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English: BEHOLD THE FIRST SARAUNIYA OF GASHAKA

THE WOMAN WITH VISION OF TRANSFORMING GASHAKA EMIRATE TO THE DOOR OF DEVELOPMENT Hajiya Batulu who served as the first female secretary to the Taraba State Government (SSG) during the tenure of erstwhile Governor Jolly Nyame also became the first to bag the traditional title of Sarauniya of Gashaka. The epoch-making ceremony which coincided with the Eid-el-Fitr festivities was performed by the Lamdo of Gashaka, Alhaji Hamman Gabdo, who is also the father of Hajiya Batulu. The colourful ceremony which took place at the palace of the Lamdo of Gashaka shortly after the afternoon prayers (Azhr) was witnessed by the acting governor of Taraba State, Garba Umar who was represented by his former chief of staff, Engineer Ahmed Yusuf. Other dignitaries who witnessed the ceremony were members of the Taraba State Executive Council, some members of the state and national assemblies as well as traditional rulers. On hand to add glamour to the occasion were traditional horse riders as well as Tiv, Mambilla, Kaka, Fulani and Jibu traditional dancers who came from the neighboring local government areas of Sardauna, Kurmi and Bali. After being dressed in traditional regalia befitting of her title, Hajiya Batulu proceeded to bow before the Lamdo who then presented her with a sword to serve as her symbol of authority as the Sarauniyar Gashaka which means the Queen of the Gashaka Emirate. There was a thunderous cheer from the jubilant crowd as Hajiya Batulu then proceeded to ride on a horse as she brandished her symbol of authority, in acknowledgement of the cheering crowd which was heavily populated by the female folk. For the Lamdo of Gashaka, it was indeed a day of fulfillment as he was particularly impressed with the mammoth crowd that turned up from far and near to grace the occasion despite the fact that it was coming only a day after the Eid-el-Fidr celebration. Assuring her of his continuous guidance and wise counsel, the Lamdo advised his daughter to remain a good ambassador of the Gashaka royal family, while also calling on all dignitaries at the occasion to see Batutu as their own daughter and continue to guide her aright. Engineer Ahmed Yusuf who represented the Acting Governor Umar commended the Gashaka traditional council for choosing the celebrant, who he described as a very hardworking lady. He recalled that Hajiya Batulu had played the role of a good ambassador of Gashaka since her days as Commissioner of Water Resources and Rural Development, Special Adviser in the same ministry and later Secretary to the State Government (SSG) all under the administration of former Governor Jolly Nyame. As the only female cabinet member in the current dispensation, the acting governor noted, the Sarauniyan Gashaka was making meaningful and invaluable contributions to state matters, adding: “She is an able and effective representative of women in the government.” Congratulating her for what he described as a well-deserved honour , the acting governor urged her to continue with the spirit of carrying her people along and also mobilize the women of Taraba for meaningful development. “Government would continue to provide the enabling environment for the development of tourism potentials of the state. The presence of Gashaka Gumti National Park in the area should be harnessed to improve locally generated revenue of government. It is in view of the foregoing that the state government is undertaking the construction of the Bali-Gashaka-Gembu road”, he said, stressing that the traditional institution has a great role to play by not only mobilizing the grassroots, but also ensuring the preservation of the culture of the people to boost tourism. For Hajiya Batulu, it was an occasion that would forever remain remarkable in her lifetime. While appreciating what she described as ‘the lifetime honour bestowed on her as Sarauniyar Gashaka by Almighty Allah and her father, the Lamdo Gashaka, Alhaji Hamman-Gabdo Muhammadu Sambo, Hajiya Batulu said: “Today is obviously one of the happiest and memorable days of my entire life and I believe the same goes for all those that were directly or indirectly involved in recognizing and selecting me among the multitude of other deserving princesses of the chiefdom. I believe the Gashaka traditional council chose me for a reason and it is a reason that I fully acknowledge to be in the best interest of the chiefdom.” She pledged to justify the confidence reposed in her, saying: “I will do my best and whatever is within the ambit of the law not to fail or disappoint the huge confidence reposed in me by those that found me worthy to be appointed as the first Sarauniyar Gashaka. Gashaka chiefdom and local government, she said, have remained her primary constituency and that the development, empowerment and advancement of the people of the chiefdom and area would continue to be her first priority. Hajiya Batulu disclosed her plan in setting up what she called the Sarauniya Foundation to assist in taking care of the educational needs of promising, intelligent but underprivileged students to further their studies in tertiary institutions within and outside Taraba State. This, she said, would be in addition to other women and orphan-friendly programmes that she was currently working on. Hajiya Batulu Haman-Gabdo is a direct descendant of the royal house of Gashaka Emirate. This first and only Sarauniya in the history of the region was born in June 1966 – six months after Nigeria’s first military coup, which truncated the nation’s First Republic, killing some of the first generation of leaders. She was her father’s fifth child from her own mother, the late Hajja Rukayyatu, who was the first wife of the Lamdo Gashaka. She began the search for both Islamic and Western education at a very tender age, enrolling at the Central Primary School Serti, Taraba State. She was later moved to Abbaganaram and Gamboru Primary Schools all in Maiduguri at different times. On return to the old Gongola State, she variously enrolled at Yelwa and Karewa primary schools,all in Yola. Between 1979 and 1984, she was enrolled in the Government Secondary School Fufore after which she attended the defunct College of Preliminary Studies (CPS) Yola, until 1986. In the same year, she joined the third set of undergraduate students to study Mass Communication at the University of Maiduguri.

She became the Commissioner for Special Duties, Water Resources and Rural Development from 2000 to 2003 and was later appointed Special Adviser, Water Resources and Rural Development. In 2003, former Governor Jolly Nyame appointed her to serve as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and in 2013, acting Governor Umar appointed her as Commissioner for Women Affairs and Child Development, the position she is currently holding.