By Ebunoluwa Sessou

Screen veteran and politician, Modele Sharafa Yusuf is a gubernatorial aspirant under the umbrella of the All Progressives Congress, APC. As a female politician, Sharafa Yusuf says she is not intimidated by the men folk as she faces the APC primaries alongside other contenders in the same party. In this interview, the first female Nigerian sports caster speaks with WO on her aspirations, optimism and agenda if voted as the number citizen of Ogun State.

What is your opinion about women’s roles in the current political movement in Nigeria?

I am very happy about the involvement of more women in politics. There are more aspirants at different levels, there are more civil society organisations championing women’s causes and actively supporting them. Women at the grassroots are getting more savvy and looking at the big picture rather than immediate gains during elections.  I am heartened by the whole scenario.

Do you think, the men folk are ready for 35 percent affirmative action?

If the initial rejection of the 5 women-centric bills by the male dominated National Assembly was anything to go by, one would have answered “no”.

But since The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the government to comply with the 35% affirmative action for women, which allows women occupy 35% of all appointments, it is safe to say that the men are ready especially since it was a male judge – Justice Donatus Okorowa who gave that ruling. Let’s hope the government at all the levels will comply.

Beyond these, we hope more women will step out to run for office and when they attain the heights to which they aspire, we hope they will give a good account of themselves and be standard bearers for other women.

Nigerian politics is not about expression of interest and purchasing of form; do you think, women including yourself can withstand the storm?

Nigerian politics is definitely much more than the purchase of forms and the declaration of intent. It is about intrigues and horse trading, alliances and coalitions. It can be dangerous and treacherous. The back end is anything but glamorous and it is a very expensive venture. However, it can also be very exciting and if you have people skills, a tough skin and confidence in a higher being, then you will survive and even thrive.

What I also find is that once you are bitten by the political bug, there is often no going back!

Can I withstand the storm? I will try my best. I have never been afraid of challenges and this is just another challenge- albeit a very big one.

We have already recorded the biggest victory- and that is victory over fear. The other things will fall in place according to God’s plans for the state

There is an adage that says power is not served A la-Carte; do you think this adage is affecting the involvement of women in governance in both appointive and elective positions?

Power is definitely not given, it is taken.  Many men feel power is something that belongs to them and a woman seeking power -to do good- can be seen as wanting to take what they believe is theirs! They will therefore try to bully and intimidate you. In many cultures, when they say a woman is “ambitious” it is not always a compliment! However, when a woman is strong but appropriately feminine at the same time, men feel more comfortable entrusting you with power. So I think the formula is to strike that delicate balance- don’t act like what the English call a dumb broad but don’t try to be manly either. Women bring a different set of skills to the table. They are more likely to be conciliatory, caring, and competent.

Women in political office prioritize efforts to advance rights, promote equality and leverage opportunities for everyone. 

Evidence abounds that women leaders are more likely to respond to public needs and tend to cooperate across party lines.

My vision is to be a transformative and inclusive leader and to make Ogun the state of choice for people to live, work and play as a result of its business, educational and cultural opportunities; as a result of it, it is safety, vibrancy, livability and connectedness.

Ogun State is a home of powerful male politicians. How do you break even as a woman especially with your interest to become governor of the State?

Ogun state is also one of the most enlightened and politically savvy states in the country.  We are pacesetters.

We did a survey before this declaration and we are comfortable that the people of Ogun are ready for a female governor and would favourably consider a competent woman. Our experience on the field is proof that this is the case and we are encouraged.

One of the reasons I believe political participation for women should be a priority is that it is not only a goal in of itself but also an enabler for gender equality. We want to inspire younger women to aspire to political positions. It’s time to break the jinx.

Are you optimistic that you will get the position or you are using your intention to get a slot for yourself?

I will be the next Governor of Ogun state by God’s grace. If I wanted to get a slot for myself as you said, I will just align myself with a politician and wait to be “given an appointment” as they say in politics.

I have an innate ability to dream big, challenge assumptions and inspire teams. I know how to translate big ideas into concrete action and results. We have a robust base of support and once we win the primaries by the grace of God we will come out in full force and you will see the result of all our hard work.

