The only female elected member of the 8th Assembly Mrs Alice Osagie in Plateau State House Of Assembly spoke to universalreporters247.com on the plight and challenges of women folks, how they go through difficulties seeking for electives position in Northern Nigeria by Yakubu Wuyep.
The Excerpt:
Can you briefly tell us about you and how you were elected as the only female members of the 8th assembly in plateau state house of assembly?
My name is Barrister Mrs Alice Demlong representing Pankshin-North constituency, I was previously with the PDP and politically known with the PDP, We all know where we were going, we all know what went on in PDP. There was the issue of delegates had to come from Government house and if you are not in the caucus just forget about it. But some of us knowing we were not in the caucus we all opted out to where we could demonstrate or express our views.
Having come this far, did you have any regret of leaving the PDP to join the APC.
As a matter of facts it gladdens my heart for leaving PDP because in my constituency, these PDP members are so crude in the sense that there is no transparency. Some of us were kicking against some of the things but we were suppressed, subjected dejected and neglected. So we opted for were our voice could be heard.
It actually gladdens my heart why I left the PDP because the officials of the party were behaving as members of cult.
Being the only female elected in a place where men dominate, how did you feel?.
I have to stand with the men in the primaries; I stand with bigger men for the secondary. To God be the glory, I not afraid of any men dominated because from the beginning I slugged it out with them so why should I entertain fear from anybody.
You don’t. Fear men?
No no no!, I don’t fear I should have run away starting from the primaries not after the secondary election where we have achieved victory for my party .
How did you defeat the House Committee Chairman on Information and Communication, Hon. Dickat Plang what is the magic?
Well, the secret is not from us but there was an option for people to express themselves, It was almost like a one party system where people have to accept it that umbrella was not the only option, but the truth of the matter is now an option for everybody to express itself whether to go this way or not to go this way. So we found ourselves in this platform.
And people were left to choose it was not any magic it was only an expression because it was just like one party system we were following.
As a lawyer what are your plans for the people of your constituency?
My plan is that, I have to past bills that are favourable for the people of my constituency, a bill that will care for the women and children because they are the vulnerable people to the current mayhem in the country.
What is your appeal to other young women like you who are aspiring to hold elective offices in the country most especially in a gender sensitivity area?
My call to the younger women is to remain focus in their pursuit while office. But my desire is to represent my people with good policy and to pursue it to the latter. Until we get to where God has destine me to stop. I want to used the governor-elect to please look in to the plight of women and to be gender sensitive. I will persuade the governor-elect to consider more women even though we are not in most of the elective offices and fill the gaps with appointment.
What is your take on the state as it has been consider as a flash point in time of crises?
My cry is that I am asking the federal government that we the women knows the pain. We are the only ones that are shouldering the responsibility of raising the family. So, if you ask a man he cannot really feet in to the shoe until when ask a woman for represent us at the state and the federal level that we can actualy have a stronger voice if more women are giving appointment. I will plead with the president-elect to have more women in to his cabinet.
