The recent election of Barr Halima Gaya as the chairperson of the Nigerian senators’ wives group is indeed a welcome development in our nascent democratic journey.
Dr Halima Gaya, the wife of the distinguished Senator Kabiru Gaya, a fourth term senator representing the good people of Kano South is also a politician of note who has transverse the political landscape of Kogi state. Her election is indeed well deserved and not one that came as a surprise.
Barr Halima Gaya, a PHD holder and a Barrister’s of law, ascended that enviable position reserved for the wives of an incumbent senate president through merit and because the wife of the senate president Ahmad Lawan was indisposed.
The members of the senator wives of the 9th senate of the present political dispensation are all spouses of members of the senate. As more and more senators’ wives are coming to Abuja to keep their husband comfortable and their families together during congressional seasons, the importance of having a group emphatically made up of wives of senators coming together to find ways of assisting their husband’s on other worthy causes that are not constitutional reserved only for elected senators individually can never be overemphasized.
Today, the Senators’ spouses forum are well known, apart from being frequent visitors to senate’s plenaries and galleries, and being in unity of purpose supporting their individual husbands in being their source of strength in making good laws for the peace and development of Nigeria, they have now been the focus of Abuja’s growing social scene, doing other charitable works.
Even though today, senators spouses pursues careers of their own, as lawyers, bankers, professors, lobbyists, and accountants, just to mention but a few, a number of senate spouses have also held high level positions of their own just like their chairpersons who have served as a Kogi state commissioner and also became a frontline governorship aspirant during the administration of Prince Abubakar Audu, of blessed memory when he held sway as the governor of the state. She is undeniably a politician of note and purpose.
It is expected that with her capable leadership qualities, this amazon from Kogi state would transform this influential group into a formidable force in Nigeria’s political scene and importantly, play a critical and important role in the senate of the modern era, not only as partners in senate families, but also as an active, dynamic and influential actors in Nigeria’s politics.
Barr Halima Gaya, has also contested prior to this appointment for the Nigerians senate.
Others also appointed into the steering committee includes, Mrs Clara Nnaji, Treasurer; Dr. Nkechi Okorocha, Welfare Officer; Dr. Mairo Almakura, PRO; and Mrs. Temitope Adeola, Secretary.
– Musa Wada writes from Abuja.
