Intervention or, more appropriately, some people within it, ought to have known that Dr. Nurrudden Mohammed was contesting to be a Senator from Jigawa State of Nigeria. He did hint Intervention but a locational entanglement creeped in and took off concern with Nigerian politics momentarily. And there was not reconnection till his post-election statement on his defeat was sent to Intervention by a good friend of the House late yesterday.
Jigawa State went over to and has remained an All Progressives Congress, (APC) state since 2015 and Dr. Nura as he is more known is one of the casualties of that shift in party affiliation. Otherwise, he is a prized material for the Senate for his Hadejia constituency. Intervention has no idea who his opponent is and is not opposed to him or her. This is only a testimony to someone who is more known to this media house and who, by antecedents, would have been a good ambassador for his people.
Dr. Nura became a regular visitor to Government House, Dutse from 2009 or so. He was a bright medical practitioner at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano and a youth activist in his local area too. He was found attractive to be an additional media hand for the Government House so that it would be an indigene issuing some of the battle statements from the seat of Government. But, what happened to his medical career after the Lamido administration was over? There was no answer to that question and the idea of his recruitment into the Government House media team stalled.
However, at a point Alhaji Sule Lamido hinted about appointing the young man as Commissioner for Health. He told his then Media Adviser it was crossing his mind. The informal conversation coincided with concern by Dr Kole Shettima at MacArthur Foundation about what the Jigawa State Government was doing on high maternal mortality rate. Lamido was fond of delving into details about how women in the grip of delivery would sometimes have nothing but wheelbarrow as the means of transport to the nearest clinic or medical facility. Dr. Kole was told that an answer was in the offing and the confidence in that was that, with Dr. Nura soon as Commissioner for Health, the trio of the governor, his media adviser and such a commissioner would do wonders on maternal mortality as to pleasantly surprise MacArthur Foundation.
Somehow, the governor changed his mind and sent Dr Nura’s name to President Goodluck Jonathan, with a request to consider the young man as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. It is probably not fair to say the governor changed his mind since he didn’t know MacArthur Foundation was worried but had been told to tarry awhile.
A new Commissioner of Health and a very friendly fellow did emerge but he was not a Dr. Nura. As friendly as he was, he wasn’t going to understand why the media adviser with no training in health matters would be intruding in the ministry and talking about what global civil society organisations would like to see being done about maternal mortality. Beyond that, Dr Nura had been managing a VVF facility somewhere in the state and was more mentally attuned to the kind of perspective on healthcare delivery being contemplated.
But it wasn’t a total loss. Media management of the Lamido name had been worrying about unspoken criticism of him that he had produced no diplomat after serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs. So, if Dr Nura emerges as a Minister of State in the Ministry, that would be such a fantastic shutting up of critics. And it happened exactly. So, what the Jigawa State Ministry of Health lost, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gained. The relationship continued but at personal level after the departure of the media adviser from the job until the recent break associated with physical distance.
Without prejudice to the political opponent who defeated Dr. Nura, the young medico would have added value to service. Nura is not myopically elitist. Even on the campaign trail, he can administer medical treatment to his people as a medical doctor. This is not usual with many of the elected politicians in Nigeria, many of whom have no formal training or are too elitist and distant from the people.
But, in a functional society, a Dr. Nura doesn’t have to win election before being recruited as part of the system. In a state such as Jigawa and basically any state at all in Nigeria, a medical doctor is an asset. Some of us personally miss his capacity to explain medical problems in a more comprehensible way. He would say “this result is perfect for your age” and so on and so forth.
It is interesting he has issued a statement thanking his people, suggesting a ‘never say die’ approach which is welcome.
