By; AMOS TAUNA
Following the 2023 general election that is fast approaching, it is time for women to be given a chance to exhibit their caring nature as mothers in the political circle for them to proof a point that they are the best in ensuring the provision of the dividends of democracy to the people.
No wonder, Honourable Mrs. Esther Abba is seeking election to represent the good people of Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
With another election around the corner, the political amazon has heeded to the call of the constituents of Zangon/Kataf/Jaba to contest for the seat of Member to the House of Representatives to serve them in 2023.
Rt. Honourable Esther Abba has accepted the call by her constituency to serve having consulted widely and sought the face of God to join the race. As a woman who sees her impacts on humanity as a service to God, she hopes to actualize her dream with cardinal objectives predicated on the following points in her Manifesto otherwise known as seven (7) points agenda:
Women and youths empowerment: As a Mother with children and grandchildren, Honourable Mrs. Abba hopes to attract constituency schemes that would have direct bearing on these two classes of people. Having spent a larger part of her time in the grassroots, she has tested and known the impact of poverty on her people. She hopes to engage these classes because it would reduce poverty and enhance the economic empowerment of many families as was the case in the past.
Agriculture and cottage industries: Mrs. Abba intends to boost this important sector because it is the most neglected, yet the veritable source of income of the common man, she hopes to attract agricultural projects that will add value to the people of her constituency. She has a particular interest of seeing mechanized faming taking a centre stage under her tenure, especially ginger which is a global consumable product largely produced in Jaba Local Government. As a farmer herself, agriculture is one of her most important point of action. Attraction of cottage industries is on her mind in the agricultural and other sectors. Of importance to her also is the value chain benefit emanating from agricultural processing which would create jobs and family wealth.
Education and entrepreneurship: Education is of priority to her; she is a product of education and hopes to ensure that every child in her constituency goes to school. She hopes to attract new schools from the federal government as well as renovate the existing ones. She hopes to set up Entrepreneurial Centres in her federal constituency to engage those with informal education to obtain skills that will precipitate job creation and value for themselves.
Resettlement for people in IDPs: Having tested the ugly incident of insecurity in her local government which has touched her people and direct relations, Mommy as she is popularly called intends to channel her financial muscle to help people relocate back to their homes and start new life over again. She is not happy that people who have been displaced are kept away from their ancestral homes. She intends to achieve this by working in harmony with Community Development Associations across the constituency to achieve this objective.
Roads rehabilitation and construction: Worried by the ugly road network in her federal constituency and which seemed impossible to handle, she hopes to project this as a priority and lobby for repairs or construction via FERMA and other agencies. The bad condition of the roads in Jaba and Zangon Kataf needs urgent surgery, this she hopes to surgically conduct in Abuja once elected to serve as their representative, just as she did while she was a Member in the Kaduna State House of Assembly.
To devote attention to health: Health to her like everyone is wealth, so she hopes to pursue it with vigour. Most of her projects as a state legislator targeted on making her people healthy by attracting health facilities closer to the people and ensuring availability of drugs and qualified personnels to Mann them.
To attract water projects: Since water sustains life, she will pursue any opportunity to attract water projects to the good people of Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency. As an expert in water projects, Mama intends to make water available to every home through drilling of boreholes and repairs of existing ones.
Cut out for public service since she joined politics in the early 80’s,Honourable Chief Mrs. Esther Abba has always touched the lives of the common people with the public offices she held in the past, a gesture she continues even after leaving office. With an opportunity of serving the good people of Zangon Kataf Local Government Constituency in Kaduna State House of Assembly between 2007 to 2015, Mama attracted a lot of Constituency Projects which touched all the Wards of the local government. During her first tenure in office, Mama organized one of the biggest Poverty Alleviation Programmes that was commissioned by late Governor Patrick Yekowa; he could not hide his joy when he told her that even the state government could not embark on that kind of project, looking at the money invested and the items distributed. Rt. Honourable Esther Abba was able to do that big human capacity project through lobby from well meaning individuals, her political colleagues at the National Assembly, those in highly placed offices as well as the Kaduna State Government and the private sector. As a mother who always wants the best for her children, Mrs. Esther Abba went on her knees begging in order to bring home what she got in order to help the people who voted her to represent them.
When she won her second tenure in 2011, Mama Abba donated items worth 4.2 million naira with the severance that was paid her by the government as benefit of her first tenure; she did not touch a kobo from it. On her second tenure, Honourable Esther Abba continued to give personal as well as community assistance to her people until she successfully finished in 2015.
Renovation and installation of full range equipment for the General Hospital in Zango Kataf, Construction of 2 No’s Blocks of classrooms at Kibori, Ungwan Ruhogo, Boto at Ikulu Ward, Rehabilitation of 30 Nos boreholes in the Constituency, Facilitated the launching of the 2009 Annual National Tree Planting/Afforestation Campaign (Kaduna State Chapter) held at the Agwatyap Permanent Palace (July 2009), Honourable Abba moved a motion for the promotion of Computer Education.
