Former House of Representatives aspirant on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change in Kaduna State, Hajiya Binta Mu’azu, has described the over-reliance on natural resources as a major setback for Nigeria’s economic growth. A business woman cum politician, in this interview with ADEDAYO ADEJOBI, she stressed the need for more women participation in politics, especially at the governorship level. Excerpts:
You came out to contest for the House of Representatives seat in the last general election. What informed your decision?
For some time now, we have been watching politicians and things happening in Nigeria and we observed that till date no one can say that the people of Nigeria have seen the real evidence of democracy. I was tired of watching, so I decided to come out and see how I could contribute and render my service to the citizens. More crucially, ever since General Muhammadu Buhari ventured into partisan politics, he has always been involving my husband and I in any party he participated in, because we are among his loyal supporters. I am a member of CPC and having watched what has been happening in Nigeria, we don’t believe in folding our arms and watching. We need to provide solutions to Nigeria’s problems. That was why I came out as one of the contestants for the House of Representatives for Kaduna North in the last elections.
How would you assess the performance of your party in the elections?
I have to say that among all the parties that contested in the election, CPC is the best, most focused and reliable. The party was barely a year old then but I can tell you there was no other party that sold its manifesto such that it caught people’s attention like the CPC, especially in a short span of time. The awareness was extensive and every citizen who believed in Buhari’s ideology, transparency or doing good things for Nigerians, no doubt, supported CPC. In fact, we lead, followed by the Action Congress of Nigeria and the Peoples Democratic Party. We led because of the man heading the party. CPC is a party for the masses and its aim is to deliver positive change. We tried using the little resource God has blessed us with to see how we could get victory and render service to the nation. Look at our opponents and the way they used people’s money for jamboree and campaign. They have always been talking about change, but tell me what change have they brought about in the last 12 years? We have problems in the education sector and every other sector is also affected. Look at Boko Haram. Our party, CPC, came to rescue the situation, while everybody knows that Muhammadu Buhari is a leader that was not found guilty of any form of corruption. There is no way any of our opponents could have held him liable for anything like that. He is a teacher; tested, trusted and found to have integrity.
Judging by what you said, would you say that your party is gender friendly considering the magnitude of male participation in the last general elections across the country?
Our mentor believes in it but being a new party you find people trooping in and bringing in things that will spoil the party. When they come, they want to splash their money around and you know what that means. They exploit the place and those who are competent and have the people’s mandate are not the ones being chosen, just because they have money. There are a lot of things that happened, which are being regretted. You hear of court cases all over.
Was that the reason why you didn’t get the party’s ticket?
Exactly. I told you I don’t believe in money politics. I know I did my best to a reasonable stage as to what was expected of me. Unfortunately, the men folk expected more and these exploiters took advantage of that. But I believe that God will solve the problem. We have just started and the sky is the limit.
Why did we see so much violence and mudslinging in politics, especially from the North, with some parties taking it to be a ‘do-or-die’ affair? Was this really necessary to win the elections?
I don’t believe politics should be full of violence. When I contested, there were seven of us and later five. I was the only woman among them. During campaigns, I visited the 12 wards in my constituency and I never condemned any of my opponents. Whenever they asked me about them, I told them that the CPC is a party of integrity. I believe victory and power are in the hands of God. He gives it to those he wants. So, I wasn’t mad about power to the point of using crazy and insulting words while campaigning. I never used it and don’t believe in it.
Would you say generally women are faring better in politics now than they did in the past, judging by the number of women in politics now?
The reason why more women go into politics now is because in the last 12 years most of the positions occupied by women have been run very well. The women have performed their best in any position they have been given, even more than the men. Women are more fearful, compassionate and a lot less greedy than men are.
What suggestions can you offer towards getting rid of the idea of money politics?
The only way forward is for members to believe in the party’s manifesto if they really want to serve the nation. I know many political parties do not approve of money politics because it will never take us forward. We will always have the looters occupying sensitive positions within the party and even in government and that is how corruption will continue. Screening members is also very important. If a politician comes with so much money, there should be a background check on such a person: where he comes from, what he does, if he has had any case with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission or Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Crimes and so on.
What would you call your achievements as a grassroots politician?
I have made so many contributions to the people in my constituency in the area of education, care for orphans and widows. It has been my life’s passion to do this from my business proceeds. I don’t believe in acquiring so much money, cars and property when I can help a fellow human in need. I made sure that the youth and women are engaged in skills acquisitions that will empower them. I made assistance available to the widows and also set up small scale industries for soap making, sewing, knitting, carpentry as well as training the youths who go about without jobs.
What is your take on Boko Haram as it affects the society and the Nigerian economy and stability?
Boko Haram is unfortunate and it is more so because of the timing. Just when the international community is thinking Nigeria is getting there, let us start doing business with them through direct foreign investment, is when we are having this unnecessary distraction. For a businessman or woman, it is really distracting. You see that Boko Haram has gone beyond killing, though the killing is very unfortunate. Boko Haram is unfortunate for our economy and psyche as a nation. The far reaching after effect will take us years to recoup all we have lost in the process of the problem. The government should be very firm and decisive about putting an end to it. It should go beyond the surface, finding out the root of the problem and coming up with practical solutions. I don’t believe any sane set of people will kill for no just cause. The government should be decisive, bearing in mind that Boko Haram has ran foul of the law. Boko Haram is a distraction and we don’t need any of such. Government should, as a matter of urgency, deal with it decisively.
What would you say are your challenges in life?
What I will call my challenges have been in politics. You can hardly find a sincere politician. Most of them are deceptive.
What is your advice to Nigerian women, especially those aspiring for governorship, senatorial positions?
Women should refrain from doing anything that would sabotage their efforts or make them withdraw their interest and their belief. They should strive hard, be determined in whatever you do and most importantly have the fear of God.
What is your reflection of the government’s policy on fuel, as the over- reliance on that natural resource seems to be posing a major setback on the nation’s eco
nomy?
First, the Nigerian economy is almost singularly hinged on crude oil export and therefore highly sensitive to internal and external market shocks in the oil sector. What this means is that a fractional rise in cost of fuel has unmitigated ripple effects on the industrial sector and key components of basic need indicators such as food, housing and health. Secondly, the ripple effects are without boundary, as social liberties, for example, become less accessible to the average Nigerian and well removed from the less privileged who consist of the vast majority of the population. The private sector nonetheless suffers the biggest reverses as small scale entrepreneurs lose their businesses due to higher business overheads. When one business is lost, many dependent families are exposed not only to poverty but other forms of social exclusion, which include constrained access to justice system, one determined by financial leverage and constrained rights to electoral or political participation. So, we are not dealing with a polity environment where there are clear delineations in rights, privileges and opportunities and where institutions have the capacity to preserve and distribute these variables equitably. Also, there are myriads of structural flaws in government implementation of anti poverty programmes perceived to reduce poverty, resulting from imminent hyper inflation. The answers to these questions, amongst many others, remain a puzzle. It is expedient for the Federal Government to show examples of good governance, ensure a transparent and accountable governing, one that will respond to the market magic of enterprise and ‘trickle down’ effect. Nigeria’s problem, simply put, is its preference to export than refine more of her crude.