Re-Katsina’s Rampaging First Lady By Ahmad Abdullahi

The writer which I am responding may think that I have been hired or directed to do so. He may also think that I am trying to hit back at him. That’s inevitable. As a citizen of my dear state: Katsina. I think I have a legal right to write an article like this one. I have no other issue or agenda rather than seek for equity and fairness in our utterances within the political sphere.

I was searching google for an article relating to a speech made by the US first lady, Mrs Obama, when an item caught my eyes. It reads ‘Katsina’s Rampaging First Lady’. I decided to explore the story. It was a beautiful write up by one legislator Ahmed B. Kaita. After reading the first paragraph, I was propelled to read further by an inner force. This was unlike me, because in another situation I would have swop through the context of the first paragraph, laugh over it and close the page. But something about the way he wrote it made me to understand that Mr Kaita has an issue or score to settle, so I read on. It was a frontal attack on the person of Katsina First Lady, Madam Fatima. And, it left nothing to imagination that the writer of the article was actually a mischief maker, and he felt that he had a justifiable reason after reading (as he claimed) a report in some newspaper that the first lady ordered the termination of a supervisory councillorship in Matazu Local Government over a hurdle between the Matazu first lady and a female supervisory councilor in the Local Government.

When I saw the name of the writer I was a bit baffled and confused. The man I know who answers that name can never write as flawless as the content of that article. But knowing that he is a politician who aspires to be known for his adventures, and who is trying hard to be recognized as a comrade, I let my mind accept the fact that he might have hired a professional writer to front for him. There are so many things in the whole write up that tells me that Kaita is not even aware of the content that was posted on his behalf. But for copyright purpose, let us assume Kaita actually did write the article.

As I read the article, something kept coming into my mind. From the beginning it was kind of blurry, but as my eyes scanned the neat print on my ipad, it became clearer to me that Mr Kaita was not even concerned with the episode at Matazu, but is bent on discrediting the first lady’s image. I kept wondering what benefits his outburst will be to him or to anybody who cares to read it.

He might have his reasons, though, but from what he wrote I learned that Ahmed B Kaita was not even certain whether the ‘sacking ‘ of the councilor has actually occurred, but that did not stop him from attacking first ladies in the country. Had he concentrated on Mrs Shema alone on the frontal accusation, I might have had second thoughts, but when he categorized all first ladies in the country as people ‘who go about destroying every structural arrangement designed to ensure modern communal existence through governance even when they know their relation to power was entirely marital’, I decided that outburst was part of the ongoing brouhaha from people of his stand and status. (Yan adawa)

I wonder how someone who claims to know everything concerning the public expenditure will make a mistake by saying that the first lady is using public funds to sponsor the activities of one her projects! Kaita wrote in his article, and I quote: from billboards of ‘yinin biki’ in Niger State to terminal pet projects of ‘first ladies’ in various states that usurped the functions of constitutionally backed government ministries and agencies in an ingenious schemes to siphon public funds…..’

If he was referring to other first ladies, in another state, I would have just shaken my head and let go, but since he is citing examples related to our first lady Kaita needs to be brought down to earth. The main project that Hajiya Fatima Shema is concerned about and which carries most of her attention is the ‘Service to Humanity Foundation’. It might interest you to know that this project is sponsored by international bodies, humanitarian donors and other philanthropists within and outside the state, not the state government. There was never a time when Hajiya Fatima Shema ever participated in the governmental affairs of her husband. How then can you associate public funds with the Foundation? It is purely an NGO and its activities are monitored from within and outside the country. Kaita is just trying to bring more confusion into an already tense situation. He is not supposed to write lies in order to communicate his personal vendetta.

Opposition is not grudge settlement business. It is to bring development to the people not creating instability among people.

There is a popular hausa slogan ‘laifi tudu ne…., this clearly portrays the malicious irony contained in his write up. If Kaita believes that he is cleaner than clean as he is trying hard to force people to believe, then he shouldn’t just fold his arms and watch the ‘notorious first ladies of the country’ having a field day. He is a federal legislator and I believe there are better ways of addressing such issues at the house. Knowing fully well that his is not a just cause, he decided to waste a valuable time boring people with worthless pieces like that article he posted on SaharaReporters page. I was amassed; the writer who is a representative of people at the upper House cannot even distinguish what constitutional reservations stand for in the Nigerian context. I think Kaita need an interpreter for his nose to rise above the sea level. Let’s ask him, how many motions has he moved for the benefit of his people or for any other related benefits to the country.

People like him are just sitting there for the sake of it. They form a collection of ‘I support the motion’ mediocrity in the house. Taking people like Kaita to the Assembly is like taking a dog to the library. I think Kaita should be more concerned with maintaining his chair in the 2015 polls rather than waste people’s time with gibberish like this. What has he done to deserve another chance from his people? What?

The attack on governors on seat and their wives is no longer a history in Nigeria. Kaita belongs to an opposition party whose leader is noble and honest in his own way, and under whose shadow these political mediocre hide under in the guise of righteousness and fairness. We all know what and who they are. Being with Buhari will and cannot cure their kleptomania and xenophobic impulses towards the masses who are unfortunate enough to be under them. They are only good for their families or closest friends. They are in power currently, and had been in power before….. What have they got to show that proves they are better than anybody? If you asked me, I’d say they represent the worst lots of political mediocrity.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of SaharaReporters