Binta Masi Garba

Binta Masi Garba (born 17 April 1967) is a Nigerian politician, businesswoman, administrator, philanthropist, humanitarian and a trained marketer and Public Financial Management. She is the Senator of Adamawa North Senatorial District of Adamawa State. She was the Chairman, Adamawa State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) and the first female State Chairwoman of a registered major political party in Nigeria. She was elected into Federal House of Representatives three times (1999 - 2011).^[1][2] She is the first politician to represent two different Federal Constituency at the National Assembly. She was the first parliamentarian to start poverty alleviation program for the women and youths in 2003 when she was representing Kaduna South Federal Constituency. In 2009, she was elected as the first Vice President of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) under Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in Cameroon. She is the only female Senator-Elect in all the 19 Northern States of Nigeria in 2015 election. She won a Senate seat against a seating Governor, Bala James Ngilari, with over 22,000 votes margin. She was the only female delegate from Adamawa State to the National Conference in Abuja.

Early life and education

Binta Masi Garba was born in Kaduna Army Barracks to a Muslim parents. Her parents are Higgi from Bazza, Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State. Her father Mr Garba Tumba was an Army Officer.^[3] She is the second child, thus she was named Masi according to Higgi traditional naming convention. Between 1975 and 1981, she attended Army Children School, New Cantonment D, Hayin Banki, Kaduna. From there she proceeded for her Secondary School Education and obtained her (GCE/WAEC ‘O’ Level) in Government Day School, Kurmin Mashi, Kaduna South, Kaduna, between 1981 and 1987. She attended Kaduna Polytechnic and obtained Ordinary National Diploma (OND Marketing, 1990) and Higher National Diploma (HND Marketing,1997).^[4] In 2004, she went to Harvard Kennedy School of Government - Harvard University (Public Financial Management). She holds two Diplomas in Theology from the Bible School of Church Growth and Practical Ministry, and Matthew Owujaye's Ministry, Kaduna. She is a recipient of an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Theology from Smith Christian University, Miami, Florida.

Political career

Binta Masi Garba started her political career in the year 1998 in Kaduna, Nigeria. Before her political adventure, she worked with the New Nigeria Newspapers as an advert officer. The year she was expecting a promotion in the office, her male colleague got a double promotion and she was left out even though she has same business schedules like him. Binta Masi Garba always advocated for women rights and has been a voice for millions of voiceless Nigerian women and the oppressed; thus prompting her to take up the mandate to represent them in the Federal House of representative Kaduna South Federal Constituency. Not long from that gender inequality experience she decide to venture into politics in 1998 in Kaduna South Federal Constituency, a place where the prevailing culture forbid women to be in public domain.^[5] Her first bid in 1998 was not successful. Her desire for service made her to contest again in 1999 for the office of Federal House of Representatives. As a Christian, she won against her male opponent with a margin of not less than 5,000 in a Muslim dominated community, that shows her popularity and acceptability in Muslim dominated community. She was the youngest Federal legislator in Nigeria in 1999. After her first successful tenure, she contested again in 2003 and won against her opponent with a margin of not less than 50,000.^[6] Her opponent was a Muslim Mallam that was teaching in one of the Islamic Secondary School. The people consider her worthy of such office and never discriminate against her based on religious ground.

In 2006, close to the end of her second term in the Federal House of Representatives, the then Governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna, having heard of her excellent performance as a legislator representing Kaduna South, entreated her to come back to her State of origin, Adamawa State, and contest.^[7] After making consultations, she consented and came down to contest for House of Representatives in Madagali/Michika Federal Constituency under PDP. She eventually won the seat and represented the constituency from 2007 to 2011. After her third consecutive tenure in the Federal House of Assembly, she re-contested and lost against Titsi Ganama.^[8]

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) under the Chairmanship of Bamanga Tukur had serious leadership crisis and a new faction emerged in 2013. The new faction of the PDP was under the Chairmanship of Abubakar Kawu Baraje. The new faction was called new PDP (nPDP). Binta Masi Garba was appointed the Woman leader of the nPDP.^[9] She later joined All Progressives Congress (APC) alongside Governor Murtala Nyako and other Governors. She contested and emerged as the Chairman of the Adamawa State Chapter of APC. The victory at the poll made her the first female State Chairman of a registered major political party in Nigeria.^[10] The controversies surrounding the election of the Adamawa State Chapter of APC Executives election almost wrecked the party. Binta Masi Garba fought hard to unite the party which made many to see her as an adhesive that unites APC in the Adamawa State. To many in Adamawa State Chapter of APC, she is the symbol of Unity and rallying point. She oversaw one of the most successful party primaries in Adamawa State as a seating Chairman of the Adamawa State Chapter of APC. She was given waiver to contest for the Senate seat in the party primaries and she eventually emerged victorious against her male contender. On 28 May 2015, she won the Senate seat of Adamawa North Senatorial District by winning in 3 local government areas of the 5 LGAs in the zone.

There were over 100 senators elected in the 8th National Assembly, but only six of these were women. The others were Monsurat Sunmonu from Oyo state, Stella Oduah and Uche Ekwunife who both represent Anambra, Fatimat Raji Rasaki, Oluremi Tinubu and Rose Okoji Oko.^[11]

Awards

Binta Masi Garba has won several awards, they include:^[12]

• Jaycees International Young Person Role Model Award 2002;
• PRS - The Women of Merit Gold Award;
• Prime International - Women in Leadership Merit Award May, 2002;
• Association of Market Women and Men, Abuja Role Model Award Sept., 2002;
• Dame Publication - Nigerian Women Award (Role Model) - 2002;
• National Women Mobilization Committee Award - our Jewel (NAWOMCO);
• Leadership Distinction Award (Most Distinguished Representatives);
• Valuable Contribution to Development of Parliamentary Democracy in Nigeria Award.

References