Oluremi Tinubu: Great Mother, Ideal Representative
Meeting the former Lagos State first Lady, Chief (Mrs.) Oluremi Tinubu, OON, for the first time, gives one the picture of a beautiful woman and a dutiful mother and wife who spreads an umbrella of love and protection over the children and husband, our great leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. She is thus the mother hen who spreads her wings and feather of protection over family.
Certainly at 50, Mrs. Tinubu still radiates the beauty and warmth that made Asiwaju Tinubu fall in love with her decades ago and still very much in love with her as we his followers. However, beneath that beautiful structure lies: motherly care, intelligence and dogged determination not only to pursue what she believes in but also the burning desire to achieve her goal; factors that have distinguished her and thrust her among Nigeria’s most influential women.
I have had close encounters with Mrs. Tinubu which have given me the opportunity to really assess her and come to the conclusion that she is not only a dutiful and caring mother but also a go-getter who will put in all her God-given energy and talent to achieve a goal.
I want to narrate two events to buttress my point. I was part of the entourage to the University of Lagos for the graduation ceremony of a past runner up in the Spelling Bee competition which produces ‘One Day Governor’ in the state, Alex Paul Ezenogu, who graduated from the premier university in the country with a first class honour in Law. We were there overnight and we lodged in a hotel. The following morning the former First Lady in Lagos State had woken up as early as 6a.m. all dressed up for an event that was slated to begin by 10 a.m.
We were all surprised and we have no option than to follow suit and we were the first group of people to arrive at the venue even when organisers were still arranging the hall. She was there with us gisting and discussing. I was marveled at the level of her humility, sense of responsibility and rigid determination to excel.
The New Era Foundation (NEF), her pet project as a first lady, has entered into an exchange programme with the government of Finland. I have had the privilege of accompanying the NEF delegation to Finland on two occasions and I want to tell you that for the entire duration of our stay in Finland on the two occasions, the Yeye Asiwaju would call us every morning enquiring about our welfare. These are just personal experience of my interactions with the former first lady and there were more that have endeared her to many people my humble self inclusive.
Her marriage to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu also brought to fore the strong heart of the Yeye Aare of Ile Oluji. The dark days of the military proved a litmus test both psychologically and otherwise for the young Oluremi. Here was a woman who had been living a quiet life of imparting knowledge to young people all her life now being transformed into the wife of one of the most accomplished Senators in the country.
Not only that, her husband became a source of worry and headache for the ruling junta in the 90s due to his belief in justice, democracy and the rule of law. For a young bride, which Oluremi was then, it was in deed a test of her character. But she came out of the test in flying colours.
Displaying a sense of character she did not only supported her husband, she also stood by him like a rock of Gibraltar, went into exile with him and capped it all by cooking food for members of the pro-democracy group, NADECO Abroad, of which her husband was a prominent member.
The advent of democracy and the eventual emergence of her husband as the governor of the most populous, most important and most economically viable state in the country, Lagos, brought another side of the quintessential Oluremi Tinubu, that is, the administrative side.
Apart from giving the needed support to her husband from the home front, Oluremi realised that she needed to complement him in making Lagos the best governed state in the country through programmes that add value to the lives of people.
This gave birth to the establishment of the New Era Foundation (NEF), a pet project that has metamorphosed into a non-government organisation which is internationally recognised and praised.
Through NEF, the Spelling B competition among pupils of primary and secondary schools in the state was born. The winner of the secondary school category goes on to act as “One Day Governorâ€. Suffice to add that that NEF is still waxing strong as the only First Lady’s pet project in the country which survived the founder’s tenure in public office. I also have to add that past One Day governors have graduated from universities with good grades and the former first lady has been monitoring their development like the caring mother and wife she is. Suffice to add that she has also been providing jobs for ‘one day governor’ graduates as she also believes in teaching people how to fish even after giving them fish to eat.
Mrs. Tinubu was also instrumental to the establishment of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) which has been promoting the interest and welfare of women in the state through empowerment programmes, seminars and workshops.
Mrs. Tinubu is a motivational speaker, an attribute that has been recognised and affirmed internationally as she has been invited to speak on several issues across the globe.
It is a thing of joy to add that Mrs. Tinubu has been recognised both at home and abroad with several local and international awards as well as many chieftaincy titles. The latest of such recognition being the national honour of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) making her the first and only First lady, either former or serving, in the present political dispensation to be so honoured.
Therefore, do we need further proof that she is eminently qualified to represent us in the Senate? What I have done here is to show that Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu thoroughly deserves the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) ticket to run for the Senate representing the Lagos Central Senatorial District. She deserves it and she has earned it through dint of hardwork, strong character, intelligence and of course, being a role model.
•Alawiye-King, a Lagos lawmaker, writes in from Lagos
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