Maryam Babangida: When the sun set on Nigerian women
Before Maryam Babangida there had been several first ladies, after Maryam Babangida there have been first ladies too. But none has ever used the office to inspire women into leadership positions. Since her death on the 27th December 2009, at the age of 61, I have been racking my brain to best qualify the elegant […]
Before Maryam Babangida there had been several first ladies, after Maryam Babangida there have been first ladies too. But none has ever used the office to inspire women into leadership positions. Since her death on the 27th December 2009, at the age of 61, I have been racking my brain to best qualify the elegant first lady. Indeed, she would be best described as an umbrella for the women folk as her ingenuity in projecting issues affecting women even under a military dictatorship was unparalleled in Nigerian history.
When the death of the former first lady was announced, for me it wasn’t sudden; her long fought battle with cancer wasn’t a secret and the recent rumours that she had died prepared us for the worst. Her indelible marks in the sands of time is what is left with us. Personally, I never knew Maryam Babangida and was only privileged to meet her once on my way to perform lesser hajj in Saudi Arabia and it was on board a Saudi Airline flight from Kano. I was charmed by her simplicity, friendly and accommodating attitude. Of course her achievements and what she stood for was known to many Nigerians especially those who happened to be close to her. Her death was shocking, painful and a great loss to the nation.
She was a woman of substance who redefined the office of the first lady in Nigeria. What actually made her stood out was her ability to bring to fore the active role that women can play in the success of their husband’s administrations. She wasn’t a feminist or activist of some sort but simply a leader that led by example and those who knew her even as a young lady testified to that.
Her Better Life for Rural Women programme was genuine and original; it portrayed her kindness and concern for women’s welfare. It was one programme that was able to create impact on women and children in every rural community in the country and its huge success galvanized succeeding first ladies into action, unfortunately theirs was merely a mimic to fulfill formality. Mrs Babangida came with a difference that empowered women, it was a call to action for women to rise up to their roles in the society, participate actively in governance but also not at the expense of the home front.
Mrs Babangida was a deeply religious woman with a commitment to all things human as was expressed in the various programmes she executed, including the aggressive immunization exercises carried out at her instance. Much more than that, she exemplified to women how the balance could be achieved; jostling between national issues and family commitments to raise four wonderful children anybody would be proud of. You don’t need Babangida to tell you she was a good wife and you don’t need any of her children to tell you she was a special mother, no, it was obvious. She didn’t seek to contest but she won hearts and followers, shone brightly like the star she was and still managed to remain humble. For me, Maryam Babangida explained the saying “behind every successful man there is a woman’ because she proved that women are the backbone of men by being a wife, mother and a first lady; all roles she handled perfectly, all roles for women and women alone. She won respect for women and through her, women understood they were nation builders, the foundation of every society and a necessary ingredient for success.
Apart from the obvious fact that I loved and respected Maryam so much, my underlying reason for paying her so much tribute lies in the respect she had for her natural state. Maryam had enough resources in this world that if she wanted to be the female Michael Jackson she would have been but once she was said to have been asked by a journalist how she takes care of her glowing skin and she replied “Vaseline” (whether jelly or lotion; it wasn’t the designer stuff), imagine, a first lady in this Nigeria of ours, that was how she was. I suspect Mrs. Obama must have borrowed a leaf from her in keeping a simple, yet glamorous style. She had no time for, excessive make-up or whatever form of artificialities you can imagine. She showed black is beautiful, our very own black beauty. At this point I would like to digress a bit, to plead with our young women of nowadays to respect the way God has created them and concentrate their time and energy on more fruitful endeavours instead of wasting resources on bleaching creams that have long term damaging effects on the skin. God is the best make-up artist and nobody could dispute that fact. I feel for IBB and the children she left behind because they’ve lost a rare gem and the nation has suffered an irreparable loss, losing a block that can never be replaced. I hope her children will carry on her legacy and that women will continue to emulate her rare qualities. Nobody is above mistakes and I do sincerely hope we all will forgive her shortcomings and pray for the repose of her soul. May Almighty Allah grant her Aljannatul Firdaus, ameen.
Sa’adatu Ishaku wrote in from No. 186 New Hospital Road, Gyadi-Gyadi, Kano. Email: [email protected]