When jokes replace governance, and jokers are positioned to steer state affairs that demand dedication, sobriety, and seriousness, we cannot but expect ridiculous inputs into the decision-making process which will, by default, produce ridiculously outrageous outputs.
I am still struggling to understand the kind of mental illness that would afflict elected political officeholders in a state like Kano — and their political advisers — to think that underwear, diapers, and detergent are items to be used to empower the masses or score political points.
Let me begin with the underwear. It is not just any underwear; it is the red kind. They call them “red pants,” and we know what the color red symbolizes in Kano politics. It is the political badge of a powerful politician who commands a large following, probably the largest, in the state. These panties were displayed at political events during the First Lady’s visit to Kano. The fact that they are women’s underwear makes the act even more ridiculous. The act became even more alarming when the governor’s face was seen printed on the panties.
We first read that the panties, bearing the handsome-looking face of the Kano State governor, were distributed to empower women. To empower women?! Are the panties magical? Do they turn into money when worn? Or are they charms that attract rich men to women who wear them? I do not understand. How can you empower women with pieces of underwear?
But because Nigerian politicians are so notorious and known for their eccentricity, whenever the most outrageous claims are attributed to them, Nigerians will readily believe them to be true without a shred of doubt. Many immediately believed that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf indeed distributed panties to empower women.
This was later verified to be false. Although red panties were displayed — not distributed — by some loyalists of the governor, allegedly to spite and ridicule his former godfather and benefactor, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, they were actually plain red panties. The governor’s picture was said to have been superimposed on the panties, afterwards, to appear authentic in order to score a political point.
It is good to know that the governor condemned the uncultured act. In his words: “You have heard what happened. We are here minding our business when someone reported to me that a group of young ladies had displayed something… The governor was unaware. I quit social media because of something like this.” If the governor is truthful, kudos to him. A dedicated governor of a state like Kano should truly not have time for social media, for his own sanity.
But we must condemn it because it is against our culture and also against the teachings of Islam. Our youths should be symbols of hope and development, not tools for mockery or moral decadence,” the governor added. He also urged the youths to apologize.
Even though the governor has distanced himself and his administration from the incident — after he was surprisingly seen introducing Teemahcool, the TikTok personality who led the underwear display, to the First Lady during the visit — one still wonders what informed the decision of Yusuf Imam Ogan Boye, Chairman of Nassarawa Local Government Area, Kano State, to appoint the TikToker as a government official.
Immediately after the morally questionable display, Fatima Naseer, popularly known as Teemahcool and Chairman of the Gida-Gida TikTokers, was appointed Officer in Charge of Women Affairs in Nassarawa LGA.
If there still exists a scintilla of morality in us, we should question the rationale for the appointment. But we may not need to question it, because we are plagued by a class of politicians who see no virtue in us until we swim in the sewer and then ‘repent’. That is why ‘repentant’ Boko Haram members are rehabilitated and empowered while victims of the same Boko Haram attacks rot in IDP camps. Wouldn’t the weak-minded among us conclude that it pays to be criminal, to be a terrorist, and to be irresponsible?
While we hope she will not begin to advise women in Kano State to be shameless and see virtue in shamelessness, it is sad to note that a display of raw immoral behavior in the name of politics could get one elevated, officially, in Kano politics. Where are our cultural values in all this? Where is our sense of morality, and where is our cherished religion? It is regrettable that although we appear religious, religion is absent in us and hardly influences our conduct.
Is anyone wondering why people are so gullible as to believe those panties were shared as empowerment? It is because other ridiculous items are usually shared as empowerment. So, people have grown used to it. The most recent example is detergent. As one newspaper reported it: “Kano LG Chairman Proudly Distributes Detergents to Empower Women.”
He is Abdullahi Saidu, the Chairman of Kiru Local Government Area of Kano State. In a rare display of “integrity, responsibility, and commitment to serve his people,” Saidu distributed detergent to 500 women in his constituency as part of an empowerment initiative to support households.
If non-Nigerians from other parts of the world read this headline, they will think each woman was given a full truckload of detergent to start a business. They will not know it was just a sachet that can be used up in a day by a household to wash clothes and utensils.
Are we really normal as a people? What is disappointingly disturbing is that women in the local government, in their hundreds, happily trooped out to collect a sachet of detergent. One person commented: “I hope they use the detergent to wash and reset their brains.” I honestly hope so.
The chairman must be very “innovative.” He did not distribute just one brand; he distributed different brands. The brands included Omo, Klin, and Viva. He reportedly said the gesture was aimed at supporting women at the grassroots and easing some of their domestic burdens. Hmm!
The chairman is not alone. Perhaps he learned from Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa, from the same constituency, who also supported 500 pregnant women in Kiru/Bebeji with diapers, other baby kits, and a token to start a business. There must be something special about the figure ‘500’. Jibrin Kofa is the member representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency, Kano, in the House of Representatives.
If politicians in Kano, and elsewhere, will not stop ridiculing their people, I think the people should stop making themselves objects of ridicule. They should learn to say no to this nonsense. What would truly empower the people of Kano operated for only a short time before it was shut down and placed under lock and key. I am referringto the Aliko Dangote Ultra-Modern Skills Acquisition Centre in Dawakin Kudu LGA, Kano State.
This is a multi-billion-naira investment in what matters most — skill acquisition. I learnt that the centre has a tripartite funding structure whereby the Kano State Government and the 44 local governments in the state commit 35% and 30% respectively, while Aliko Dangote commits 35% to the funding and pays expatriate salaries for six years. The centre is now grounded just after about four years it was commissioned. In its place, Kanawa — the people of Kano — are getting detergent and diapers as “empowerment.”
I advise the Kano State Government to resolve the issues that grounded the centre and provide real, sustainable empowerment. This insult to Kanawa must stop, and those panties should not be seen in public again. They belong in the wardrobe, in the Other Room.
Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com
