Last week precisely on Thursday one of the social media bloggers of Sen. Kabiru Garba Marafa (Shamsu Kasida) posted via his Facebook page that the newly appointed Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs Mrs Rabi’atu popularly known as “Gimbiyar Shinkafi” has resigned her less than two month old appointment.
I could not believe it until when I put a phone call to him, and he told me his own verified sources and I said to myself what is happening with this government?
Someone is appointed a Commissioner and in less than two months he resigns without much effort to ensure his retention, then something is actually wrong!!!.
We make inquiries at the level of Ministry and multiple sources confirmed that they have heard about the news of the resignation, but a notice to that effect has not been transmitted to the Ministry yet.
At the office of the Secretary to the State Government, an anonymous source confirmed that she has tendered her resignation letter, and it was dully acknowledged by the office of the SSG.
Another confided source from Shinkafi confirmed to this medium that she has resigned her appointment and that even after she tendered the notice the Governor was fully informed, and he personally called her for a discussion, but she declined.
Since Thursday, this medium tried her telephone number severally for confirmation, but it was switched off throughout and all avenue to reach her was not successful.
But as journalists we went on our own to dig-deep into the circumstances behind her alleged resignation and a credible source who does not want to be named informed this medium that she has resigned because aptly but allegedly she has noticed that her schedules of duty as Commissioner for women affairs have been hijacked by the office of the first lady.
According to the source at the State Ministry of Women Affairs, he stated, “there was a recent activity precisely a programme on “National Day of Action” which was originally a programme of the state Ministry for women affairs but was hijacked by the office of the first lady”.
The source who craved for anonymity informed this medium that the program on National Day for Action has a budget line under the state Ministry for Women Affairs but the entire arrangements including the printing of T-shirts, banners and stickers were done by the office of the first lady not the ministry.
He further said even before now there used to be this type of rancor as the Ministry had indirectly become an offshoot of the office of the First Lady.
“We noticed she was not happy with the way the Ministry is becoming like a department under the office of the First Lady at the last activity on National Day of Action it became difficult for many of us to even get a T-shirt for our program because we were turned to beggars in our activity, and I am sure the Commissioner may feel dissatisfied with the entire procedure of the Ministry” the anonymous source added.
Another source said, “the former Commissioner became upset with the fact that she has tendered her resignation few hours after which the biological mother to the First Lady died and suggested that if she had known she could have delayed the submission of the letter until Monday”.
Another source said, most likely she might resign to go back to Imo and pick appointment as Commissioner since her nomination by Governor Hope Uzodinma has not been invalidated and to a greater extent things are better up in Imo than the way they are done here in Zamfara”.
The Spokesperson of Zamfara Governor Mal. Zailani Bappa when contacted said he was not aware of the resignation officially but noted that he has read the news on the social media.
Now the onus is on the office of the SSG and indeed the Governor to clarify the rumor or for the embattled Commissioner to speak clearly to the rumor of her resignation.