Ogun State is an industrial hub for Nigeria. Unfortunately, the level of civilization and modernization is rather worrisome, what would you do differently?

Ogun is destined to be a dynamic and globally competitive state but it has, sadly, been plagued by apparently inefficient allocation of resources.

I realised that what’s stopped us from meeting the challenges of our state is not the absence of sound policies and sensible plans.

At our stage of development, politics should be about programs. How do we lift our people out of poverty? How do we partner with youths who constitute more than 60 percent of our population to achieve the tomorrow of their dreams?

We clearly still have a long way to go in maximizing the potentials of our people and there’s an urgent need to tackle poverty. I am very emotional about this because poverty not only impacts the present, it impairs the future. Poverty makes it difficult for those who have the ability to do something to actually do it because if you don’t have cultural and institutional support for a habit of learning and intellectual activity, your chances of success are limited.

Poverty is such a powerful constraint on capitalization that it can reduce a child to a lifetime of mediocrity.

So for democracy to be meaningful, it has to address the needs of the people. We cannot eat democracy. It is important to create jobs, to improve education and health, and economic development. People need to have clean water. People need to have access to power and energy.

For a few years now, people- especially young people- have looked on in disappointment and frustration as their hopes for a new dawn have been dashed.

The desired change for a better and prosperous state can only happen if citizens’ participation in democratic and political institutions is expanded. I believe it can only happen when the best candidates are put forward ab initio.

We will work with the best brains to deliver quality, people-focused public services with an emphasis on public safety, responsible planning for economic growth and infrastructure improvements.

In pursuit of our mission, we will use data to make decisions and measure progress based on economic, social and environmental factors.

The security situation in Ogun has worsened over the last few months, how do you intend to tackle this?

The orgy of violence in Ogun state in recent times leaves me heartbroken & worried for the future.

Ogun State’s strength is in location, land, natural resources and human resources. For a state so blessed, what we witness in cult & gang-related activities, ritual killings etc is totally unacceptable.

Security of lives & property is the number one duty of a responsible government and we must do more to keep the citizenry safe & the state secure in order to retain the current investment levels & attract more.

In most societies, criminal offending and victimization are disproportionately concentrated among individuals with low socioeconomic status living in economically disadvantaged areas. In Ogun state, the youth comprises about 70% of the population with the majority being underemployed and unemployed. By the way; the young are three times more likely than adults to be unemployed. A growing subset of these young people is what we call the NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) group. These ones are stalled and hard to reach. They remain at particular risk of both social and labour market exclusion and therefore prone to criminality.

Because mass unemployment & underemployment exacerbate inequalities & fuel a sense of resentment, unemployed & underemployed people are often more at risk of depression, anxiety and stress. These occasionally lead to violence & it is my view that tackling unemployment & underemployment is a first step to keeping us all safe.

Apart from internal security which will seek to fight the menace of organized crimes, our Security policy will therefore encompass addressing socio-economic inequalities, & the geographic disparities between developed & under-developed areas of the state.

The security plan would provide for pursuing youth-focused policies since the idle hand is the devil’s workshop, we would also work on guaranteeing food security, improving preventive healthcare, and mainstreaming environmental protection. I also know, though, that there would be criminals regardless of other opportunities and so some of our plans to tackle insecurity would include building smart cities to ensure high levels of surveillance & well-coordinated responses.

Motivating & incentivizing the law enforcement agencies.

Further encouraging collaboration between government & the private sector to ensure the funding and effective management of the Ogun State Security Trust Fund.

We will ensure all the police divisions & area commands have the required logistics including operational vehicles & communication equipment to discharge their duties. We will train & equip the Amotekun Corps to complement police efforts.

Human Capital Development, such as education and training, is a critical policy lever to prevent the adverse effects of job displacement on the economic, social and psychological well-being of individuals.

We also have to lead by example. A morally deficient leader cannot command the respect of the people or tell them to walk the straight and narrow path.

Real leadership is based on the personal qualities and character of an individual. It is about social skills, not only power and control.