Quite a lot of reactions have continued to trail, President Mohammadu Buhari’s comments on his wife in far away Germany where he was reported to have told journalist that,his wife belongs to the Kitchen, the sitting room and the other room,presumably the bedroom. It will be recalled that, the president’s wife, Aisha Buhari has in an interview with BBC, alleged that, the president has abandoned those who worked to bring the husband to power, and suggested the Government has been hijacked by a few individuals who now wield sweeping powers.
For me, duelling on Mrs Aisha Buhari’s Frank interview is like a song that is on auto repeat. Apart from the president’s apologist, consisting of his appointees, especially his media aides, some members of the President’s Party, the All Progressive Congress APC) and a few Nigerians who have allowed politics and party affiliation be cloud their reasoning and sound judgement, majority of Nigerians know that, Aisha Buhari has spoken nothing but the truth. It is as a result of such genuine complains and observations by majority of Nigerians ever since this Government came on board that some of them are now been referred to as ‘ the Wailing Wailers’ by the President’s praise singers. The truth they say is bitter, but it must be told and that is exactly what, Mrs Buhari has rightly done.
Now back to the president’s comments about his wife. I can tell you authoritatively that, I for once, was never surprised about such a statement coming from Mr President. This is because, the president and his party have never given Nigerians any reason to believe that, they value women and recognises their role in Nation building .We have a President who out of 36 ministers in his cabinet, has only six women as ministers, out of about15 Special Advisers so far appointed,only three are females while the female politicians in the APC also seem to be the worst hit in the ongoing re-constitution of federal government boards and parastatals as 97% of the appointments seem to favour their male counterparts. In the National Assembly, only eight out of 23 female National Assembly members serving both in the Senate and House of Representatives are of the APC. How then do Nigerians expect a President with such a bad record of women empowerment not to make such a disgraceful statement about his wife?
Imagine if, Dr J.C Akunyili, Husband to late Prof Dora Akunyili had restricted such a beautiful soul to his Kitchen, Sitting room and other room,imagine if husbands to the Okonjo Iwealas, Omobola Johnsons, Arumnah Ottehs, Florence Ita Giwas, Margret Ekpos to mention but a few of this world had restricted them from pursuing their calling and dreams because to them, the whole duty of their wives is to cook for them, watch Television if any in the sitting room and satisfy their sexual urge in the bedroom, it means, they would have succeeded in denying Nigeria, the world class figures they are today.
Again, such remarks from a President of a country that called itself ‘Giant of Africa’ in far away Germany confirms to the world that, indeed, Nigeria has been taken ten years backward with the President Buhari Presidency. If today, in a developed country like the United States of America (USA), a woman in the person of Hillary Clinton is at the poll position to succeed President Barrack Obama while in Germany, where President Mohammadu Buhari unfortunately made such a discriminating remark, is lead by a woman,why can’t our President begin to think of creating more avenues where Women contributions and role in our fledging democracy can easily be felt? Why can’t he be an advocate of women be it in politics,Economy, or otherwise instead of indirectly telling them that, their responsibilities starts and ends in the Kitchen and the other room?
The president himself cannot wish away the fact that, women have,for the four consecutive times he has contested for the Nation’s number one seat, played an integral role in the elections be it materially,physically and politically hence the need to reward such roles by way of creating an environment where they can be anything anywhere including President. Henceforth, women must be considered for appointments while the few currently serving in his administration are also accorded the privilege of being part and parcel of the president’s entourage to official visits outside the country.
He must emulate his immediate past predecessor in the person President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who it is on record had the largest number of women in his Government and the result of that is seen through the different international roles most of them now play in the in the international scene. This way, President Buhari would have been able to reassure Nigeria women that, apart from their traditional duty of cooking for their husbands and satisfying their sexual urge, they are also as important as their male folks in the Nigeria project.
Finally, the place of women in any endeavour can never be over emphasised and given their enormous contributions to socio-economic and socio-political development in Nigeria, there can be no meaningful advancement where Women are excluded let alone restricted in the kitchen, sitting room and other room.
Richard Romanus is a public Affairs Commentator from Oderegha in Obubra LGA of Cross River States.
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