Bauchi governor appoints SA on ‘Unmarried Women’ affairs

Bauchi governor appoints SA on ‘Unmarried Women’ affairs

Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has appointed Balaraba Ibrahim as his Special Assistant on Women Affairs (Unmarried).

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Mohammed Sabi’u Baba, Secretary to the State Government, made this known in a letter to Ibrahim dated August 4, 2020.

The letter reads, “I am pleased to convey the approval of His Excellency, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed CON, the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, for your appointment as Special Assistant Woman Affairs (Unmarried).

“The appointment is based on your knowledge, experience and personal qualities of handwork, honesty and absolute loyalty. I would expect you utilize all these qualities in facing the challenges of your office to facilitate the attainment of our collective goal and the expectation of our electorate. The terms and conditions of your appointment as enunciated in the regular government policies as applicable.”

Ibrahim is the Chairperson, Association of Divorcees in Bauchi State. Last year, she set up counselling centres for intending couples across the state in an effort to address challenges leading to broken homes. She said that the centres would be established in partnership with Muslim and Christian clerics to prepare the minds of intending couples. According to her, the increase in the number of young divorced girls is becoming worrisome and constitutes a menace to the society.

Ibrahim said, “We conducted a survey three months ago across the 20 local government areas of Bauchi State. According to the indicators, major causes of separation and divorce were lack of empowerment skills, unemployment, poverty and early marriage among spouses. Some of them, as young as 20 years, were married off at the age of 15, while others had divorced more than 10 years ago.”

Ibrahim also noted that some husbands were not discharging their marital responsibilities which, she said, included proper feeding, clothing and shelter of their spouses.
“While men are not even available for marriage, those that were married could not take care of their matrimonial responsibilities. We will partner with clerics from both religions to embark on counselling before marriage to prepare their minds for marital life.”

Surprisingly, this is not the first time that Nigerian state governors would be making unusual appointments – the latest merely adds to the list after former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, in December 2017 appointed his biological sister, Mrs Ogechi Ololo, as Commissioner for Happiness and Couples’ Fulfillment.