This month, and particularly today, is a time to reflect on the incredible women in our societies and all that they have done to make life meaningful for not only their fellow women, but for the men also.
There is no shortage of those stories floating around on this day – International Women’s Day, from the women who have won the Nobel Prizes to those who have thrived in one field of human endeavour or the other.
As the world commemorates the 2021 International Women’s Day, I would like to use the opportunity to celebrate a formidable woman leader of our generation, a woman that has the character, competence and compassion to make difference, a woman who has also practically demonstrated that she is a woman with unmatched abilities, a woman who has set good example of leadership, a woman who often seen as tested and trusted. This, I believe will come to the mind of many that even without mention, I refer to no other person than Hon. Fatima Binta Bello.
Hon. Binta has become incredible role model for her country women and girls and men and boys too, and serve as an inspiration across regions and generations.
Hon. Binta is such an eminent woman who has pushed the frontier of women’s leadership and have paved the path for other women and girls to follow in her footsteps and become future leaders.
She is an enigma and a role model for many aspiring development enthusiasts, politicians businessmen and women in her constituency and Gombe state at large.
The desire to contribute her quota to the development of not only Kaltungo/Shongom Federal Constituency which she represented at the National Assembly, but the entire Gombe South Senatorial District has since become an ensuring covenant between her and God. She is a selfless politician and a great mother who do not only take stock of the needs of her people but also find means of putting smiles on their faces. In the eight years of her effective representation to the good people of Kaltungo/Shongom Federal Constituency, she was able to provide needed dividend of democracy to her people.
The inestimable Binta Bello was also, during her active and productive days in the green chambers of the National Assembly, the deputy minority whip in the 8th Assembly and a member of many committees and parliamentary associations including; Chairperson, Women in Parliament, Vice Chairman, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa, and also Vice-Chair, Commonwealth Women Parliament Association (CWPA) and many more too numerous to mention. Nonetheless, parliamentary job isn’t like that of the executives in terms of budgetary allocation and project execution. But the most adorable thing about Binta Bello’s remarkable political sojourn is that, she has touched the lives of the ordinary and beyond in many positive ways in nearly all the sectors of the economy – health, agriculture, education, youth and women empowerment, security and lots more – all as parts of her constituency projects.
Hon. Binta Bello is not bothered that PDP, her party has lost to APC, she is keenly and kindly concerned about the progress and development of her people.
This time again, on 3rd March, 2021, using her established initiative, FATIMA BINTA BELLO TRUST FUND FOUNDATION, awards scholarship of N10.8 million to 540 students of Gombe South indigene studying in various tertiary institutions across the country.
In recognition of her contributions to the development of local communities, Hon. Binta Bello was honoured with over 50 traditional titles which include Jakadiyar Kaltungo, Tauraruwar Tangale, Wakiliyar Waja, Waziriyar Tula, Gado-da-Masun Filiya, Sodangin Burak, Linzamiyar Banguji, Kilishiyar Gujuba and Uwar Soron Kamo among others.
Khalid writes from Gombe
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