The following secondary schools were beneficiaries within her constituency and Tafawa Balewa Memorial Commercial College Samaru Kataf (10 Computers), Government Secondary School (SNR) Zango Kataf (10 Computers), Government Secondary School Gan Gora (20 computers), Joint Electrification Project at Runji (Completed), Construction of Boreholes in all the Wards and Distribution of other Educational and instructional materials to the constituency in support of the 11- Point Agenda of His Excellency Arc. Mohammed Namadi Sambo which was continued by His Excellency, late Governor Patrick Yekowa of blessed memory and so many other projects too numerous to mention.
Rt. Honourable Chief Mrs. Esther Abba was born on the 7th of October 1960, she grew up at one of the Nigerian Military Barracks in Ogoja along with her siblings, the political Amazon of Zangon Kataf grew up under very strict parents who were shepherds in the Lords vineyard when the father was serving the country as a Military Chaplain. He was reputed to be God fearing, jovial, a no nonsense man that loves singing songs from the Christian Hymn book. The mother on the other hand was a Teacher; she was a disciplinarian as well as an entrepreneur. The mother was engaged in small scale businesses such as buying, selling and storage of foodstuffs. From the above, it can be seen that Esther Abba took the traits of her parents and they have become part of her today. No wonder she loves God, helping humanity, sincere in dealing with people, gentle and a committed person on any given assignment. As a true community leader, mentor and a servant of the people, she has engaged herself in small scale businesses as a way of teaching people to be busy at any point in time and a way of emphasizing that laziness is not associated with politics in any way. It is instructive to note that Honourable Esther Abba is a product of the military, no wonder she is a dogged fighter in the field of politics and public service delivery. She started her early education at L.E.A Primary School Sako in 1979 then finished in 1984 by obtaining her First School Leaving Certificate. She was at Government Day Secondary School Zangon Kataf in 1989; she rounded up in 1994 after obtaining her External W.A.E.C certificate. The Jerusalem Peace Ambassador and Pilgrim decided to further her education at Staff Development Centre Kaduna where she obtained Certificate in Public Administration in 2001 .She later finished with a Diploma in Public Administration in 2004. In 2009, she graduated with a Higher National Diploma in Public Administration from Kongo Campus of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. She has attended several trainings both in Nigeria and abroad, she is a recipient of many awards and medals as a mark of honour to her commitment. After the retirement of her husband from the military service and their eventual relocation to the village, the strong woman of Kibori and Gimbiyan Atyap decided to venture into politics, in order to add her value the same way she was doing via the activities of Army Officers Wives Association in the military barracks. By joining the N.P.N in 1981, she was appointed Ward Ex- Officio at her Ward level .Under the N. R. C; she was an Ex Officio at the Local Government level. She was later a Secretary of the Women Wing. Under the NRC Party, she was the Secretary of the Finance Committee. To midwife democracy again in Nigeria and in preparation for a military handover to the political class, the woman of valour was found worthy to be among those to decide the fate of Kaduna State in who emerges the new Governor. In 1998, Honourable Mrs. Esther Abba was appointed as a Member of the State Working Committee when Makarfi vied for Governor in 1999. Honourable Esther Abba emerged as the P.D.P State Women Leader in the year 2000 up to the year 2007. The formation of the government after their resounding victory saw her been appointed as a Member of the Board of Directors of Kaduna State Water Board in 1999 up to the year 2003. After the second tenure secured for Governor Mohammed Makarfi by Rt. Honourable Esther Abba and others, she was appointed as the Chairperson of Kaduna State Rehabilitation Board in 2003. She left that position in 2007 by going into elective position to Kaduna State House of Assembly which she won eventually. Mrs. Esther Abba won election for a first tenure in 2007 to the year 2011; she was again elected in 2007 to 2015. Apart from been the Chairperson of the House of Assembly Committee on Women Affairs and Development on her first tenure, she was the Chairperson of the House Committee on Finance in 2011 to 2013. She was later returned to the Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development before the expiration of her tenure in 2015. She was a member of several standing committees in the House of Assembly.
Honourable Esther Abba has been a faithful member of the Peoples Democratic Party since they lost election in 2015. She has been an Ex Officio Member of the North West since 2019, she was an Acting State Women Leader in 2019. She was a Director of Women Mobilization in the Atiku/Ashiru Campaign Directorate, Kaduna in 2019. The respected Politician and Women Leader has been in constant touch with her ward and local government politics, she is always at home for one reason or the other by way of identifying with them. Despite not been in a political office since 2015 coupled with the insecurity that has ravaged her local government, Mama Esther Abba has been assisting her people with what God has been blessing her with. She has been very supportive of political happenings at home due to her grassroots orientation.As the 2023 general election draws near, the good people of Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency approached her to come and take a shot as their Honourable Member, in the coming election in order for her to add her value as a tested Legislator, a request she gladly accepted after due consultation and inner conviction.
