‘Why female lawyers find it difficult to operate’
Hajiya Aisha Abdu Muhammad is the company secretary and legal adviser to the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority. The mother of four hails from Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Her father, Malam D. H. Abdu worked for the then Northern States Marketing Board and retired in 1977. Her mother, Hajiya Halimatu Sadiya Abdu retired from the Ministry of Education as a director in the Kaduna State Scholarship Board. In this interview, among other things, Hajiya Aisha explained why women find it difficult to operate as lawyers.
Educational background I started my education in Genèva, Switzerland. My father was working there at the time, but he later came back to Kaduna and I moved to Kaduna Capital School, where I completed my primary education. From there, I went to Government Girls’ Secondary School (GGSS), Kawo. After secondary school in 1982, I moved to the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), where I bagged my Law degree in 1992. After that, I went to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos and graduated in 1993. Career I did my one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme at the Northern Nigeria Investment Limited, which is part of the New Nigerian Development Company. After NYSC, I started practice with Ibrahim Buba & Co. He is now a justice of the Federal High Court, Lagos. I stayed there for two months before I got married and moved to Kano State.
In Kano, I joined Val Insurance Limited, a private insurance company, as their company secretary and legal adviser. The company collapsed and I moved to the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), where I served in their legal and compliance departments. I left the NSITF in 2006
and moved back to Kaduna in 2008, where I joined Mustapha Haruna Soba, a legal practitioner. He owns his own chamber. I told him that I had the intention of having my own office, but I wanted to work for somebody for some time (not as a staff) before opening my office.
Finally, in 2010 I registered my office, and in 2011, I got a place right above Mustapha Haruna Soba’s office and opened my own chamber, called Abdu Abdu & Associates. In August 2016, with the coming of the new regime, Malam Nasir el-Rufai appointed me as the company secretary and legal adviser to the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority. That is where I am currently. I am presently a senior member of the Nigerian Bar Association. I also sit on the Board of NOCACO and United Wire as a director for my mum. I am also a chartered mediator and conciliator. Awards in the course of my career I was given an award as the Most Committed Bar Man in 2016. My first day in court On my first day in court, I went with a friend. My friend introduced himself, but I could not even speak. However, I had to summon courage to talk in court and answer the questions thrown by the judge. Eventually, I got used to it. During the very first experience, one is scared to face the judge, especially when one thinks that one is going to make a mistake, or something is going to go wrong. At first, I did not really want to practice. I think practice just came to me. There was no work and I just did not want to sit at home and do nothing, so I decided to practise before I found something to do. And once you start practising, it never really leaves you; it becomes like a passion. How I handle cases of child rape, torture, molestation etc I have encountered so many of such cases because I belong to the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and it is part of our job to protect women and children. The FIDA is an association that takes care of indigent women and children. It protects, promotes and preserves women and children. So we counsel women.
People bring all sorts of cases. Women bring cases of violence against them, mostly by their partners. We don’t normally appear because rape cases are against the state, we follow proceedings and ensure that perpetrators, if found guilty, would face the full wrath of the law.
You will find out that parents don’t want to prosecute most cases of indecent assault because they don’t want that stigma on their children. In such cases it is difficult for us to help them. There was another one where a policeman raped and got a junior secondary school girl pregnant. We investigated the matter and wanted the policeman to take responsibility for the girl, but in the end, he spoke with the girl’s guardian because they lived in the same compound and they said they did not want the matter to continue. That was how we backed out. There are so many cases like that, but because of the stigma, many families discontinue from them. Challenges faced in career or personal life Women find it difficult to operate, in terms of getting cases. Men get most of the cases. That is a major challenge because women are not given the opportunity to showcase their talents in court. For my personal life, I have no challenge. Growing up My growing up was beautiful. It was a nice childhood. Our father took care of us very well. We had a very nice and understanding father because he had more girls than boys. I will say we got the best of everything. Lessons of life Life taught me to make the best use of every situation. Fond childhood memories I have lots of memories of my childhood. My mother was a disciplinarian while our father was the quiet and gentle type.
