Barr Halima Alfa Gaya, PhD: Between fame, values and humility

Every generation is gifted with its own legends. Many known legends whom history beholds are created out of simple, ordinary but true qualities of distinction. In courage, sacrifice, honesty, commitment, knowledge, integrity and several other basic attributes of humanity. A legend will leave footprints on the sands of time through life-changing values, accomplishments that reinforce the desirable qualities of our humanity.

Because the legend lives in the tangible present and does great things in simple, ordinary ways not many are blessed with the wisdom to recognize its distinctiveness as is proper until we find ourselves in a state of loss. For legend, this is the natural order of things, for he is just living his life naturally and doing things the way he is wont to do, not for recognition or accolades but for the infinite pleasure of being human.

The way of the legend is similar to the course of a deep river. Whereas shallow brooks make the most noise, deep rivers flow with silent majesty. The legend will silently course through our lives with particular prowess and passion leaving behind footprints in the sand. They traverse hoping, indeed, that no one else takes no notice but history fortunately (unfortunately) betrays them to the world. Every spheres of life produces its own legends, some gifted with many, others with a devastating fewness. It is a fact of history that only few, very few legends exist among the politicians and even so, the degree of legendary differs. In Nigeria, as far as politicians are concerned, the crow is black, the cuckoo is black.

Seemingly, there’s no difference but when spring arrives, crow is crow, cuckoo is cuckoo. Now it is spring, and we can spot the differences among politicians. In actuality, they are not one and the same afterall. If lined up end to end, without the convenience of prejudice and bigotry, we can pinpoint some patriots, legends and statesmen (women) in our political class. Now it is spring, and we miss the magnificent presence of an outstanding woman of the political class whom we helplessly let chose the legends path of decided oblivion.

Barr Halima Alfa Gaya Phd (a.k.a Hajiya Halima, man in a woman, queen of Sen Kabiru Gaya, amazon of Kogi politics), thy face we seek, thy voice we crave and your silence we abhor. Yes, we yearn for a rendition of the impacts of your human-faced politics.

Dear Aunty Halima, Your legacies are so abiding, your vision so inspiring, your energy productive, your eloquence and intellectual dynamism so engaging that to stay content in the privacy of your stealth charity, powerful mind, refined democratic character and grass roots responsibilities will be a huge waste to the nation. It will not be easy for many to understand why you chose to not have a reputation that contradicts your choice. The footprints that you left behind is as important as the footpaths that you must follow. It is just the natural course of your life. That is where you belong. Even death will not deny you a place in history. Not anymore.

The style of Halima politics gave her influence and impacts that stands her out as a significant political figure in Kogi recent political history. it was obvious that Hajiya Halima, came to speak for the lots of the poor and lowly and vulnerable in Kogi state. she was there for the entire Kogi constituency. She dignified the place of women in politics with a clear sighted, constructive philosophical base that accentuates the significance of courage, thoughtfulness, education, empathy and positive attitudes as the necessary model that makes government meaningful. Verve and exultancy in Kogi state, she established a unique position for Nigerian women on the political map.

Her struggles during the Kogi east senatorial race 2011 under the platform of the PDP revealed a new dimension to her courage. From the hooks of religious limitation, gender prejudice she came battered, stumbling, hopeless but she was not discouraged.

The law graduate of Ahmadu Bello University and former coordinator of Sure P for North Central region, she holds ardent belief in human capital development through functional and quality education, it is widely believed that this outlook of life dictates her continual support to all categories of people across the country. Through her FOUNDATION which she established, she has brought succor to many homes in terms of employment, health and other socio-economic empowerments of the youth therby helping to extend the frontiers of humanity. History beckons and remembers Dr HALIMA Alfa Gaya with kindness because her light lits the path of others.

Her closeness to the people derives from her caring, and her understanding of the core expectations of peoples demand for good governance. Here is a woman whose values recognizes that development must, necessarily, begins with the core elements that make up a political system and that a good governance that provides the people with structures and infrastructure for the good, happy living.

This is why Halima is dear to the people and her mention brings the picture of a high-potential personality to the fore.
Halima Alfa unlike any other disciples of the late Prince Abubakar Audu, may Allah grant his soul eternal rest, took great lessons in the values of hard work, philanthropy and humility as the most veritable tools of endearment and influence not only that, she is a woman who knows that patience is a virtue, thus possessing an aura that both affects and influences you.

The last political dispensation is instructive to the Igala nation because the leadership of the Igala nation and it’s politics gave deaf ears to her admonition that it would be dangerous for the Igala nation to be seen as playing ethnic or divisive politics. Today her admonitions has been justified by the failures of the proponents of the Igala Agenda as against the Kogi Agenda to deliver on their positions before the last gubernatorial elections in the state. The victory of Ahmed Usman Ododo and the position of the state governor, Yahaya Bello, has brought a great division even within the Igala nation with the split of the Igala into the majority and the minority Igala politically.

Now it is true to say that the Igala has only seven local government as against the nine pre-the last election which will be difficult to mend anytime soon. This is because even the minority are now fighting for their rights within the Igala nation. Hajiya Halima Gaya is proud to have supported the state governor and the newly elected governor because she believes in the Kogi Agenda over any sectional and parochial considerations.

To my divergent readership, this is the Barr HALIMA Alfa Gaya I have known.

Musa Wada writes from, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory