NPA MD, Hadiza Bala Usman, joins main stream politics

—named in APC convention committee

The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman may have dumped her advocacy and human rights posture as she has now joined main stream politics.
It could be recalled that Usman was one of the Co-Conveners of Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG), a human rights and advocacy group formed in 2014 in the wake of the abduction of Chibok school girls, meant to put pressure on government to negotiate the release of the abductees.
It was however believed, that, Ms Usman was appointed as NPA MD by the Buhari Administration in 2015 on the strength of this advocacy group and vibrancy of Usman in the campaign.
Though tongues started wagging when Usman was appointed, fuelling speculations that the daughter of the fiery Professor of History ,Usman Bala, would eventually sacrifice her human right posture on the altar of political opportunism.
The inclusion of the NPA MD on the 68-member APC National Convention Committee may have vindicated and given life to the speculations of her critics.

The list of the committee members was released by the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Sunday.
According to the party, the Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, will chair the Committee while the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, will be his deputy.

Senator Ben Uwajomogu was named as member/Secretary while members of the committee include 10 state governors and some members of National Assembly, among others.

The governors are Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Aminu Masari (Katsina), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe) and Ahmed El-Rufai (Kaduna).

Others are Simeon Lalong (Plateau), Bindo Jibrila (Adamawa), Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Godwin Obaseki (Edo).

The senators in the committee are Ahmed Yerima, Adamu Aliero, Danjuma Goje, Abdullahi Adamu, George Akume, suspended Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Andrew Uchendu, Abdullahi Danbaba, Baba Kuka and John Enoh while a former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani, is also a member.

Two serving ministers are also in the list. They are: Chris Ngige (Labour and Productivity) and Uguru Usani (Niger Delta).
Ms Usman was named among category of women in the group.
Others are Sen. Binta Garba, Sen. Monsurat Sumonu, and H.E Paulen Tallen among others.‎

With this development, it may be a matter of time before Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman gives life to another spell of speculations that she is eyeing a Senatorial seat in 2019 political dispensation.