What are your antecedents,
politically and professionally?
My political life started when I was in Secondary school. In fact, from
class two. New Era College (Obakhavbaye Grammar School) as it was called then.
At that age I formed and founded a social club known as LEO CLUB. I enlisted
members from people who were my senior and I was the President. At that period,
the Principal was organizing the Senior Students to act one Benin popular
historical drama called IMAGUERO. They could not act it.
Meanwhile, I went to
the School library to borrow 10 copies of the books and began to organize my
members for rehearsals. Do you know we acted drama to the entire students and
the hall was filled to capacity as I played the lead actor. That was how I
became the President of the School Debating and Dramatic Society from Class Two
Secondary School and we took that drama to other schools in Benin and outside
of Benin. I remained in that position even when we moved to Edokpolo Grammar
School. After my WASC examination,
I went to the School of Psychiatric Nursing
Aro Abeakuta, and Six months into my studies, I contested for the position of
the Assistant Social Secretary and I won. My goal was to build my political
structure and visibility till when I will be in my 2nd year to contest for the
Students Union Presidency. Even at that, I founded another social cultural
group that also engages in drama as a therapy for mental health patients. I
re-enacted that same drama Imaguero at the Sent-forth ceremony for Late Professor
Ibie, who was the outgoing Medical Director. Ogun State Television covered the
program and we were invited to perform that drama in a village setting. My
popularity was increasing and there was no telling that I would not become
President.
Few months to the election, the students were to mark the
anniversary ceremony of the hospital with a Rag Day. I opposed the rationale of
going about in rags like the uncared-for mental health patients along the
Nigerian roads. My opposition was so strong that it necessitated a vote. I lost
as majority wanted the Rag Day. I made a statement that cost me my Presidential
ambition that day by saying even though majority they say win the votes but
sometimes, majority could be foolish! The meeting came to an end. So during the
election, I lost to a very unknown candidate as the students did that punish
me. I did not give up. I contested for the regional association of Nigerian
Nurses Students in Ogun State as General Secretary-and won.
As GS we were overseeing all the student’s unions of schools of nursing
including Aro in Ogun State. It was during our tenures especially as GS that
student nurses began to earn respects from both lecturers and clinicians. Then
student nurses were treated as mere secondary school students. Imagine asking a
student nurse to kneel or cut grasses whilst in school as punishment. I fought
against that as unprofessional.
When I qualified, I continued with the National Association of Nigerian
Nurses and Midwives and rose to the position of Vice Chairman at Yaba
Psychiatric Hospital. Our tenure was tumultuous. The Medical Director then will
never forget Peters Omoragbon. I was a torn. It was during our era in 1992 that
the national strike by Nigerian nurses throughout the federations amongst the
Federal Health Institutions that lasted for almost 6 months took place. The
crisis started from our unit at Yaba when we went on strike because the
management failed to pay us our hazard allowances. As a result, about 6 new
staff nurse who were just barely six months in employment were sacked because
their employment was not confirmed then. We went back on strike requesting for
them to be reinstated.
When I retired from service in 1994, I started Nurses Across the Borders
Humanitarian Initiative, that is now an NGO in Special Consultative
Relationship with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and
that became the FIRST NGO to be admitted as an OBSERVER into the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change-UNFCCC and I was the first Nigerian NGO
leader to be accorded the Designated Person for the UNFCCC in Nigeria. November
of 1994, I joined the National Conscience-then it was just a movement in
defiance of Gen. Sanni Abacha who decreed that there be no political activity
when he took over.
Chief Gani Fawehinmi-SAM, SAN defied him because that decree was
inconsistent with the freedom of association. In NCP I rose from a Ward
Chairman in Kosofe Federal Constituency to the National Financial Secretary
with Chief Gani and Barrister Femi Aborisade as Chairman and General Secretary
respectively. I was later to add National Organizing Secretary to my
portfolio as I was instrumental in setting up the branches of NCP in the whole
of the South-South, the South East, and parts of the North West. Gani was so
impressed with my commitments that he gave me my first car in life. When we
were to contest the 2002 election, Chief Gani drafted every NEC member to
contest election. We fielded candidates in all offices and in every states of
the federation. I contested for the House of Representatives in 2003 in Kosofe
and came third with more than 12k votes and AD won with PDP second. That began
my voyage into politics as I never looked back.
In 2011 I contested for the Oredo Federal Constituency for the House of
Representatives, and in 2016 contested with Obaseki and Ize Iyamu for the
governorship elections.
Beyond the shores of Nigeria, I am the President of the Diaspora Nurses
Association of Nigeria and also the Director for International Liaison for the
Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association in the United Kingdom. My activity and
role made it possible for me to interact with the Nigerian government as it
relates to healthcare delivery services with other Diaspora Healthcare
professionals and we have been coming home to organize series of medical
missions in Nigeria. At the UN, I was elected into the Board of the Conference
of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the UN-CONGO from 2011 to 2017. I
acted as Gen Sec of the Regional Committee for Africa in CONGO.
In 2013-2015, I was Treasurer of the Central Association of Nigerians in
the UK-CANUK a body coordinating ALL the groups of Nigerians in the UK and in
2015-2015 elected as Financial Secretary. I am an Ordained Servant of the Most
High and happily married to the most beautiful woman in the universe, Helen and
I have children and a granddaughter.
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