They served the country at different times in different capacities, but while their services were applauded, it is not clear where they could be at the moment. ELEOJO IDACHABA writes.
Fidelia Njeze
Ambassador Fidelia Akuabuta Njeze is Nigeria’s former minister of aviation under former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 to 2011, when in an acting capacity, the former president announced his new cabinet following the death of Musa Yar’ Adua. Before then, she had served as minister of state for agriculture and water resources and also as minister of state for defence all under Yar’ Adua. This University of Nigeria Nsukka-trained pharmacist from Enugu state began to assume leadership position when in 2004, she was appointed a member of Enugu state Health Services Management Board to help transform the health sector. In the wake of the 2011 general elections, she endorsed and campaigned extensively for Jonathan. After winning the election, Jonathan appointed her to head one of the inauguration committees that would usher in the new administration and eventually nominated her for ambassadorial position after which she was screened and confirmed by the Senate.
Njeze was then appointed ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein till Jonathan’s tenure ended. During the 23rd convocation ceremonies of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), on March 5, 2011, the university awarded an Honorary Doctorate degree to Mrs. Njeze conferring on her a Doctor of Management Technology. She has also been recognised by various professional bodies most of which are in the pharmaceutical line; these awards were given to her because she is seen by many as an outstanding ambassador of the profession. Analysts are, however, of the opinion that Njeze got the nomination by former Governor Sullivan Chime to represent Enugu state in the cabinet of Yar’Adua because they are cousins, not because she was qualified for a cabinet position as at that time due to lack of the enabling experience. In 2015, this woman caused furore at the headquarters of the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) when she resumed there as coordinator of the organisation without being officially deployed, a development that sparked protests among some staff members. Njeze, however, said she was earlier appointed by the former secretary to the government of the federation, Anyim Pius Anyim. A staff of the organisation that reacted to the development said, “It is only the president of Nigeria that has the right to appoint his special adviser on NEPAD. But in this case, we saw a different title when the entire organisation structure has not been changed. If you want to have a coordinator/chief executive, then you must have the structure changed.
“But as it is now, the organisation’s structure is still the same and it is not even a parastatal but a department under the Office of the SGF. So we, NEPAD staff, are saying that if you want to become a chief executive, there should be enabling laws that would make it happen. You cannot change your own appointment overnight when there is a change in government. What we are saying categorically is that President Muhammadu Buhari should appoint a special assistant on NEPAD. There is nothing like coordinator and chief executive. This organisation is not a statutory agency and there is no tenured appointment. Assistants are appointed by the president and as a special assistant, once your boss is leaving, you leave with him.” Since then, not much has been heard about her again.
Zainab Maina
Hajiya Zainab Maina was the minister of women affairs under President Goodluck Jonathan. Hajiya Maina, as she is popularly called, had been in government right from the military era of Gen. Sani Abacha. For example, she was a member of the Vision 2010 Committee set up by Gen. Abacha in 1997 and also board chairman, Garki Microfinance Bank way back in 1998. She was also a board member of the National Programme on Immunisation (NPI) between 1998 and 2000. Prior to this time too, she was the national president of the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS). A staunch member of the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), she was part of the party’s think tank, member of the Elders Committee, PDP board of trustees’ member, among others. Hajiya Maina is the founder of Women for Peace Initiatives (WOPI) and patron, Young Muslim Women Association, Nigeria. In 2017, she and her children were ordered by an Abuja Federal High Court to refund the sum of N61, 057, 123, 060 to the defunct National Economic Reconstruction Fund (NERFUND), being the outstanding principal loan and the accrued 13.50% interest of loan granted them. According to NERFUND, “The customer did not make any payment and it appears the former minister used her influence while in office to obtain the loan for a company she and her children had interest. She frustrated the perfection of the assets and nothing was paid on the account till date. This is one of the facilities that grounded the operations of NERFUND, making it insolvent leading to job losses for over 30 staff of the agency in December, 2016.” Where could she be at the moment?
Hadiza Mailafiya
Hajiya Hadiza Mailafiya was the minister of environment under former President Jonathan. Under her as minister, Nigeria made advancement in the area of addressing desertification problem; for instance, during the National Conference on Environment held in Makurdi in 2013, she announced a federal government’s commitment of N10 billion towards the implementation of the United Nations-backed environmental programme with a view to addressing desertification, enhance natural resource management and promote ecosystem integrity in the dry land of the northern parts of the country stretching from Zamfara and Kebbi states in the North-west corner to the extreme eastern border in Borno state.
The Great Green Wall, as it was called, aims to bring together 11 countries to plant trees across Africa to literally hold back the advancing Sahara Desert menace with a swathe of greenery, lessen the effects of desertification and improve the lives and livelihoods of communities. She did not stop there, but went further to seek legislative alliance in order to transit to green growth which, according to her, is more than environmental issue but an economic revolution that presents tremendous opportunity for business. She said, “To achieve an effective policy blueprint, we need the lawmakers’ collaboration, commitment, support and, most essentially, strong legislative backing to establish a framework to guide the actualisation of this pathway.
“Furthermore, effective green growth would not be achieved without the push from the private sector. Direct leadership by business would help guide policy development and demonstrate a resolute commitment to drive forward the transition to a profitable green economy. Indeed, there is a clear requirement for a stronger web of collaboration, partnerships and regulation that spans between levels of government and the private sector. Based on this premise, the Ministry of Environment welcomes this laudable initiative of pursuing a legislative agenda to enhance Nigeria’s green growth and the development of an efficient oversight framework for resources governance.” Where is Hajiya Mailafiya now?
