The wife of Zamfara state governor, Hajiya Aisha Bello Marawallen, has shown through her commitment towards her husband’s success that governance is all about the people. SANUSI MUHAMMAD reports.
Women empowerment
Immediately he assumed office as governor of Zamfara state, Bello Mohammed Matawalle involved his wife, Hajiya Aisha, into how best his administration would eradicate hardship among rural women for them to be self-reliant. Thereafter, Hajiya Aisha introduced Women Empowerment Scheme (WES), an empowerment scheme run by her office through a monthly cash transfer programme. From the inception of the programme, a total of 28,600 women have benefitted from across the 14 LGAs of the state with the sum of N20,000 each. Governor Matawallen in his inaugural speech during his swearing-in ceremony had declared state of emergency in education with emphasis on girl-child education. To that extent, Hajiya Aisha has played a vital role towards sustaining the policy as thousands of girls now have access to basic education across the state.
Skills acquisition
Considering the sorry state of all skills acquisition centres abondoned by previous governments, the state government revived them to enable youths undergo training in order to have a means of survival. Therefore, Hajiya Aisha’s scheme has trained about 60 women on face mask and hand sanitizer production across the three senatorial zones, provided 30 sewing machines, 30 hand sanitizer production materials, N10,000 cash to beneficiaries, trained 10 women on the production of reusable sanitary pads, trained 10 women on the production of petroleum jelly, provided 10 sewing machines for tailors and 10 set of raw items for petroleum jelly production with N5,000 cash grant for start up respectively.
On maternal mortality Hajiya Aisha has introduced First Lady Maternal and Child Care Health programme as one of her topmost priorities with free maternal delivery ‘Mama kit’ for pregnant women across the 14 LGAs. The kit contains unisex baby clothing, ankara clothing for mother, pampers, sanitary pad, baby skin care products for use after child birth.
Gender Base violence
Blueprint research reveals that she had always been at the fore-front in the campaign against gender based violence. She is currently championing the adoption of the Child Rights Act which the state government had already commenced its review with relevant stakeholders for speedy approval. The VAPP Act with other relevant laws are amongst the document that are currently in the state House of Assembly. She had also implemented activities in commemoration of the 16 days of activism with initiatives on ending GBV through the inauguration of the Gender Based Violence Committee inaugurated by the governor recently comprising relevant stakeholders using campaign through the production and airing of radio and television jingles, songs and dramas. The governor’s wife had also supported Zamfara Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Gusau with N300,000 for the purchase of medical supplies for victims of rape victims in the state.
International days celebration
She had also facilitated a high-level advocacy meeting of children with the governor to mark Children’s Day celebration as part of efforts to give children a voice, just as road walk was conducted to mark the International Day on the Elimination of Sexual Violence. Had Supported 20 widows with N20,000 financial support to mark the observance of International Widows Day through an awareness campaign for the creation for 20 youths on the dangers of drug abuse on International Day against Drugs and Illicit tpTrafficking with all relevant stakeholders. She also marked International Day of the Girl Child with young girls in a programme that gave them a voice to advocate on issues that affect them. On World Menstrual Day, Hajiya Aisha had also supported young school girls with sanitary pads, N5,000 cash and a health talk on hygiene during menstruation for their overall well-being in collaboration with the Northern Governors Wives Forum. In commemoration of the World Humanitarian Day, she collaborated with the LG Chairmen Wives Forum and donated N800,000 in cash, 200 ankara and 200 packs of noodles to displaced women and children in camps.She also engaged on social media campaign on International Day of Charity with advocacy message on making the world a better place for the less-privileged and also conducted a public campaign on World Mental Health Day through social media platforms.Looking at Hajiya Aisha’s efforts at boosting the morale of women and children in all aspects of human endeavours, she no doubt brought positive changes as regards poverty reduction, wealth creation and peaceful coexistence among women and human development.
