Interview

Vosa Okotie Opens Up On Gov. Okowa

Vosa Okotie 1Frontline female politician Hon. Vosa Okotie, a staunch member of Chief James Ibori Political dynasty added another year recently. Hon. Okotie who had served as Special Assistance on Women Empowerment had also contested for the State House of Assembly, and House of Representatives.

Speaking with journalists at her birthday, she took us through the Okotie entertainment dynasty, why she deviated from becoming a newscaster into politics, her experience in Prisons barracks, women in politics, the emergence of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as governor of Delta State, her passion with perfumes and more…

What is it like adding another year?

Every time we do our birthdays, we are happy because we know that the blessing of God is flowing over our lives. That is necessary, because some people do one birthday, and before the next one they are called home. But it has pleased the Lord to keep us alive. So I am very grateful to Almighty God.

What was it like growing up?

Growing up was really interesting, because my father worked in the Prisons officer cadre. So, they used to move him from place to place. I benefited a lot from the prisoners. When I was growing up I did not know how to do anything because as Prisons officer, prisoners were assigned to the house on daily basis, and they will cook, wash and clean, in fact they will keep the whole environment tidy. So up until I went to secondary school as a boarding student, I did not know how to wash. Even my school mother then, when she gives me clothes to wash, I will be crying and she eventually taught me how to wash. Childhood was very interesting.

How would you describe your family?

My family was very closely knit. Up till now we are still very closely knit. We are a very strong family; we have each other’s back. And I tell you, since this past eight years that I have been in Delta State that I was not given anything by the Uduaghan government, even though I worked for him, I say it all the time and I stand to be challenged, it is my brother, Pastor Kris Okotie that has kept me going. He makes sure that I lacked nothing. He has always been there for all of us. I just thank God for taking him to a greater height. And today he is a very influential person in the society. And in terms of wealth, God has really blessed him. Even when nothing was done for me here, I didn’t even realize it because I still live my life the way I have always known it. In all my life I have never lacked. I don’t know what it means to lack.

Any flair for fashion?

Fashion is how you are able to bring out yourself in terms of the things you wear: your shoes, clothes, bags, jewelries and how you are able to mix them. But I am not very crazy about it, because as you can see I am not slim, I am plump. When you are plump, you are not too crazy about fashion because you have to watch it. All my life I have always had this weight problem. Even when I was a little girl, I battled it all my life. Everybody in the family know Vosa as the big person in the house. Ironically, I barely eat. I think I took it from my mum, she is plum and very hippy.

What are your beauty Tips?

Do I have any? Whatever look I have belongs to God Almighty because I use the cheapest soap that costs just N250. But I know there are soaps in the market that sells for between five thousand and six thousand naira for a bar. I also know that there are creams that sell from seventeen thousand naira and above. Where will I see that kind of money? So, I really don’t have beauty tips. My cream is about N450 only. The only passion I have is perfume I love lots of brands like Palermo Picasso, Channel and so many other designs. I also like trying out new designs.

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Please tell us about your marital life?

That is a no, no. All I can tell you is that I hope to remarry again. My children are okay. They are doing fine. I’m believing God, and I am trusting Him that he is going to make that possible for me, because I am still a young woman and I hope to marry a Godly man that I can serve the lord with. I try to stay away from anything that is going to prevent me from reaching that goal, such as going after people’s husbands. I chose that part because when you are believing God for anything, you have to do it God’s way. If not, it will be difficult for you to achieve and attain your goal.

Your family and music?

My family is showbiz inclined that is why you see that my family tend to go in that direction. I am a shy person and not cut out for that, but even after leaving music as a career, pastor still does his thing in his church. You can’t imagine the number of ever green songs he has written that will make hits if they are waxed. I am happy that my sister Lorene is staging a return in a couple of months. She was ready when virus affected her master tape recently. Then there was this guy who was part of the project. When he had a problem with the family, Lorene felt she could not go on with him. So there was a break.

It is like starting with the album production all over. My sister Lorene is somebody that is very tenacious. She believes that God has given her the talent, and she is determined. She has a wonderful voice, so she can’t wait to come out, especially as her fan base has become so large, and everybody is just waiting for her return to what she knows how to do best. I assure her fans that a rebranded Lorene is coming back better, and she is still looking radiant. I am so happy as my younger brother who is based in England was in the country recently, and he has written a lot of amazing songs for Lorene.

In Okotie’s family it is either you are a pastor or a singer. I am an evangelist, my immediate elder sister; Tina is also called into the ministry. This has even gone down to the second generation as my nephews and nieces are also toeing same line. I am most grateful to God as we remain as one united family.

What led you into politics and what has been your experience?

Actually, I would say it was by mistake. I had been out of the country. When my younger sister (Lorene Okotie) and I came into Delta State in 2002, it was Senator Ighoyota Amori, a wonderful man, who introduced us into politics. But it was the then Governor James Ibori that had brought us into the mainstream. That is how it works here in Nigeria. In other civilized countries everybody is given equal opportunity, it doesn’t matter if you are a woman or not. It is a level playing field, so long you know what you want to achieve for your people.

Unfortunately, when we got here we discovered that women are not given the same opportunity as men in politics! Here women have to struggle a lot harder. If there are 20 positions women will be left just three. I think women have made their marks really, and I believe that if given same opportunity, women will prove themselves more as they have always done in all fields of human endeavor.

