Tits and bits from Hajia Aisha Buhari’s Appreciation Dinner
Ihad to attend the appreciation dinner in honor of women and youths at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja by her Excellency Hajia Aisha Muhammadu Buhari. I wanted to meet her, to see her and hear how she speaks; her diction, mien; poise and all. It was her first official public function after the inauguration. flew into Abuja from Lagos on the day of the dinner. I flew Air Peace and l think I love that airline. I have flown it twice now and the plane didn’t do the ‘Atilogu dance’ in the air. I managed to catch some sleep and, in one corner of my subconscious, waited to feel turbulence but it never happened. Whenever the plane landed, l always waited to thank the pilots and most, especially God Almighty for a safe local flight experience- you should understand why. I was excited and didn’t want to get to the dinner late because l could be locked out. I had my time piece close to my pillow as I took a nap in the hotel, before I freshened up to set out. I had this beautiful outfit designed for me by Joan Ibuzo of the House of Marie. It was a peplum blouse over a long skirt to hide my big belle. The accreditation started from the Eagle Square. It did not matter what car you rode in, you must step out of your luxury toy to enter the mass transit bus that is exactly like the BRT buses in Lagos to get to the State House Conference Centre. The good thing was that everybody looked decently dressed, beautiful and pretty whether you are brown, black or white and the various kinds of scents did battle while we were on board. It was a warm atmosphere. At the conference centre, we all alighted and went straight to the entrance for our last security check before we were allowed access to the hall. And then, I knew I was not going to seat at the back, all the seats behind Hajia Buhari’s table were occupied but I was determined never to get a back seat. So, I made sure I arranged for a special seat to be brought to the table directly behind hers. I didn’t want to miss anything about the event or her speech or any of the ladies speaking at the event. The atmosphere was charged, before Her Excellency made her entrance. I quickly snooped the crowd, stretching my news gathering tentacles to see if I would see any notable socialite and party freaks. I didn’t see any, and it made me wonder if they were not invited or maybe they just decided not to come. I was looking out for Sen. Oluremi Tinubu but didn’t see her. Despite the fact, I kept telling myself that she would show up before the event was over, but she never did. Hajia Buhari looked like a respecter of time, I thought we would wait for hours like in the case of some former first ladies or top government officials. She stepped in flanked by the wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Bukola Saraki, and wife of the Speaker, Mrs. Yakubu Dogara. They were all looking so elegant, sophisticated, classy and pretty in their own right. I have always known Toyin Saraki as the former first lady of Kwara State; I’d even stayed a week in Kwara during an event in the state. The APC national women leader started the event with her embarrassing mumbled-up speech. She spoke like an amateur and was uncalculated- that was the only reason she would observe protocols the wrong way, like acknowledging the wife of the senate president before the wife of the vice president. Mrs. Okorocha, wife of the Governor of Imo State and the wife of the Governor of Zamfara State gave resounding speeches on behalf of the governors’ wives. Hajia Haggio, former Minister of Women Affairs also took the podium to give a speech. I also noticed the dinner was quite modest, no expensive or exotic choice drinks on the tables apart from juice, soft drinks and water. And the food supplied was just the regular Nigerian food like rice, moi moi, fish, beef and, some dishes had one snail in them. And the goodie bags were contributed by the governors’ wives; each of the bags had a plastic kettle or flask in it with a writing pad and an APC gele (headgear). It seemed like the dinner was sponsored or probably some female top APC members contributed to make it a success. The dinner was not lavish at all, but it was classy and well put together.
