Aww, the Niger state governor is so romantic!
It is not always easy for people,
especially those at the helm of affairs like president, governors,
senators, ministers, commissioners and many others to discuss their private
lives particularly their families…..Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of
Niger State and Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum is an exception.
especially those at the helm of affairs like president, governors,
senators, ministers, commissioners and many others to discuss their private
lives particularly their families…..Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of
Niger State and Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum is an exception.
In an interview with Vanguard, to
commemorate his 59th birthday, the governor, who calls himself the Chief
Servant of the people, says he is a “very very romantic man”.
commemorate his 59th birthday, the governor, who calls himself the Chief
Servant of the people, says he is a “very very romantic man”.
Answering a question on when
he got married, and how he has been coping as governor, an activist, Chairman
of the Northern Governors Forum, ,a husband and a father, Aliyu said he got
married at the age of 23 barely four months after his National Youth Service in
Lagos while his wife was 19…
he got married, and how he has been coping as governor, an activist, Chairman
of the Northern Governors Forum, ,a husband and a father, Aliyu said he got
married at the age of 23 barely four months after his National Youth Service in
Lagos while his wife was 19…
“Luckily for me, I married a woman I
love and a woman I pursued for more than four years. It was like a prophecy
that i was going to marry her. I made the prophecy myself. I actually went to a
girl friend’s house and I saw the picture of my wife and I looked at it and I
said to the senior sister to my girlfriend in form of prophecy that ‘this
is my wife’ and I asked, ‘who is she.?’
love and a woman I pursued for more than four years. It was like a prophecy
that i was going to marry her. I made the prophecy myself. I actually went to a
girl friend’s house and I saw the picture of my wife and I looked at it and I
said to the senior sister to my girlfriend in form of prophecy that ‘this
is my wife’ and I asked, ‘who is she.?’
“They tried to describe her and I
never knew I was going to meet her. Honestly, with her photograph I saw, I just
fell in love with her. When I eventually met her, she was more beautiful than
what I saw in the picture,” the governor stated.
never knew I was going to meet her. Honestly, with her photograph I saw, I just
fell in love with her. When I eventually met her, she was more beautiful than
what I saw in the picture,” the governor stated.
“Most people would want to know the
rest of the story. I want to confess to you that I am a very very
romantic man and, because I am a little straight forward again, polygamy
was not and still not attractive to me
and that is why probably I have only one wife.”
rest of the story. I want to confess to you that I am a very very
romantic man and, because I am a little straight forward again, polygamy
was not and still not attractive to me
and that is why probably I have only one wife.”
Aliyu has been a very busy man right
from school. He was a class monitor in primary school, a prefect in secondary
school, a unionist, an activist and Chairman/Secretary to about 10 clubs in
school before he joined the civil service and rose to the post of permanent
secretary in many ministries at the federal level and now governor for almost
eight years, and also Chairman, Northern Governors Forum for over seven years.
These are responsibilities he sees as a routine and has successfully combined
with his family affairs.
from school. He was a class monitor in primary school, a prefect in secondary
school, a unionist, an activist and Chairman/Secretary to about 10 clubs in
school before he joined the civil service and rose to the post of permanent
secretary in many ministries at the federal level and now governor for almost
eight years, and also Chairman, Northern Governors Forum for over seven years.
These are responsibilities he sees as a routine and has successfully combined
with his family affairs.
“I make sure I have time and discuss
with my wife and children. We are always together. Whenever I travel, I buy
books for my children and I usually commit them to reading them by placing
prices and other gifts for whoever finishes reading the books first. This is
with my wife and children. We are always together. Whenever I travel, I buy
books for my children and I usually commit them to reading them by placing
prices and other gifts for whoever finishes reading the books first. This is
just to make them vast in reading
and to make sure they read the books. So, we relate very well and discuss a
lot. As you see me outside, so you see me at home and, in terms of romance, I
am very sure my wife is very happy with me. I am very sure of that one,” Aliyu
declared.
and to make sure they read the books. So, we relate very well and discuss a
lot. As you see me outside, so you see me at home and, in terms of romance, I
am very sure my wife is very happy with me. I am very sure of that one,” Aliyu
declared.
