Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin is a notable figure in the Nigerian human rights community. The multiple award winner in this interview with Diademng’s Editor-In-Chief, Paul Dada, gives her opinion on political, economic and social issues in the country.
You are a human rights activist, a humanitarian, a Christian and a mother, how do you balance all these?
All these factors align perfectly without necessarily having to work them specially. The Christian foundation is ample and effective enough to blend them. Motherhood, charity, activism is all guided by Christian injunctions.
You are a leading voice in the human rights community, would you say your efforts have yielded fruits?
The fruitfulness of our efforts would not be proclaimed by ourselves. It is our duty to apply our lives and resources to positive activism. That is our chosen path. It is the job of others to track and assess the success. We must not be marking our own scripts.
What aspects of human rights do you think Nigeria is not paying attention to?
The rights of the girl child. If we rededicate to that as a government and a people, this country would transform to a huge but great global surprise.
What is your take on the CBN’s policy on N20,000 daily cash withdrawal limit?
Changing our currency is not a novelty. The noise around this one is suspect. However, it is a good thing that they have promised not to be rigid. Many poor people feed on POS. 20k Naira a day would not help them. Some people buy cocoa beans and kernels in the forests. They use cash. The CBN should be more painstaking in policy generation. But I think this is going to catch some politicians and terrorists napping. Maybe even some currency hoarders and counterfeiters.
What is your take about the disconnect of government from the grassroots?
Government is disconnected from all tiers. Not just grassroots. We need to restructure in order to fix the disconnect or to reconnect.
How do you view the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC?.
I see a lot of closet politicians pretending that we have benefitted greatly from the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket we are experiencing. This one is Muslim/Christian ticket. Show me the benefit first and I will answer your question directly.
You have received multiple international and local awards. What messages does this recognition send to you?
The awards tell me to do more. To keep going. They might also mean we are doing some things right.
You lost your husband, Yinka Odumakin a notable human rights activist last year when you were pregnant with twins. How have you been able to hold on without your him?
God has been there with us. We are grateful for the goodwill of many and the essence of few.
What would you tell the twins about their late father?
They will get the type of education which will prepare them for their future like other kids. In time they will read their father’s writings. They will hear and see his recorded materials. We will then take it from there.
