Dr.
Bukola Williams
I am really determined not to say much about
this issue, but should I go above the presumed “not to say much”, then I have
to be pardoned as a first offender. Let me begin by first vindicating myself of
any indicting assumption by my readers with regards to my perceived view of the
personality of Dr. (Mrs.) Patience Jonathan…understandably she bagged an
honourary doctorate degree lately, so no case using the “DR” as a prefix.
I have never appraised
the manner at which her grammatical tendencies have been x-rayed with accompanying
personality assassination by all and sundry. Infact, for many of those who have
made themselves English examiners and are self-employed to be on the lookout
for loopholes in Mrs. Patience’s expressions, many would ordinarily not pass O’level
English Language. I do not support the antagonistic approach Nigerians have
resorted to which they explore by the label that she is not intelligent. Yes,
she flaws and that repeatedly, but I do not encourage that be turned into a heap
of insults on her; I neither do it, nor promote it.
Now, it sounds like Mrs.
Patience Jonathan has packaged and sent me some hard German currencies to join Mr.
Reuben Abiati, Minister Maku and co in appraising her. Impossicant! I am just
being me. I have never been a particular fan of hers or her husband, but that
is purely political and nothing beyond that. It will therefore be erroneous and
“ungodly” for me to play politics beyond political boundaries where conscience
dwells.
“Where is Mrs.
Jonathan?” This is the latest lyric on the lips of the ever-conscious but truly
less-bothered Nigerian as long as he gets something into his stomach. Then, after
he must have been able to sort out dinner for his family and then sit in front
of his two-decade old television, the lyrics replay again-“Where is Mrs.
Jonathan?” This is equally the new release by the opposition of the PDP and
other PDP Judas Iscariots, and this coming after they have finished dividing
their latest shares of the proceeds that have fallen from the master’s table;
Goodluck Jonathan himself. To the opposition, it is a renewed vigour to “fight”
the president and also thrive on political mind-games. To them, when GEJ
coughs, it is because he is “clueless” (like they say), and when Patience falls
ill like every human, it is also because her husband is “clueless”. That is
Nigeria and Nigerians for you. But truly, the big question is this; why has the
presidency delayed hitherto in coming out to tell us officially the health
status of the First Lady? Let us briefly examine some elements.
Firstly, as I write, I
do not think there is a constitutionally recognized “place” for the First Lady
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Perhaps, I do not know the law well enough,
but I also do not think so. However, antecedents have shown successive First
Ladies jostling for honour and winding authority on the premise of an office
that perhaps does not exist. Some First ladies were indicted to have been more
powerful than their husbands, commanding dictatorship influence, amassing
manifold wealth and building “cabal-mocracy” dynasties; Turai Yar;adua was one
of them.
The influence that the
First Lady builds around her makes her run (un)official errands, simply put,
assignments that we do not send them, and these they do with public funds. This
is the catch! If a First Lady runs her assignments and (personal) interests
with “our” money in the name of national assignments, then are we justified if
we ask to know how far and how well our money is doing. If she stops doing the
work we initially did not send her to do, then we should know why. This is the
tactful lifeline of the opposition, and needless to say I concur absolutely. And
this is where GEJ and his retinue of media “experts” are faltering. Ordinarily,
who would know whether the First Lady is sick or not if she had no “unfinished”
business in the limelight? I honestly do not know the names of the wife of the
Prime Minister of England, and those of the Presidents of some other top
countries that Nigeria is attempting to measure up with; they certainly will
not waste public funds on “nonsense” projects like we do. Most of these
projects end up enriching themselves and the like-minded looters around them.
Coming back to the
whereabouts of Mrs. Jonathan; it is not new or rather news that the media has
not helped issues. I read a story by a media outfit that reported that Mrs.
Jonathan was operated for Uterine Fibroid which according to them was becoming
cancerous. While many could allude that to trying to spice up the story because
the popular belief and teaching is that Fibroids are benign tumours and not
cancerous and do not progress to cancer, it is very important to also know
that, although the above holds sway, however, studies have indicated that one
out of every 1, 000 women admitted to the hospital for Fibroid surgery have a
leiomyosarcoma, an extremely rare form of malignant tumour of the uterine
muscle. And although the average age for the development of leiomyosarcoma is
58-years-old, under some extremely rare circumstances this form of uterine
cancer may also develop in young women. I speak as one trained to know this. So,
while we pray and reject this rarity for our “beloved” Mrs. Jonathan, the
hitherto silence of the President has not helped some of her well-wishers. And
this silence could just be the needed fuel for his political enemies to get
energized and continue to give him sleepless nights. The opposition is already
exploring this like I stated, and then the President, Presidency and their
media aides are not getting it right at all on how to manage this publicity.
As speculations emerge
about the well-being of Mrs. First lady, and as GEJ and his media aides seek
appropriate channels to deal with the confronting and conflicting political
interests, I personally do think that Dr. Jonathan can learn from the negative
history just behind him and do what is expected and that on time; tell
Nigerians the state of health of the Nigerian First Lady, as she is no more his
personal property. This is what the jostle for recognition does to all and he
must accept this and move on to other pressing issues of national interests.
And finally, it is the
responsibility of us as Nigerians to pray for the first lady. But, I must not
fail to add that, I personally think something definitely has to be done about
this “exalted” seat of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; it
will save us from the potential risk of getting choked by future noisy dusts
raised the “lovers and haters” of the Lady herself.
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