Hajia Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, the Jokes and the Warnings
The truth is I was a supporter of continuity and not change. But I will not compare Aisha Buhari to Patience Jonathan. They are two totally different individuals with divergent characteristics. Some people think l’m a ‘razz babe’; they say l’m not urbane because l’m me. You now see why I won’t lash at the former first lady for being who she is? What l’m trying to say here is that people clamoured for change, especially because of the fact that majority of Nigerians think the former first lady had a peculiar way of speaking that they didn’t like. Chief of them was her public speaking- I enjoyed hearing her talk, I can’t tell why but I think there’s something about her that I like. I have never met Hajia Buhari before but my colleagues who had met her said she was very graceful. My opinion is that, their description of the wife of the president turned out to be true. I fell in love with her at first sight; she is a delight to the eyes. Her smile is not only relaxing, but magnetic and soothing to the soul. She already has the mother hen and mother of the nation mien. I watched her walk up the podium to make her innocent speech, which mischief makers have twisted upside down. She has poise and a sophisticated gait. Her smiles seemed real and
not for the camera. I didn’t see what she wore because she had a veil wrapped around as usual. She is down to earth and witty; she made her guests chuckle throughout her speech, and it was a serious speech, which had so much humor in it. She held her guests spellbound with her charisma and pleasant looks. When she would start her speech after observing protocol, she referred to Dolapo Osinbajo as her sister and then gave her only surviving step mother, Hajia Gogo a special recognition. She got the honor due to her just like every wife of the president, but this amazon swallowed that without airs- she simply appreciated all and sundry and moved on to why she mounted the rostrum. She was the last person to speak before the curtail fell on the soiree. Impressively, unlike many others who’ll fix their gaze on prepared speech, she excused herself from the words etched on the paper to begin her speech. Interestingly so, the pretty lady of substance whose sheer unassuming nature has returned sanity to the seat, began her speech by acknowledging exactly how APC’s leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu encouraged her to begin the campaign for her husband when she came to Lagos for Adejoke Orelope-Akinfulire’s father’s burial. Given the political mood after the NASS brouhaha, many didn’t expect her to admit and express such immense gratitude in the open, but she did. She relayed her profound appreciation, shared some humorous moments preceding the electoral victory. Yes, she told a story of how she was nearly humiliated by the PDP when she had to travel from Ilorin to Lagos because the immediate past ‘First Lady’ was coming to town and how she braved the odds that later became a matter to laugh about. And when guests least expected, she made an utterly profound remark that “President Jonathan was a good man surrounded by bad people”, it was on that premise she gave a stern warning to selfish politicians and professionals to steer clear of her husband. Though she was misconstrued by mischief makers, but her intent was clearly sincere in the context she made those patriotic comments. She would further warn unsuspecting people not to offer anyone $50,000 or $30,000USD for them to have a meeting with her or her husband. She, however, solicited more participation of women in politics. She condemned the alarming rate of divorce in the country, especially in the North and said something has to be done about it. She urged women, who are known as home builders, to be careful and tolerant of situations in their environment. For those story traffickers, who make unfounded speculations about her marriage to Mr. President, she said contrary to what is being peddled around, “Since my husband got married to me, not for once did he put me in purdah.” They have a partnership in the sense that she consults him before she does anything, and he has always been in support of whatever she wants to do. She continued, “My husband being a father to a lot of girls, is very gender sensitive contrary to the image about him out there concerning women.”
Her Quick Resume
She is the Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari, who was elected at the last general election, held on March 28, 2015. She hails from Adamawa State, North-East Region of Nigeria. Her grandfather, Alhaji Mohammed Ribadu, was Nigeria’s first Minister of Defence. Her twenty-five years marriage to the former Head of State is blessed with five children and a granddaughter. Mrs. Buhari has a Master’s Degree in International Affairs and Strategic Studies (MIASS) from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree in Public Administration from Ambrose Ali University (AAU), Ekpoma. She is currently undertaking a Counseling Course on Co-Dependency in the United Kingdom. Prior to acquiring her higher degrees, Mrs. Buhari had earlier pursued a career in Beauty and fashion and obtained a Diploma in Beauty Therapy from the Carlton Institute of Beauty Therapy, Windsor, United Kingdom and specialised in Permanent Make-up, Mesotherapy and Miocro-dermabrasion. As well as obtained a Certificate from a French beauty school, Estheitique Academie in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Japanese Gold Facial and Towel-folding Techniques. Her natural passion for beauty and fashion is overwhelming, and this makes her interestingly unique, as she works, teaches and mentors young people on beauty and fashion. In her almost 15 years in the beauty industry, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has trained, mentored and empowered hundreds of Nigerians in her chosen profession. She is the Founder/Managing Director of Hanzy Spa and, Principal of Hanzy Beauty Institute in Kaduna and Abuja. She is a Resource Person to National Basic Technical Education (NBTE) on Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology and has participated in the curriculum development of Small Medium Enterprises for NBTE. She is an advocate of Women and Girl-child education, having come from an area that is educationally disadvantaged for the female gender. Her life philosophy is: if the environment is safe, if there is no corruption in governance and public life, there would be enough resources in any nation to meet the important needs of the common people, including those of women and the youth.