He said being the Chairman of
Northern Governors Forum is an added responsibility which has not hindered his
affairs at home.
Northern Governors Forum is an added responsibility which has not hindered his
affairs at home.
The governor described the group as
an association where governors collectively discuss the problems of their
states and proffer solutions.
an association where governors collectively discuss the problems of their
states and proffer solutions.
He said the job is made easier by
the secretaries to the state governments who meet ahead and discussing vital issues
leaving them as governors to only ratify at their meetings.
the secretaries to the state governments who meet ahead and discussing vital issues
leaving them as governors to only ratify at their meetings.
“There are some of us with abundant
energy and, most of the time, I do not expend too much energy at home but on
responsibilities bestowed on me. If I have four wives, by the time I jump from
one room to another, I would have exhausted my energy but thank God I have only
one wife and I have abundant energy for other jobs!”
energy and, most of the time, I do not expend too much energy at home but on
responsibilities bestowed on me. If I have four wives, by the time I jump from
one room to another, I would have exhausted my energy but thank God I have only
one wife and I have abundant energy for other jobs!”
GROWING UP
Some of our leaders are born with
golden spoons in their mouths while many passed through thick and thin to
their success stories today. Aliyu went down memory lane saying as a child, he
had no permanent room in his father’s house because the family house was more
or less designated for visitors who were
golden spoons in their mouths while many passed through thick and thin to
their success stories today. Aliyu went down memory lane saying as a child, he
had no permanent room in his father’s house because the family house was more
or less designated for visitors who were
accommodated even without any
notice.
notice.
“I grew up in a house where any
stranger that came from any part of the world would be directed to our
compound. So, I grew up without a room to myself that I could call my own
because a guest would come whom nobody knew his background and we would be told
to leave the room for him and would remain there until he decided to leave. I
grew up with that life style and that is why indigene or non-indigene is not in
my dictionary because everyone to me is a Nigerian and should be treated as
such. The only time my administration can show discrimination against anyone is
when residents in the state exhibit criminal tendencies,” the governor said. He
said Nigerians no matter which state they come from should be accorded any
status in which ever state they find themselves.
stranger that came from any part of the world would be directed to our
compound. So, I grew up without a room to myself that I could call my own
because a guest would come whom nobody knew his background and we would be told
to leave the room for him and would remain there until he decided to leave. I
grew up with that life style and that is why indigene or non-indigene is not in
my dictionary because everyone to me is a Nigerian and should be treated as
such. The only time my administration can show discrimination against anyone is
when residents in the state exhibit criminal tendencies,” the governor said. He
said Nigerians no matter which state they come from should be accorded any
status in which ever state they find themselves.
“The Constitution of Nigeria defines
who is a Nigerian. My belief is that if you pay tax here in Niger, you are
therefore part and parcel of the state. If you make anybody think he is
different then, one will be behaving differently because ‘you have told me that
I don’t belong here and if I make my money, I will therefore take it to where I
belong’. That attitude will not encourage perceived strangers to contribute to
the development of this state which I stand against as governor.”
who is a Nigerian. My belief is that if you pay tax here in Niger, you are
therefore part and parcel of the state. If you make anybody think he is
different then, one will be behaving differently because ‘you have told me that
I don’t belong here and if I make my money, I will therefore take it to where I
belong’. That attitude will not encourage perceived strangers to contribute to
the development of this state which I stand against as governor.”
He said during the civil war, all
the properties of the Igbo that were given to his parents and some others in
Minna remained intact and given back to their owners when they came back
including what accrued from rentals on the properties.
the properties of the Igbo that were given to his parents and some others in
Minna remained intact and given back to their owners when they came back
including what accrued from rentals on the properties.
“If today you find any person in
this part of the world discriminating against other people, it is as a result
of ignorance because at one time or the other, we were also strangers in the
state because it is only a matter of how long one has stayed here.”
this part of the world discriminating against other people, it is as a result
of ignorance because at one time or the other, we were also strangers in the
state because it is only a matter of how long one has stayed here.”