Southern Governors' Wives Forum

The last time I checked, Nigeria in her entirety could strongly boast of a union that unites the wives of the governors of all the seventeen states in the Southern part of the country comprising Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Rivers, Cross-River, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Lagos, Osun and Oyo.

It is no longer news that in every quarter, it’s being cited that ‘what a man can do, a woman can do even better’. As one who never believed, I almost disagreed with this ideology but currently it appears  I have a change of mindset as regards the perception.

Honestly, the pace at which our women are making histories is fascinatingly striking that I have come to see them as societal frontiers. Though I have always been of the view that women remain the controller of any society they find themselves but not to an extent that seems as if when the men are deeply snoring in their sleeps, their wives are seriously thinking.

Believe it or not; the fact remains that our women have made a remarkable and formidable history to inaugurate the – Southern Governors’ Wives Forum.

I want to hastily broaden our mindsets a bit. Most Nigerians are of the opinion that people from the North in its totality are united in all ramifications. I beg to disagree of this lingering notion. Northerners have never been together; but politically, they are. For instance, on a social ground, if you dare address an average man from Plateau State as an Hausa, he may be tempted to assault you.

The truth is that ordinarily people from the North Central geo-political zone do not share similar philosophies or traditions with those from such other northern geo-political zones. However, on political ground, people from all 19 states enjoy an unalloyed unity or togetherness. They have one voice when it calls for politics; this remains the singular reason the Northern politicians are invariably ahead of their counterparts in the South.

Politically, even when the Emir of Kano, speaks, the overall citizens of the 19 Northern states would listen without much ado. In the entire North, only one traditional ruler can decide what happens in the political cycle. In view of this assertion, it’s therefore needless to reiterate that these Northerners who understand the rudiments of politics have gone too far in the game, even as they continue to ostensibly suppress those in the South whenever they tango.

Before now, I have been reiterating the need for the politicians in the South to speak with one voice, all to no avail. This implies that the history that was recently made by the female politicians in the region, through the effort of the wife of the Imo State governor, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha and her likes prior to the emergence of the group, is no doubt a wake-up call. I sincerely pray their husbands replicate this gesture worthy of emulation.

Unarguably, this union whose leadership is is timely as well as a giant step in the right direction. When members of the epoch-making amalgam had their inaugural meeting in Imo State, on the March 3and 4, 2016 respectively, the state was agog. Of course, the convergence of the amazons deserved applause.

Unequivocally, their male counterparts are presently faced with no other option than to follow suit. Hence, it’s high time they wake from their slumbers. I challenge them to prove to their respective wives that they are in charge and on form too. Ironically and intriguingly, it is apparent that their Excellencies cannot actualise this without employing or seeking the efforts of their wives.

To this end, I implore the governors to employ their wives as Special Advisers on issues relating to the way forward. I urge them to wave farewell to anachronistic views or outings with a view to concentrating solely on the needful. The time to act is now.

Most importantly, as these First Ladies strive towards creating a greater political atmosphere in the South and Nigeria at large, they are expected to do everything within their reach to ensure that they aren’t carried away by trivial or retrogressive issues. Think about it!