By, Maiduguri, 130810

 

In her first interview granted Daily Trust as minister of state for finance in Maiduguri yesterday, newly appointed Hajiya Yabawa Lawan Wabi described Finance Minister Segun Aganga as “highly technical and professional” and by that acknowledgment, she seemed to have taken what may be called the first step in establishing a cordial working relationship with her colleague. This is because often times, the problems of who is senior between a minister and that of the state, have caused frosty relationships between some ministers in some ministries, leaving Nigerians at the receiving end.

 

Wadi’s remark may appear strange to some people reading her from a distance because since 2003 when she first took up appointment as Accountant General of Borno State, as well as her subsequent appointments as permanent secretary in the ministry of health in 2007 and ministry for local governments and chieftaincy affairs where she served until her appointment by President Goodluck Jonathan last Wednesday; she was impliedly a boss to superiors i.e. commissioners.

 

Though there wasn’t any public report of Yabawa Lawan Wabi disrespecting any of the three commissioners she worked with, the fact that she is the elder sister of the state’s first lady, Hajiya Fatima Ali Sheriff, was enough to make any commissioner or indeed any government official regard her as being ‘too high’ to be ordered around not to talk of being bullied since she has unfettered access to the governor while she is believed to be one of the closest relations to Mrs Sheriff. Often times, Wabi accompanied the first lady on trips and they obviously get along.

 

Many link this relationship to her recent appointment especially since she was nominated by Governor Sheriff.

 

Her nomination for ministerial appointment caused mixed feelings with some people accusing Sheriff of nepotism. The same was said of her appointment as Accountant General for four years by Sheriff and at every point, the governor defended his decision by saying she was very competent both educationally and professionally.

 

Yabawa Lawan Wabi was born on August 26, 1962 to the family of late Mohammed Lawan, a highly disciplined civil servant and agriculturist who was one of the pioneer chief executives of the Chad Basin Development Authority. Lawan’s daughters were mostly sorted by elites and highly placed individuals years back because the ladies were regarded in Maiduguri as amongst the educated and disciplined.

 

Wabi is first in the family to attain the feat of serving in the federal cabinet but one of her sisters, Hajiya Amuna Ali was a federal permanent secretary in various ministries including petroleum during the Obasanjo era when there was no minister. She is now retired following the new policy of tenure for permanent secretaries and directors in federal civil service. The new minister’s other sisters are Yobe’s former first lady- Hajiya Maryam Bukar Abba Ibrahim, wives of former minister of FCT, Bunu Sheriff and an industrialist, Alhaji Ali Kotoko amongst others. The family has a serving member of House of Representatives, Abba Dawud Lawan who took over from his elder brother in 2007. The family hails from Jere local government area of Borno and most members including the new minister speak Kanuri, Shuwa Arab, English and Hausa languages. Wadi is married with five children. She will be 48 in about two weeks.

 

Yabawa Lawan Wabi holds a second class upper Degree in Accountancy from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. She was a pupil at Federal Government College, Maiduguri where she passed out with grade ‘A’ results. She holds Mni, having attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru-Jos, in 2009.

 

The new minister brings with her administrative experience having worked over the years; with politicians and civil servants in Borno. From interaction, she sounded intelligent and highly articulate. Figures are not new to her as she has worked as an Accountant General, being a trained accountant.

 

But managing the crowd that may come with her new office, owing to her dealings with thirty six states beside parastatals, may pose some challenges because she is strict in receiving visitors which makes some in Maiduguri regard her as too elitist given the fact that residents throng public offices without hindrance in Maiduguri. In fact, some people see her as inaccessible. There are others however who maintain that she brought in discipline to her office not to allow people stop her from working and that she offers “lots of assistance mostly in privacy and detests being crowded but prefers to be seen on appointment”. She is said to have facilitated the appointment of many persons into the civil service and gives so much in charity.

 

On dealings with states, since she has served as an Accountant General who also attended series of Federal Account Allocation Committee meetings from 2003 to 2007 in addition to also being saddled with some responsibilities of following up allocations and payments due to Borno at the federal ministry of finance, she should know how states deal with state ministers of finance, the pressures of the job, problems if any and how she should overcome them.

 

Already, the new minister said she is braced up for the challenge. “I will be a very active minister which will be result oriented. I will work with the senior minister who is highly technical and professional to transform the ministry of finance in a short while. I will serve my country diligently in accordance with constitutional provisions. Mr President has already told us that we are to serve the nation and that I will do insha-Allah” she said.

 

But then, she may need to do so much to succeed in dealing with the financial reporters because throughout her service in Borno, she was closed to the press. Journalists saw her as inaccessible and many stayed away from her. More so that her predecessor was moved apparently due to his remark about NNPC being insolvent which the media reported widely, Yabawa Lawan Wabi may develop increased cold feet towards the press.

 

However, her new office requires her briefing the press at least, once every month, on issues relating to finance allocations. From afar, she may be seen as a snub but the new minister seemed receptive at close range. She indicated that she is not likely to have problems dealing with press, she is aware that she will be holding a public office which deals with the national treasury and unlike her positions in Borno; she is now a political appointee with the license of making reasonable briefs to the press when it should be done.

 

NB:The website of the Ministry of Finance (http://www.fmf.gov.ng/FMF_HMSF_Profile.aspx) has not been changed to reflect the changes in the governance structure as at 150810 12.24pm; five days after the changes were announced by the government.

 

(Source: Daily Trust)