I Housed 54 People For Weeks During Plateau Crisis-Moven, Blind Woman Politician

Mrs. Ruth Moven is a visually impaired grassroots politician in Plateau State. Despite her disability, she is a strong grassroots politician who believes there is ability in disability. According to her, she has the leadership ability which she has demonstrated in her Ward located in the heart of Jos, the state capital. A delegate at the ActionAid summit for Persons With Disabilities on elections held at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, Moven told DAYO EMMANUEL about her past attempt to contest an election which she is still interested in contesting.

Excerpts:

 

How easy is it for you as a female blind politician in a male dominated terrain where many don’t believe a woman can lead?

It is not that easy to be a politician with my condition but it is what I do that convinced the people that in every disability there is ability. So in my own ward where I am, I always s participate in politics among women and youths. My ward is in the heart of Jos and I am well known there for my various activities.

Some years ago, Jos was notorious for incessant crisis. How did you cope then as a politician living with disability?

Like I said, it is quite challenging. I would say the first riot was 2001. I was not at home when the crisis started. I had something doing in the Local Government located in the middle of Jos. I couldn’t return home. I was stranded there for two days. The second crisis came, I was at home because it was during the election. I had to house 54 people in my house. I had to feed them throughout. Actually God used me for that. The crisis was at the early part of October of that year. The last set of people left my house on the 25^th of December that year. I had to feed them throughout the period. Then another crisis came in 2010. I had to house 19 people again in my house. This is what I have been doing in my community without the help of any government.`

There was the Dogon Nahawa crisis where suspected Fulani herdsmen killed a lot of villagers in the night. There were other attacks, do you still have these issues on the Plateau?

Yes, so much. We have Fulani issues where by they just graze their animals on people’s crops and fight would start. There have been a lot of violence. People have given them land to graze their animals, they now want to take over the land and nobody would want his own land to be taken by the Fulanis.

What has the Plateau government done about this menace? Your neighbour, Benue State has passed a bill to protect farmers from having their crops destroyed by Fulani cattle herders, any similar plan in Plateau?

I don’t think the government is ready. If all the government would do like Benue I think we would have peace in this nation.

 

Did you intend to contest any post in future election?

I even wanted to contest the just concluded local government election, I wanted to be a councilor on the platform of the PDP. I wanted to but something along the line happened. Actually when I went for my own form, I met many people that also came out to contest same position. They went to my son that they wanted to contest councilor in my ward. My son is the coordinator of the tribes so since my son is the coordinator, I now considered I should step down so it won’t be like we are playing family politics. I told them I wanted to contest, I had to make it plain to them that I have interest so that in the future elections they would remember I have interest.

Your party, the PDP just concluded its convention. The former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is back to the party, what can you say about this development?

Those politicians doing cross-carpeting or political harlotry or political prostitution are not alone. They are plenty doing it. I will say we have this problem in this nation, it will not help us. I call them the Coca-Cola Company where you have Fanta, Coke, Sprite and others. You can turn the bottle from Coke to Sprite or Fanta. PDP people are the same in APC. Once it doesn’t favour them, they move to another party.

Why didn’t you move to the ruling party when your party lost in Plateau? Don’t you think you’ll be able to position for more opportunities?

I cannot be doing political prostitution like others. Those moving up and down are not doing it for the people but only themselves and their families; they are selfish people. Once there is a fault in a party, remain there and address the issue and make the party stronger. Changing from one party to the other is not the solution