As women, we want best hands in 2019 —Mahmood

Baheejah Mahmood is a politician and philanthropist in Bauchi State where she served as Director-General, Bauchi State Orphans and Vulnerable Children Commission (OVCC) during the administration of Isa Yuguda. She is presently aspiring to contest for the governorship seat of the state in 2019 under the banner of the Green Party of Nigeria (GPN). In this interview by ISHOLA MICHAEL, she speaks why she is in the race.

What do you think are the roles of women in the 2019 general election?

In Nigeria today, women are the pillars and integral part of our politics. When it comes to dealing with human beings, women are experts in that aspect. They have a soft mind, pitiful heart to deal with all humans, even small children, youths and adults. For that they have important roles to play in the 2019 general election, ranging from mobilising youths and adults to make a right choice and vote for credible candidates who have the interest of the society at heart.

Every politician knows the population of women that comes out to vote during elections. Since 1999, when you observe you will understand that women played a very important role because of the large number of women that came out to vote for male candidates. But most of the candidates after election left women behind in terms of political appointments and delivery of dividends of democracy. But for 2019, women are united. They said we have been electing male representatives and that they have done their best. Let’s try our own gender and see how women will carry all along.

Look at the area of education; we are still battling with the problems of congestion in the classrooms. In some places, students learn under the shade of trees. There are challenges of unqualified teachers; we are still faced with the problems of malaria, maternal mortality, lack of adequate learning and instructional materials in schools.

In the area of healthcare, we are still confronted with lack of manpower both in the area of medical personnel and provision, required medical equipment and lack of drugs. We are still plagued with lack of water and electricity in most of our hospitals. We have so many socioeconomic problems that we are still battling with since 1999. Even the evacuation of refuse is a major problem. It’s high time we allowed women to showcase their potential and use their wisdom to rescue our country in addressing these challenges for the betterment of our society.

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What encouraged you to want to contest in 2019?

I don’t think majority of the voters is fully satisfied with the performance of all the elected representatives. If you look at the situation critically since 1999 as I told you, only men have been governors and president in the country. To some extent, those leaders as I said have done their best. We have seen their scorecards but there is a lot to do in many areas. We want the best hands that can address these challenges to enable touching the lives of majority of voters by improving their living standards through addressing many of the problems that I listed.

Many women groups know who I am and my commitment; they asked me to contest and after wide consultations with both men and women, youths and leaders across the state, I came out with a good vision and clear mission to rescue my state from these problems since I will come with genuine project that will definitely touch the lives of everyone in the state. If Allah helps me and I become the governor of Bauchi State come 2019, I will address all these problems.

At this juncture, I need the prayers of everyone in the state, I need the support of all to succeed and to be able to govern the state with the fear of God and be just to the people. If I become governor, the common man will never complain of such problems again because I will solve them.

 

If you become governor, do you have any project in mind that you intend to carry out to rescue the state?

Since the beginning of Nigerian politics, have you heard of a woman governor in Bauchi State? No matter how hardworking a governor is, there are areas where a woman can make a difference because there are certain jobs that only women can do carry out. I specialise in improving standard of living.