In her last moments on the hospital bed where she lied for 12 days, Ngo Yop Hannatu Chollom was still breathing social justice. She still spewed fire against corruption in leadership, and spoke much about the balance between leaders and the led, her eldest daughter said.
“She likened the delicate balance to a seesaw, with the people on one end, and the leader at the other. The leader is on the top because the people have held down their own end of the teeterboard. When they decide to rise, the leader goes down,” Mrs. Fauziya Yankat Bala, the daughter told Daily Trust during a visit to the residence of one of Northern Nigeria’s leading political figures, philanthropist, and an elder stateswoman, who died on the eve of independence day – September 29, 2015.
“She talked much, kicking against bullying. She said the people are the ladder, and must not be bullied by the leader by way of stealing their resources. She insisted the people must be pampered with good leadership because they have held down themselves to raise the leader,” Mrs. Bala added.
Hannatu, a tough talking anti-corruption crusader and advocate of social justice died at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) at the age of 72, after a prolonged battle with kidney failure.
The daughter, who was one of the peoples with her in her last moments, said the leading Plateau women leader died peacefully, after days of speaking for the people.
No 1, Hannatu Chollom Road, Rayfield, the Jos residence of the deceased was still filled to capacity on the fourth day of her death. Sympathisers trooped in from across the country, to condole with the family.
Daily Trust went through the condolence register, to stumble on big names. Governor Simon Bako Lalong was there with the opening of the register. His wife, Mrs. Regina visited later. The state deputy governor, Professor Sonni Tyoden and his wife were there, as former governors, and now senators, Jonah Jang, and Joshua Dariye, as well as Jerry Useni were early to condole with the family. No. 1 Hannatu Chollom Road became a melting point for politicians, including those on different paths.
A young lady – not too long from the classroom – the late Hannatu made a courageous foray into politics in 1977, only a year after Nigerian women got the franchise to vote in an election. Two years later, with the lifting of the ban on political campaigns in what would later emerge as Nigeria’s Second Republic; Hannatu picked the nomination form for House of Representatives and went on to campaign as an aspirant on the platform of the defunct Nigerian People’s Party (NPP).
That she did not make it to the general elections in 1979 did not hold her back; she went fully into the national convention of the NPP, to emerge as the party’s national deputy chairman, same election year. Later, Hannatu went into the contest, to win the position of national women leader of the then main opposition party which produced the government in the old Plateau state. She was on that seat between 1979 and December 31, 1983 when the Second Republic was truncated by the military.
Her great political exploits led her into the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) governorship primary election in 1991, with the return of politics during the regime of military president General Ibrahim Babangida.
She was candidate, senatorial primary elections, Plateau-North on the platform of the NRC in 1992, candidate, senatorial primary elections, Plateau-North, United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) in 1998, aspirant, senatorial primary elections, Plateau-North, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999, aspirant, senatorial primary elections, Plateau-North, Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD)/Action Congress (AC) in 2007, assistant organising secretary (North-Central Zone), PDP in 2001.
She left footprints especially in the areas of women mobilisation. Additionally, she was a member of the Arewa Elders Forum and was one of the few politicians who famously challenged ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo on his alleged third term bid.
Born on November 11, 1943 in the small village of Du in Jos South local government area of Plateau State, Hannatu was one of five children in a value-based family of Chollom Tikas, who worked as a miner with the Amalgamated Tin Mining of Nigeria (ATMN) in Jos.
Young Yop, as she was fondly called then, was a staunch believer in achievements in life, which she demonstrated early in her life when she went beyond secondary school education in a place where women of her time had limits.
She attended the Native Authority School Du, 1946 to 1953; post-primary education at Gindiri Girls Boarding School, 1954 to 1955; Queen Elizabeth Secondary School, Ilorin, 1955 to 1959 and later Federal Training Centre Kaduna, 1965 to 1966.
Young Yop believed that the best one could achieve in life would necessarily come through sound education. Thus, in her pursuit of educational excellence, she sojourned abroad in France where she attended a Bi-lingual secondary school at the Ecole Remington, Paris, from 1973 to 1976. She also attended the World Conference, Nairobi-Kenya (1985) and the Beijing-China World Conference on Women (1995); to mention but a few of the very many national and international training courses, seminars and conferences which this indefatigable educationist, frontline politician and industrialist had meritoriously attended.
The untiring efforts and contributions of Ngu Hannatu Chollom to her state of origin in particular and national development were amply recognised when she was awarded in 1999, the honorary Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Business Administration by the Pacific Christian University, Glendale-California, USA.
Young Yop began her working career with Nigerian Tobacco Company (NTC) as personal assistant to the company’s general manager from 1967 to 1970. Thereafter, she was the acting area manager of West Africa Provincial Insurance (1971-1972) before she proceeded (naturally for greener pasture) to the Premier Tin Mining Company in Nigeria then known as ATMN, where she worked as personal assistant to the firm’s chairman from 1976 to 1979.
In recognition of the sterling qualities and industriousness of Ngo Yop Hannatu Chollom, a titan of a woman in Nigeria; the Plateau State government appointed her to the esteemed positions of chairman, Plateau Hotels, Jos (1980-1981), chairman, Plateau State Water Board (1981-1983), and chairman, Plateau State Express Services Ltd, 2006-2007.
In a message of condolence, the House of Representatives member for Riyom/Barkin Ladi, Mr. Istifanus Gyang, recalled Hannatu’s days: “We are comforted that Ngo left an enviable legacy of a dogged fighter for social justice, with immense capacity for political sagacity and bridge building, compassion for the less privileged and passionate service to humanity.”
He added that: “I recall that she was appointed by ex-president Jonathan to serve as a member of the Presidential Committee on Jos crisis which was headed by the late elder statesman Chief S.D. Lar with my humble self, as the secretary.”
The federal lawmaker added that: “I join Nigerians in paying special tribute to our beloved Ngo Hannatu as one that had the courage to express and stand by her convictions, an outspoken woman politician who exuded boldness and confidence in an era that women were to be seen and not heard. As she has transitioned into eternity, her bravery, activism and pragmatic leadership style qualify her for a place in the Hall of Fame among women political activists in Nigeria.”
