, when you get to office?
We have five local governments in my constituency as you
have said; Ibeju-Lekki, Epe, Shomolu, Kosofe, and Ikorodu. In some areas, they
have peculiar problems like in Ibeju-Lekki and Epe, they have not had
electricity for the past five years. In Ikorodu, Shomolu and Kosofe, their pipe
borne water has been faulty, and they have common problem, which is poverty, I
need to look into these as a woman. If you emancipate women from poverty,
definitely it would affect the home, so we have some programmes that would
eradicate poverty being one of the Millennium Developmental Goals (MDG). So we
need to look into how we are going to increase youth empowerment, train women,
men and youths and with this, poverty would be reduced.
PDP has been in the central government, and you want to
also win election as a senator, how do you think the party can succeed in
making life better for the people?
I have said it all, I want to be a senator to make laws, and
help in forming fiscal policies, so I need to look for ways of ensuring
positive change in my senatorial district by empowering the people and by
making laws that would be in their favour.
The PDP in Lagos
State keeps saying that
the people are demanding for change, they said the same thing in 2003, but it
doesn’t look as if they are interested in taking over power from the APC in Lagos State.
So, how prepared is PDP in taking over power in the state? Also, looking at
2015, the APC said that the PDP wants the elections postponed, what is your
view and do you see the PDP winning these elections?
What gives me the impression that the PDP is winning this
election in Lagos
State is that we are
prepared to win the election, everything is at the top gear and we are not
postponing the election, we don’t want postponement of the election, we are
ready to battle it out. We want a positive change and the change starts form
you and me to cast our votes for the right candidates, vote the right person
because the power is in your thumb to choose whoever you want to represent you
at the national and state assemblies. So, we are ready for this election, we
don’t want it postponed at all.
What do you think would give the PDP the opportunity of
winning the presidential election in February?
I think the election
is a walk over for President Goodluck Jonathan because he has done so many
things for the country and he promised us that Boko Haram would be faced out of
Nigeria
in his campaign programme. Some of our leaders are behind Boko Haram, they
don’t want sanity in the country. If we give President Jonathan a chance for a
second term in office, I believe that Boko Haram would be eradicated in the
country. When we look at what President Goodluck Jonathan has done in the
country, you would know that he is a performer. Benin-Ore Road was completed during his tenure;
the Metro Line Project abandoned during the tenure of former governor Lateef
Kayode Jakande of Lagos
State has been revived.
Even in the northern part of the country, a lot of things have been put in
place by President Jonathan, you know that you don’t transform in a day. He has
just been there for four years out of the 15 years of our democracy, so he
should be given a second chance.
You talked about market women and okada (motorcycle) riders
in Lagos State, does it mean the PDP would ask
okada riders to go back to the roads in Lagos
if it wins the governorship election since people believe the restriction of
okada operations has reduced accidents and armed robberies in the state?
No, I am not saying that. I believe the incumbent Governor
should have had a meeting with these people to tell them what is expected of
them. It doesn’t mean they should be harassing and killing okada riders. There
was a day at Ikorodu Road,
when the army pursued a young man such that his limb got broken. Are we saying
that because we don’t want these people, they should be killed; most of these
people are graduates. Unemployment is affecting them and they decided to look
for a way of getting livelihood, I am not saying we would return them; we would
meet with them, tell them what is expected of them and restrict them to some
locations. We should not just harass them as if we want them to go into robbery
and be carrying weapons. These are young people who want to work; we should
encourage them by restricting them to certain areas and use better methods to
talk to them.
A lot of people have talked about the economy of Nigeria as cost
of living is increasing and the exchange rate is increasing. What do you think
the PDP government should have done on the economy of the country?
Everything boils down to poverty, unemployment and all that,
we are trying to reduce poverty in our society. A recent report indicated that
hunger rate in Nigeria has reduced to 8% from 14% and at the same time the
programmes of President Goodluck Jonathan has reduced unemployment by providing
jobs for our youths, by introducing skill acquisition programmes that would
enhance our productivity. I think the economy is improving, poverty level is
reducing and unemployment level is reducing too based on international figure.
The wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience is
hated by some people for allegedly interfering in governance. To you, who is
Dame Patienct Jonathan, do you appreciate her for what she has been doing, do
you see her as a role model?
Dame Patience Jonathan is the wife of our president; we need
to appreciate her for all that she has been doing, for the NGOs she has floated
so that we can hear the voice of the women in the country. I really appreciate
her courage, we cannot be equal, she has been putting in her best to make sure
that women are recognized in this country. To me, she is performing. Nothing
stops her from being my role model.
Sometime last year, the President of Liberia was in Nigeria and
said that sometimes, women are their own problems. She said that, when she was
going through problems in her country she was shocked that men supported her
more than women. Do you think the women would give you their support during the
election?
I think we are ready now, women are ready to support fellow
women. We are not our own problems, we are ready, we were marginalized, we were
relegated to the background, but now we are ready because we believe that a
woman would understand a woman better. In most cases, when I go out to
campaign, women troop out en-masse, they even support me more than men. Women
need to be represented in all the leadership positions in this country, so I
believe we are not our problems anymore. Women usually support women more than
men. We are ready to ensure that the country is taken to a greater height, we
have talked to ourselves, we are battle ready now.
A lot of people want to vote, but the issue of Permanent
Voters Card (PVC) seems to be a problem now, what would be your advice to INEC
on this?
My advice to INEC is to release PVCs, we have been talking
to our people to go and collect their PVCs. The officials should encourage our
people to collect their PVCs because they are there in thousands for them.
Without the PVCs, they cannot vote, so they should encourage them by giving it
to them.
Some people are afraid that this election would be
violent. How has it been with you since you started campaigning, have you ever
been attacked?
To be sincere, the issue of violence is very germane and we
need to look into it. I believe the Federal Government is looking into it to
combat violence during the election. I would not say I have not experienced such;
we were attacked by a cult group in Epe last week, when we went there to
campaign. It is an issue, and I believe the government should look into it so
that we can have a free and fair election as it obtained in Ekiti State
and in some other states.
Is it only the government, what of the politicians, who disrupt
the rallies of their opponents?
I am appealing to the politicians not to have a win-win
attitude, for the fact that your opponent has an upper hand against you in an
election does not mean that you should send people to attack them. You must
have an attitude of democracy, where people can vote willingly and allow the
electorates to vote for whoever they want. How do we have democratic government
if our people are killed or harassed? We should talk to the politicians to let
our people follow their conscience.