Economic Confidential, July 2008

FEATURES

Dame Jonathan: Encouraging Women of Niger Delta

Prince Nwaokugha Ikeokwu

Coming from the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, I am proud to note remarkable contributions of our people, whether in the public or private sector of our economy. Likewise I get a bit uncomfortable when bad news emerges from the region. As much as male dominate the scene in different socio-economic developments, I feel elated when their spouses in their spare times also impact positively in the life of people.

Recently wives of some of our leaders, especially the governors and that of the Vice President have been accused of non-performances by the youths in the Niger Delta who expect them more actions from them, probably to influence their husbands to address teething problems in the zone. From other quarters are also malicious campaigns against those women. As much as the wives are not assigned specific responsibilities in the Constitution some of them have indeed excelled through their programmes.

The quintessence of life, to many, mean the ability to breath, grow, reproduce and die especially in the feminine perspective. Only infinitesimal proportion of women sees beyond this approach towards life, which is uncommon in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.

Though, the wife of the Vice President, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan is presently occupied and proud to associate with the activities and programmes of the First Lady, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua, I remember her contributions to the life of youths and women in Bayelsa State when her husband was the governor. Because of her unbridled quest towards alleviating the suffering of the less privileged in the state, she set up a pet project: Aruera Reach Out Foundation in 2006. The Programme was targeted at instilling the spirit of self reliance to the mothers and the youths in the Niger Delta. Many of my friends and relations benefited from the programme as they were equipped with entrepreneurship skills.

As a role model who drives pleasure in sharing with people (of all manners) without discrimination, her humane gesture has cut across all the sections of the society as she tenaciously clings unto her pet foundation. With all sense of humanity, she had extended hands of fellowship to many including the widows, leprosy and tuberculosis center, federal medical center in Bayelsa states, orphanage homes where she donated gifts and food items and included scholarship scheme for orphans up to tertiary level, what a favour!

Dame Patience Jonathan’s vision to charity has been like a hobby which could be seen in her daily activities including her supportive programmes packaged towards the needy and the empowerment of Nigerian women, especially when her husband was the Governor of Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta region where I come from. Ordinarily, when one gets to the top, one is bound to relax, unlike Her Excellency, the higher she goes the more she extend her tentacles of compassion to put smiles on the faces of those who come her way, to proof her religious upbringing.

From all indication, her Excellence Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan happens to be among the few women who lay credence that life is not worth living if it is devoid of patriotic zeal of selfless service to humanity. A philosophy she shares with the first lady, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua whose programmes too are worthy, especially on cancer treatment and poverty alleviation amongst the womenfolk.

One of the common attributes which she imbibes after leaving Bayelsa State to Abuja when her husband, Jonathan Goodluck became the Vice President is her matured disposition which is instrumental to the harmonious relationship she enjoyed with the first lady, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua, just like the president and his vice, working assiduously towards achieving a common goal. I believe their cordial relationship and exemplary conduct so far have remained inspirational forces behind their men. It was not surprising that the two of them received prestigious international awards for excellence in far away Israel over their contribution to civil society in Nigeria, especially in the field of education, poverty eradication, disease, child development and woman empowerment, which implies that the international community is mindful of their salient contributions.

As much as we expect the wives of public officers should support the administration of their husbands positively, we should also be mindful of the sensitivity of such offices and the dynamic politics in our land. The best we could do in this regard is to support them with words of encouragement to build their confidence and strengthen their belief that any positive action taken by them to alleviate the problems of the poor, to empower the downtrodden, especially women economically and politically would be appreciated.

I believe the wives of public figures in the Niger Delta can also look at the ways and method by which they can relate and liase, as mothers with our mothers in the regions on how to curtail the excesses of some of our youths and also bring succor to them through skill acquisitions they can apply their eke out a decent living.

Prince Nwaokugha Ikeokwu

princenwaoku@yahoo.com

Abuja