Why People Democratic Party and not Pastor’s Fresh Democratic Party?

The truth of the matter is that I have been in PDP before Pastor now decided that he was starting Fresh Democratic Party. It was a new party, we had a discussion and he gave me his blessings, because I had been building my career already in PDP.

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If you were not in Politics, what would you have been doing?

I would have been in the media, because my first degree was in Mass Communications at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and I specialized in film production. I can produce films, and I intend to do that. I have written some scripts which I am working on. And when I have a sponsor, I will hit the location. My father had always wanted me to become a newscaster. He felt I have the voice and a good face, but I was not really crazy about that. Just go and sit down and be reading news. So I thought production was more challenging and I went for it. So if I am not in politics I will be a producer. I still will be a producer because I know that I can manage both of them together.

Had you ran for any office, and are you willing to run again?

Yes, but it ended at the primary level in 2007 when I contested for House of Assembly. That was when Ibori was about leaving office. I asked him if I should contest, and he gave me his words; though a lot of things later came into play as he later asked me to step down. And that Dr. Emmanuel Udughan will facilitate it for me, when he eventually comes in, as we were working to bring Uduaghan in as governor.

Unfortunately, when Uduaghan came in, even when we had worked for him through Ibori, he didn’t do anything for us. Despite all the money we spent and efforts we put in, including taking all my delegates to Ogwashi Uku where we ensured he was voted in. Again I contested for House of Representative in 2011 as it was zoned to my Abraka people. Initially, Uduaghan had said we should all go to the field and let the best candidate emerge.

So, we all came out and after spending very huge sums of money, we are talking about a federal constituency with all the delegates involved during the primaries, Uduaghan again asked us to step down, yet nothing was done to compensate us. At least I can speak for myself.

I have been in politics now for 13 years and except for self-efforts, I have not benefited from it, except when Ibori initially made me a Special Assistant on Women Empowerment.

So why not quit?

Politics… I must tell you is very interesting because apart from elections, women make things colourful. I will be contesting again, because I have learnt a lot from the two times experience. I know basically that with God on our side, especially now that we have a good man of God as our governor, things will work out well. He is a believer. I thank God because I have known him since 2002 when I came. We all worked together in Ibori’s government. We call it system people. And I believe that if you go to him and inform him of your intentions to run, he will be forthright with you to go and try or not. He is straight forward person.

I am the happiest person for Okowa’s government. People could not believe my joy when Okowa won. Because I remember that time when there was all the maneuverings in Ogwashi Uku before the emergence of Uduaghan, and the promises that Ibori made to him. I thank the Almighty because I know that he is going to turn the state around for the good of all Deltans. Delta is a blessed state that will now take its proper position as a high ranking state in Nigeria. It is not a very big state and we have huge allocations that have not been properly managed. I think that with a good governor who has the fear of God at heart, I think that Delta State will be great under his administration.

What are your views on Okowa’s strides so far, especially reversal of civil service recent employments?

I think that things should be properly done. As it is today, civil servants are not getting paid and someone is bringing so many more people, where will they get the money to pay them? Besides, why didn’t the outgoing governor employ them all these years and be paying them? Why is he transferring the burden to the incoming administration when he knows that the state is running at zero level as we speak? Aside from that the process was highly flawed as people from Onitsha and other towns in neighbouring state paid a lot of money to buy off the slots. With some paying as much as a million naira for an employment! And you don’t expect the governor to stand for a thing like that when there are so many unemployed graduates roaming the streets; yet the available offers are sold to non-Deltans? It is unbelievable. I think they have set up a committee, and at the end of the day we will be able to know exactly what happened.

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How will you assess Okowa so far?

The life of Governor Okowa has been and will remain a big source of inspiration to a lot of us who are politicians. It just goes to show that anything you are doing in this world, just look up to God because He has the final say. It is really not of him that willet or him that runneth, it is of God that showeth mercy. Man can plan, man can do all manners of things, but God alone has the final say. When I look at Okowa’s life, I am so inspired, and because it shows that it is not over for most of us, as we have also suffered a lot of misfortune that Okowa suffered in his political career. It just goes to show that God looks at the heart.

People see politicians as rogues and people without conscience. How do you view such insinuation?

Well, I think that because of the way things are going in the country that is why. Politics has become a do or die thing, because people believe that once you go in there, you have an unlimited access to wealth, influence and all of that. In a way it is true, because the amount of money I hear they get at the National Assembly from the grapevine, I don’t know how far it is true. With senators receiving N40 million quarterly, and House of Reps members pocketing N28 million, people will kill to get such money, when all you do is to sit down doing nothing, after three months of sitting down you get that kind of money? A lot of time they travel they don’t attend plenary!

You see it is not just about serving the people, but what you can get. That is why when they go out of office, in no time, their lifestyle changes. It becomes difficult for them to take care of themselves. That is why I am really proud of myself. For eight years of nothing, yet I look better than when I was in government because I am somebody that  I really don’t sit down in one place as I get myself busy, which I think politicians should imbibe that culture to stop depending so much on government. The first thing they should think is how to work for the people. Not having people running around them and all you do is give out handouts.

That is not good enough. If you are in a position, use it for the benefit of your people. Either you give out scholarship or something that your people will benefit from. Look at what transpired at the center, you have people embezzling pension funds all kinds of things and nobody is doing anything about it. That is why people have that perception as corruption has become synonymous with politics.