Alhaji Mohammed Suraj Barunde (Garkuwan Akko) is a younger brother of Hajiya Aishatu MB Ahmad, a three-time Commissioner for Education in Gombe State from 2007 to 2018, making her the longest serving member of the state executive council. She recently clinched the ticket of the PDP to contest for Akko Federal Constituency of Gombe State. Here, he talks about growing up with his sister and more. Excerpts:
Daily Trust: How would you describe your sister?
Mohammed Suraj Barunde: My sister defines nobility because of her exceptional character of respect for all, love and sacrifice to humanity without recourse to tribe or religion. She is a mother, a leader and a mentor. Her greatest source of joy is making people happy and improving the lives of the poor.
DT: What was your relationship like with her while growing up?
Barunde: She is everything to me and my major source of happiness. We lost our father when I was three years old and our mum while I was in 100 level in the university. Since then, she stepped in and filled the gap. She showered me with love and took care of all my needs. Because of all these, I never experienced the burden that accompanied the loss of parents. She singlehandedly sponsored my education and ensured that I succeeded in life. I am what I am today because of her. She is my best friend and companion.
DT: What fun childhood memories do you have about her?
Barunde: My sister has always been passionate about writing and loves to write whatever that comes to her head and I used to be her secretary. The ideas normally came to her while she was in the kitchen and she would scream my name and instruct me to come over with a jotter to write the idea. Over a period, we had a huge collection of poems which we decided to publish. The choice for the title became a problem, but at last we realised that all our compilations were written while she was in the kitchen, so we agreed to title the book ‘Voice From the Kitchen.’
DT: When did you realise that your sister is a well-known person?
Barunde: She has been an exceptional person and developed leadership skills while growing up. She spent most of her time with our late mother and learnt a lot from her. Our mother was a special person who loved people. She taught us how to respect one another, and also love and value others. All these attributes grew in my sister. Her humility and compassion became known to everyone when she became the Commissioner of Education in Gombe State. Throughout her tenure, she served and engaged in community development. All she acquired was spent on the less privileged.
DT: Has her name opened doors for you?
Barunde: Yes. Her name is like a national anthem in our community and her popularity extends to everyone that is close to her. I’m number one.
DT: What misconceptions about her would you like to correct?
Barunde: In political circles she is perceived to be tough, but the irony is that she is simple, humble, transparent, efficient and down to earth. All I know is that she is bold and has the will to fight for the rights of her people and also ensure that only the right thing is done. Any deviation from these and she will vehemently fight it.
DT: What easily gets her upset and why?
Barunde: She hates lies and injustice, and these are the major things that easily irk her. It is natural for a straight-forward person like her to react that way to liars, and because of her concern for the less privileged, she hates injustice.
DT: If she wasn’t a teacher/politician, what other profession do you think she would have excelled at?
Barunde: She would have been a soldier because she is a disciplinarian and a very courageous person. She doesn’t allow her gender to limit her in achieving greatness. I remember how she knocked my head whenever I failed to do my assignment and made me stay awake till midnight by her bedside reading while preparing for my WAEC.
DT: What character of hers have you imbibed?
Barunde: I have imbibed her boldness, straightforwardness, passion for developing young enterprising youths and truthfulness, to mention a few.
DT: When you are with her these days, what do you talk about?
Barunde: We discuss politics and strategise to ensure her success at the forthcoming election, which will pave way to continuing the good work she is doing in our community, the state and the country at large.
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