CONSCIENCE IS AN OPEN WOUND, ONLY TRUTH CAN HEAL IT
Hajiya Maryam Usman Bayero Nafada (Nee Saidu) was born in January 1982, to the family of the late Alhaji Saidu Nafada, a seasoned local government administrator. She is the sixth child among 14 siblings – four boys and 10 girls. She is an indigene of Nafada Local Government Area of Gombe State. Maryam is the only wife of Senator Usman Bayero Nafada, a onetime Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and currently representing Gombe North senatorial district. He is the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Iwas born in Nafada town of the then Bauchi State in 1982. Because my father was a civil servant, we stayed in many local government areas in Bauchi State. I started my education at Central Primary School, Dukku. From there, we moved to Alkaleri Local Government Area, then to Karangada Primary School, Gombe, and Bakari Dukku Primary School, Bauchi, where I had my First School Leaving certificate. I proceed to Government Girls’ Secondary School, Bauchi. Unfortunately, our results were not released the year we finished school.
I had to re-sit for my examinations and got the required results, after which I secured admission into the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe, where I obtained a National Certificate in Education (NCE) in Computer Science. When we moved back to Abuja, I went to the University of Abuja and bagged a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science in 2012.
Before I proceeded to the university for my degree, I decided not to work in either government or private companies. I am running a private business from my matrimonial home. When I was growing up I always wanted to lead my younger brothers and sisters. I liked bossing them around and giving instructions. I could sacrifice anything I had to see that they were comfortable, as well as ensure that I maintained that leadership and command respect from them.
There was much respect and love in the society. We were not allowed to call our housemaids with their actual names. Our driver, househelps and watchmen were addressed as uncles and aunties. We were told to show them some respect since they were older than us. We grew up respecting our neighbours, relatives and friends of our parents. Actually, it was after we grew up that we realised that all the people we were calling uncles and aunties were not really our relatives. Unfortunately, this is not what is obtained these days. Today, even our blood relatives are not accorded the respect they deserve. But we are trying our best to see that we inculcate the culture of respect and love of humanity in our children.
The first challenge was that the very year I wrote my Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), our result was withheld by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). And it never came out, so there was no way for me to proceed with my studies. Also, my father, who was everything to me, died the same year I finished secondary school. He happened to be the only one sponsoring my education. So, at a tender age, all the duties and responsibilities fell on the lean shoulders of my mother. She had to take over from where my father stopped. At the end, I registered for SSCE again in order to continue with my education.
Also, having no one to help our mother to shoulder h e r responsibilities, she was advised to marry us off since most of her children are females. was my acquiring education. As such, I had to abandon my education to get married. But glory be to Allah, my husband supported me to obtained NCE and B.Sc. Failing to get my secondary school results, which I was hopeful of passing in flying colours, was the first bitter lesson. Also, the death of my father was really another turning point in my life. He was murdered in cold blood at night and we woke up in the morning to the sad news. My life changed completely at that moment. It was then that I began to understand what it meant to lack something. Before my father died, I didn’t lack anything. Whenever I needed something I would just ask him and he would provide it for me. With his demise I came to understand what life was really all about, and the transient nature of this world.
I always wanted to become a medical doctor when I was growing up. In fact, I still do some research on herbal medicine and other areas related to health. Whenever I read something about medicine, I always make sure that I understand it well. And I always apply what I learn. For instance, I can administer injection on patients. That is to tell you the level of my love for medicine. But as I told you earlier, the death of my father shattered my dream of becoming a medical doctor. Alhamdulillah, I was able to overcome the challenges and all is now history.
When I was in secondary school, during vacations I would prepare some local snacks I leant in school and sell it to my siblings. My father would buy all the snacks and ask me to distribute it free to my siblings. But I would not give them as he instructed, I would give it to them bit by bit even though my father had paid for it. The younger ones would follow me and I would drag them along before giving them. I cannot really describe how happy I was when I had my first child. But I lost him and I never felt that kind of love for the subsequent children I had. My second son also died. So losing them taught me a great lesson in life. I now have only one child, Saidu, who was named after my late father. He is 13. How did you meet your husband? I knew him since my childhood. He is my first cousin, so I grew up seeing him in our house. He is a son of my paternal aunty. His mother and my father shared the same father and mother. In fact, my naming ceremony was done in his presence. What attracted me to him was his patience and unquantifiable love for me. He waited for me since when I was 10 years old. He was pressurised to marry, but he insisted that he would wait for me until I was ripe for marriage. My husband is generous to a fault. He likes to offer help to whoever seeks his assistance. He can give his last kobo. He will go an extra mile to find money, just to solve other