[OPINION]Osun First Lady: Using her privilege for the less-privileged

[OPINION]Osun First Lady: Using her privilege for the less-privileged

By Jimoh OLOREDE

Becoming a First Lady by virtue of a lady's position as wife of a governor in Nigeria is a rare privilege. The population of females in Osun, for instance, was close to two million as at 2006 Census. This must have increased by now. It's a rare privilege, which is a right or benefit that's given to someone and not to others, for any woman out of this number to be 'The First Lady' in the state.

If you also consider the fact that a First Lady is a wife to a governor, thus she may not necessarily be an indigene from her husband's state. This further narrows the chance of any of the two million females in Osun becoming the First Lady of the state. 

Obviously, the position of First Lady is a vantage of influence which automatically attracts affluence, power and even authority. What a First Lady in any of the Nigerian states does with this position directly or indirectly affects the lives of some people, especially women in that state. Some wives of governors in Nigeria have done nothing with that position while some others have done something reasonable with it. 

While some are only gallivanting all over the country, some others are busy ameliorating the sufferings of people, especially women, by using their privilege to help the less-privileged in their states. 

The First Lady of Osun State, Mrs. Kafayat Olaitan Oyetola, is an example of rare occupants of such highly influential and privileged position who does something meaningful with it. So, instead of gallivanting all around, the governor's wife has always been busy supporting the state government, championing the cause of children and women, and rehabilitating a few people with serious psychological and physiological challenges.

Being someone passionate about helping others, and with a view to supporting the efforts of the state government in her desire to empower women and children, the wife of the governor floated a Non-governmental Organization, Ilerioluwa Development Initiative (IDI) in 2019. Through this initiative, she has rekindled hope of many and alleviated their distress even with her sympathy.  

Just like her husband, Oyetola's wife doesn't believe in making noise about her achievements or counting on her laurels. Her influence transcends Osun, as she is also the Chairperson of the Southern Governors Wives' Forum (SGWF). She didn't make herself one; other wives of governors in the region unanimously elected her as their leader. 

The initiator of IDI is a renowned philanthropist for her passionate initiatives that promote children and women development. Through IDI, she has facilitated many succour for women folks. 

The governor's wife offers humanitarian services by providing economic interventions for women as well as as scholarships for some indigent children. She was also reported to have empowered over 500 women on agriculture with 1,000 day-old chicks, 1,000 cashew seedlings, 1,000 cocoa seedlings and over 200 bundles of cassava, among many other empowerments. 

Using her privilege for the less-privileged, Mrs. Oyetola always feels their pains, and for this, she champions their cause and advocates for their rights in society.

Since the inception of the present administration, Mrs. Oyetola has been a catalyst for policy reform that caters for the interest of women, especially in the area of gender equity and equality. The Governor's wife doesn't leverage on her privilege for personal aggrandizement; she rather uses it to represent the interest of women who do not have her kind of privilege in society. For instance, the credit for the unprecedented integration of women into the state's political and economic systems redounds to her. 

Using her privilege for the betterment of lives of the less-privileged and women in our society, she joined the international communities on March 8  during the International Women's Day celebration to "Break the Bias" against women. On this day, Osun government launched the state Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Policy meant to appropriate the talents of people irrespective of their gender with a view to boosting the development index of the state. 

Unlike some others, the Chair SGWF doesn't gallivant, but she's rather busy making gallant efforts against any form of unkindness and prejudice towards women, the vulnerable and the less-privileged. For instance, she was credited to have used her privilege to support the passage and implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law by the present administration. The law was made to prevent (prohibit) various forms of biases and attacks against women in the areas of health, socioeconomic engagements and political participation.

While I urge the Osun State Governor's wife to also use her privilege as the Chairperson of the Southern Governors Wives' Forum (SGWF) to extend her philanthropy to rural dwellers in the state and beyond (within the region), I would like to nudge other women in privileged positions, especially wives of governors in Nigeria to emulate Mrs. Kafayat Oyetola by initiating gallant moves that would help in ameliorating, alleviating and annihilating the hardship of the less-privileged in our society instead of gallivanting all over the country. 

Olorede, a University communication research scholar and public affairs analyst, writes in via oloredejimoh@gmail.com/08111841887.