I am in the Delta State House of Assembly Race to Serve my People Unconditionally

 

I am in the Delta State House of Assembly Race to Serve my People Unconditionally

 

-       Sir Chuks Okonji Tells Pen Master  

 

The declaration of Sir (Dr.) Chuks Okonji, a respected business tycoon and also a philanthropist from Ibusa in Delta State to join the race for the Delta State House of Assembly under the party platform of APM is already receiving massive support from the people of Oshimili North. Sir Okonji who is praised for his charity in and around the Anioma area, in this interview unveils to PEN MASTER (EMEKA ESOGBUE), a media personality, his agenda and how he hopes to achieve them. He also gives his opinion on the current state of the society and how he expects the right things to be done. Excerpts:   

 

Pen Master: Sir Chuks Okonji, you are welcome. Please, sir, can you introduce yourself to our readers? 

 

Okonji: First and foremost, Pen Master, let me thank you for your time, efforts at locating me and your presence. I appreciate them a lot. I am Sir (Dr.) Chuks Okonji and as you already know and I hail from Umuodafe Quarters of the Ibusa community. Ibusa is located in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State and with utmost pride, I want say that I am happy to come from this part of the world especially, being an Anioma person that I am. In all things, our people are amazing so I appreciate them a lot. As you can see already, I am a calm personality, extremely law-abiding and a progressive by all means. Maybe I should also add that I am quite an interesting person who likes to stay around other people. I like to see people around me happy because it makes me happy. 

 

Pen Master: Sir (Dr.) Chuks Okonji, from your background that I personally know, you are from the famous Okonji family in Ibusa, celebrated in Anioma traditional music especially. Your family is particularly known for bringing the Anioma people and beyond happiness musically. How does it feel coming from a family that has made so much impact?  

 

Okonji: I must thank you specially again, Pen Master, for the accolade. Well, it is true that my family is famously known in our Ibusa and beyond due to the fame that we are associated with but the late Onowu Dana Okonji, the music lead vocalist, is my uncle. In fact, my father is a senior brother to Dana Okonji and they are siblings. In any case, my own biological father is Elder Lawrence Okonji and we are coming from a Christian home. By profession, my father, Elder Okonji is a retired football coach who managed several clubs within and outside the country. Three of these clubs are NEPA, DSC, and Gombe United. As a noted coach with glories in this endeavour, he went on to manage Rekins in faraway Republic of Benin where he also served them successfully with testimonies to show for his service. My father is a household name in football in the country and beyond. Beautifully, my father, Elder Lawrence Okonji is still alive today and we have God to thank for the gift of life that all of us enjoy. Being an accomplished sportsman that have represented Nigeria in many tournaments, he is happy and fulfilled and as a family, we are satisfied with his nature of service to mankind and accompanying accomplishments. I feel proud coming from the family of sports and entertainment. As I said earlier, we are happy to make people happy and I personally pursue the happiness of people. The Okonji family of Umuodafe stands out. I am not here to blow the trumpet of the family but we are known for giving our talent for the fulfilment of others. I am saying that what God has blessed us with is what we give out to the benefit of mankind. 

 

Pen Master: That’s quite interesting. Now, for your love of music, we know that you have produced a number of songs for talented singers…

 

Okonji: …Yes, like most people, I love music. Like Ogbogu Okonji, another famous musician from my community would always say, music is interesting to human beings and spirits so, we all love music. I actually own a record label which is called Gold Heart Productions and with this label, I have produced many artists that are doing well today. Yes, I love music - good music. As Bob Marley will say again and again, music is food to the soul.

 

Pen Master: Okay, let us talk about Ibusa as a community. What gives you joy about your people?

 

Okonji: (Laughing loudly) Anyone who knows Ibusa very well will tell you that it is a community with interesting people. To start with, it is a community that is rich in human capital. When you have a community with over one hundred professors, you will understand what I talk about. We are not talking about other intellectuals yet. What gives me joy about my people is the love and togetherness that exist among the people. As a people, the Ibusa people share unity. We know ourselves well enough and we love ourselves well enough. Please, permit me to go further than the Ibusa community in attending to this very question. You know that in our Anioma area, Oshimili North people inclusive, we share similar human characteristics. It is not all that different for the other neighbouring communities. What I could say about the Ibusa people is that despite some issues that are not to the benefit of anyone; despite the issues that may threaten to tear down the community, our people will still find peace in the expression, Yaliba Yaliba. Pen Master, have you noticed that as an Ibusa indigene, no matter the weight of offence you suffer as an Ibusa person, what you hear from the Ibusa people you present the case to is always ‘yali, yali?’ Perhaps, the consent of Yali nu, yali nu, is what is keeping us together. In the end, we realize that we are still a people that must live together irrespective of the misunderstanding that must also naturally live with us. It is usually ‘yaliba nu’ after tension and the tendency to come together again, to love and to do things together that interests me. 

 

Pen Master: So, Sir (Dr.) Okonji, let us talk politics for moment. I see this space, your place of business as lucratively massive but now by your declaration, you are in the race for the Delta State House of Assembly race. What are you in this race to achieve for your Oshimili North people? 

