Re-Hadiza Bala Usman: What Has Changed?

My attention has been drawn to a letter titled - ‘Hadiza Bala Usman: What Has Changed?’ published in Daily Trust on April 19. It is “narrow minded” for the writer to use falsehood just to grab people’s attention.

However, it pleases me that the writer listed Hadiza Bala Usman among those people who felt concern about the plight of women and strived to see their lives change for the better.

The writer also asserted that she joined some young and energetic aspirants in 2011 to change the narratives.

Four years later, President

Buhari’s government found her worthy of a ‘national assignment’, and appointed her Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) where her tenure has been renewed because of her good job.

Being on record as one of the most committed and successful government administrators in Nigeria who fights corruption in the most difficult area, Hadiza has made not only her constituent proud but also Katsina State and the entire womenfolk in Nigeria.

For her unwavering stand to defend the truth, I recall when the chairman of a company working for the NPA sponsored thugs to attack her after an investigative hearing in the National Assembly, for exposing his wrongdoing. But the brave woman remained undaunted in the face of the threats.

Responding to the critique of the writer who seems to barely know the difference between national assignment and constituency project, I want to clarify that Hadiza is now a national figure that belongs to every Nigerian, not only Musawa and Matazu.

But, to put the record straight, Hadiza has remained close and dear to her constituents, especially women, because there was never a time she neglected them.

Hadiza has every right to blow her trumpet but knowing her background and the kind of person she is, I know she will not do that.

She constructed new block of classrooms and staff room at Matazu Community Secondary School, and refitted four blocks of classrooms at Community Secondary School in Matazu.

She provided and installed solar lights in various Tsangaya schools in Musawa and Matazu local government areas, and equipped Usman Liman and Matazu Model Primary schools with 400 units of pupils desks and 40 units of staff desks, each.

For the women, Hadiza has trained and empowered rural women in Matazu and Musawa, and provided 5,000 units of sewing and grinding machines to women in the two local government areas. She also facilitated the training and empowerment of youth in internet usage and application in Dangane/Musawa to mention but a few.

As the saying goes, “an enemy will never see anything good out of you”, especially when he is paid for cheap blackmail; none of these achievements were mentioned in the piece he wrote.

Sani Yahaya Musawa 08033439***