“I believe in the policies and I believe that I can help Castlebar to become a better town.” With the election conventions doing the rounds across all the parties in the different areas in Mayo, one name was more unusual than the others to come out of the nominating stages and on to the ticket. Nigerian native Okay William Kalu got the nod to run on the six person Fine Gael Castlebar Town Council ticket for next June’s elections.
Kalu has been in Castlebar for the last three years and joined the Fine Gael party two years ago and has been an active member ever since. “When I read through the party’s policies and initiatives, I knew this was the party for me to join and since then I have been actively involved on the ground with the party. I campaigned alongside Enda Kenny in the general election and it was said to me then that I would make a good candidate in the local elections next year. It’s one of those things that you don’t realise yourself but other people see it in you.”
Intercultural work a good grounding
Since settling in Castlebar Okay has been involved in a number of community organisations and believes that this work has cut him out for the cut and thrust of political life. “I have worked with Citizens Information as a liaison officer, Mayo Intercultural Association and the Mayo County Council intercultural office. My work in these organisations has given me a good understanding of the needs of the immigrants and how integration amongst the different communities is going in the town. But it has also allowed me to see the issues on the ground that are affecting everybody in the town as a whole.”
New voices and new ideas
A new voice with new ideas is what is needed to shake up things in the Town Council according to Okay. “I believe that I can bring some new ideas and a fresh impetus to the town council. New ideas and voices are very important in politics in Ireland at the minute as we face into the current difficulties world wide.” With just over six months to go before the election, Okay is looking forward to getting out there and knocking on the doors of the people of Castlebar and telling them why he should get a seat on the town council next year. “I’m really looking forward to getting out there and meeting the people of Castlebar, I had a great experience when canvassing last year in the general election and I’m looking forward to getting out there again this time putting myself forward for the people. I believe that Fine Gael has the policies that can turn the country around and help the people of Castlebar. Personally, I’m very concerned about the youth in Castlebar. They are the future of the town and the country, we have to make sure that we have proper facilities in the town for them so they can better themselves and really push themselves forward in the future. They are the key to the future betterment of the town.”
Okay who hails from Ebonyi State in Nigeria, only decided to contest the election last week after some cajoling by those in the know in the party, he explained. “I only decided last week to run, it’s a big decision to run for election. But people in the party were asking me to consider running next year from shortly after the 2007 general election and I took my time deciding, but they believe in me and that I can get a seat on the town council next year so I thought that I had to run. I have ideas that I think that can make Castlebar an even better town, and I hope the people out there believe that my ideas can improve the town too.”