I WOULD TELL MYSELF TO STRIVE TO BE THE BEST AND WORK HARD WHEREVER I FIND MYSELF.
WOMEN FIND IT DIFFICULT TO OPERATE, IN TERMS OF GETTING CASES. MEN GET MOST OF THE CASES
When I was going to Law School, I was apprehensive because I was going alone; and my aunty, who I was going to stay with, had travelled. So I started crying. My father saw me crying and asked if I did not want to go to the school. I told him that I wanted to go but I didn’t want to go to Lagos alone, so I made a pact with my aunty who was about the same age with me. I told him that she would accompany me to Lagos. He just kept quiet. On the day I was leaving, daddy had called his accountant to come with me and gave him strict instructions to ensure that he took me to Lagos and do the registration for me. That was how I went to Lagos with him. When I went to school and started the registration process, I felt he was a burden on me because he was not doing things the way I wanted. So I told him to come back to Kaduna.
Another memory I have of my childhood is that my sister had a dream to go skiing. We had an opportunity when our school was going on a ski trip, so we told our dad and he paid for us. We went to Italy to ski. He was such a dear person. Aspirations in life When I was young, I wanted to be a nurse because of the uniform. Later in life, somehow, I became a lawyer instead. Joys of motherhood When I told my mother that I was going to be interviewed, she said, ‘You have to tell them about me.’ My daughter is in her fourth year in the university as a medical. She is doing extremely well. Her professors in school describe her as a nice girl with excellent knowledge. I am very proud of the children; they are doing marvelously well. Most cherished gift It is funny. I have always told my husband that he is yet to give me the perfect gift I want from him. Favourite fashion accessories I like shoes, bags and jewellery. How I met my husband My husband, Jamilu Zakari Muhammad and I were in the same primary school. I have known him since he was nine years old and I was the same age. We were also family friends. We met again many years after primary school, before I graduated from the university. We got talking, and the rest is history. Most cherished attribute of his He is a very compassionate person. He is kind and very supportive. Most cherished fashion assessories My bangles. The first and last app I check every day I check all the apps, morning and night; I am very addicted to them. Favourite music Any kind of Nigerian music is my favourite. My children made me love Nigerian music. What I wouldn’t be caught wearing I would not be caught wearing indecent dresses. Best travel destination My best travel destination is London because it feels like home. How I relax I relax watching television, especially the Universal Studio Channel on DSTV. Last good book I read and how it impacted on me The last book I read is probably the Public Procurement Law. It is what I am using right now. It is like my handbook. It is always next to me and I always look at it. Favourite food and drink I used to like coke, but I don’t like drinks anymore; instead, I take a lot of tea as food. I like rice, fried or jollof rice. Defination of style The traditional style. I used to like skirts, but now I prefer traditional. Favourite designer I don’t have any. Favourite perfume, designer bags and shoes Whatever appeals to me. Mum’s advice that stuck with me till date Let me just say, to be honest and truthful. Favourite sport, weather, car, colour I like the cold weather because I don’t like heat. I don’t have any best sport or a favourite colour. My car is the Mercedes Benz C class. It was my dream car. Favourite day of the week Monday is my favourite day of the week because I go to work, especially when I had my office. When you work for yourself you don’t have that scare about going to work. Beauty routine I don’t have any beauty routine; I just wake up and get dressed.
Many years have passed and you still look glam, what’s your secret? There is no secret; I am just happy and contented. Role models My parents are my role models. Looking back, what I would tell a younger me I would tell myself to strive to be the best and work hard wherever I find myself.
My take on the Law graduate that was barred from being called to the Bar because she wore a hijab
When I was in Law School we were not even wearing headgears; but now, I think female lawyers are allowed to wear headgears. I find it a little bit difficult when I am talking about that. I did not wear a headscarf and I knew that was how it was. And my parents accepted it. However, today, people are becoming more conscious of their religions than before.