Honourable Maryam Garba Bagel, is the only female member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly representing Dass constituency. She spoke with Ishola Michael, she bares her mind on her contributions to the act of legislation and other political issues in the state. 

You have been a member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly for over three years now, what has been your contributions to the act of legislation?

I have, so far, sponsored over 12 bills and motions in the House, out of which only one was asked to be stepped down for further investigations and is yet to be recalled. Some of these include calling on the Executive arm to conduct local government elections in the state, calling on the House to investigate the situation and whereabouts of the state owned aeroplane. I also moved a motion  against the dissolution of traditional rulers council in the state, among others.

How would you describe the relationship between the legislative and executive arms of government in the state?

Domineering. That is all I can say about the relationship between the legislative and the executive arms for now.

As the only female member of the House, don’t you feel intimidated by the menfolk?

Not at all. I always express my views concerning issues in the House and the state without any fear of intimidation from anyone. And to tell you the truth, I have a very cordial relationship with my colleagues. Most of them treat me as their equal. On very rare occasions do I get issues with few.

Members of the general public are saying that the House is a rubber stamp of the Executive. What is your reaction to this?

I can’t comment on that. The public has the right to express their views and so be it.

You have been an activist before your election, how has this helped you in the discharge of your political functions?

It prepared me for what to expect and not to expect from people. So, I was never schooled for any intimidation or name calling thrown at me. My background also helped to mobilise adequately for my campaign. It taught me to be sincere and truthful in dealing with people, and I realised that people are more taken by that than hearing fake promises from their aspirants.

In the three years that you have been a legislator, what contribution have you been able to make to your constituency in particular and Bauchi State in general?

I am not somebody that likes praising myself, I therefore find this question difficult to answer.

But as I said earlier, I have sponsored many bills and motions that would have impacted positively on the lives of our people if implemented. I have also carried out different types of interventions across all sectors such as agriculture, health, education, women and youth empowerment, water and sanitation among others. The records are there for you to find out.

President Muhammad Buhari has declared his intention to run again in 2019. What is your reaction to this?

I am very happy that the President declared to contest again. I am sure before the end of his second tenure, Nigerians will start to witness the positive effects of the changes and reforms he made. If we will speak without sentiment, we will all agree that four years is not enough to witness significant changes. Strategies are implemented over a long period of at least five years under any circumstances and its result doesn’t come in a short time.

Do you have confidence that the APC can win elections again in 2019?

Most definitely. The worst APC government  under any circumstances is better than any of the previous government. The  APC is not bad  as a political party. I am confident that the APC has not failed at all especially at the federal level and in many states of the federation.

What are you doing to mobilise more women to participate in politics in Bauchi State?

I am engaged in so many mobilisation programmes to engage women. These include radio and television programmes as well as personal relation discussions. Also , there are paper presentations, role modelling among others. I can confidently tell you that with all these, more women are becoming politically aware and are itching now to participate actively in partisan politics. By the next general elections in 2019, you will see what I have done in this area.

As a young politician, are you in support of the let the youth run advocacy?

I am a great supporter of the youth to run advocacy and I supported the ‘Not too young to run’ bill when it was brought to the state assemblies. It was unfortunate that it didn’t see the light of the day. I will continue to advocate for it until it eventually becomes a reality in not too distant future.

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