Abdul Jelil Adebayo
There are many gladiators in the murky political waters of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT). All of them are craving for attention. While some are saying they are indigenes – yes they have the right to say so – some are also arguing that in spite of not being indigenes, their contributions to the development of FCT are not in doubt; they are also correct.
Some of the political players in FCT, through their political antecedents, can be considered as worthy of reckoning.
There is one youthful, workaholic, go-getter among those making the waves in Abuja today and she didn’t just prop up from the blues. She has paid her dues politically and still working towards achieving much on the political landscape.
Most of the active players must have rolled up their sleeves and have gone to the hinterlands and sold themselves to the people that matter and those that can testify that indeed they have proved to be counted among the opinion moulders and the shakers and movers of politics in the FCT.
One of those making waves is Dr (Mrs) Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, the Minister of State, for Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
As a serving Minister of State, she has shown rare promise, indicating penetrating vision and a clear grasp of issues that is enabling her discharge the various responsibilities of her office, despite teething challenges. She is a young woman in a hurry but resolute to write her own copy of history
The question political watchers are concerned about is “who is this mother of two that is creating waves politically in the FCT?” She is one of the few that have written their names in gold.
However, the Ramatu we are talking about shook hands in 2019 with destiny with her appointment as Minister of State for FCT.
With her appointment, she slowly but steadily blazed a trail of remarkable achievements that are visible and can be enumerated.
As a serving Minister of State, she has shown rare promise, indicating penetrating vision and a clear grasp of issues that is enabling her discharge the various responsibilities of her office, despite teething challenges.
She is a young woman in a hurry but resolute to write her own copy of history.
In her quest to distinguish herself, she bowed to the overpowering zeal to serve humanity.
Her strength of character and no-nonsense reputation for getting results, her doggedness has made this passionate political princess of Kogi State to prove that success is no respecter of gender but only favours hard work, tenacity and purpose.
Ramatu believes success is not accidental, neither is it served a la carte; you have to go for it! And she has not hesitated in her belief for the best.
According to her, either you are a man or woman, young or old, the only thing that separates leaders from others, winners from losers, is their dedication and perseverance in bringing true change into anything they do.
It is in recognition of this reality that she has embarked on a number of initiatives that is helping in boosting the standard of living of the people.
She is a workaholic and takes every assignment given to her head-on.
Indeed, with a new dawn on the horizon, Ramatu, a native of Budon, a suburb of Lokoja, Kogi state, may well be an indelible footprint on the sand of time. An irrepressible Amazon of change and an astute administrator
Tirelessly, she is soldiering on, initiating reforms and fortifying capacity building measures that are already yielding fruits.
She represents a new age of politicians who are deploying their technocrat expertise in creating innovative policies and taking the responsibility for effecting change in the society.
History has a way of throwing up persons with a difference to sharpen its perspective in any given epoch.
And as politicians are seldom known to think of tomorrow. It is only statesmen who do so. She falls in the later grouping.
It appears that even in her stride Dr. Ramatu has already commenced efforts to stamp her feet in history as a woman who utilised her office to make a profound difference in the lives of the people, especially rural dwellers.
To underscore her commitment to serving the public good, she doesn’t take any responsibility given to her with levity. She puts her all, financially, contacts, wherewithal, human resources and whatever will advance her course to achieve results. She is a goal-getter!
Before then of course, she was a founding member of ANPP and co-ordinated the party activities in the North Central part of the country for her party.
And considering her commitment to grassroots mobilisation, she was appreciated and elected as the National Women Leader of the ANPP.
Again in the fusion of four political parties in 2014, she was there doing what she knows how to do best. She was a founding member of the current ruling party, the All Progressive Congress, APC.
And for her contribution in party grassroots mobilisation, she became pioneer Woman Leader of the APC.
For her resilience and doggedness, President Muhammad Buhari felt she deserved to be appreciated and listed her among the 43 ministerial nominees.
She is a workaholic and takes every assignment given to her head-on.
Indeed, with a new dawn on the horizon, Ramatu, a native of Budon, a suburb of Lokoja, Kogi state, may well be an indelible footprint on the sand of time. An irrepressible Amazon of change and an astute administrator.
The quintensential Ramatu is doing her best believing that history will be kind to her at the end of the day.
. Abdul writes from Karu, Abuja