By NBF News
Listen to article

Mrs. Vivian Okadigbo is the daughter of former Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the late Clement Akpamgbo. In this interview with Daily Sun , the advocate of multi-party system spoke on her political ambition to represent Anambra State in the House of Representatives and the challenges of democratic reforms.

You carry the name of the Okadigbos.`
Do you have any relationship with the former Senate President, the late Chuba Okadigbo?

The younger brother of the former Senate President,  Chuba Okadigbo, Mr. Henry Okadigbo, is my husband. I'm married into the family of the former Senate President.

My father was an encyclopedia of law and a very successful Senior Advocate of Nigeria [SAN]. So he worked to instill a lot of discipline in his children while we were growing up. Because he was highly disciplined, he inculcated the same discipline in us.

He was someone who gets up by 4 or 5 am to read. I still remember what he used to tell us that hard work doesn't kill. I learnt a lot from him and I got the stamina to do what I'm doing from his admonition to us that you can be whatever you want to be in life.

He used to tell us that if one person does something, another person can do much better. I learnt that from him and it has helped me a lot both in my younger days and adult life.

But why did  you chose to read a course other than Law?

Well, politics has always been my passion. I have always been occupied with how I can make an impact in the country. So I have always had this passion growing up as a child and also had the passion of becoming a lawyer. Initially before I went to the university, I had the intention of becoming an attorney before I finished my first degree and I decided to get married. So I temporarily forgot about the legal profession and went into education. All well and good, it has worked out fine because I have really done a lot in education as well.

You were very close to your father. What fond memories of him do you still remember?

My father was a very calm person who as I said had a lot of discipline and this impacted on us a lot. I was very close to my father and during his last days, he spent most of his time receiving his medical treatment in America because I lived in America. I stayed with my father for quite some months and I was basically his care giver before he passed on in the United States. I was very close to him and I will miss him a lot.

What was your relationship with the late Okadigbo?
He was a prominent person, as you know. We were also close. Chuba Okadigbo would call me any time he came to the US, 'my daughter; I can remember vividly when his wife would say, 'this is not your daughter, this is your brother's wife.' He would say 'no, no, no, I don't care, this is my daughter and that is what I will call her.' So, everybody would laugh. That was the kind of relationship we had.

At what stage did it cross your mind  that you would be involved in active politics like you are doing now?

I would say a lot of things influenced me. A lot of things made me want to go into politics. The  drift in our country and the development in Anambra State in particular. What do we intend to do with the vision 2020 plan and  the 2011 elections? How do we help the people of Oyi Local Government, which is my area? How do we make an impact in the lives of those people? Those are the things that inspired me to go into politics.

I decided to come home to see how I can make an impact on the lives of the people. Also, I have done a lot in the US in community service. I'm involved in orphanages, formation of some foundations. I was very involved in Obama's health care reform. So I paused and said to myself why can't I come out and make an impact in the life of Nigerians, in the life of Anambrarians, instead of doing what I'm doing only in the US. I'm not saying that it is a bad thing what I'm doing in the US but I am from Nigeria, why can't I bring the same thing I do there and impact on the lives of Nigerians, positively.

You are a woman, do you think you have all it takes to contest for political office in Nigeria especially Anambra State which is regarded as a hot political zone?

Thank you for that question. Of course , I know there will be obstacles but one thing I know is that for you to make any move you have to take a step forward. So, I'm not worried about the obstacles.

I'm worried about how to go about doing the job that needs to be done to change the lives of Anambrarians positively. Any thing one is doing in life there has to be obstacles. Be it running for political office or taking any position, anything in life you're going to meet obstacles along the way. But that is not even the issue right now because there will always be obstacles along the way.

What is you position on the on-going electoral reform?

It is a good idea if it is going to be done holistically. For instance, people should be given the opportunity of at least five political parties. Two political parties as some people are canvassing may not be good for the country. Multi-party system is still the best for the country to allow people who have different ideological opinions to air their views. The political space should be as open as possible.

But are you satisfied with the input  of the National Assembly?

Well, I have always talked about the Justices Mohammed Uwais Report. I have always said that the Uwais Report should be adopted and put in place. If the report is adopted, we can then begin to talk about what follows. I really think that the report should be adopted and implemented. President Goodluck Jonathan has said that Nigerians would have credible election. I believe him because I think he will do it.

The desire of every Nigerian is that we have a credible election come 2011. Nigerians are willing to have a credible election. The international community is also waiting for a credible election in Nigeria and President Jonathan has given his word that there will be credible election. We should all work towards having credible election come 2011 general election.

Let us look at the issue of zoning of the Presidency. Are you an apostle of zoning? Should Jonathan contest the 2011 election as President?

Frankly speaking, I don't believe in all that. Everybody should be given an opportunity to become whatever he wants to be provided he is qualified and credible.

Nigerians are not concerned about zoning. What Nigeria need is good and quality leadership that would transform the country. What an average Nigerian want is food, employment, power and security whoever that can make these things happen is what Nigerians want,  not zoning.

Jonathan has the right to contest for any elective position as any other Nigerian.

You talked about change coming, what exactly do you want to change if elected into the House of Representatives?

The wind of change is already blowing around the country or are you not feeling it?  The wind of change is blowing across the world. I think the youth should also be given opportunity. Everyone can be whatever he  or she wants to be in life. We have to inspire the youth of this country. We need to tell them what needs to be done to move the country forward.

When I say change, I'm talking about what could be done for the people of Anambra State. What can be done for the people of Nigeria. For example, unemployment is at its highest level. A lot of kids are not in school. I went to Oyi Local Government most of the pupils don't even have anything to write on. I'm an educator and this is my passion. They don't have computers in their schools and most of them are not even able to go to school.

A woman was telling me that there is no money for her to send her children to school. I feel their pains because this is what I havedone all my life. I am thinking seriously that we should encourage education in whatever we are doing. We have to think about how to bring the level of unemployment down to the barest minimum. Power is another important sector of our national life. We were told that N16 billion was given to fix the power sector but not much was done. People that are given contracts must be told what is expected of them to do. We need to educate and inform them.

Besides, I want to work for improving the standard and quality of life for every man, woman and child in our great nation. I also want to encourage the growth of economic, health; endeavouring to promote government and citizen relations through empowering human rights and freedoms within the sphere of constitutionality.