Pauline Tallen

Pauline Kedem Tellen OFR was (born 8 January 1959 [2]). She is a Nigerian politician and currently serving as Women Affairs Minister.[3] She was appointed in 2019 by President Muhammad Buhari after turning down ministerial nomination in 2015 on the grounds that she was not consulted prior to the announcement of the appointment and that she would not accept the offer for equal distribution of power among the three senatorial districts of her native state of plateau because she is from same local government as Governor Simon Lalong.[4][5][6]

Pauline Kedem Tellen

OFR
Minister of State for Science and Technology
In office
1999–2003
Preceded byBartholomew Nnaji
Succeeded byIsoun Turner
Personal details
Born (1959-01-08) 8 January 1959
Shendam, Plateau State, Nigeria
Political partyPeople's Democratic Party (1999 - 2010; 2012 - 2015)
Labour Party (Nigeria) (2011)
All Progressive Congress (2015 - present).[1]
Children5

In 1999, she was appointed Minister of State for science and technology to the cabinet of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo. In 2007, she became the deputy governor of Plateau State and the first woman to be a deputy governor in northern Nigeria. she also contested to be governor of the state in 2011, but lost to Jonah Jang. She is presently a member, board of trustees of All Progressive Congress, and was honoured as woman of the year for her contribution to Nigeria at the 10th African Icon of Our Generation Award.[7][8] She is a board member of National Agency for Control of Aids(NACA)

Early life and education

Tallen is a native of Shendam, to the family of Kattiems. She got a degree in sociology at the University of Jos in 1982.

Political career

Tellen political career started in 1976, when she was the clerical officer at Shendam local government council, then later ministry of local government affairs.[9] In 2011, she joined Labour Party (Nigeria), then contested in the gubernatorial election of the state. By 1994, she was made a councillor in Plateau State. She was made commissioner in the state by the military government between 1994 and 1999.[10]

In 1999, she was appointed Minister of state for science and technology, becoming the first woman to be appointed as a minister in that capacity by former president, Olusegun Obasanjo.

Before 2015 general elections, she decamped from PDP to APC, a move she believed angered some people in her state. However, she described the move as a calling from God, with no regrets.[11] In 2015, she rejected an ambassadorial nomination by President Buhari, citing federal character and zoning in her state as reasons.[12] In an interview with Leadership Newspaper, she explained that as deputy governor she contested against the governor for the betterment of the state and because the governor didn't have the interest of the people at heart. She also stated that the victory of President Buhari at the 2015 general elections was divinely orchestrated.[13]

Personal life

She was married to John Tallen, a chieftain of the People's Democratic Party who passed away in 2017. [14] She has five children.

In 2013, Tallen's son took her to court for disrupting his freedom of expression and movement.[15] She however responded a few days later by having her son charged to court for burglary and theft of her jeweleries for which her son was remanded in prison custody. [16]

References
  1. "Pauline Tallen, ex-commissioners dump PDP for APC in Plateau -". The NEWS. 2015-01-28. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  2. "H.E. Pauline Tallen | SPEAKERS". www.sheroesforum.com. Retrieved 2017-12-22.
  3. "I Never Lobbied To Be Minister, But I'm Prepared For It – Pauline Tallen".
  4. Jannah, Chijioke (2019-08-22). "Real reason Buhari appointed me women affairs minister - Pauline Tallen". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  5. "I never lobbied to be minister but I'm prepared for it - Pauline Tallen".
  6. BabaGboin (2008-12-30). "Odili's Loot: Plateau Deputy Governor, Pauline Tellen and Mrs. Agagu Implicated". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  7. "Pauline Tallen, others to be honoured". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2015-08-18. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  8. Pauline, Tallen. "NACA organises free HIV screening on World Aids Day". THE GUARDIAN. p. m. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  9. "H.E. Pauline Tallen | SPEAKERS". www.sheroesforum.com. Retrieved 2017-12-22.
  10. "Pauline Tallen, ex-commissioners dump PDP for APC in Plateau -". The NEWS. 2015-01-28. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  11. "I was attacked for supporting Buhari – Tallen". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2017-12-22.
  12. "StackPath". leadership.ng. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  13. "StackPath". leadership.ng. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  14. https://dailypost.ng/2017/03/28/pauline-tallen-ex-plateau-deputy-governor-loses-husband/. Retrieved 2020-04-04. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. Naij.com (2013-06-24). "Trouble At Home: Pauline Tallen's Son Sues Her, Wants N200m Damages". Naija.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved 2017-12-22.
  16. Naija.ng - Nigeria news. 2013-06-24 https://theeagleonline.com.ng/ex-deputy-governors-son-arraigned-for-theft-of-mums-jewelries/. Retrieved 2017-12-22. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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