In a patriarchal system that suppresses women’s voices, Hadiza Bala Usman rewrites the narrative as captured in her memoir ‘Stepping on Toes: My Odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority.’ As the first female managing director of the maritime agency, she provides a detailed account of her tenure, while honouring the legacy of her late father, Yusuf Bala Usman, known for his guilelessness. Vanessa Obioha profiles her and the reception that has greeted her book release
The gathering at RovingHeights bookstore at Landmark Centre, Lagos, was a momentous occasion for the women in attendance. Seated in front of them was this historic woman of different dimensions, Hadiza Bala Usman, the daughter of the foremost historian, the late Yusuf Bala Usman. She is the co-founder of Bring Back Our Girls campaign group and the first female Chief of Staff of Kaduna State and the first female Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Some of the women gathered there knew her from her time at NPA, others were childhood friends. There were however younger women as well as men seeking inspiration from her experiences in navigating the complexities of public service. These experiences have been intricately captured in her new memoir, ‘Stepping on Toes: My Odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority.’
Ever since her suspension from the NPA which she helmed from 2016 when the former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed her, there have been different versions of what transpired that led to her suspension from the agency. It was in 2021 that Bala Usman was asked to vacate the seat, shortly after she was approved for a second tenure. A perceived battle between her and the former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi who was her boss was believed to be the root of her removal from the maritime agency.
To be sure, Bala Usman’s tenure at the NPA was transformative. Under her leadership, the agency underwent a remarkable overhaul, eradicating the longstanding stain of corruption and gaining a renewed reputation. Known for her knack for transparency, it took less than six months to uncover a N11.23 billion fraud. Further investigations according to reports revealed that $24.1 million of NPA revenue was found hidden in an account at one bank and another six million Euros in separate accounts at two other banks. The more she dug, the more fraudulent acts were unearthed. Drawing from her father’s principles and her background in policy research and public sector reforms, Bala Usman rolled up her sleeves and put in strategies to uncover corruption and recover debts that have burdened the agency in the past. But it was not only about rescuing the NPA from corrupt actors. Bala Usman also rewarded long-serving staff members for their devotion to the agency.
Given her remarkable reputation, it was not surprising that the bookstore was cramped with many guests, some of whom took Bala Usman by surprise. As introductions were made, she remained unassuming, acknowledging comments with nods and gestures that conveyed her appreciation for the attendance.
With the formalities concluded, Bala Usman delved into the business of the day, starting from an excerpt in her book where she reflected on the arduous task of countering the “half-truths or outright lies” circulated about her during her tenure at the agency. Consequently, as rumours swirled surrounding her removal from the NPA, impacting her reputation and relationships, Usman felt compelled to tell her own side of the story.
Her determination also emanated from the lessons instilled in her by her late father during her childhood. Fondly describing herself as a daddy’s girl, Bala Usman spoke of the values he ingrained in her from a young age, including the significance of legacy and the importance of maintaining an untarnished reputation.
“My father was very strong in making us own our space,” she said. “He discussed and engaged with us in whatever we were doing. Whether it makes sense or not. So at a very young age, we understood the value of thinking, the value of debating and also learning to agree to disagree. You don’t have to agree with everything someone tells you. You have to question it and find out if it makes sense to you.”
In her memoir, Usman chronicles her entry into public service and her collaboration with Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai during her time at the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). She also recounts her initial collaboration with Amaechi during Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaign for the 2015 elections. Despite being the one who delivered the good news of her appointment to NPA, Amaechi was also the one who began inquiries into her dealings at the agency that led to her suspension.
Bala Usman recalled how on May 5, 2021, she heard about the memos flying around about the alleged non-remittance of operating surpluses to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) by the NPA management. This led to a request by the former minister for an audit of NPA’s account. While Bala Usman always kept a clean slate, the circumvention of processes suggested a witch-hunt. It didn’t take long before she was asked to step down. A seven-month investigation was carried out and she was vindicated of the allegation of non-remittance to the CRF. However, the report that exonerated her from the allegations was never released to the public, therefore allowing the negative narrative about her dealings at the NPA foster. It is this impression that Bala Usman sought to correct with her memoir.
