Two Years And Two Seasons: Dr. Ramatu As FCT Minister of State

By:

Farouk Ozigi Onimisi

(The White Orator)

21st August, 2021

Africa has in one of her proverbs that cross the river in a crowd and the crocodile won’t eat you. Nelson Mandela was quoted as saying “there is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.”

A Great Greek Philosopher and Classical Theorist, Arisotle, once said, “moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. He added “the ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than mere survival.” Essentially, most times, the leaders ornament is not the smiles you see on their faces during the time of victory. It is the sweats we don’t see when they were struggling behind the scenes.  Indeed, good habits formed at youth make all the difference.

According to Rick Pitino, “humility is the true key to success. Successful people lose their way at times. They often embrace and overindulge from the fruits of success. Humility halts this arrogance and self-indulging trap. Humble people share the credit and wealth, remaining focused and hungry to continue the journey of success.” For me, I just don’t deal with the negativity. I cannot get involved in that side of it. I don’t understand it, and you cannot let it take away from your life and what you are trying to do.

The White Princess Ramatu remained modest in her quest as Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, an appointment the Buhari-led administration is forever proud of. For The White Princess Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, failure would never be a woman if it is not a man. After all, world history tutored gender posed no barriers of rivers to cross to breast the tape of accomplishments. Late Golda Meir of Israel had shown it. Late Baroness Margaret Thatcher of England had proved it as well.

Personally, I am not surprised the number of achievements this humanitarian has in her name in this very appointment she marks its two years today. This was possible because long before her eventful sojourn in politics, she crystalised a noble dream of providing succor to Nigerians who ordinarily could not help themselves. The milk of human kindness flowed so ceaselessly in her vein that she floated a Non-Governmental Organisation, christened Global Women and Youth Empowerment Strategy, GLOWYES. As an achiever of the finest hue, she derived her motivation for this initiative from her priceless passion to reclaim and return the place of both women and youth to the position of eminence they deserve as immutable catalysts for new order. Having been a product of education herself, she persistently used GLOWYES to emphasise the importance of knowledge, especially for the rural women and youth, as functional basis of equipping them with realities of their potentials to the fullest. This saw her releasing creative genius of Nigerian youths and restoring the pride of women as fountain of moral armament and dependable custodian of stable family unit. It was therefore not surprising, her numerous achievements as Next Level Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory marking two (2) years today. No wonder John Quincy Adams postulated that “if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” 

As she continues making her administration felt in all the six area councils of FCT, the Onyize of Ebiraland has among others, the following achievements in her 2 years as FCT Minister of State: 

Equitable Standard and Facilitated Primary School where she commissioned and received the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Through this commissioning, there came to be hand-over of ultra modern school “Nigeria Korean International School” valued at fifteen million dollars to boost the FCTA quality education in the territory.

Additionally, The Multipurpose Women Food Processing Zone rose to become FCT Mega Food Processing Zone. Courtesy of Dr. Ramatu, FCT started producing and meeting her own demand in rice at large quantities with a sustainable plan towards integrated/demonstration farming, cultivation, processing, youth and women engagement aimed at repositioning and strengthening FCT Area Councils in agriculture through skill acquisition, empowerment and employment. 

Inauguration of the FCTA/USAID steering committee as part of measures towards the revitalisation of FCT Healthcare System to deliver quality, affordable and sustainable preventive healthcare services to residents of the territory.

She equally donated tricycle, employment offer and scholarship offer to the daughter and son of a retired Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr. Emakoji Jacob not forgetting of course, her flagging off of the 2021 tree planting campaign awareness in the Federal Capital Territory. Aside her immediate disbursement of statutory allocation to the six area councils in FCT, the Mother Teresa of Nigeria and Queen of the Middle Belt has, in her 2 years, commissioned the FCT Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and equally flagged off the Free Anti-Rabies Vaccination Campaign as well as Distribution of inputs to Livestock Farmers in Abuja without forgetting greatly, her extension support to indigent family with multiple births at the National Hospital Abuja on 23rd July, 2021.

Ramatu equally flagged off a community sensitisation programme on cholera and other severe acute diarrhea diseases outbreak in the nation’s capital. In addition, she flagged off the second round maternal newborn and child health week accompanied with electronic enrolment of Area Council Employees in the FCT Insurance Scheme at the Kuje Area Council Secretariat, Abuja. 

Furthermore, she equally called for integration and unity among African Oil Producers. She was able to achieve this using Wilson’s quote which says “we cannot be separated in interest or divided in purpose. We stand together until the end.” Further call was the Legislation Call to Curb Aflatoxin Spread to Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa. No wonder The Sun Nigeria described her as The FCT Change Amazon.

With her continuous strive of good governance and carrying along in her activities, her roots, she was on her 51st birthday, June 12th, 2021, coronated as Onyize of Ebiraland by His Royal Majesty, Alh. (Dr.) Abdulrahman Ado Ibrahim. On 19th of same month, she earned the traditional title, Yeye Bobaselu of Ekinrin Adde Kingdom in Kogi West Senatorial District not forgetting her earliest titles as Zinariya of Lokoja Emirate, Sarauniya of Kakanda Kingdom, Yeye Meto of Ede Land, Yeye Aare Mayokun of Ede Ido-Osun Kingdom and Sarauniya of Gwagwalada.  

During the Blueprint Newspaper’s 10 Years Anniversary and Impact Series Award held at Trancorp Hilton on 3rd June, 2021, Ramatu was awarded as Public Officer of the Year, Grassroots Transformation. She equally received the Model and Exemplary Leadership Award from Kogi State Market Men and Women Welfare Association after she received Friend of Ijumu Award by the Ijumu Development Union (IDU) as well as other numerous deserving awards within these 2 years.

Other achievements of hers include among numerous others, flagging off/rolling out agricultural inputs distribution to small-holder farmers, flagged off the inclusive environmental sanitisation programmes in FCT area councils, flagged off grants for 5000 rural women in Abuja, flagged off the Federal Government Extended Special Public Works Programme held at Lokoja township stadium, inauguration of FCT Emergency Maternal and Child Intervention Centre, Inauguration of FCT-UBEB Centre for Science, Technology and Innovative Training, flagged off the 2020 Abuja Unity Fiesta, Commissioning of Water Treatment Plant in Abaji, urged youths to stop being used as tools for national destabilisation, anchored Kogi State Ministerial Dialogue for Sustainable Peace and Development after the #ENDSARS Protest, extension of medical outreach to Koton-Karfe flood victims, flagged off subsided sales of buffer stocks in FCT and reiterating the commitment of the FCT administration in job creation through agricultural value chains, flagged off FCT’s 2020 tree planting campaign in Karshi, etc.      

What Minister Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu has done within 2 years in office as Minister of State for FCT is the creation of a Ministry very responsive in nature that will stand test of time; a Ministry always available and answerable to the people. This is what Ramatu has built. Nigeria is rising and we must support The White Princess Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu to do more. 

Generally, present day Federal Capital Territory Administration has all it takes to provide the needed developmental apparatus as it affects persons living in the rural areas and the local communities in particular. Ramatu never restricted herself to her enclave called Kogi State. She was able to spread the tentacles across the entire communities in the state with job provision, water plants and palliatives meant at cushioning Covid-19, Ramadan and various religious festivities. With a new dawn on the horizon, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu is an indelible footprint on the sand of time as an irrepressible White Princess and Amazon of Change.

Farouk Ozigi Onimisi is a reputable Civil Servant, Investigative Journalist, Essayist, Novelist and Playwright