The first lady of Kano state, Dr Hafsat Ganduje, has used empowerment initiatives to open the consciousness of Kano women to their innate abilities. Writes BASHIR MOHAMMED.
Dr Hafsat Abdullahi Ganduje is the first lady of Kano state whose penchant for supporting her fellow women in the present democratic dispensation has become much more pronounced, considering the stunning pace with which she carried them along through series of empowerment initiatives.
It is also with the understanding that in every democratic setting, no politician would pay lip service to women participation in politics considering their indispensability in any democratic journey. This is also reinforced because of their numerical strength that can determine the fate of any politician seeking for public office.
At the time her husband, Dr Ganduje was to come on board as governor of the state, Mrs Ganduje was all out in mobilising women to support him. This she did through series of empowerment programmes that can stand the test of time.
She, therefore, minces no words in telling anyone who cares to listen that women are at liberty to reap the dividends of democracy through those empowerment initiatives.
Mrs Ganduje, an academia, Ph.D holder and university lecturer, knows what it takes to achieve a positive goal in the struggle to make human life rosy. She had never renounced such commitments even in the face of gruelling challenges.
Her complementary role
Blueprint gathered that at the time her husband was putting a formidable structure of good governance in place, she also took up the challenge of supporting him to look into the problems of women in all the nooks and crannies of the state. Through this, scores of women benefitted from various empowerment initiatives.
Her immense popularity, acceptability and populist appeal in the eyes of women had been explicit, most especially in places she visited at the peak of the gubernatorial campaign in the state, considering the number of ladies, young and old who escorted her convoy.
She had undoubtedly demonstrated such an unrivalled spirit of courage, charisma when she stood on a podium in Dawakin-Tofa town, the local government headquarters of her husband where she addressed thousands of women drawn from Rimin-Gado, Dawakin-Tofa and Tofa Federal Constituency who converged to receive empowerment grant from Engr Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe, the legislator representing the constituency.
Holding the enthusiastic audience spell-bound, Mrs Ganduje used the occasion to remind women of the abiding responsibility that lies on their shoulder which requires a great deal of commitment in supporting Gov Ganduje to secure another mandate on the premise that he is poised to perform more wonders, if given the chance for a second term in office.
She reminded the women folk that it was high-time to buckle-up in using their votes to re-elect the most enterprising governor whose record of stunning accomplishments had transformed the state into a role model of excellence in the present democratic dispensation. She stressed that with their intimidating numerical strength, they can pull a surprise.
She said, “I am here today to draw your attention to the fact that the issue of supporting my husband had arisen. As we are approaching election days, you are expected to prove your mettle; we have considerable regard for you people, knowing your indispensability in the present political journey. Put your hands on deck for us to achieve our desired objectives”.
Speaking further she said, “Our government is women- friendly considering series of empowerment initiatives introduced to better your lives and make you more relevant and industrious to the society. No responsible leader would love to down play your importance in the present democratic dispensation. your impressive turn- out had really inspired our confidence in your resolve to throw your weight behind our noble objective.”
She however stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had undoubtedly stamped its imprint on the political landscape of the nation with President Muhammadu Buhari showing leadership by example. She pointed out that with a governor like Dr Ganduje treading his steps, the electorates will never regret electing politicians to any position of authority.
Extending such an olive branch to another set of women who recently converged on Gaya town for a similar empowerment programme at the instance of Alhaji Abdullahi Mahamoud Gaya, the legislator representing Gaya/Ajingi Federal Constituency, Mrs Ganduje also remind women about the need to avail themselves of the opportunity to give their mandate to her husband for the second time in order to enable him complete his on going projects.
She used the occasion to tell the women that APC in the state has done a lot in improving their living condition through the introduction and articulation of high profile empowerment programmes designed to have a positive and sustainable impact on their lives, adding that supporting them to become self-reliant is the best way to make them happy and prosperous.
The Kano first lady also demonstrated such remarkable feat in Garo town of Kabo local government area when she single-handedly distributed empowerment materials to thousands of women drawn from Gwarzo and Kabo LGAs ranging from sewing machines to take-off grant for a small scale businesses, a programme that had taken her into the early hours of night to finish.
She also used the occasion to call on women not to allow the good opportunity to slip out of their hands in future but accord considerable support to Gov Ganduje whom she said had demonstrated his unflinching desire to encourage women to become self-reliant. She affirmed that it is by supporting the APC-led government to succeed in Kano that their livelihood can be secured.
Residents speak
The first lady’s laudable gesture, had for the umpteenth time elicited comments from notable women political figures in and out of the political circles.
According to a renowned APC supporter in Kano, Hajiya Attine Tijjani Fagge, the first lady had proven her immense capacity and resolve to support women in all spheres of human endeavour, adding that throughout the years Gov Ganduje was in the saddle, he had never taken the risk of relegated women to the background.
“The time has come for the women folk in Kano to extend their hands of support and appreciation to Gov Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, having demonstrated his sympathy for women by placing them on the priority list of his government.” She posited that the first lady had also effected laudable giant stride in distributing safe delivery kits to pregnant women in key strategic areas of the state.
She said, “We are not ingrates and we really appreciate the kind gesture done to us by the first lady, courtesy of the commitment of her amiable husband. We are ever ready to reciprocate the ggestur by using our votes in giving him another mandate. We are in dire need of his support all the times and he is also willing to support us in that direction.
“We will never make the mistake of making a wrong choice. Every politician knows that we have the capacity and strength to determine the fate of every politician from the presidency to a local government levels. You can see our indispensable nature. Nothing is good than empowering one to stand on his feet at this critical moment. Make no mistake, Ganduje is heading for victory,” she added.
What is currently on the lips of voters is the fact that the effort being intensified by Mrs Ganduje in influencing the opinion of voters would never turn out to be an exercise in futility, considering the role she played in mobilising the women folk to support her husband’s second journey to Kano Government House.
