Weekly Column: First Woman not First Lady
By Omordia, Efe Alexandra – I was watching an end-of-year children’s party being hosted by the First Lady of Nigeria (addressed as Dame, Dr, Chief Jonathan lol) and something struck my mind, I realized that she was acting more like a street lady than a First Lady. For the most part, she was talking while the proceedings were going on and to make matters worse, when she was called to address the participants, as she walked towards the podium, she chewed noisily. She obviously doesn’t know better and one can say that she didn’t have time to learn considering the fact that her husband was drafted in at the last moment to become president but others would say that her husband has been in government for quite a while even before he became Vice President and then President and so she should know better.
However, I cannot help comparing. In Ghana, present and past leaders like Rawlings, Kuffour and Mills are very eloquent well bred gentlemen. At local and international gatherings they hold their own. One wonders why Nigeria the so called Giant of Africa and a country made up of so many intellectuals and charismatic individuals are not putting their best foot forward in terms of the caliber of people that take leadership positions.
The people who usually have what it takes to deliver are rarely consulted. Uncouth and lackluster personalities are usually courted and celebrated. Except this trend reverses things would sadly remain the same.
