Interview

Lagos Lawmaker Omowunmi Olatunji-Edet Takes Us Into Her World

Few days from now, Omowunmi Olatunji-Edet, a second term lawmaker at the Lagos State House of Assembly will be 40years old. The pastor and former teacher, who is fortunate to have enjoyed political office since 2007 said it was not an easy ride. She has had her fair share of the troubles life could offer and this is chronicled in two books she is presenting to the public soon. The representative of Oshodi/Isolo Constituency II at the House dissects her life to TCM and other journalists. Read on…

Omowunmi Olatunji-EdetWhat does the age 40 mean to you?

It is a time to show profound gratitude to God for keeping me alive and orchestrating where I am today. When you look at the number of women in politics, you would know that I am very privileged. I have been serving since 2003, yet I feel it is still the beginning. It has always been part of me to put smiles on people’s faces but it is going to be a landmark event on 15th August when I will mark my birthday. I may be 40 but I feel younger, like I am just starting. I want to continue to empower people, the aged, widows, the destitute and the downtrodden. The birthday is also a time to present two of my books, The Shapening Of The Amazon and Casting Stones.  These books were written because most times, people criticise without proffering solutions. As a result of our criticisms, we hurt people. We have lost so many lives in the body of Christ. I daily hear complaints of neglect of people we are in a position to assist. I keep telling people that a word of encouragement can bring succour to a person who is down. I want a situation where people would remember me positively when I am out of office.

How was growing up like?

I was born at 3, Olopade Street on Lagos Island on 15 August, 1973. My parents are from Akure, Ondo State. My father, who is 90 this year, had me at the age of 50. My mother, Princess Monisola Olatunji, died at 65. I had my secondary school experience at the St. Luis Girls Grammar School, Akure, before gaining admission into the Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State to study Art and Design, but as God would have it, I was carried away by an award I won as the second best artist in Nigeria in 1990. What happened was that in secondary school, there was a general art programme which I took part in then. I came first in the southwest and later second best in the country. I was given an award by that powerful Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. I still have my portrait at the Museum in the National Theatre. I was very excited and started pursuing my career thinking I could go to the United States. I was later refused visa and in the process lost my admission. So I had to return to Lagos State where I had my first two diplomas, one in Data Processing at the Data Base Computer Institute and the other in Theology between 1991 and 1994 at the Bible Faith Training Centre.

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I got married in 1993 and in 1994, I was ordained a pastor. Then we started planting churches in Lagos, Ghana and other areas; the zeal was so hot then. Yet I felt I was not doing enough until I started my NGO, Feedem, which birthed in 1999 and its headquarters is in Ghana. The organisation takes care of refugees. My church, Chosen Vessels Assembly, had a lot of refugees in Abeokuta and majority of them were from Liberia. I then felt that if they could be that many in Nigeria, they would therefore be scattered everywhere. That was how somebody introduced me to the Ghana camp. We went there with a bus from The Young Shall Grow and filled a portion of the vehicles with materials including bales of clothes and foodstuff. I won the camp for God.

By the time I returned to Nigeria, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, (PSN), had started sensitising Christians and encouraging them to go into politics.

When did you then enter politics?

In 1999, I made an attempt, contested for a councillorship position under the All Peoples Party, APP, but lost at the primaries. I came back again in 2002 under the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and was kicked out. In 2003, I just summoned courage to contest for the House of Assembly, but I ended up being compensated with membership of a board for four years. In 2007, I approached AbdulHakeem  Abdullateef, who was my rival then, and he told me he was not contesting for the House again. Then I came out that year, but I almost lost because the people in the Alliance for Democracy, (AD), then, said they did not know me since I was coming from an opposition party. But thank God that is history now.

How were you able to wriggle your way into the hearts of those politicians who earlier rejected you?

