TheNewsGuru

Tag: Aisha Alhassan

  • Okowa mourns ex-minister Aisha Alhassan

    Okowa mourns ex-minister Aisha Alhassan

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has expressed condolence over the death of former Minister of Women Affairs, Sen. Aisha Alhassan.
    This is contained in a condolence massage signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, on Saturday in Asaba.
    Okowa said that the deceased was a courageous and outspoken politician.
    He said that the late politician, who represented Taraba North in the senate from 2011 to 2015 was a great mobiliser of people, especially women.
    “I learnt of the passing of Sen. Aisha Alhassan with shock and disbelief.
    “She was my colleague at the senate from 2011 to 2015 and was a great politician and patriotic Nigerian who also served the nation as Minister of Women Affairs between 2015 and 2018.
    “She will be remembered for her contributions to the Nigerian polity, particularly her advocacy and campaign on the empowerment of women and the challenges they face.
    “On behalf of the government and people of Delta, I extend my profound condolences to the Alhassan family, the people of Taraba North and the Peoples Democratic Party.
    “It is my prayer that God will comfort all those who mourn her exit, and make her good soul repose in His bosom,” Okowa said.
  • BREAKING: Former Women Affairs Minister, ‘Mama Taraba’ is dead

    BREAKING: Former Women Affairs Minister, ‘Mama Taraba’ is dead

    A former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Aisha Jummai Al-Hassan, popularly called ‘Mama Taraba’ is dead.

    According to reports reaching TheNewsGuru.com, TNG, she died on Friday evening in an Egyptian hospital after battling a protracted illness.

    She was 61 years old.

    She was Minister of women affairs in President Buhari’s first term in 2015 before decamping to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where she supported former vice president Atiku Abubakar’s bid for the presidential seat.

    She also contested the Taraba State Governorship election in 2015 but lost to incumbent, Governor Darius Ishaku.

    Details soon…..

  • Former women affairs minister, Alhassan, wins Taraba UDP governorship primaries

    Former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Aisha Alhassan, on Wednesday, emerged winner of United Democratic Party (UDP) governorship primary elections.
    The primaries, conducted under the supervision of the National Chairman of the party, Chief Godwin Okoye, at Shield Hotel, Jalingo, where Alhassan got unanimous endorsement of all the 224 delegates from the 16 local government areas of the state.
    AbdulRazak Gidado, the only governorship aspirant of the party before the former minister joined last week, had earlier announced that he was stepping down for Alhassan.
    Ballots were, however, cast by each of the 224 delegates before the emergence of the former minister as candidate.
    The National Chairman of the party commended the unity of purpose of both the old and new members of the party which, according to him, has improved the chances of the party to capture power in Taraba in 2019.
    Okoye said that Alhassan’s wealth of experience and her large followers who joined the UDP in the last one week was the beginning of good things that would happen to the party nationwide.
    He assured them of equal opportunities and the support and cooperation of the UDP National Secretariat.
    Alhassan thanked the UDP and the followers for believing in her.
    She said “I assure you that I will work round the clock to ensure that our enemies are put to shame by winning the governorship election in Taraba in 2019.”
    She urged Taraba people to rally round the UDP, “because it is a party with great potential for the development of the state.
     

  • JUST IN: Aisha Alhassan finally speaks on resignation reports

    Hajiya Aisha Alhassan, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development says she has not resigned her position as a member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    TheNewsGuru reports Alhassan disclosed this while speaking in a phone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday.

    “Contrary to insinuations especially in the social media, I only sought for permission from President Muhammdu Buhari to begin consultations.

    “This is preparatory to my seeking nomination from our great party the All Progressive Congress (APC) to contest for the office of the governor of Taraba state in 2019, which he has graciously accepted,” she said.

    Alhassan added: “The letter in circulation in the social media does not in any way mean or suggest resignation. The letter is straight forward and unambiguous.

    “Our esteemed supporters and loyal party men and women in Taraba should please disregard any rumour of my resignation. When the time comes for me to resign, I will do so in accordance with the laid down procedure and regulations’’.

    Alhassan said she is presently preoccupied with the task given to her by President Buhari as Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development.

    “I am also helping in mobilising support for him and the APC for the 2019 election,’’ she said.

     

  • Resignation: Mama Taraba, Aisha Alhassan remains in Buhari’s cabinet

    Resignation: Mama Taraba, Aisha Alhassan remains in Buhari’s cabinet

    Minister of women affairs and social development, Senator Aisha Alhassan, aka Mama Taraba, has been said to still be a member of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.

    Alhassan has been reported to have written to President Buhari to resign her position in order to contest the 2019 governorship election in Taraba state.

    TheNewsGuru reports Bashir Ahmad, Personal Assistant to Buhari, confirmed that contrary to reports of her resignation, the Taraba Senator is still member of the president’s cabinet.

    Bashir Ahmad on Mama Taraba, Aisha Alhassan’s resignation

    “If you have the letter read it again please. She notified Mr. President on her intention to contest for governorship in 2019 and he replied to her,” Bashir stated.