Rotimi Amaechi
He was the chairman of the occasion. Everybody knows he is a sweet talker and a near orator and at the same time a tough personality. He rendered a resounding speech about the whole campaign struggles and the support that led to the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari. He specifically mentioned two women who tirelessly worked on the campaign train; Hon. Abike Dabiri and Hadiza Bala Usman.
Abike Dabiri
I’m not a politician neither do I have plans to become one. Political parties in Nigeria make us feel that they are giving women an equal platform like the men to contest any political position, but I don’t buy that fallacy. I had strong conviction that the way Hon. Abike Dabiri grew in the political terrain, she would probably be the first female governor of Lagos State. She is so qualified and she did aspire until we heard from the grapevine she had stepped down and that she wasn’t returning to the house; that broke my heart. Even if she didn’t contest for governorship, she should have returned to the house and, maybe, run for speakership which is subject to Jagaban’s approval. The Dabiri that I know is a dedicated and loyal politician, one of those I hold in high esteem in this dispensation. She is straight and keeps to what she says and, above all, she is a worka- holic. I admire her zeal when she is involved in anything. I was not surprised when former Governor Rotimi Amaechi recognised her loyalty and dedication during the campaign that led to the emergence of Gen. Buhari as the president. I remember at a time there was much pressure for her to decamp to the PDP, but she stood her ground that her loyalty is to APC. At the dinner, when she walked pass, my friend who joined later at the table started confessing that he had always had a crush on her and wished she was not married, that he would have married her- we laughed over it. I was curious, so l asked why? He replied “My friends who are members of APC say she is very dedicated to the party but that she is not appreciated and is badly treated. I thought that if they were not going to allow her to contest as governor she should have been allowed back to the house, after all she’s very scandal-free.”
Hadiza Bala Usman
She is also known as Hadiza Yakubu Tanimu, she is the Convener/Initiator of the #BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) movement. She started her campaign when she realised the snail movement the last government displayed towards rescuing the Chibok girls. The BBOG movement was founded by her out of sheer humanity and the need for the government to intensify effort in bringing back the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram on April 14, 2014. The #BringBackOurGirls campaign in a short while has gone viral. She believes it’s an ample opportunity for Nigerians to collectively rise for a single cause and with Hadiza and the other campaign organisers, Nigerians have united, irrespective of age, creed and ethnicity. Just like Abike Dabiri, she put her life on the line to campaign for change in the country. She and Abike Dabiri are two women in APC who played significant roles in the campaign. Their family lives and businesses were put on hold in order for president Buhari to emerge winner of the last election.
Hajia Lami Tumaka
I was expecting to see this silent and amicable force from the North. She is the Deputy Director, Maritime Guard Command. The unit, warehousing officers, of the Nigerian Navy, as a result of the MOU engendering collaboration with the agency in the execution of its mandate. She is also a PR expert. I guess she must have been extremely busy for her not to attend the dinner. She is a staunch supporter of change and she is an ardent supporter of the wife of the president.