I was coming from the ANPP and you cannot bring an importee and foist him on the party. The people would antagonize. So I lobbied those I knew could beg on my behalf. I was also working from the grassroots. Remember that when politicians say they do not know you, it does not mean you are not working. It is because they have interest in one or more candidates. Don’t forget that these people had been seeing my posters since 1999. If they could tell me that they didn’t know me in the street that I had lived for more than 15 years, then something must be wrong. Thank God I was able to work it out. I give God the glory.

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The journey must have been rough…

Very rough. On the eve of the primaries in 2007, I had to go down to Alausa that 2am to check the list of the people that could contest. I had two cars. I took the Benz and it broke down at Oshodi. I went back, took the second car, a Nissan Bluebird. It broke down again at Oworonsoki. I then saw a bus going to Ketu/Ojota. I jumped into the bus with the two of my coordinators. I got to Ojota, crossed to the other side of the road and came across some prostitutes bargaining with a taxi driver. I went to the driver and started crying and begging him making him realize that my destiny was about being written. The man was confused and asked how he could help me. I told him I would pay him double of whatever the prostitutes wanted to pay him. He agreed and took us to the Round House (former Office of the Governor now used by his deputy). On getting to the gate, I jumped out while the car was on motion. At the gate, I was told that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu did not want to see anybody but I convinced the man at the gate that he wanted to see me as if I was on appointment. He asked my name and I told him and he allowed me.

When I got inside the Round House, it was like they were waiting to hear from me. God was at play because if not for Him, I would have been a forgone issue. I saw Asiwaju and immediately knelt down shouting ‘sir, thank you’. The people around were confused. Thank you for what? I didn’t know what to say, but kept thanking him and that was it; I found myself here.

How did your husband take your coming into politics being a Christian leader?

He supported initially. I am one person who would convince you once I believe in anything. I was able to prevail on him at the beginning. Unfortunately, the wish of the people prevailed on him and today, we are not together. I’m divorced and can proudly say this is how God wants it. For me, I never wanted it so, but I believe my husband did what he did because he wanted to do it, but I don’t want to talk about it. It is something that brings me tears; not what I wished for myself. I believe in marriage, my parents gave me the right values which I have based my life over the years. I believe that some people come into your life for a purpose and once they accomplish that purpose, they would move and life would continue from where you think it stops.

You must have been over-pampered since your father gave birth to you at his old age.

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I don’t think so. I am the last child in the family of nine children actually, but my dad is one of those with European mentality. He is regimented and wants things done the best way possible. And since I am someone who is very ambitious, I left home very early in life. At 17, I was already a classroom teacher in the Orile area of Lagos and was sending money home. I got married at age 20 and gave birth to my first child at 21. Then, people would joke about it saying a baby had given birth to a baby because I was so fragile. At that same 21, I went into the banking industry after I completed my computer programme. Now, when I look at the photographs I took then, I laugh. I was fragile, but could do so much. That kept me on. I had the second child at 23 and at 26, I had stopped having children. My first born, a boy, would be 20 this year while my second child would be 17 in January. My last born is 14 years old.

Maybe that’s the secret of your youthful look.

You just said so. Can’t you see the wrinkles?

There is this belief that female politicians are prone to sexual harassments. What is your experience?

Looking at me, do I look like someone that could easily be harassed? It is all about knowing who you are and your carriage. If I don’t carry myself as one who can be easily harassed, why would you want to harass me? It amounts to assault and I can take you up on that. There are so many things we do to women that we think are normal, but which we could be charged for. Nobody can harass me; it is not possible. I have instances where someone would say they did it to a female legislator and they would go, but I ask them if I look like that person they harassed. Carriage is important in whatever we do.

What is your philosophy of life?

If you don’t identify who you are, people would give you the wrong identity. What I know about myself is what has convinced people about me. I have discovered myself, so nobody needs to see me differently. Know where you are going or people would mislead you. Don’t wait until people start giving you names; give yourself a name and people would know you.

2015 is close. What should we be looking at from you?

I want to repeat my class.