Were you paid for the Imo
State endorsement?
No, I wasn’t. It was my
Governor’s idea. He is a man of
vision. Today, everybody says a
new face of this …new face of
that. But truly, the New face
concept started off in Imo
state. Governor Ohakim came up
with the concept, and I was
approached to execute the
project. And honestly, I didn ’t
know it would be so well
accepted that I should be
identified with all that is good
about Imo state.
I really like to thank him for the
honour because it is one thing
for you to have done well, and it
is another thing for the people
to recognise your effort, and
want to identify with the image
that you have created. So I did
it. I wasn ’t paid for it. Although,
there was an honorarium for
my clothes and the likes. Not
that I would have wanted to be
paid. There are things that you
do for the sake of community or
society and it was really my
honour to be able to do that.
And how does that make you
feel?
The fact that my picture adorns
the concept means much to me.
It says this is our daughter in
whom we are well pleased. So,
to have her image welcome you
into Imo state means we
approve and love her, we
equally love what she is doing-
that ’s the acceptance I am
talking about.
Relocating to Imo state from
Lagos to serve your people
on a political platform. Was it
what you bargained for?
I have always been involved
with anything my people are
doing back home. My input in
my community has been very
strong. I keep it on the low side
because there is one thing I
learnt from my upbringing- if
you are doing charity work, it is
your commitment. The world
does not need to know about it.
The only time they should know
is if you need publicity to do
more. If you go back to my
village, you ’ll feel my impact. God
chose to put me for his own
reason in a small town in Aro
Ndizuogu.
In politics, I have asked Him
(God), what do you want me to
do? I never felt I would come
out (to do politics) even though
I was born to a man who was a
high flyer in politics. It never
occurred to me until the time
came and God put it in my mind
that this is where I want you to
go. It didn ’t make sense to me
initially- this local government
thing. A lot of people would ask
me, why local government? It
didn ’t make sense to me too. If I
was the one who came up with
the idea (participating in
politics), I wouldn ’t have
thought about local
government.
Where would you have
considered?
Possibly, the senate,
governorship or even the
presidency. I am good for it. You
are good for it too. God said,I
am sending you to the local
government because that is the
closest to the people and that is
where you can make a mark
very quickly and sow. It is not
about Onyeka Onwenu really. It
is about doing what I can at
that level. I insist that if you can
get it right at that level, you
have got it right.
How many times have you
contested?
It is my second time. I wanted
to quit after the first time
because I saw a lot and I wasn’t
happy. Imagine that my party
said, you are the flag bearer and
some people said , No, she can ’t
be. We won’t let her. These are
high flyer people and because
they were scared that this
woman was going to perform
and then she ’ d show us off as
incompetent. And once you set a
precedence, anybody coming
after you will have to meet that
standard, if he can ’t do better.
This was the fear. They
appreciate and understand that
the people want me and that I
am in a position to change
things, given my commitment. I
don ’t have any other magic,
except that my heart is in there
100 per cent.
Maybe, the first time you
tried wasn ’t the right time?
It’s God’s time. I did go down in
prayers. I grew up in a Christian
home and we seek God ’s face in
everything that we do. I have
no apologies about that and I
am not ashamed of it. When I
sought the face of the Lord and
asked,were you not the one
who sent me? He said, yes. I
said, why didn’t I win? He said, I
didn’t say you would win the
first time. I said, Come out and
you came out. Now go back
again. Surprisingly, I didn ’t want
to, but he said Go back and here
I am.
Beyond the council level
now, you are involved in
service to the people of Imo
state at another level. Tell us
about it.
Yes, indeed. The appointment I
got was to be the chairman of
the board of Imo State Council
for Arts and Culture. When my
governor sent me there, he
called me and said, Look, there is
nothing there. It has been so run
down that what is happening
there is really bad. That is why I
am sending you because I know
you are capable of rescuing that
place. And in six months, we did
it to the point that he bragged
with us (the council).
Can we talk about the council
that you met, what you have
done so far and how you
were able to change it.
