Princess Yetunde Abimbola is the  managing director/chief executive officer of Bauchi State Signages and Advertisement Management Agency (BASSAMA), a revenue generation outfit for the management and regulation  in  signages for Bauchi State. she speaks  with LAWRENCE AMAKU on   her job, the challenges,  the  place of women  in Nigerian politics and the role of   traditional institution in the society. Excerpts:

You were a  year older recently how   have you fared so far?
All praises and honour to God.  I have every reason to thank  God for  the opportunity  of being born and his mercies for sparing my life despite all my shortcomings. we must thank God all the time,  not just on  birthdays.

What experience of  life do  you   cherish  most?
I think it has to do with the challenges  of having to be a woman and being   in charge of Bauchi State  Signages and Advertisement  Management  Agency ( BASAMA) in a part of the world that is male-dominated. I think it is quite challenging being  a southerner and the first Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the newly established agency in the north. I’m in charge of advertisement  and  revenue generation.  Nobody likes the idea of paying taxes to government.

What are the  challenges  faced with tax payers, especially those in the informal sector?
When you want people to pay the  government for signage or  tax,  it is always  a big problem.   the   21 banks operating in the state   once took   us to court because  they were asked  to pay  signage. we  also have instances where a major telecommunication company took us to court because  it  didn’t want to pay outdoor advert fees. These are some of   the challenges.  we thank God we have been able to rise above them.   When it comes to the informal sector,  I believe in negotiation and not confrontation. I believe that there is nothing  the  round table discussion cannot resolve. And because of that, we have been sensitising them on what the revenue is about; explaining   why  it has to be  generated;  why the state needs it and   the importance of outdoor advertisement to their business. In the informal sector  for example,  N5,000  is paid  per annum. This   amount is  very small compared with the service the government is rendering.

As one of the leading lights for women in business, what do you think is the place of women in the society?                                                                                                                                 I think women still have a long way to go.  I  have  come across women who are  up to the task, but our male-dominated society just won’t give them the opportunity.  In the United Kingdom,  one of the best prime ministers  ever is a woman, that is Margaret Thatcher.  A woman and a man should have equal opportunity, we shouldn’t be seen as being given  special privilege, like setting aside between  35 per cent and 38 per cent of electoral offices  for women  as being canvassed by the First lady and women interest groups. A woman and a man should have equal rights.   These days,  if you look at  the performance of students in schools, girls do better.  A girl  is  more clever, but as  she  grows   into womanhood,  her progress is slowed down   because  she  comes under the control of her  husband; she takes permission from her husband to do certain things. Thus, unconsciously, she gets relegated. That is why women who actually go out there and succeed are single women. For any woman to say she wants to be a governor in Nigeria, she must have a husband. Most women who are determined to make it big when faced with option of their home or ambition often tend to drop their home, while some will opt for the family.  You now find out that dropping the home will make them come under criticism  of  the public. They most often   end up losing their home and ambition. But now we have women who are senators, members of House of  representatives  and  the like. The society and men should understand that women do have ambitions too  which must be  fulfilled. Discrimination against women is evident  right  from birth. When a male child is born,  there is so much joy, but when it is a female,  there is a subtle disappointment.

As a successful business and career woman, how do you juggle your  official work with home keeping?
The home life is there, it is not suffering. I have kids who are close to me and  coming out with A* in their results. A woman’s success is measured by the substance of her achievement. A woman’s substance is not measured by the amount of money or wealth  she has, but by  her   children’s well-being. As soon as  many  of the  wealthy   Nigerians die, everything they have die with them.
As a traditional  office holder, do you  see the traditional institution outliving the present generation?  
It will surely outlive this generation and many to come. I  believe  the traditional institution is here to stay, any deviation from that will bring disaster to the country.  in the north, a child will respect the emir after God and probably his parent.  when you go before the emir, who is seen as the traditional  and  spiritual head, you will bow and take off your shoes   to address him, even presidents do that in the most respectful manner while on courtesy calls. same goes for  rulers  in  other parts of the country. The presence or existence of the traditional institution is responsible for the safety and calmness experienced in the country. They perform certain sacrifices to avert disasters  in the society which most people do not know. if for any reason,  any generation comes out to say that the traditional institution must be wiped out,  it will spell  doom for the country.

Despite the growing influence of Christianity and Islam, many Nigerians still hold the traditional religious institution with awe, especially when it has to do  with seeking redress or  punishment? What’s your take on that?
Traditional religion has earned itself that respect.  if, for example, our leaders are asked to swear  by  Sango, I bet you, no one will. Christianity  for example seems to be  lenient. If you swear by   the Bible or  Quran,  you receive judgment after you were dead. but if you try that in a traditional religious setting, the  judgment  is  instant death. I am a traditionalist, I’m neither a Christian nor a Muslim; I will never slap you first, but if you slap me once, I will slap you  10 times. Besides, I am a lawyer, so I understand what I am doing.

The title Otunba sounds like a misnomer for a woman in the Yoruba tradition, how did you come about that?
Yes,  I’m the Otunba Fibigbade of Ibefunland; a town close to Ijebu. It’s not common  having women  as Otunba, but in an  exceptional case like mine, the woman earns the title in recognition of her  achievements within and outside the town.

Do you  have  your husband’s  support?
I will say to you there are no two men like my husband in life. He is very unique and understanding. Without him,  it would have been impossible to achieve what I’ve been able to achieve today. He gives me every support that is necessary to achieve my goal in life.

What do you admire most in him?
That is  the fact that he trusts me.  one of the  many reasons a man  will not allow  his  wife to go beyond his  view is lack of trust. He is a man that believes in himself.

What is your favourite pastime?
Walking. I love to walk, I love gardening too, and I love to cook. One thing  I delight in doing is saying  to my husband, “your food is ready” when he wakes up in the morning.

What do you do to keep fit?
I have a gym. I do a lot of aerobics.  I’m learning to play squash,  but what I love to do most  is walk.

Where do you love  visiting most?
Florida. I like spending  my holidays there, even though I go to the United Kingdom  more  often. And, of course, when I go on holiday abroad, I don’t do like a typical Nigerian that thinks you  must put up with someone there, thereby crowding up their house. When on holiday, I treat myself and my family to a splendid resort, a five star hotel, interesting places and activities. I go to Florida like  every year, and believe me, I still have not seen it all.

What is your fashion taste like?
I  like African attires.

your favourite colour?
white.

Any reason for the choice of white?
Religious, of course.

Your best meal?
I  love any good food, but I love pasta most. I love pounded yam and vegetables too.