By Shuaibu Usman Muhammad
The Nasarawa State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Humanitarian Services, Dr. Margaret Itake Elayo is a hard nut to crack. Truly, saying this is to state the obvious.
Interestingly, she has always been on the side of the people, catering for the needs and aspirations of the masses. She is restoring the hope of the people by empowering the young, women, the troubled and interested members of the public with basic skills as part of her official functions of ensuring that women and children get deserving support and development across all nooks and corners of the state.
Just recently, in line Excellency, Engineer Abdullahi A. Sule’s mandate to hit the ground running, she has been engaging with the Hon. Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim to engender inclusiveness in implementation of government’s policies.
She has engaged with many women and humanitarian organisations in the country too, including the UN Women, leading to the global agreement on women that was recently signed in New York, USA.
She has given a new life to women activities including the total implementation of the 35% Affirmative Action for women. This is in tandem with global trends to ensure not necessarily equality but equity for women representation.
This, still, exemplifies working with multi-sectoral partners for productivity. It suggests the fact that courage, determination and integrity can transform to excellence and deep glory.
Like the saying is, giants are not always measured by their sizes, Dr. Margaret Itake Elayo is a true pacesetter, an administrative extraordinaire who, despite limited resources and large number of people to cater for, has been a beacon of hope for the state since when she was a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor.
She is investing in this women and humanitarian affairs’ sector that many dared not to venture into. This earned her the resounding accolades of Governor Abdullahi Sule regularly.
She is working silently to make the office better and the state productive to meet the Governor’s aspirations. Indeed, being the pioneer Honourable Commissioner of Women Affairs and Humanitarian Services, a recent merger by the Governor, Dr. Margaret Itake Elayo has restored confidence in the Governor’s determination to leave Nasarawa better than ever imagined.
Tirelessly working a
on a blueprint of bold and robust thematic areas, Dr. Margaret Itake Elayo had the courage to dare sectors that seemed untouchable to many male administrators. She does not see herself as a politician but an inspiration that can be used to unseat the constraints of the present-day challenges.
Against all odds, youths and women have been empowered with workable skills and grants unofficially as part of her unstained imprints to human development. This is like a soothing balm to the morale and psyche of the empowered to remain relevant in their communities.
She is indeed paying her dues. She is iconic, passionate, uncommon and visionary in what she believes in. She is a strong silent achiever. A strong woman and humanitarian who believes in womanity and humanity.
Shuaibu Usman Muhammad, General Editor, Nasarawa Newsline Newspaper