Esse Agesse Music maestro, Esse Agesse, who studied Economics and International Business, wants to venture into politics to improve on the lives of her people. She also told Correspondent, Onukwube Ofoelue that marriage is now on her mind.
What is new about you?
Besides music, one other thing I’m doing now is politics. I am very much interested in what is happening in the country, and what is happening in my state in particular. I believe God is pushing me to be more relevant to my people and doing what I can in my own little way to help.
What are you doing in your state politically?
I have been invited by the Peoples’ Progressive Party, (PPP) in the state, and I will be working with Prince Obaro Onuafe. We are going to be doing a lot of work in Delta State. My prayer is that the change we want to bring about is going to be embraced by the people. For now we are just creating awareness and we are going to start our campaigns soon. It came up suddenly and we are going to work fast too. Our aim is to project a message to the people that there are still Deltans who care about the state through PPP. Delta is supposed to be one place other states in the nation will copy, an example, but it is always within the lines of controversy in the area of leadership. What we want to do is to bring about change and good welfare for the people. It is one thing to say you are building one road, but when people get to see it, over 90 par cent is bad; it is one thing to say there is free education when it is only a select number of people who enjoy it. If you are abroad, you will see that the very same amenities that are enjoyed in the cities are the exact ones that are enjoyed in the villages.
There are places over there you will think are not civilized but they have good roads, light, water and a welfare system in place for people. What applies in the cities apply in the villages as well. That is the way Delta State should be. Then when we are there, other states can now say, ‘why can’t we be like them?’ By now there should be no house without light in Delta State. There is too much gas there to power the state and the states around it.
Dr. (Mrs.) Sarah Jibril expressed disappointment that Nigerian women did not support her during the PDP presidential primary. What do you think about women in politics in Nigeria?
The time is coming when we would realise as a nation that women are as relevant as men. Unfortunately, I was not in the country when it (PDP primaries) was held, but I was following it on the net. While I was a bit disappointed, we as women need to know that we need to use all that is available to us. I honestly did not know she was running until after it was over. There is a lot we can use- be it online presence, the press- just make yourself be heard, known. At the end of the day, a lot of people never really knew she was there. It is not because we did not want to support her, but that we were not aware she was running. Why is it that we knew about the men? It is because they made themselves heard. You can’t hide and be heard. God be my witness, I don’t intend to run for Presidency, but if I am going to run, I would try to make people aware of what I have to offer. I know that with the way God created us, and how sensitive we are, it is going to take the grace of God for Nigerians to realize that women can bring about change, like Dame Patience Jonathan, the president’s wife. Until we come to that realization and use all that that is in our disposition, we will be looked upon as people who are not serious. But I am glad that she came out, creating a strong awareness that women can. She should not give up. At the end of the day, I know that the voice of women is going to be heard in this country.
We are aware that you have been abroad for quite a while now. Is politics the reason you came around?
My music is the reason I came back. First of all, I am a minister of the gospel in songs, but politics is something I am getting involved in now because I love Delta State so much. Wherever I go, I express this love; it is s easy to see I am from Delta State. I believe it is the reason I was invited by the party. It may not be a big party, but with little, God can do much.
What is it about womanhood that makes you proud to be a woman?
That I am able to be the mother of my children makes me proud of womanhood. I am privileged to have been blessed by the children God has placed in my care, and to be able to provide the cares they need. My mother trained me, and I want to say I am able to do the same for my children. So I am privileged to be a mother. That is one thing I am glad that I am a woman for. Also, I believe that women are more compassionate. If a woman wants to do something, she will go about it with a lot of passion. Because I am a woman, God has enabled me to combine strength and compassion.
What do you feel you have not done to the fullest and that you want to achieve?
My music ministry is that area. I want to grow from strength to strength, and my prayer is that God help me grow. I have not arrived yet, it is like I am a baby in it. So I want God to continue to increase me in that aspect. I believe I haven’t started yet, and I want to excel. I also want to be able to financially meet the needs of people around me.
Is that ministry the one you mentioned sometime on Facebook that you would begin in Europe?
Yes, but I only just begun and have not gone far at all. It is like I am a baby. It is growing and I believe it will grow. At first when I was abroad, I just concentrated on work; I was not even doing anything on music at all. But as time went on, I realised it is a calling of God upon my life, and I won’t be satisfied until I’ve come out with it fully. I am not holding back now and I am making myself wholly available. I know that God is going to use me to his glory, playing music as well as politics.
What is new about your love life today? Are you back in the groove?
I am not married, but at this point in time, I am considering. I have made up my mind that this is a stage where I am ready to move on to a next level with that (marriage). God is the owner of my future and knows how He is going to position me so that the right person would come along. I don’t want to talk about the past because there is really nothing to talk about. It is past, over. I am looking at the future now.
