Why I Regret Spending N35m for House of Reps - Kate Henshaw
Kate gets honest.
Politics in Nigeria is a BIG DEAL! It is true that all over the world, politics is equally a big deal but in Nigeria, it's on another level. To get into politics in Nigeria, you have to not only be very mentally and spiritually prepared, but you also have to be very financially prepared.
One person who is speaking about her first-hand experience with the financial ordeals that comes with Nigerian politics is beloved Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw. In 2015, Kate aspired to become a member of the house of representatives but despite her best efforts, that dream never became a reality. However, the money that left her pocket was all too real.
In a new interview with Channels Television, Kate reveals everything about the financial burden that time had on her and explains why that decision still pains her till today. Here's what Kate said.
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Speaking to Channels Television, Kate Henshaw said:
I didn’t have a budget I just knew I needed money to run the campaign office, pay people to work with me. I didn’t really have a budget at hand. I wish I had, maybe I won’t have even started. Because I found out that most of the consultations I went to, the men would ask me "do you have enough in your war chest?" I was like "what is a war chest?" That is when I found out that it's "how much money do you have to throw around."
There was one form that was waived for women who were aspiring for office. But then you have to buy the two forms normally. And then of course you will pay your party dues. And then of course each consultation, anybody you go to meet is money. You may not be giving them money directly but you will buy a goat, you will buy wrappers, you will buy drinks. You will host different people. You will host the youth, you will host the women group, the men group. You will host all sorts of people and that is money because of course transportation: you will hire a bus for you and your supporters. You will print banners so I had to get an office. Luckily my cousin had a space so I rented it off him. It was absolutely and totally capital intensive. Totally.
My friends they came together and they gave me 5 million. On top of that I added my own 30 million. On top of my own money and till today it pains me because if I had put that money into buying a house I would have been living there. But for me it was just endless spending that led nowhere. I mean, I didn't see the need for all that spending. If someone truly wants to serve, it should be from the heart and you should be able to see what the person can do from their antecedent. But it's all about money.
On the day of the delegates when they now have to pick who will represent the party, the other person was giving money. I gave my pittance. That is it. I don't care what anybody says. Because I did a documentary with Al Jazeera because I wanted them to follow the process truly to see how our political terrain is. Everybody was giving money, giving gifts to all the delegates. And I remember one guy said to me "Don't give me your money, I'm not going to vote for you". That was the best thing he could have said to me.
Wow, N35 Million is NO JOKE! To now not even be picked by the party. Nawa oh! So all that money is just down the toilet. This politics is really not for the faint of heart. What do you think of this story? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment on my Jide Okonjo Facebook post.
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