Dr. Zainab Atiku Baguda
She is the pretty and amiable wife of the Governor of Kebbi State. Dr. Zainab Atiku Bagudu is a mother, wife, Paediatric Consultant, child’s right advocate and ardent anti-cancer campaigner. Despite being trained in Child Health, Dr Bagudu has become a loud voice in the fight against cancers in Nigeria, particularly breast and cervical cancers and serves as a role model for women, particularly in the Northern parts. Her foundation, the Medicaid Cancer foundation was set up as an off shoot of the diagnostic centre and has sponsored over 100,000 mammograms. The Medicaid Cancer foundation creates awareness, prevention, treatment and diagnosis of cancers across the country. She is fashionable, ever-smiling and unassuming. I love her outfit that night. She stood out with her very simple all round beaded Ankara dress with a royal blue matching headgear. Her charity event holds annually in order to raise funds for cancer patients.
Hansatu Zannah
We were classmates at the Mass Communication department at the University of Lagos and, proudly, we refer to ourselves as the greatest Akokites. While I waited to have audience with the wife of the Governor of Borno State, who was almost mobbed by reporters, I didn’t see her, but she called out my name excitedly, and we hugged and exchanged pleasantries. I told her she looked so beautiful in her round gold attire. I actually thought she was just one of the women who attended the dinner. I remember then in Unilag, her husband was very active in politics and, of course, she quickly introduced me to the wife of her governor. She told her we were friends and classmates. Naturally, we had some gist and an invitation was extended to me to visit Borno State, but secretly in my mind stupid thoughts of Boko Haram welled up. I told myself this is something I will think about again. I was happy that Hajia is doing well and her husband, another humble soul, is now the deputy Governor of Borno State. All our years together at Unilag, I never saw her exchange banters with anybody in class; she had a permanent smile on her face and was extremely friendly, we even talked about another classmate Chamberlain Usoh of Channels TV, as we chatted. Theare was no protocol observed as we asked questions about our different classmates whom we had not seen for a while. We exchanged numbers and, were happy our paths crossed again.
Mariam Mohammed
I looked out for her at the dinner but she was nowhere in sight; let me quickly make a case for her. Those who know her know how tight her schedule can be. She is the publisher of Maktoub magazine that celebrates the business, lifestyle and rich heritage of the northern people. The petite and hardworking PR expert would have dazzled at the event with her stylish presence.
Oluremi Tinubu
Before the dinner, my instinct told me that she would be absent from the dinner because of the perceived betrayal by Dr. Bukola Saraki and how that affects her husband. We saw the Channels TV clip where she blatantly avoided a handshake with the senate president. I think her attitude wasn’t polite. She is a senator of the Federal Republic! Her husband sent a representative in the person of Sen. Femi Ojodu, who claimed that Jagaban was away to attend his friend’s sons burial or did madam go with him? Need we restate the obvious- something wasn’t just right at the moment and, whatever that is, it would explain why Sen. Remi Tinubu, wife of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu didn’t attend that function. As a frontline lady in APC, nothing else would explain her absence. She obviously hasn’t got over that palace coup at NASS. It was an occasion attended by almost every woman who matters in APC and, to many guests who attended, her reason for boycotting the shindig was not far-fetched. Whatever the feud, the senator should know that this phase will also pass- after all, the party has announced that it finally acknowledged the erring lawmakers’ positions. Oluremi Tinubu should have pretended, buried her anger and attended the dinner; now her action reads volumes. The APC women present were: Binta Tinubu (Wale Tinubu’s mother); Orelopes Adefulire; Dele Alake’s wife; Kemi Nelson; Tunde Fowler’s wife was on my table; Kemi Otegbade, a PR expert attended with a friend from London. I also sighted wives of past governors like Onari Duke, Angela Adebayo, Judith Rotimi Amaechi.
Entertainment
Honestly, I must confess I was expecting the usual music jamboree of inviting big artistes to such events where huge amount of money is paid for their services; instead it was the other way round. The known artiste, who performed at that event were Style Plus an Abuja based hip hop group which was once the rave of the Nigerian music scene. I was so in love with their hit song ‘Olufunmi’. General Pype also performed, and then a music duo from Kogi State called G-Zone as well as a cultural display from a dance drama group.