 

Okonji: This is an interesting question. Let us say people are in politics for different reasons. Virtually everyone knows why he is into it. At other times, unless one is convinced and determined, the definition of the objective prior to the entry can be lost due to several unfriendly factors but I know why I am in politics. I am in politics to give my people a good representation outside the strange complaints visit our society. I think you may also want to know why the House of Assembly is my choice as against other positions. I have chosen the lawmaking aspect because I believe that every worthy society that the people can be proud of, is shaped by the law. Where the laws are in place and are duly enforced, the society runs on a smooth course. Where the law is poor or neglected, the people become disorganized. Good laws breed morality. I hope you agree with me, Pen Master. But I am not all about laws. The society must not be allowed to veer off or slide to the unwanted. When this happens, we begin to experience what we experience today, all of which have stagnated us. Can we say we are proud of our society today? Do not get me wrong because I haven't indicted any particular individual or politician as having failed us in the mandate he owes the people. We are rather not where we should be as a people and should obviously be farther than this in terms of development. Philosophers will at least, tell you that the essence of life is happiness and that happiness is a lifetime pursuit by every human being. Where this cannot be achieved as we experience in our society, life becomes wasted then what you hear everywhere is that we are tired of this life. We are still roaming between what is and how it should be. Politically, fresh hands are needed to invite or give new impetus to the positive change we all need and I am happy that everyone seems to have realized this and the young ones who are left between the devil and the dead sea are the ones championing this cause. Do you blame them? We talk about their future which is at stake here. Well, I think we should also talk about the level of poverty and how to reduce it. Poverty is the opposite of happiness and everyone will hate those to impoverish them with bad laws and lack of implementation. My party is APM. It is not about political party now but the one that can do it. Poverty is crazy because it breeds unexpected tendencies and makes even the virile to look useless. We should create job opportunities for our people. I am here to serve our people and unconditionally give them the best of my capacity using the ample opportunity of our lawmaking mechanisms. I therefore call on our people of Oshimili North to give me their support me in this journey to serve them better. 

 

Pen Master: You just took me through a melancholic journey but you see, some political observers have said that most people who seek political offices in the country, only use it as an avenue or a sheer means to make a living. Do you mind if I ask for a rundown of your career or vocation? 

 

Okonji: Thank you for posing this question to me that I expected. What I have to say is that such political observers are right to some extent but it does not apply to everyone. Remember I said that people are in politics for different reasons. Myself, I know very well. I speak for myself and not others. By the special grace of God, I am highly blessed and favoured by God.  I am a businessman with lots of companies. Furthermore, I am an employer of labour especially the youths in different sectors of Oshimili North. I have a means of livelihood and also well positioned to feed myself. When people who do not have basic means of livelihood get into politics, we can attribute the thoughts of your political observers to them but I am not one of them. I am stable. I enjoy stability in my resources and wish to develop more in Oshimili North environment. 

 

Pen Master: Since announcing your desire to serve in this capacity, quite a number of youths from your Oshimili North have been openly jubilant. What's your connection with the youths of this area? 

 

Okonji: Maybe the youth are jubilating because they know that light has come and more families will rejoice. People who know me know what I can do. By the way, I am a believer in the youths. I am their friend who seek better opportunities for them at this stage of their lives. I always hold this belief that one's youthfulness once wasted, it becomes difficult to regain balance. The strength of every society lies in the youths. When the right youths are gainfully employed, crime reduces. Generally, too, the world is moving to the political enclave of the youths and these youths know it as such. 

 

Pen Master: You are a philanthropist and some of our people have said that your goodwill will speak for you in this political contest. Do you also share this idea?

 

Okonji: If you say so. All I know is that it gives me joy to put smiles on people's faces. It is by grace and not my own power. Some of these things come by innate qualities or characteristics. I love to see everyone around me make a benefit. I love people. Yes, I love people. 

 

Pen Master: Let us return to politics. From all that you have said so far, you have an aspiration for our people. Do you think that the powers that be will allow you to achieve them bearing in mind the complexity of politics in our country?

 

Okonji: It is only God that gives power. Anything outside this is a mere struggle. He gives power to whoever he chooses to favour. We must play our part though.

 

Pen Master: Do you have a political godfather? 

 

Okonji: (Laughing) Let us say that Jesus Christ is my political godfather.

 

Pen Master: How will the youths benefit from you? They will like to know.

 

Okonji: We will all come together to carry out this task. I will start by involving them. We will work together and reap the rewards together. In this way, several opportunities await them when we do it well. 

 

Pen Master: You are the Omelora of Ibusa. Sir Chuks Okonji, does it sometimes trouble you that almost everyone expects one form of help or the other from you? 

 

Okonji: To that I can say again that Chief Omelora is thanking God for giving him grace. Let us suppose for a moment that grace is absent, what we talk about here will be impossible. People are bound to follow only those carrying something worthwhile and by grace, I am one of them. This is why I am appealing to our Oshimili North people to give me their support. They should give me a try. The situation we are in now is not about whose turn it is but who can do it. Who really can do it for us? This is the question that we should be asking ourselves as those that want good developments. The Omelora Movement with a good caliber of people is politically invoked already and all that I ask is support to enable this Movement birth effectively. Once birthed, result-oriented plans are assured.

 

Pen Master: Thank you for speaking to me

 

Okonji: Pen Master, I thank you for giving me your time