I think Buhari saying he will abolish the office of the First Lady is a misnomer,lack of respect for women and a Chauvinistic notion.It is a subtle jibe at women.Its a down grade on women.He is saying women are not to be recognized and should be placed or relegated in the background.It depicts his archaic views on womanhood and what we represent.Succinctly put women should be seen and not heard.Coming from General Buhari,who is still trying to cleanse himself from the tag of being an Islamic Fanatic ,this is just too much to bear.And we all know how women are treated in most Northern parts of the country.So the statement coming from him ithat he will not have a First Lady instills a certain kind of fear on liberal minds as to how Buhari sees women.
At least we have seen the wife of the Vice Presidential candidate of the APC beside him in Ikenne and other places,where is the General's wife?The First Lady is supposed to compliment her husband's office,
afterall we are supposed to be following the pattern of American democracy and we can see how active Michelle Obama has been since her husband assumed office.Michelle Obama's campaign against child obesity has garnered much support from the American populace and beyond.So General Buhari goofed on his position about the importance of that office.
The supporters of the eradication or cancellation of First Ladyship hinged their argument on the fact that that office is not provided for in the Nigerian Constitution.While this is true,it still doesn't justify the crass disregard for women.The role of women cannot be overemphasized in the society.In this 21st century women should not be tossed around or talked down.We constitute a major voting Bloc,in case the General is unaware of this.It is the Market women ,the average women on the street that will vote for him.So why undermine them?
However i do not blame those in support of Buhari and his stance,seeing what the office of the First lady has been turned to by past and recent dispensations in the country alike,because unlike other saner climes,the office has been bastardized in Nigeria,some has turned it into a money making venture,a meal ticket for them and their hangers on.All the same,we can not throw away the baby with the bathwater like a Nigerian adage says.It is not enough reason why there should not be a First Lady.And the reasons are glaring,a First lady compliments the office of her husband,creates pet projects(not one in which money will be laundered or siphoned).She Supports her husband and are sometimes seen as the voice of the women through whom which their concerns are passed across to the presidency.
1 comment:
Is it any surprise that a staunch advocate of Sharia is expressing Chadic chauvinistic views? I share your view that his idea of eliminating the office of the first last is a disregard for the role of women in the polity. That being said, where are the advocates for women's rights? Why have they been inactive or slow in denouncing this egregious insult on the entire women folk of Nigeria? And why are the highly educated ones not clamoring for the official institution of First Ladyship in our constitution? Who would provide the answers to these questions? The same women who would tie wrapper and regale same Buhari with cultural dance and songs at the mention of "donations"? At the end of the day, one would have to excuse such brainless remarks such a Buhari's because our politics and politicians are still crude and lacking political finesse, and the electorate even more so.
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