By sharing her story, Usman earned the admiration of the women in attendance. Given the usual way Nigerians often let sleeping dogs lie for fear of being bitten, particularly if an influential person is involved, her stroke of bravado resonated with Princess Vicky Haastrup, the MD of ENL Consortium Ltd and Chairman Sea Ports Terminal Operators’ Association of Nigeria (STOAN).
“For me, the narrative is that of courage and boldness and being able to set the record straight. She was a woman who wanted to turn things around when she was the MD. She was incredibly hard working. She was not corrupt. I can attest to her integrity. For her to have done most of the things she did particularly on controversial issues that people you know, feared to talk about. She did all of that. And of course, you know, naturally people will fight back. She didn’t really mind offending people for doing what is right. What she wanted to do is to turn things around and do things the right way. She has given women courage to tell their story.”
One of Bala Usman’s childhood friends, Wummi Jagun, praised her principled nature and commended her for challenging stereotypes about women from the northern region.
“She’s done something for women that most people don’t do, especially when you are from the north. It is very stereotyped. You are believed to be empty-headed. She has proved and brought the voice out that girls from the north are not empty. We’re filled with substance.”
Apart from her courage, Bala Usman is celebrated for her advocacy for women. The former Head of Communications at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Lami Tumaka acknowledged her remarkable ability to rally support for women, a feat demonstrated during her time at the NPA when she championed and empowered women regardless of their backgrounds.
“I don’t think there’s any woman more so, northern women that would not be proud of having a product, a brand, a person like Hadiza Bala Usman. Her ability to galvanise support for women is admirable. While she was at NPA, she did what has never been done before, taking up and promoting women regardless of where they came from. She is one person that solidly supports women and for that, we admire and respect her.”
Writing the book presented its challenges for Bala Usman. It required revisiting painful memories and reliving past events.
“It was a bit difficult for me because, in the process of writing the book, it was like taking me back to what happened. I found it very difficult because I was reliving the experience,” she said.
Bala Usman’s book arrives at a pivotal moment as President Buhari is about to step down from office and Amaechi, who also sought to succeed him, lost the election to Bola Tinubu. For Usman, the timing of the book release is crucial.
“There are two sides to it. On one hand, it may be seen as the wrong time but for me, it’s important to do it now so that I can set the record straight. If you don’t write your own story, other people will write it for you. So it’s important for me to write it.”
Indeed, Bala Usman’s ability to tell her story garnered praise from readers and critics alike. The former governor of Ekiti State, Mr Kayode Fayemi who made a brief appearance at the reading was among those who admired her boldness.
“More often than not, we allow other people to tell our story in Nigeria and they would never tell that story the way it really happened. Naively too, in politics, it is always believed that our work should speak for us but then your work really does not speak for you. You have to speak for yourself, explain yourself and communicate with your various audiences in order to convey who you really are to the majority of the people who don’t even know you. They speak about you, they write about you on social media, particularly these days, and they take liberty.”
He made a clarion call for more women’s participation in politics despite the patriarchal system in Nigeria that makes it difficult for women to succeed. He however encouraged women to join public service while reminding them that such calls for a sacrifice. He equally noted the need to build a better society “in which people are not put down simply on account of the agenda.”
As Bala Usman leafed through the selected chapters, the audience’s curiosity grew. Some wanted to find out if she will serve again, to which she responded a resounding yes if given the opportunity. Others wanted advice on how to deal with a boss that impedes your growth.
To these ones, she said: “Manage your boss. It means you have to do extra work so make sure you cross all your t’s and dot all your i’s. Work harder, and follow the rules so that at the end of the day, even if he wants to penalise you, it will be difficult to do so.”
As the event at the bookstore drew to a close, attendees lined up to have their copies of ‘Stepping on Toes: My Odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority’ signed by Usman, and of course taking pictures with her to keep as mementoes. The atmosphere was filled with a sense of admiration and gratitude for her trailblazing achievements and her determination to set the record straight.
