Hon. Titi Oseni emerged the first female speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly in June 2003. That re-wrote her story. But she didn’t complete her tenure and by May 15, 2008 she was impeached. Again, that act re-wrote her story but no doubt, left a sour taste in her mouth.
She recalls: “In the beginning, it was a shock to me because I thought we had a good relationship in the House and there was nothing that could have prompted me to think such a thing would happen. But as events began to unfold, I now saw that it was all about politics and had nothing to do with me in particular.
I began to see the hand of Esau and the issue became clearer to me. “This was the real politics playing itself out and all the things that I had been doing before in the name of clean politics was not politics. It was all new to me and the best that I could do in that situation was just to remain calm, watch things unfold, people playing themselves out and left all to God.
With the eventual outcome, I just pray that such events will not repeat again and even if it does, it should be in another dimension.” Not one to wallow in self pity or regret long-gone actions, the 47-year-old who is still an active member of the Peoples Democratic Party, still hopes to contest in the nearest future and participate in active politics.
To her, life is all about challenges and she is capable of handling any challenges that may likely come her way. Now out of public service, the former speaker admits that life has been good to her. “I thank God for his mercies and, the journey so far has been good.
Being a speaker was something that I really enjoyed. Even though I am no longer the speaker and don’t move around with the paraphernalia of the office, I remain myself. Anywhere I go now, people still recognise me as Titi Oseni, they see me for who I am and I am still accorded the respect and honour due to me. I now get to do the things that I would normally not do if I were still in office.”
Formerly a business woman before she ventured into politics, the Abeokuta-born indigene is back to doing what she knows how to do best. “One can’t really leave the business world totally. Even though I am no longer into the importation of computers and fashion retailing, I have since gone into other lines of importation.” She reminisces about her growing up days which she says was fun. “My parents were average income earners and were both in the medical field.
There are four from my mother’s side. I have four half siblings. People told me that I was spoilt growing because while growing up as the second to the last born from my mother, my father had calmed down a bit as he used to be very tough. Not that I didn’t go through the discipline process, but it wasn’t as much as the ones before me. I had a good life, and we never took church lightly. “My parents were involved in a lot of humanitarian services and this registered at the back of my mind, to continue to toe the path after them, which was what prompted me into politics in the first place.
So when the opportunity came to offer myself for the State House of Assembly elections, I didn’t hesitate at all even though it was a different ball game from what my parents were doing then. But it did give me the opportunity to give back to society.” Ironically, she doesn’t consider her years as speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly as her greatest achievement. Ask if she knew how dirty politics can be in Nigeria before her decision to be an active participant and she replies, “Well people say that politics is dirty but I believe if everyone sits back and allow nonentities and people of no colour to run government, to dictate, decide and make laws for you, then nothing will change.
The laws that any fool makes will be respected by all. I know what I am made of and what I have to offer and I have seen what is on ground. “I believed that I could contribute my own quota to the development of Ogun State and the upcoming generation as well. When politics becomes dirty, of course you step back and allow it all to play itself out but when it has to do with what you have to offer, you step right back in.” Oseni who loves to unwind by travelling, listening to music and enjoying a day at the beach, believes that she is still young and has many more years ahead of her for great accomplishments. She says, “I believe that the glory of the latter days will be much more than the former. But I thank God for his mercies so far.” Quite homely, she considers her marriage and having children as the two most significant things that have come to shape her life. “Having been married for 22 years,
I can comfortably advocate that marrying someone you call a friend and confidant can go a long way in what you become especially if you are married to someone who lets you be who you are or what you want to be. It helps to make marriage enjoyable. “On children, I think when you start raising children, how you act or behave plays a huge role in the way you want to mould your children.
Children of these days are very outspoken and the things that you see and dare not ask your parents, they will boldly ask you. That shaped my life a bit because your expectations of them must be a reflection of who you really are.” A lover of jewellery and colourful fashion items, she considers style to be about one’s totality, how you want people to project you. “It isn’t all about clothing alone. But talking about clothes specifically, I don’t like flamboyance. I like to be simple and comfortable in what I wear. I like people to see me and know me for who I am rather than for flamboyance or what I have. I believe in what one is made of rather than what you have on,” she says.
culled from www.punchng.com
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