Not many Chief Executives dare to give cabinet offices to independent minded figures with activism background, especially now that bootlicking is one of the recruitment criteria for such offices.
In nominating Mrs Mopelola Abdulmalik-Bashir as commissioner, Governor Abdulrhaman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State has shown that he is not afraid of appointees, who will be able to tell him the truth he needs to know. He needs those who will tell him not only what he wants to hear, but what he needs to hear.
The nominee is a daring communicator of truth, fearless and educated, whose determination to add value to governance is inspiring.
Mopelola is the gender issue coordinator of “Kwara Must Change”, chaired by one of my young protégés in Kwara, who is a first class patriot and humanist: Abdulrazaq Hamzat.
“Kwara Must Change” is an enlightened, principled and new generation youth group, which took ownership of Kwara’s journey to political liberation, realized through the Otoge political revolution in 2019.
The group became the source of light, during Kwara’s darkest moment and inspired thousands of other young people to believe in the possibility of a successful political revolution.
Mopelola is one of those young people who provided leadership.
After the success of Otoge political revolution in 2019, especially when many Kwarans were still in celebration mood, Mopelola and her colleagues at “Kwara Must Change” were busy setting agenda for the new government, starting with their advocacy on youth and gender inclusion.
She chaired the group’s organizing committee for the first women summit in Kwara State, the resolution of which demanded 50% cabinet positions for women, an advocacy graciously adopted by Governor Abdulrazaq, the Progressive Governor in Kwara State.
Mopelola has also been a prominent voice on Kwara Must Change’s popular radio program, “Etowa” (Our Rights). The program, which provides sensitization for the public, especially on rights and responsibilities of citizens, allowed her to demonstrate her depth of knowledge, courage of conviction and her verity communication skills. She didn’t only communicate truth, with clarity of thoughts and conviction, but did so without fearing whose horse is gored. This is a quality known with all great women in history.
Mopelola was born on the 22nd of December 1976 in Laduba, a district village in ASA local government area of Kwara State, to the family of Sheikh AbdulRaheem AbdulMaliq Alawiye.
Upon completion of her secondary education in 1993, the young Mopelola was at the Kwara State Polytechnic where she did a Diploma Programme in Estate Management between 1994 and1995
She also enrolled in series of life changing programs, significant among which is a literacy program in Computer operation and got certified in 1998, in some contemporary courses. Desirous and passionate about education and self-development, she further enrolled into a degree program at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUTECH), and graduated in the year 2005 with Second Class Upper in Sociology and Education.
She also pursued an M.Ed program in Sociology and Education at the University of Ilorin and graduated in 2017. Recently, she capped it with a doctorate degree from the Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State. As an Educationist, She currently serves as the Auditor General of Association of Sociologists of Education in Nigeria.
I have no doubt that Mopelola will break new grounds as Commissioner through her innovative ways of thinking. I pray for God’s guidance and protection for her in the new assignment.
Congratulations Mopelola! Congratulations Governor Abdulrazaq!
By Gbenga Olawepo Hashim
