Posted by By PAUL ORUDE, Bauchi on
Apart from the governor of Bauchi State and other top government officials who are popular in Government House, there is one woman whose popularity in government circles has become legendary. She is not a politician.
• The world of Binta, fura de nunu specialist who makes waves in Government House, Bauchi
Apart from the governor of Bauchi State and other top government officials who are popular in Government House, there is one woman whose popularity in government circles has become legendary. She is not a politician.
Neither is she a government official. However, she has touched the lives of many people in government that she cannot be ignored.
Indeed, 35-year-old Binta Inusa, a Fulani, is a popular face at Ramat House, Bauchi State seat of government. She is a common woman, who does what is not uncommon with most rural Fulani women. She sells milk extracted from cows and boiled to get a thick white delicious and highly nutritious drink popular known as nunu in northern Nigeria.
Unlike the average Fulani woman, Binta, a mother of two, sells her nunu with a touch of class and panache, considering the area she chose to operate. Indeed, this petite and jovial woman from Mararaba Liman Katagum, a suburb of Bauchi Local Government Area, Bauchi State, operates, figuratively, in the corridor of power as she sells her nunu at Government House, Bauchi and has wormed herself into the hearts of many.
Many governors have come and gone, but Binta, fair in complexion, with Fulani facial marks adorning her face, has become a regular face around the government circle as she daily supplies her growing customers with the highly nutritious milk. So popular is she around the vicinity that if Binta does not show up for even a day with her nunu, her absence is immediately felt.
Binta, whose husband is a cattle farmer from Mararaba Katagum, did not receive western education, but she seemingly has no inferiority complex as she goes about doing her business effortlessness, with diligence and cheerful heart.
It is as if she is oblivious that she is the centre of attraction most times but goes about her business with a sense of mission to satisfy a need. The more you get to know Binta, the more you will like her and even desire her nunu.
With no western education, finding herself in such an environment, thronged daily by the high and mighty, could scare the average illiterate Fulani woman, but this does not deter Binta at all. She usually comes from Mararaba, a distance of about 50 kilometres from the state capital to do her business from Monday to Friday, spending N400 daily on transport to get to the Government House.
According to her, she comes around 11a.m and by 4p.m, she is through for the day.
'I started selling nunu since the time of Mshelia, Bamibgoye and Raji," she told Daily Sun in an interview.
Binta observed that none of these past military governors of the state was a Fulani, but they patronised her except the present civilian governor, Ahmadu Adamu Ma'azu.
'I am surprised that Governor Mu'azu, a Fulani man, has not shown interest in what I do. He has not bought my nunu for once since his eight years in power, but Bamigboye (former military governor, ) loved my nunu a lot when he was the governor.
'I used to supply him almost on a daily basis through his house keeper. This also applied with Raji and Mshelia, but Mu'azu has never even noticed me," she said.
Her nunu and fura, a substance made from grain and which goes with the nunu, is consumed daily by commissioners, security personnel, journalists, directors and permanent secretary, corps members, cleaners, drivers and many more who visit.
'But I cannot forget the Permanent Secretary, Government House, Yerima Ningi. He is my biggest customer. There is no day that he does not buy my nunu. I used to take it to his office myself," Binta, who normally goes from office to office to supply her customers, said.
Her popularity opens doors for her and she has found favour with many generous government officials and their aides.
But the day she would never forget was the day one of Governor Mu'azu's wives, Hajia Aisat Mu'azu, surprised her. 'I took nunu to Ramat House. When she saw me, she sent Aunty Mabo to call me. We greeted and she gave me N10, 000 cash," she said.
Binta said that despite such assistance she sometimes gets, she was willing to work hard to earn her living and she would continue to sell the best quality of nunu drink.
A bowl of a well-prepared nunu and fura goes for between N30 and N100, while on a good day, she makes over N1, 000 daily.
Binta is delighted to, with what she gets from the business, help her husband to sponsor the education of her two daughters, Maimuna and Fatima.
She said: 'My husband and I did not received western education, but we want our children to get the best of education so that they can grow up and become important persons in government. So, all the money I get is to help them through school. They are currently at Mararaba Liman Katagun Primary School. "
Binta is even happy that her sister, Jummai, is doing well in the business also.