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Minimah Seeks Secretary of State Nomination
By JOSELYN KING
POSTED: March 25, 2008
WHEELING — A Nigerian-born, Charleston-area businessman is running as a Republican to be West Virginia’s next secretary of state.
Charles Minimah, 56, came from Nigeria to West Virginia in 1976 to start college at West Virginia State University as a civil engineering major. While many state students leave West Virginia to take jobs elsewhere after graduating, Minimah was among those who chose to remain here.
He married the daughter of a professor, traveled the state as an insurance salesman and would go on to start his own home health care business — which he has operated for nearly 20 years with wife Pamela. The couple has three children. Two of them are students at WVU, and the third is still in high school.
In retrospect, Minimah believes he was destined to stay in West Virginia, though it was an unstable government in Nigeria that initially led him to remain here.
“My original intent was to graduate from college and return home,” Minimah said. “But the turn of events overseas caused me to stay a little longer.
“I believe it was an indication that I had a calling to stick around.”
He is the only Republican to file for secretary of state this year, though the race has three Democratic candidates — current state Sen. Billy Wayne Bailey, D-Wyoming; current House Majority Leader Joe DeLong, D-Hancock; and former reporter Natalie Tennant.
Minimah has made two prior unsuccessful runs for the House of Delegates.
He said he entered politics more than five years ago after his experiences with state bureaucracy when he attempted to expand his home health care business. He had a business plan to focus on expanding care to rural areas in West Virginia — areas he believed were underserved by other providers.
His application was denied by state officials.
“It was then that I realized we had issues in the state,” Minimah said. “When it comes down to it, there are a lot of hurdles for anyone who does business in the state.
“The system is overregulated.”
Minimah said he is “a better candidate than the others” in the race and that he wants to give back to the state for the opportunities it has afforded him. He noted that as secretary of state, he would point out to state residents that change in society only occurs when you participate in the political process.
“Most of our citizens would agree that there has been a decline in jobs in the state and that businesses are leaving,” Minimah said. “Entire families are leaving the area. This all has to do with the people we put into office. There is voter apathy, and people don’t participate in the process.”
He said an additional problem is that those who do vote always vote in the same way for the same type of candidate.
“Everybody wants change, but West Virginians have to change their habits of voting in a particular way if change is to occur,” he said. “If something in place is not working, it needs changed.
“You have to participate in the process. You have to vote your choice,” he added. “I would tell them if you think independently and vote independently, you will get the right people in office to help our economy grow.”
Minimah admitted to previously being registered as a Democrat and said he has “no problem with the party.” His wife remains a Democrat.
“I was a very conservative Democrat at that time,” he said. “So many in the party are very conservative. Some are even more conservative than I am.
“I decided to switch for one major reason: there is a lack of representation from the Republican party,” he said. “In order for us to strike a balance, it makes sense to have more Republicans elected. We can bring issues to the table.”
Charles Minimah, 56, came from Nigeria to West Virginia in 1976 to start college at West Virginia State University as a civil engineering major. While many state students leave West Virginia to take jobs elsewhere after graduating, Minimah was among those who chose to remain here.
He married the daughter of a professor, traveled the state as an insurance salesman and would go on to start his own home health care business — which he has operated for nearly 20 years with wife Pamela. The couple has three children. Two of them are students at WVU, and the third is still in high school.
In retrospect, Minimah believes he was destined to stay in West Virginia, though it was an unstable government in Nigeria that initially led him to remain here.
“My original intent was to graduate from college and return home,” Minimah said. “But the turn of events overseas caused me to stay a little longer.
“I believe it was an indication that I had a calling to stick around.”
He is the only Republican to file for secretary of state this year, though the race has three Democratic candidates — current state Sen. Billy Wayne Bailey, D-Wyoming; current House Majority Leader Joe DeLong, D-Hancock; and former reporter Natalie Tennant.
Minimah has made two prior unsuccessful runs for the House of Delegates.
He said he entered politics more than five years ago after his experiences with state bureaucracy when he attempted to expand his home health care business. He had a business plan to focus on expanding care to rural areas in West Virginia — areas he believed were underserved by other providers.
His application was denied by state officials.
“It was then that I realized we had issues in the state,” Minimah said. “When it comes down to it, there are a lot of hurdles for anyone who does business in the state.
“The system is overregulated.”
Minimah said he is “a better candidate than the others” in the race and that he wants to give back to the state for the opportunities it has afforded him. He noted that as secretary of state, he would point out to state residents that change in society only occurs when you participate in the political process.
“Most of our citizens would agree that there has been a decline in jobs in the state and that businesses are leaving,” Minimah said. “Entire families are leaving the area. This all has to do with the people we put into office. There is voter apathy, and people don’t participate in the process.”
He said an additional problem is that those who do vote always vote in the same way for the same type of candidate.
“Everybody wants change, but West Virginians have to change their habits of voting in a particular way if change is to occur,” he said. “If something in place is not working, it needs changed.
“You have to participate in the process. You have to vote your choice,” he added. “I would tell them if you think independently and vote independently, you will get the right people in office to help our economy grow.”
Minimah admitted to previously being registered as a Democrat and said he has “no problem with the party.” His wife remains a Democrat.
“I was a very conservative Democrat at that time,” he said. “So many in the party are very conservative. Some are even more conservative than I am.
“I decided to switch for one major reason: there is a lack of representation from the Republican party,” he said. “In order for us to strike a balance, it makes sense to have more Republicans elected. We can bring issues to the table.”
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