By Musa Wada
My generation, which came into political and social consciousness in the 1960s, is lucky to have many heroes and heroines from whom we drew inspiration, who made us feel that the best was within reach and that God’s mission on earth was achievable by doing good. They did not come greater than John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr, Malcom X, Kwame Nkrumah, Patrick Lumumba, Nelson Mandela, or Mohammed Ali, etc. But Mrs Bilkisu Abdulmalik Bashir, Officer of the Order of the Niger, OON, is one of the unsung heroines whose story is a source of inspiration to many and the can do spirit of the African Woman.
I do not know where to start this felicitation but today, May 24, 2017 my memory is rekindled by a joyful reality that God has been good to Bilkisu all these years as she traverses the terrain of this world. She has been a personal joy to many, especially when I think of the immense joy and opportunities of discourse with this enigma of a woman who complements the awesome networks and deep vision of the new vision of the president in the judiciary and the public service. I cannot but thank God who has decidedly given Mrs Bilkisu Abdulmalik Bashir to us in Nigeria.
Surely, there is only one Mrs Bilkisu Abdulmalik Bashir and will be one Bilkisu on this putrid planet. With the quantum of felicitations and kind words and praises that have been poured and showered on her as she celebrates her birthday today, this woman of grace will surely find life more worth living as she does everything possible to assist in making our country a better place to live in.
Let me from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of this generation offer our deep appreciation to all Nigerians far and near, who stand by this amazon of a woman in her time of joy and those who through personal visitation, telephone calls and birthday cards share in the joy of the family. They have made her proud by their endorsement of her deeds so far on earth as having positively affected the lives of men and women.
The Bilkisu family in its usual humility is overwhelmed by the shower of encomium and love on her. The life of Bilkisu is a great story that inspires passion, love and compassion for humanity. It is a story that is neatly woven with quintessence and class.
It is a story with its own peculiarities that run through three scores in life more meaningful for humanity than the ordinary mundane things of mankind. All through her life journey to this day, she defines her engagements with nature and carved a route less travelled by indulging in experiments that took her from the sublime personality to a celebrity status. The experiments were always described by all as having originality and worked magic.
With the benefit of hindsight, Bilkisu truly deserves a national honour for her passion for humanity. The struggle for the liberation of Nigeria women is a tortuous one, first, as a consequence of men’s rule and domination and secondly, as a factor of internal domination and exclusion.
While the thematic focus of those years was centred on liberation of women and freedom, post independence Nigeria offered a new dimension and thought process for women struggle. Bilkisu, through her activities and achievements, is trying to redefine the struggle. And for anyone, who is genuinely concerned about development, tales such as the ones in Nigeria should tellingly be in structure in trying to make a difference. That difference is the story of Bilkisu Abdulmalik Bashir.
As she sets out to achieve her life-long ambition, she wasn’t trying to create a utopian society that will be free from the verisimilitudes and frailties of the society. Rather, she reasoned that given the abundant resources in the country, she could create a platform to address some of these vicissitudes and make life wholesome for the ordinary woman in the society.
She had at the back of her mind a society that caters for the people and women development. She has at various times charged women to rise up to the challenge of nation building by breaking the shackles of male domination and exploiting their potentials as women and as integral part of the Nigeria society.
Countries in Africa are replete with tales of how women were at the receiving end at times of war and violence because of their vulnerability. For Mrs Bilkisu Abdulmalik Bashir, who is genuinely concerned about development issues, tales such as the ones in Nigeria should be instructive in trying to make a difference.
She has made a difference and that is her story. Looking back into her life and history like a series of snapshots contained in an album presents to me different perspectives about her humanity.
Bilkisu, to me, appears more as a fighter for women rights and awareness. She appears also as an iconoclastic role model with distinct characteristics of a serious minded feisty lady than just a product of glamour. Glamour, she acknowledges, is just a spice of life. What brings glamour is the inner grace of an individual. She is glamour personified.
Happy Birthday Ma!
Wada wrote from Abuja. Email: [email protected]