    Buhari, in his response to the Senator on her quest to contest the governorship seat of Taraba, raised a condition of supporting her so long as she vies on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “I have today received your letter notifying me of your intention to contest for the governorship of Taraba State in the 2019 election.

    “Let me thank you on behalf of the Federal Executive Council and Nigerians for your services as minister under this administration.

    “I note with passion your past contribution to our great party APC during and after the 2015 elections.

    “As you are aware I am totally committed to free and fair elections. Our policy is to support all APC candidates.

    “I wish you well in your ambition to be governor of your state.

    “Rest assured that all security agencies as well as INEC will have my full support to conduct free, fair and transparent elections in 2019,” Buhari stated in his acceptance of Alhassan’s resignation letter.

    Alhassan had in last September vowed that she would not support Buhari’s second term bid on the claim that he had promised to serve only one term and that she would only support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

    Abubakar who was at that time in the APC has now defected to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). It was yet unclear if she would follow Abubakar to the PDP.

    Alhassan was the candidate of the APC in the 2015 governorship election and lost it by the whiskers.

     

  • 2019: I won’t leave APC for PDP because of Atiku – Alhassan

    A die hard supporter of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan popularly called ‘Mama Taraba’ has stated that she won’t defect from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) because of her godfather (Atiku).

    The minister also pledged allegiance on President Muhammadu Buhari, saying “I am and I will continue to remain in APC.’’

    Recall that the former vice president had in December defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Since Atiku’s defection, there has been wide speculations that Alhassan, a former senator on the platform of the PDP and other allies of the former vice president would also follow suit.

    She had earlier in September said she would support Mr. Abubakar for the 2019 presidential election even if President Muhammadu Buhari decided to run.

    “Atiku is my godfather even before I joined politics,” she said in Hausa. “And again, Baba Buhari did not tell us that he is going to run in 2019.”

    “Let me tell you today that if Baba said he is going to contest in 2019, I swear to Allah, I will go before him and kneel and tell him that ‘Baba I am grateful for the opportunity you gave me to serve your government as a minister but Baba just like you know I will support only Atiku because he is my godfather. If Atiku said he is going to contest.”

    However, speaking in a telephone interview with Premium Times, the minister said she was not forced to leave the PDP in the first place and nobody can force her to leave the APC that she now belongs as well.

    “Politics is all about interest, and nobody forced me to leave PDP to join APC, so no want will force me out of it,” she said.

    “I will continue to work for APC and that’s why I travelled out to Taraba, to campaign for our party’s candidate Sanusi Jambawaile.

    “I know many may wish to see me leaving APC, but let me assure them I will remain in APC!

    ‘’So, how can I destroy the house we collectively built?”

    Although, she declined comment on Atiku’s defection from the APC, said the party “is intact in Taraba.’’

    She added, “There is no squabble or faction, and our great party APC in Taraba is intact. That’s why we all work and campaigned together with His Excellency the former Acting Governor UTC.

    ‘’So, we are one and there is no problem as some of you thought,’’ she further stated.

  • Aisha Buhari champions ‘Merck More than a Mother’ campaign in Nigeria

    Aisha Buhari, the wife of Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, is championing Merck More than a Mother campaign in Nigeria, an initiative to break the stigma around infertility and to empower women who suffer infertility.

    Merck More than a Mother was first implemented in Kenya in 2015 followed by Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire, Central African Republic, and Nigeria in 2016.

    The launch, which held in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of the country, Abuja is in partnership with Senate Commission on Health; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, and Future Assured organization.

    The wife of President Buhari who was present at the launch pledged her support and the support of Nigerian Governors’ wives in the implementation of Merck More than a Mother’s activities in Nigeria.

    Aisha Alhassan, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, who was also present at the launch said “In Nigeria we have been advocating for the end of harmful traditional practices including the stigmatization of women which is prevalent all over the country”.

    “Women have not been coming out openly because they are traumatized. With this campaign we will encourage them to speak out and we pledge our support and collaboration,” the Minister added.

    Isaac Adewole, Nigeria’s Minister of Health, also present, emphasized government readiness to enact policies that will ensure the improvement of fertility healthcare in Nigeria.

    “We are responsible for policy at the Ministry level and this is where we can make a difference in improving access to fertility care in Nigeria. We will work through training institutions we are responsible for to strengthen fertility management by making it a sub-specialty.

    “We will also as a Ministry work with private sector, the Senate and the National Assembly to improve governance and quality of care to provide standards to protect infertile men and women seeking treatment,” the Health Minister stated.

    Earlier, Merck Healthcare Chief Social Officer (CSO), Dr. Rasha Kelej has said “Merck More than a Mother campaign is a great initiative to break the stigma around infertility and to empower an unprivileged category of women in Africa, women who suffer infertility,” stressing that “Infertile women have been neglected, mistreated and discriminated because they cannot bear a child, yet 50% of infertility is due to male factors”.

    “We can together improve access to education, information, awareness, health care and change of mind-set and culture to stop these women’s suffering” the CSO said.