In my essay of the 7th February, 2008 (The Nigerian Observer; page 10), I tried to focus the attention of readers on the efforts of the amiable First Lady, Lady Ussieh Osunbor, at confronting some of those problems that have kept the larger part of the African continent perpetually at the developing stage, but never really developed. As we all know, underdeveloped societies continuously contend with a number of problems, some of which manifest in low regard for issues affecting women and children, ravages of diseases, high infant mortality, unhealthy environment, and so on.
Understandably, these are the problems that have been of traditional interest to First Ladies world wide, and although much has been achieved by them over the years, so much remains to be done.
In this regard, I am in the good company of many of our people who believe that Lady Ussieh Osunbor’s unique style of confronting these lingering problems points the way to better, more enduring results in Edo State. Indeed, the grace and shine that accompany her work, her preference for tackling the root cause of the many developmental problems she has been concerned about, and her commitment to the core duties of her office, rather than the pomp and pageantry surrounding it – all set her apart from others.
The essay referred to earlier was aptly titled “Lady Ussieh Osunbor: The Silent Achiever”. Yes, she is without doubt a silent achiever. Unlike the orchestra-concert methods of some previous First Ladies, Lady Ussieh Osunbor’s time and boundless energies are consumed in working out enduring solutions to the peculiar problems of women and children, the ravages of diseases, including the much dreaded HIV/AIDS, environmental health of Edo people, and many others. And whereas others would insist on advertising their efforts, Lady Ussieh Osunbor has continued to maintain a dignified refrain from boasting about her remarkable achievements.
But her graceful, silent strides present an irony of some sort. In a society that is constantly inundated with new fangled ideas, preached loudly by leaders at market squares, the one that works silently to achieve meaningful results stands the risk of being unappreciated by the people. The consolation here is that the verdict of history is always favourable to those leaders whose achievements went unsung while they were in office. And this is confirmed by contemporary experiences of our people. The contributions of former Governor Ambrose Alli to the development of Edo State, including the concern of his wife with the health care needs of women and children, for example, now seem better appreciated than they were several years back. However, we also know from this example that there are adverse political implications of waiting entirely on history to pass its judgment. For obvious reasons, the perception of the people at the present time, rather than the future, of the performance of their leaders, is of crucial importance under a democratic system of government.
Even this consideration alone compels a review of Lady Ussieh Osunbor’s silent achievements. Additionally, I have always held that the people’s recognition of the contributions of our leaders to the development of the land can yield positive motivational results. And although this essay is only a highlight of some of Lady Ussieh Osunbor’s many achievements, it should serve, perhaps at a later date, as a source for the reconstruction of the history of the spirited efforts of this outstanding First Lady at confronting the problems of underdevelopment in Edo State.
To begin with, Lady Ussieh Osunbor’s handling of the recently launched NAWOCA (National Women Coalition on Aids) initiative to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in the south-south geo-political zone, is applaudable. I think the grand success of that ceremony owes a lot to her learning and rich managerial experience; and Edo people certainly consider it a welcome development that this First Lady not only has the training and experience that stand her apart from others, but is prepared to put these enviable qualities to bear positively on her duties. Apart from the consideration of peace in Edo State, the decision itself to launch the south-south NAWOCA crusade in Edo State is tantamount to a vote of confidence by Nigeria’s First Lady herself, as well as other First Ladies of the south-south zone, on our own Lady Ussieh Osunbor. And it is remarkable that Lady Ussieh Osunbor did not disappoint their expectations, as the grand success of that event attests to.
On the core aspect of the loudable objective of NAWOCA, Lady Ussieh Osunbor’s well researched position points the way to a more effective approach to the concerted efforts to fight the scourge of HIV/AIDS in the land. In addition to the requirement for constant repetition of relevant information, studies have shown that the involvement of traditional institutions is crucial to the realization of the over-riding objective of NAWOCA. As Lady Ussieh Osunbor puts it succinctly, “The vulnerability of our women to this scourge range from poor economic status to low level of literacy and religious/cultural inhibitions. These inhibitions prevent women from negotiating safe sex, therefore exposing them to higher risk of contracting this disease”. Truly, poverty as well as cultural inhibitions are some of the most important factors which very often lie at the root of our women’s acceptance of risky sex without demur. And against the backdrop of the reverence of the people for our cultural and traditional institutions, the involvement of the custodians of our cultural heritage in the propagation of awareness about HIV/AIDS translates to a stamp of authenticity on the NAWOCA message. Lady Ussieh Osunbor knows this very well; it would be recalled that long before the birth of NAWOCA, her first port of call in her renewed HIV/AIDS campaign was the palace of the highly revered Oba of Benin. I am fairly familiar with the steps that are being taken to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS; and I can confirm that a large number of the helms personnel of reputable local and international organizations are of the opinion that Lady Ussieh Osunbor’s approach holds out the real promise of realizing the objective of NAWOCA.
Her well thought out contributions to the question of women empowerment has also been commended by all. As in the crusade against the spread of HIV/AIDS, Lady Ussieh Osunbor’s arrows are well aimed at the root of women problems. Experience in the struggle for women empowerment over the years has shown that a properly focused social/cultural re-engineering process must be put in place in order to change entrenched beliefs about women, especially by women themselves. It cannot be over-emphasized that the woman’s own beliefs about her place in the society is important in bringing about the change; and this is so because outdated beliefs about her cannot just come about if the woman herself fails to change her own perception about herself. This is why many insist that information designed to encourage understanding and concern of man for womankind ought to be directed primarily at the woman. Certainly, if outdated beliefs about women must change, then women, individually and collectively, must be prepared to lead the way in order to bring about the desired change.
This is the point Lady Ussieh Osunbor has been concerned to stress. At every turn, she has never failed to encourage women to take more active interest in issues which affect women; Lady Ussieh Osunbor takes the opportunity of every occasion to teach that if the attitude of the society about women must change, then the woman should be prepared to pull herself up by the bootstraps to shake off those social and cultural inhibitions that have held her down since ages. Lady Ussieh Osunbor knows that education is vital to attaining the desired change; and that informs her emphasis on women education. And I think it stands to reason that the woman must be equipped with the training to enable her compete more favourably with the menfolk in all areas of human endeavours.
It has been only a year since Lady Ussieh Osunbor launched her social/cultural re-engineering process, and her message is catching on already. Many women are being encouraged by Lady Ussieh Osunbor’s example and precepts to brace up to the challenges of their individual and collective development; and all find in her confident carriage a reinforcement of their hope in the ability of the first family to re-enact the glory of old Bendel. We are all witnesses to the positive changes in all other areas that have attracted the attention of this tireless First Lady. As I said in an earlier essay, for example, the emphasis of government on the education and welfare of children owes a great deal to her inspiration. Also, the remarkable increase in the awareness of Edo people about a clean and congenial environment can be traced to her pioneering efforts. We can go on and on. I think it is heart-stirring to know that the seeds of change now being sown and watered by Lady Ussieh Osunbor will yield fruits.
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