[Interview Section] With Chief (Barr.) Mont-ere Shaguolo, PRP House Of Assembly Flag Bearer---- Southsouthdaily

[Interview Section] With Chief (Barr.) Mont-ere Shaguolo, PRP House Of Assembly Flag Bearer---- Southsouthdaily

The People Need Leaders, Not Rulers” 

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Top Points:

▪️"Before I was born, our people excrete in the river, bath in the same river and fetch same water in the river to go and drink. 23 years and counting, we still drink the same water and bath in the same river."

▪️"My eagerness to represent my people in the Burutu Constituency 1 in Delta South is to create change, to redeem my people and to open the locked doors of success for victory."

▪️"Elections are very close. They will come to you saying 'without you I will win'. Don’t be deceived, without you they will not win. Hence they are coming to buy your vote, don’t sell it."

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Chief Barr. Mrs. Juliet Mont-Ere Yeiwareneghan Shaguolo is the Ezonyin II of Ezon-Ibe and the Ezonyin of Ogbolubiri Mein Kingdom in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State. She is presently a candidate of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) contesting for a seat in the Delta State House of Assembly in the forthcoming 2023 general elections under Burutu Constituency 1. In this interview with PENGlobal, the Barrister who is also a nurse, entrepreneur, philanthropist and woman leader cum politician speaks extensively on what inspired her into politics, her vision for the people of her constituency, among other issues. Excerpts:

◼️ Academic achievements

I attained my elementary studies from Egran Primary School, and later proceeded to Ford Secondary School in Warri. I later graduated from the Delta State University in Oleh. I read English but later transferred with my CGPA to Law. I started in year one and after graduation I then left for law school in Abuja and was called to bar. I'm also an Auxiliary Nurse and a Dispute Resolution Specialist having studied and practiced in Alpha Specialist Hospital in Delta State, and Settlement House in Abuja, respectively.

◼️ Grassroots leadership

At the university I was elected the vice president of the National Union of Izon-Ibe Students (NUIS). Due to two existing factions of NUIS, after resolution which I spearheaded I became the financial secretary. Before I left the university, I was awarded some renowned titles by students due to my active participation in students' affairs. The Izon-Ibe students gave me the ‘Ezonyin’ of Izon-Ibe students on campus. Then the Urhobo students conferred on me the ‘Omoterovie’ of Urhobo student, the Ika students gave me the ‘Rurukpe’ of Ika student, and then the Student Union Government (SUG) gave me ‘The Most Charismatic Leader on Campus’. I have been in leadership from my school days, from year one to graduation. And till this day I am still carrying on. I know I'm not a ruler, but a leader who leads the people and knows the yearnings of the people. Hence I'm now graduating to mainstream politics.

◼️Political ambition

My eagerness to represent my people in the Burutu Constituency 1 in Delta South is to create change, to redeem my people and to open the locked doors of success for victory. My people have suffered so much. PDP’s rule in Delta State over my people is a mess, a slow progress. Things are not changing and we are still in those ages. 23 years is too long a time hence as the new face of Burutu I am coming to take over, by the grace of God, and to see how these things can be corrected.

◼️The myriads of challenges

Before I was born, our people excrete in the river, bath in the same river and fetch same water in the river to go and drink in their houses. 23 years and counting of PDP’s rule we still drink the same water and bath in the same river. Things are not changing. PDP is happy that they created a bridge for Bomadi, a bridge without link roads? How about the medical aspect? No good health facility in Burutu, not even in Delta. Ijaws are suffering. I implore you to go to our coastal villages, from January to March you will witness deaths of children from measles. There are immunizations going on, but how many of our people are being accessed? People there do not have knowledge of immunization against measles and Hepatitis B because the healthcare services are not delivered to their doorsteps. 

Asides that, our women who engage in fishing have no facilities to preserve their fishes, thereby forcing many to sell at cheaper rates in neighbouring towns. Why not build markets around our women and let those in Okwagbe, in Warri and environs come and patronize them? Why are those in other places finding it difficult to access our people? What about electricity and education? There is no power and people suffer a lot in the night. When you visit some schools it's a sorry sight as children sit on the floor, even at this age. The roofs have been removed by storm or are dilapidated. Rain will fall and shine on our children. What an insult. Some of these contracts have been awarded time and time again, but they are not executed. Our people who claim to represent us take these contracts and do not execute them. It's an insult. 

Youths are now discouraged from pursuing education, they now coin it that ‘education is a scam’ because graduates are not making headway as there are no jobs for them. Go to the creeks and see how drugs are taking over the youths who believe that they are taming their pains. But education is not a scam at all. Without education you cannot represent your people, you cannot talk to people, you cannot create change or reach out to others, there is no development and no empowerment. The pain is in us that we don’t have good quality education and the facilities are not there. 

◼️Poor leadership

The cause of our challenges today is poor leadership. Imagine a representative being in the House of Representatives for almost 24 years but cannot access his own town from the Bomadi Bridge they say they have built. 23 years is a long period of time. A child given birth to as at then is married already. It's an insult to the development of the Ijaw people. And these same persons travel abroad, buy certificates everywhere. They don’t see the good things in abroad they can bring to our people to make them happy. During time of festivities they come and share one bucket of rice to the people; it's an insult. We should make our agricultural farms here that will feed us, hence relying on them for rice during Christmas is an insult. It's high time we tell the people that they cannot fool us again.

◼️My candidacy

Some of the challenges spring from the bad laws or outdated laws made by our people with oversights. So my purpose of going there is to see how we can work on those laws and how we can create new change. Law making is one of the key areas. The issue is that our people need to know that law making is not a business for the 'Agberos' , it's a business for those who read and know law. Secondly, as a member representing Burutu North and with my governor in seat I will be able to influence him as a woman to execute those projects we have in mind. I know the pains of my people; I will be able to talk to the governor to fulfill those promises. I have been doing that without being elected into positions in government. I believe that when I get there, this needed change will come to pass.

◼️ On the People's Redemption Party

I am contesting on the platform of the People’s Redemption Party, PRP. Our slogan is VICTORY and our logo is KEY. With key you can open your door as well as lock your door to unlock all evil persons... The people are tired of stunted growth, they want to grow! It's an insult that the government has kept our children at home over time. What is in ASUU that they cannot settle? That lecturers now trade in the market is an insult. Hence the PRP, led by Kola Abiola as presidential aspirant is out to see how education will work better. In Delta State we have Chief Emmanuel Abel Adijala as a governorship aspirant, who wants to open the creeks. My humble self in the House will see how the governor will deliver on the dividends of democracy to the people.

◼️ Message to my constituency

Elections are very close. They will come to you saying “without you I will win”. Don’t be deceived, without you they will not win. Hence they are coming to buy your vote, don’t sell it. Vote your conscience and the right person to lead you. They are all rulers and not leaders; they don’t have the people in mind. Vote them out and bring to bear new leaders who can do the needful because we have tried them and they have failed us; we don’t need to try them again. With this present age of BVAS, one cannot even rig election, it's only your vote that can make one to win. Hence I plead with my people to stop selling their votes. Let us vote those that love the people, not those that lodge in hotel and remain in hotel as office where people cannot access them.

Southsouthdaily Interview #PRP Flag Bearer DTHA.....