His clothes, a blue denim shirt on matching blue jeans were well ironed and showed they were drycleaned at great length. Trimmed with artistic zest was his trademark afro hairstyle; lush in front and sparse behind. He walked with measured steps exuding confidence bigger than his size. He is outstandingly dimunitive, but has put this ‘snag’ behind him opting instead to be counted among that rare breed of men who have turned their limitations into limitless possibilities.
He is Owoche Sunday Onah, better known as “Scoto”. Against all odds, he recently emerged as the PDP councillorship candidate in Yahe Ward, Yala LGA, in Cross River’s Northern Senatorial District, dazing many while also drawing applause from others.
When calitown.com caught up with him recently and sought to know why he thinks he should be the councillor for Yahe, he wasted no time in revealing that it is because he will “be the functional bridge between government and his people, spearheading and positioning their articulate desires”. It is the kind of opening statement that tells you the man has his sights set on something spectacular.
As we continue, he shifts in his seat, his body language asking for more questions. “What benefits are you promising?”, the question drops. He leans forward, clears his throat and begins…”my people are predominantly farmers and need to be introduced to modern methods of farming to increase crop yeild and generate more income”. It is a straight answer.
Soon enough calitown.com tries to find out, “are you easily intimidated by politicians because of your size?”. He fires back, “Scoto has been in politics long enough to know that he cannot be intimidated because politics is not by size, it is more of what you can offer to the people”. Spot on, you will say.
“Why the name Scoto?”, and he responds with an outstounding analogy. ” Scoto is actually Scot-o, and it was gotten from Scotland, a small place in the UK, but with lots of things there”. See where he points to? Not done, he tells calitown.com that “now SCOTO means S for Sincere, C for Corporate, O for Obedient, T for Tolerant and O for Organised”. See what politics can do?
In between the conversation, he takes a phone call or two and then scrolls and hands in his phone to reveal pictures of him and Sen. Liyel Imoke and even with PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur. They are testimonies that he may have taken his size to hallowed places and so feels no complex when thrust among the high and mighty.
As a parting shot, we ask him, “Scoto, if you had the option of being an animal, which will you be?”. “I would have loved to be a dog”, he responds. The preference is steeped in the virtues of obedience, loyalty, friendship and calculated aggression that the dog employs in everyday living.
Pleasantries are exchanged and “the Scot-Scoto”, calitown.com’s guest is wished success at the polls next month.
