Mrs.? Ebere Ifendu is a legal practitioner and the woman leader of the Labour Party. In this brief chat with RUTH CHOJI, she urged Mr. President to give women more slots in other sectors of the economy. Excerpts:
Ondo State chairman of the Labour Party (LP) recently resigned his position and left the party. What does this portend for the party in that state?
\We are not talking about personal interest, we are talking about good governance that will trickle down. We understand and the people of Ondo State understand what happened and why he did what he did. Are we in power for our own personal benefit or to better the lot of the people? You have to get worried when? people complain, not when? an indivudal complains. I asked the people of the state whether the governor is doing well or not; we now have free education, free medical care and so many other good things that the people are enjoying. When we want to talk about this, let us not talk about the rich who can afford all these, if an individual is not happy with him, but the generality of people are happy with him, then it is okay.
What is your take on the seven parties that were proscribed by INEC recently?
It is in the Electoral Act, I agree there is freedom of association as enshrined in the Constitution, but if the parties feel aggrieved, they should go to court.
Would you agree that the? EFCC and ICPC be merged to function as one?
They should be allowed to work independently, because doing merging them will increase corruption. EFCC is doing well under Farida Waziri, I also think that ICPC is doing well, they should be allowed to operate separately.
As the woman leader of a party, how do you feel when women fail woefully during the general elections?
We did well in the area of creating awareness, but I will also say that we didn’t start early in the sense that most women waited until? most political parties had selected their officers, after committees had been set and so on. I always say that women must come out early, identify with a political party and get involved in the activity of the party. Like now that we have just finished the elections, men are already working towards 2015, but where are the women? Men will tell you that they have already started and will contest in 2015 and already working towards that. Women have this attitude of waiting until things are handed over to them.
Most women are not there when delegates are chosen, and who will vote for you then? But in a situation where you participate and put yourself together, then people will take you serious. Another? thing is that, women don’t groom themselves in politics, it is not a one day thing, politics is something you grow with and groom for. Again, if I think that I am qualified to go to the House of Assembly, why would I insist that I must go to the House of Representatives? Start from the scratch, we don’t have that culture, it is better you build yourself from even councillorship and allow people to know you; but in a situation where you are coming from America, people don’t even know you, and yet you want to contest elections, the people must know you first.
Would you say that this administration has been able to meet up with the 35 percent Affirmative Action?
Well, they have done well in the ministerial appointments, let us not? look at it as in only ministerial appointment. There are other slots like DGs, board chairmen,? and the rest, so? I will ask? Mr. President to add more women into the system, because they perform better than men.