There was nothing there. The
grass was so overgrown. No
morale, nothing. When I got in
there, I nearly cried because all
that I could see was potential.
Imo people are very vibrant. In
terms of culture, it is us. We are
the heartland. I cried because I
saw the beauty, talent and all
but no motivation. The council
didn ’t even have a bank account.
So, how was it operating?
I don’t know. And when we
came in, there was opposition.
But little by little, they could see
our commitment. I am the
chairman but the board was
willing to work. Sometimes,
when we go for cultural fiestas,
I would lead the troupe in front
– dancing and wearing the
traditional outfit. I mobilise
everyone and when we get into
the arena, you will know that
something is happening.
Everything started to turn
around. So, after fighting
initially, they (oppositions) now
accepted and we began to work
together. Then, we started
refurbishing and putting up a
building based on our
subvention and the money we
were making at the side. Now
we are asking for accountability
where there wasn ’t any. They
didn’t see a board which was
coming to chop money. We
were spending our money. They
don ’t pay me any salary. They
just pay me sitting allowance
which is not even enough to
cover my expenses. So, this was
the example that we set but we
can even do more and we are
striving to do more. And now
that the governor has agreed
that we should go on 100
percent, we have new ideas and
if I am there for another six
months, we are going to do
more to make him proud.
What happens to your local
government intentions if
your governor offers you a
commissionership post?
(Laughter) I think he knows that
I will prefer to go to my local
government and he is very
sensitive to such things. He
knows that anywhere you put
me, I will give it my best but I
am sent for a purpose.
What if there is an offer?
We will cross that bridge when
we get there. He won ’t do that
because he knows how
passionate I am about the local
government, even before he
became governor. We have had
opportunity to talk. What he has
come to do is to provide an
enabling environment, creating
the proverbial level playing
ground and let the people put
me there. That is the mandate
by which I should be there- the
peoples. Don ’t put me there
because I have money to share
because I won ’t share. I don’t
give or take bribes. If I bribe
you today to work for you, I am
not going to work. I am going to
steal your money and make back
what I have given out. I won ’t
bribe anybody. When I was
saying this, they said, she is
naive. I said, I am not. I told
God when I was going there
that, If I get in there, I will do it
your way. If I can ’t do it your
way, don’t let me get in there .
Because, what is it? You go and
make that money, you lose your
pride, the name you have
laboured to make, your father
and mother ’s name, all because
of money you can make
elsewhere and even make more.
What is it about the local
government that so attracts
you?
It is very simple. Get it right at
that level and you have saved
this country. It is closest to the
people. I will be the president
that they see; the governor
closest to them and that is why
you have 774 local governments
in Nigeria. If they are
functioning, let the state do its
job too. By serving at the local
government level, you can
execute policies and see directly
if they are working or not. It is
very important. We have left it
for the wrong people and that is
why we are suffering. But I can
do it excellently because I have a
sense of integrity and
everything I have done has
been done passionately.
And what about your
opposition?
We have the best relationships
now. We are friends now. They
are my supporters.
So you might run
unopposed?
No. You will always have
contenders and its good to have
people that will keep you on
your toes. I don ’t want an
unopposed scene.
And what happens to your
music?
Music and entertainment are
going to drive development in
my politics because it is a huge
sector. Entertainment is the
biggest employer of labour in
the world. Why can ’t we use it?
So, what plans do you have
for the local government?
First of all, the monthly
allocation will be used to
develop the place. An enabling
environment for education will
be created. I have a foundation
– the DK Onwenu Foundation,
giving out scholarships right
now. Teachers will be taken care
of. You might be wondering,
æwhere will she get the money
to do all these? We are not even
going to rely on the subvention
that will be coming on a
monthly basis. We are relying on
galvanizing the people of Ideato
to come together and help
themselves. There are agencies
all over the world that when
they bring money to work in
Nigeria because the
environment is not so good,
they take the money back. They
will bring their money this time,
get their money ’s worth and
attract world-wide attention.
Back to your music.
I am just coming out with a CD.
The introduction had been done,
last week. I am still entertaining.
