For Olejeme Politics Is No Adventure
Early this year when campaigns were up beat in all facets of Nigeria’s political life, one name rang significant bell not necessarily because of her feminine gender but more particularly because of her formidable organizational strategy which saw her setting up visible teams of experts in Asaba, Delta State and Abuja the nation’s capital.
Her decision for so doing was her realisation that Abuja holds the political key to determining to some extent the National reach and credibility of the particular individual seeking to represent his/her people. It is believed that any Nigerian with good reputation in a fast moving political environment as Abuja is surely a thoroughbred committed pan-Nigerian political statesman and therefore stands a good chance as serving as a viable unifying factor back home should he/her proceed to win the popular mandate of her/his people to govern them as the State's chief executive officer. You may still be asking to know whose name made the mark as an important political office seeker during the last electioneering campaigns.
This name is Mrs. Ngozi Olejeme the beautiful technocrat from Delta State of the Igbo speaking stock. She was one of the earliest politicians of note to indicate interest is serving the good people of Delta State. Two factors marked her entry into the gubernatorial race of Delta State and these are the fact of her feminity and also high profile nature as someone who wouldn't mind to relinquish her national political office or rather her board appointment to proceed to her state of origin to uplift her people and the state. Observers thought her entry was ephemeral but her incredible qualities of resilience and consistency to continue her campaigns even when the political climate became so intense and considerably challenging.
She stood her own as the last Woman standing and indeed excelled during the primary election which eventually produced Dr Ifeanyi Okowa as the winner in a highly transparently conducted primary election. Olejeme in no small fashion facilitated the making of political history in Delta State in the sense that the first ever Igbo speaking governor was produced since the creation of that state by the then benevolent dictator General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd) whose Delta Igbo wife the late Mrs Maryam IBB actively spearheaded the creation of the state. Ngozi Olejeme has entered the political lexicon of Delta State as one of the dedicated politicians that cooperated and partnered with other like minds to bring about equity in the occupation of the high office of Delta State governor.
Throughout the campaign periods, this lady operated from Delta State far away from her comfort zone in Abuja whereby she presides over an important federal government body-the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) in which she became in 2009 the chairman of the board of that establishment when she was appointed in that capacity by the then President (Late Alhaji Yar’adua) who incidentally hails from the same Katsina State just like the current president Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari has promised to come up with a largely bipartisan Federal cabinet and to also scout for top level technocrats to help turn around Nigeria.
The lady with the heart of gold reportedly turned around the fortunes of that federal government agency and brought it to the front burner of national discourse as a major player in the national economy.
Vast in the rapid institutional advancement of her offices, Mrs. Olejeme is a politician with a difference because even though she is a loyal member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) those who knows her pedigree say she is such a good stateswoman and patriotic Nigerian that she could accept any national office if offered by the current All Progressives Congress-led Federal administration of Buhari born in the same Katsina as the then President Yar’adua who noted her bundle of creative talents and made her the chairman of the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) in June 2009 for which Nigerian workers are better for it.
Going through vast published materials on her verifiable achievements in the aforementioned position, a particular fact struck me which is her incredible strength of personal example.
Ngozi brought her credibility and high sense of integrity to bear when she alongside her team took that federal agency to a whole new level.
As earlier stated, Ngozi Olejeme was appointed chairman of the board, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) in June 2009 by late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. She saw to the successful enactment into law of the Employees’ Compensation Act in December 2010, and the setting up of necessary human and physical infrastructure for the implementation of the Act, which was signed by President Goodluck Jonathan. She also took the helm as the Chairman of the Board of Trustfund Pensions Plc, on October 2009, where she still holds the position. She is also the convener of the Subsidy Reinvestment and empowerment program (SURE-P) sub-committee on Public Works and Road Rehabilitation.
As a philanthropist she has the Ngozi Olejeme Foundation which is a Non-Governmental organization set up by her to care for people who are most disadvantaged through its empowerment scheme and The Widowhood Projects. The empowerment scheme includes support for projects designed to enhance the employ-ability of young people and empowerment through vocational and skill building projects. Newspapers are replete with factually verifiable statistics of the Hugh number of the needy that her foundation has lifted to their optimally better selves.
The Widowhood Projects reportedly seeks to address the socio-cultural challenges of widows, it also empowers the widows and underprivileged women with skills and grants for trade. The foundation recently donated cash prizes to 200 widows in Asaba, Delta State to enable them go into any business of their choosing.
Studies by human rights organisations such as HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA which I head and ASSOCIATION OF AFRICAN WRITERS ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES RIGHTS which I currently sits on the board as the Country Director shows that bad widowhood practices in several Nigerian communities are sources of serious challenges because the human rights of these sets of citizens are wantonly denied on some nebulous cultural grounds. So the charitable works of the Olejeme foundation should be sustained and further broadened to cover other states other than Delta.
When this lady ran for office of governor unsuccessfully, she lined up a quality manifesto including her expositions on how Delta State can be viable even after crude oil deposits are dried up. She has a robust blueprint on how to develop the Delta State agro-allied industry and it is hoped that the current administration in Delta headed by Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa will find a lot of what her team put together very useful.
Like most distinguished scholars, Ngozi Olejeme got her team during her last campaing in Delta to put a lot of emphasis on the rapid development of infrastructures and also highlighted salient strategies for youth empowerment.
Her political philosophy finds support and credibility in the various scholarly works of tested and trusted scholars and scientists.
Professor Joseph D. Olarewaju, the Dean, faculty of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria has this to say about the necessity for increasing investment in infrastructure which is a key area that Ngozi Olejeme belives in.
His words: “Infrastructure Consists of water, sanitation, transport, energy telecom, and information technologies. Investment in infrastructure improves the linkages between rural areas and small towns and trading centers, raise productivity and improves the quality of life of the agrarian communities”.
The above statement of facts can be found in the new book jointly edited by Olusegun Obasanjo, professor Akin Mabogunje and professor Peter Okebukola and the book is titled: “HUMAN SECURITY in Africa; perspectives on education, health and agriculture”.
Readers may be amazed of why this piece is being done but wonder no more because this is done in praise of this woman who although never got to win the office of governor of Delta State but has remained consistently good to all. The lesson is that you never give up your goodness just for failing to net in their political offices of ambitions.
*Emmanuel Onwubiko is Head of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria and blogs @ www.huriwa.blogspot.com; www.rightsassociationngr.com, www.huriwa.org.