About Salome Acheju Abuh
Who was Salome Acheju Abuh
Hon. Salome Acheju Abuh (knee Faruna), was born into the family of late Pa Pius Faruna Achimugwu and late Mama Asimawo Rebecca Achimugwu on 17 November 1959. She is the Second of the nine children of her parent. Her father was a professional photographer, a businessman, a big farmer and devout Christian who brought their children up in the fear and knowledge of God.
She attended the Local Government Education Authority Primary School Obagwu, now Ofu Local Government Area, Kogi State, between 1968-1974. She was sportish, smart young girl and social.
She got her first appointment with the Idah Local Government Council as Village Level Worker, GL. 03, in 1979 and for reason of hard work and purposefulness, got admitted to Social Development Training Centre, Zaria, 1980-1981 for the Basic Certificate in Community Development. She went for the Intermediate Certificate in Community Development at the Social Development Training Centre Katsina between 1984 to 1985, and attended the prestigious Kaduna Polytechnic between 1989- 1991 from where she obtained Diploma in Community Development and Adult Education in 1991.
A grass-root mobilizer per excellence, attended and participated in different seminars, training and workshops in various places. As a dedicated worker, she grew along the ranks and voluntarily retired as Community Development Inspector (II) GL. 08, on 31 August 1998; for full business and politics.
In the course of duties/assignments as a Community Development expert, she guided the communities she was assigned to, to initiate community self-help projects/initiatives to ensure poverty alleviation. So many community projects and initiatives were embarked upon and successfully executed under her supervision. These made her to be loved by almost all the Communities she was assigned to in the Local Governments.
A serial entrepreneur and business woman, she ventured into buying and selling of okrika, wrappers, jewelries, etc and was well patronized in large markets within the zone. She was assisted by her foster daughter, Grace, before moving to Abuja in 2001 to join her husband who had earlier been posted to the Presidency, but never stopped doing her clothing business, it rather got expanded in Abuja.
Her political career emanated from business where she had grass-root links from the local markets where she was well patronized as a result of her good grass-root relationships.
She was the only woman Aspirant among eight men for the House of Representatives Primary (PDP Idah Federal Constituency) in 2007 elections. Late Mrs. Abuh was the only woman aspirant among nine men for Kogi State House of Assembly PDP Ofu Constituency in 2011. She became a Special Assistant to H.E Capt. Wada on grass-root matters during his tenure.
Her desire to serve her people and touch the lives of rural women and youth on a large scale made her to run for the House of Assembly Primary Election as the only woman aspirant in 2018, but missed the mandate.
She had served on various campaign organizations starting from Obasanjo/Atiku, Yar’Adua/Jonathan and, Atiku/Obi Campaign Organizations at the National Levels. She ensured victories for the Party in her Local government in all elections, including Governorship Elections.
Her last assignment was for Engr. Musa Wada/Aro Campaign Organisation, against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), where everyone around her knew she gave her all, for the will of the people and still DELIVERED the Local Government to her Party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the APC controlled Local Government, in the presence of political carnivores –
no wonder this supreme but painful prize for women, children even for the grass-root and down trodden – “burnt alive” in her own her matrimonial home, Ochadamu, on 18th November, 2019 by Political thugs, for being loyal to her Party.
Hon. Salome Acheju Abuh was a woman full of life, made sure things worked. She was very visible anywhere she stepped in because of the spirit she carried. A self- motivated woman who pursued any good course to achieve result. She was an open minded person and never held anyone in her mind and treated everyone equally even to her pot of soup, she opened her house for everyone and made sure she spent to her lost kobo to make people happy.
“Iron lady” as she fondly called by political associates, was bold, forthright and never afraid to speak her mind, even in political enemies’ camps defending her course for Igala, women and children agendas, politically. She was proud of her lineage and of the Igala kingdom where she came from, she was a very hardworking woman who raised all her children to be productive, and contented with what they have.
“Honor” as she was also fondly called, lived a fulfilled life and left behind, her husband, Eld. Simeon Babani Seidu Abuh, JP, four graduate biological children, many foster children, grandchildren, her siblings and an aged mother who also died out of continued shock, one year after burial of her daughter. One of her sister-in-laws, Caroline Abuh, she brought up, also died of shock and agony, a few months of her burial.