Maryam Babangida: What Nigerians say

The passing away of Mrs Maryam Babangida should give all of us a lot of lessons in life. First is that life on earth is temporary and everyone will answer the call of death – rich or poor, man or woman, popular or unpopular, glamorous or not. Secondly, it shows that when one’s time is […]

The passing away of Mrs Maryam Babangida should give all of us a lot of lessons in life. First is that life on earth is temporary and everyone will answer the call of death – rich or poor, man or woman, popular or unpopular, glamorous or not. Secondly, it shows that when one’s time is up, no good hospital or amount of money can stop it.

Thirdly and perhaps most importantly, when you are gone, it is what you did while on earth that will speak for you. In the case of Mrs Babangida, a lot of people have poured encomiums on her for her glamour and bringing the office of the First Lady to a new level, as well as initiating the Better Life for Rural Women Programme.

Others have vilified her (even in death against our normal tradition of not speaking evil of the dead) of wasting public resources on elite women in the name of rural women and elevating an unelected and unconstitutional office of the first lady to a level of too much powers. Whatever one’s opinion, the lesson is that what you do today will constitute your legacy when you pay the debt of death which everyone owes as long as Jesus tarries.

Dr Otive Igbuzor

‘Gave rural mothers pride of place’

Her death is indeed a huge loss to the country. Maryam Babangida popularised the First Lady’s office, initiated the Better Life Programme for Rural Women, a programme that in fact gave a pride of place to our rural mothers. That so many Nigerians have died in recent times as a result of cancer-related illnesses raises real challenge on our health system and particularly on this present government that has health reform among its seven-point agenda.

Cancer has claimed so many Nigerians: ace musician Sonny Okosuns and Yinka Craig, to mention but a few. I think the government needs to take very seriously the reform of our health sector. Else, what is the big idea of having it among the seven-point agenda if there is no clear-cut strategy for its prosecution? Enough of these cancer-related deaths. Turai Yar’adua Cancer Centre should please wake up.

Monday Osasah, Programme Officer, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development.

‘She should be appreciated’

The late Maryam Babangida was a hardworking person who brought out the visibility in women through her Better Life Programme, especially the rural dwellers. Like in Lagos, she reached out to the Iyaloja who was able to organise market women to benefit from the initiative. She should be appreciated because her programme promoted women in all areas. Apart from Nigeria, she also affected the lives of women in other regions of Africa. You see, one cannot talk of the deceased without her husband who stood by and gave her all the support she needed to carry out the Better Life Programme for Rural Women.

Apart from being the first lady who was determined to champion the cause of women in Nigeria, she also led the home front by raising her children with good moral conduct. She was a good mother.

Mrs Bose Eitokpah, woman activist.                              

‘She spiced Nigeria’s fashion world’

Mrs Maryam Babangida’s death was a shock to the nation because she left too early. The woman was a nice person and she brought that glamour into the position of First Lady and she must be commended for that. She also touched the lives of the rural people through her better life programme. Maryam was a classy woman that had high taste for fashion and I can say she spiced the fashion world in Nigeria and a lot of women emulate her styles, especially her head gear and head ties. Her death is a great loss to this generation, particularly the women in Nigeria. We will miss her.

Rosemary, civil servant

‘Her views on women were genuine’

The former First Lady was full of life and there is that inner joy that comes to mind when you see her. She impacted positively in the lives of women through her popular project (Better Life for Rural Women). She was the most active First Lady Nigeria ever had, because she was more committed to helping women in the rural communities to be self-reliant and empowered.

Her views about the women were genuine and you can see the result of her impact today in Nigeria, because more women are emerging in politics and administrative areas compared to what we used to have in the 70s and 80s. She is responsible for the position women are occupying today. I advise that other first ladies should emulate her roles toward women, because she was everywhere when it came to issues affecting rural women. Maryam gave women a voice to speak, to be heard and encouraged them to participate in national development.    

Ndidi, businesswoman