How is it coping with
politics, music, motherhood
and all that.
If I tell you it has been easy, I
will be lying about handling
motherhood and all that. I am a
care-giver. I live with a 91-year-
old woman – very strong,
capable and smart upstairs. She
engages me, believe me. I have
got people at home in Aro
Ndizogu to take care of. Same in
Obosi – my mother’s village. So,
you can do all things through
Christ who strengthens because
it is not by might.
How is it working with
young producers when in
the past, you were involved
in your own production?
I am the executive producer and
all the producers are young
people just like I am a young
lady (laughter). They were all
excited. They had a good time. I
didn ’t know that God had a
reason for it (the album) taking
so long. Some of these songs
had been bubbling in my heart
from way back. Some I had done
before, like Nso Nso for the
Christians. We also did a remake
of the Peace song which is now
called Maryam ’s Peace. That song
is for Maryam Babangida. She
asked me to write it to celebrate
peace in 1988. And before her
death, I was canvassing the idea
of remaking a modern version
of it and then using her in the
video as lead role because it is
her song. And then she passed
away. The lines that used to
say,May our lives be filled with
love. May our days be long and
happy is now when you came,
you filled us with love. You
made our days so o o lovely
(goes silent in sobs and tears). I
will want to present it to the
family because we need to
remember Maryam Babangida.
She showed us how women
should hold their head up. We
(women) came into our own
because of Maryam and she
took a lot of knocks for it. She
took them (the knocks) with
grace and dignity. I know it is
not a popular idea, what I am
canvassing but good or not, it
was when they started wearing
ankara that we started
patronising our designers and
the industry has changed for
the better. It was Maryam that
we saw wearing the ankara, so
we wore it.
The album
It is called The Legend. It is two
CDs in one pack. Each contains
seven songs. When you hear
what ID Cabassa did on
Maryam ’s Peace song, it is one
track that will make you flip. It
speaks to your inner self such
that when I listen to it, I am
inspired. Many of the songs
were not written. I would come
in with an idea of maybe just
two lines and within 30
minutes, I have the whole song.
As for Cobhams, he forced me to
write about my father. We did
the song together. The back up
vocalist broke down twice. We
were all crying. The girls (back
up vocalist) father wasn ’t dead
but she said, I want to go home
and hug my dad. When my
mother heard, she said, ehn,ehn,
you wrote a song for your
father. I said, Yes. Remember, I
sang for you first. So don ’t go
there. We owe the fathers. Even
if your father is dead, give to
charity in his memorial. Do
something in their honour.
There is another song, Kosi. You
won ’t be able to sit down
listening to it. If you ask
everybody who worked with
me, from ID Cabassa, Cobhams,
Wole Oni, Yemi, they ’ll tell you.
Even the ones I re-mixed, I didn’t
write them down. We will be
there and sometimes, the
presence of the Holy Spirit will
be strong and we will just have
to stop and start praising God. If
you listen to the song Nso Nso,
it will get to a point and you’ll
hear me speaking in tongues in
the background.
I was doing the lead when he
(the Holy Spirit) just took me
over.
So, I feel like an outsider
standing by and appreciating
what God has done in this
recording. When He said to me
that I am going to do something
that hasn ’t been done before, I
didn’t understand. He did it not
to glorify anybody but himself.
On motherhood
I have three boys, including my
nephew. TC is three years older
than my nephew who is also
three years older than my last
boy. But the last one will always
want to hang out as one of the
boys while the elder ones insist
he is still young. So, there is
always that quarrel.
In my family, there is something
so clear that is ours – a lot of
love. My father set the example
for me. My mother is not
demonstrative. You have got to
accept her that way. So, in my
home there is a law that you
can get hugged anytime. All you
need to say is I need a hug. Even
I say I need a hug and I am
surrounded. I was a busy
mother in their early years, but
it was either I took them with
me or brief them from time to
time. They knew everything. I
would call them on the phone,
telling them what is happening
and if there was a situation,
they ll even have their input.
They could talk to me. They
could come into my room at
anytime. They could ask me
anything and get answers.
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