Mairo Al-Makura: First Ladies Deserve Constitutional Roles

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Special Assistant to the President on African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM), Dr. Mairo Al-Makura, has called for specified legal roles for the Office of the First Lady particularly in Nigeria and Africa at large.

She said such roles would promote continuity, accountability, and streamlining of development initiatives, noting that the current scenario where every First Lady came with her own programmes, which often disappeared at the expiration of the husband’s tenure was a major setback to national development.

Al-Makura, a former First Lady of Nasarawa State, made the call at the national summit on “Emerging Trends in the Role of First Ladies in National Development” held at the Conference Hall of the State House, Abuja
She said: “Over time, the Office of the First Lady in Nigeria and indeed Africa has been a subject of debate and even controversy as to their essence and roles given that Africa is a largely patriarchal society and that the Office of the First Lady is neither elected nor stated in the constitution, but only established by conventions emulated from more advanced democracies.

“However, given our realities and the enormous developmental challenges facing Nigeria and the rest of Africa, I make bold to state that we cannot afford armchair First Ladies at any level. We must instead strive to give more meaning to the Office of the First Lady if we want them to play greater roles in national development.
“Therefore, there is need to streamline, elevate, and institutionalise the Office and interventions of the First Ladies at all levels”.

According to heritage, it would not be out of place to accord the Office of the First Lady a constitutional mention and enacting a consequential Act of Parliament to that effect to accord it the much talked about legal status.

“This will also promote accountability and address the present situation where every First Lady comes with her programmes, which are not usually sustained with the same momentum after leaving office.”
Citing the United States as an example, Al-Makura said developed democracies were increasingly recognising the First Lady as a great source of positive influence for good governance and development if well harnessed.

“Mrs. Clinton played key roles as the First Lady of the United States. She was even appointed by Bill Clinton in 1993 to chair the Task Force on National Health Care Reform. She spearheaded advocacies for expanding health insurance coverage, promoting proper child immunisation, and raising public awareness of health issues. She later became the first ever US First Lady to be elected into the Senate and narrowly lost the bid to become the first female president of the United States.

“Eleanor Roosevelt strongly fought for the New Deal, civil rights, and rights of women. She later played a leading role in the formation of the United Nations at the end of World War II and helped to draft the ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’.

“Rosalynn Carter even sat in on many Cabinet meetings with Jimmy Carter as a close adviser. Betty Ford actively advocated the Equal Rights Amendment and the legalization.

“It is therefore heartwarming that from the late Mrs. Maryam Babangiaga, who redefined the role of First Ladies in national development through the Better Life for Rural Women Programme initiative to Mrs. Maryam Abacha’s Family Support Programme, Justice Fati Abubakar’s Women Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), Mrs. Stella Obasanjo’s Child Care Trust, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua’s International Cancer Centre initiative, Dame Patience Jonathan’s Women for Change Initiative, and and Her Excellency Mrs. Aisha Buhari’s Future Assured initiative, which is energetically championing the wellbeing of women, children, and adolescents, our First Ladies at all levels have continued to put their best foot forward, introducing programmes that touch the lives of our people,”said Mairo Al-Makura.