By Elvis Ayomanor
I have been following keenly the trend of events concerning the recent statement by the wife of our great President, Aisha Buhari.
I was invited to talk on this issue in a live DRTV talk show on Tuesday the 18th Oct. 2016. Though I tried to help the public understand the meaning and implications of her statement and the president’s response, I still think it would be wise to put up this write-up for a wider audience who may not have had the opportunity to watch me live on screen dissecting the much talked about issue.
Sometimes I wonder how some or most Nigerians create so much Ado about nothing. I was surprised that all over the social, electronic and print media, all you hear is, “The Outburst of the President’s wife”. Then I ask myself what outburst?
The first lady only performed her civic responsibility by saying what she observed wasn’t right with the system. You can call it constructive criticism which must be applauded by all as it was good for us as a people and as a nation. It was a rare show of integrity and Character never exhibited by any first lady as much as i can remember.
Remember, the issue she raised is about us all, it’s about Nigeria as a nation, not about her nuclear family and not about Buhari’s private business. For the first time we are seeing a first lady who does not see the presidency as a family business, a first lady who is more concerned about the people than her family.
Before now what we usually see is always a first lady who would come out and tell us, ” you people are just being jealous of my husband, you people should leave my husband alone, is he the first president to live in Aso Rock? Why can’t u people just allow us to enjoy our tenure? my husband is the best president on earth, my husband is the the only one who can take Nigeria to the promised land”.
Yet under his nose as the best president, our economy was looted into recession. But today we now have a first lady who would not allow anybody to derail the administration from achieving the change mantra, a first lady who believes in the “Nigerian Dream”. I call this a new dawn in governance.
Now the word transparency has just been redefined. Now let us look into the president’s response. He said the wife belongs to the kitchen, the parlour and the other room. Surprisingly so many people are raising so much noise about it. This is just a thing of humour When someone tells you his wife belongs to his kitchen, his parlour, his bed room, where else or what else is left? It tells you the wife is an integral part of his life, in fact she’s the totality of him. And that is the best position any woman can ever find herself.
Now let’s look at it this way, if you are a woman, would u want another woman to take over the kitchen from you? Or as a young man, would you wish another woman to take over your mother’s kitchen? Even your sister’s? Certainly the answer is NO. So why frown at the president saying his wife belongs to the kitchen?
The truth is, we are Africans and we have culture here. let’s be truthful to ourselves. The Kitchen belongs to our wives, they belong in there doesn’t mean they are confined to the kitchen, that’s why they also belong to where we belong as men, the living room and the bedroom.
When Buhari said she belongs to his living room, he wasn’t joking, he meant every bit of it. This means she is a part of his public life, she’s there with her man even when his friends and business associates are around, she’s a part of him. Now let’s look at the other room, the bed room, his innermost secrets, hmmm, how many men, even those making so much noise about this issue now, can proudly come out to say their wives belong to their living rooms? How many of you would even allow your wives to seat with you in the living room to even watch TV together as a family? Not to talk of seating in the living room with you when your friends or business associates are around.
She belongs in the other room, spending quality time with his wife, sharing deep secrets as man and wife, planning their family and business together, not hiding things from each other. Now can someone tell me a better way to treat a woman or a better position to place one’s wife better than making her a part of your kitchen, your living room and the other room? In short Nigerian women should pray to have husbands like Buhari, who see women as an integral part of men.
To tell you how high Buhari places the women folk, I will give u a little background of how he gave his wife the best. He married Aisha in 1989 as a school cert holder, which was a normal thing with our parents in those days.
Muhammadu Buhari’s continue to Aisha’s career
Aisha Buhari was born Aisha Halilu, on 17th February 1971, in Adamawa state. She did her primary and secondary school education in the same state.
When Aisha married Muhammadu Buhari on 2nd December 1989, she only had a secondary school leaving certificate at the time.
Based on his pragmatic outlook to life and a zeal to empower women, especially his wife, Muhamamdu Buhari continuously sponsored Aisha’s education up to masters degree level.
Furthermore, he encouraged her to pursue business, so that she could be independent and make contributions to society.
Now, take a look at some of Aisha’s achievements while living with Muhamamdu Buhari as his wife:
1. Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
2. Master’s degree in International Affairs and Strategic Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.
3. Diploma in Beauty Therapy from the Carlton Institute of Beauty Therapy, Windsor, United Kingdom.
4. Post-graduate diploma in Cosmetology and Beauty from Academy Esthetique Beauty Institute of France.
5. Member of the United Kingdom Vocational Training and Charitable Trust.
6. Member International Health and Beauty Council.
7. Founder/Managing Director of Hanzy Spa and Principal of Hanzy Beauty Institute.
8. Resource Person to the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
9. Published a book titled “Essentials of Beauty Therapy: A Complete Guide for Beauty Specialists”.
10. Patron of various charity organisations at home and abroad.
Regardless of the humorous joke he cracked in Germany, that his wife belongs to his kitchen, living room and the other room, this man Muhammadu Buhari, has done everything conceivable to assist his wife attain fulfillment, independence, and thus become a proud contributor to human society.
Muhammadu Buhari has remained a faithful husband and a great father to Aisha and their 5 children.
Ask yourself this sincere question; how many men out there on the planet are this good to their wives?
Now my people, let us compare Buhari and his predecessor who knows the value and importance of education so well that he even studied to PhD level but his wife can not even speak English correctly not to talk of being fluent, or even read or write.
This is a man who like Buhari married a woman who was not well educated, but because he believes education is meant for only men, he gave himself a very sound and quality education, but didn’t see the need to sponsor his wife to school. It’s so unfortunate that a whole former president could be that unenlightened and mean to the women folk.
Funny enough most of the men making so much noise about the president’s response today are guilty of the crime committed by the former president who believes women belonged to the kitchen and the kitchen alone unlike Buhari who believes they belong to the kitchen, the parlour and the other room.
I think every Nigerian woman should stand out and hail their president Muhammadu Buhari, for holding them at such high esteem. Nigerian Women, you are blessed with both a loving and caring president and a woman of substance who at all times will speak out to project the voice of the Nigerian women.
Thank you.
*Elvis Ayomanor is from Sapele, Delta State.
