सेलिब्रेटिंग MASABA

CELEBRATING MASABA

In the past few weeks the media has been awashed with reports of Alhaji Bello Masaba, the 84 year old man who is married with 86 wives. Though the case is now in court, I shall not talk about the legality and illegality of his action. I am an unlearned man.

But I shall look at the other side of the man achievements. I don’t know why the government of Niger state is disturbing the marital home of their worthy son, Masaba. What marriage has joined together let no government put asunder. The man deserves to be commended and praised instead of being treated as a common criminal. What is wrong if a man decides to marry and keep 86 wives under one roof whereas there some men who have only one wife officially but in a year have slept with more than 300 women in these days of HIV/AIDS? The women are not complaining so why are there hypocrites making a hell of noise about the man’s marital accomplishment. Whether they like it or not Masaba is an accomplished husband and father; his wives and children can testify to this. The man has help to reduce the rank of unmarried women by 86. Asking the man to sack some of his wives is an official way of boosting prostitution as some of the women would swell the number of street women.

Masaba deserved national and international recognition. The keepers of the Guinness Book of Records should hurry to Nigeria and assess our own man for possible entry into the hallowed pages. Maybe those who are trying to rubbish the “strong man of Bida” are envious of his prowess at 84.The Federal Government of Nigeria as a first step should confer on Masaba, a national award, The Grand Commander of Nigerian Women (GCONW). This award is in appreciation for his effort and contribution to the development, exploitation and exploration of the “woman resources” of this country. We know that Niger state has two grand commanders but there is nothing wrong in having a third one especially one that got the award through individual achievement not an ascribed award by default because of positions held.

Also as President Umaru Yar’dua is contemplating tinkering with his cabinet, Masaba is the best candidate for the office of the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Youth Development. For a man who can manage and administer 86 women without the women or their children grumbling I believe has the experience and expertise to handle the women ministry well with tangible results. We should start putting round pegs in round holes. In contemporary Nigeria, Masaba is the best material for this ministry. He understands the psychology of women and knows what they need and how to meet their desires. Masaba may not be a card carrying member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but for national interest, appointments to such sensitive offices should not be base on party affiliation but on capability, capacity and experience. Female ministers over the years have not been able to impact on Nigerian women through the Ministry of Women Affairs so for once let us have a change let a man take control, and that man is Masaba. Women are known to be their worst enemies and a change in the gender leadership of the ministry may bring the dreams of Nigerian women to reality. According to media reports, the police in Niger state claim that they found nothing incriminating when they search his house and there are no report of his children’s involvement in crime and anti social behaviours. Yardua should considered Masaba for a ministerial appointment because we don’t want a situation where at his demise he would be described ad the best Minister of Women Affairs Nigeria never had.

Niger State instead of taking Masaba to court should learn to appreciate God’s gift to the people of the state. Masaba house should be turn into a tourist centre where thousands across the globe would visit, yearly, the abode of the “Conqueror of Nigerian Women.” Women looking for the fruit of the womb, men suffering from impotency or having “hard starting”, women and men who cannot easily find their life partners should visit the residence of Masaba for luck. The Masaba abode should be a pilgrimage centre or a fertility shrine. And the state government would be collecting fees from those visiting the residence. This tourist potential would make Niger state a Mecca in Africa. This would boost the internal revenue of the state instead of depending on paltry handouts from federal allocation. Masaba deserves a monthly subvention from the Niger state government to support his family. Remember he has a school within his premises for his offsprings. So these children also should benefit from the Universal Basic Education fund.

The Federal Government on its own part should invite our man, Masaba and get his semen and blood samples taken as well as investigate the source of his virility. At 84 when men half his age cannot perform the man is firing from all cylinders. Perhaps Masaba semen or blood sample can be mass produced and sold to men and women who have conception challenges. If Masaba strength is from herbal medicine or any form of traditional African power, as many are wont to say, NAFDAC should take over the investigation and ascertain the accuracy of the claim. Through Masaba we can now boast of our own made in Nigeria Viagra and it would help conserve foreign exchange and there would be no need to import the blue pills again. Rather we would be exporting to other parts of the world and it would attract billions of dollars in foreign exchange and the federal government can afford to call off the bluff of the criminals in Niger Delta who are masquerading as freedom fighters but Masaba should be given 13 per cent derivation by the government for the exploitation of his natural endowments.

Our universities are not proactive they are waiting until Masaba is made a minister and they would start falling over each other to award him an honorary doctorate degree. Masaba by his reproductive and marital accomplishments deserved honorary degrees in Reproductive Health, Personnel Management, Human Resources among others. He should be appointed a visiting professor or consultant gynecologist, so that he can transfer his knowledge to future generations. We should not allow the man to die with this secret.

Masaba is my man of the year 2008. No shaking. Ride on Baba, nothing do you. More power to your elbow.