Aisha S. Ibrahim Life in a state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.
This iconic theory was espoused by Thomas Hobbes, one of the founders of modern political philosophy in his seminal work, Leviathan. In this book he postulates what life would be like without government, a condition which he calls the “state of nature.†According to him, in that state, each person would have a right or license to do anything in the world. This, he argues, would lead to “war of all against all” (bellum omnium contra omnes).
Nigeria is a Federal Republic with executive powers given to the President by the people. It is therefore not in a state of nature as its government and its citizens are guided by the Constitution which is the supreme law of the land. The current Constitution was enacted on 29 May 1999, inaugurating the Fourth Republic of Nigeria. Since then, eminent scholars, political analysts, women’s groups and concerned individuals alike have continued to deliberate on the role of the wife of a president in a democratic dispensation and the role under various military regimes in Nigerian. The use of the title First Lady to describe the wife of an executive began in the United States of America. In the early days of the Republic, there was not a generally accepted title for the wife of the president.
Many early first ladies expressed their own preference for how they were addressed, including the use of such titles as “Lady,” “Mrs. President,”
and “Mrs. Presidentress.”
In Nigeria our attention has been perennially drawn, and in most cases poignantly so, to the constitutionality of the office of the first lady in Nigeria. Those who join in this public debate invariably point out that since the spouse of sitting presidents are neither elected officers nor officials of government there is no statutory budgetary allocation to their office; in fact, there is no provision in any law, whether the Constitution or Act of the National Assembly creating this office. I defer to this argument but I also subscribe to the law of humanness and humanity that we are our brother’s keeper.
If the prominence which the title of “first lady†enables the wife of the President help women, children and particularly those who fall within the underprivileged  margins of society, we must reflect how this eminent position can be utilized effectively, honestly and altruistically for the continued good of our people.
The position of the First Lady is not an elected one, that is not in dispute and it receives no salary; Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has described it as, “Mere spousal appendage of the head of a member state.†Nonetheless, this has not deterred the current occupant of the position from carrying out an indefatigable itinerary and focused pursuit of public spirited activities through her NGOs the A. Aruera Reachout Foundation and the Women for Change and Development Initiative.
The A.Aruera Reachout Foundation which was established in 2006 is an NGO that helps individuals to add value to their family income and contribute to the economy by offering training in vocation and skills acquisition The Foundation provides training irrespective of age, gender, ethnic group, religious or political affiliation. The beneficiaries of the programme undergo intensive training in vocational, managerial and marketing skills. At the end of the programme they are provided with equipment/starter packs and seed funds to enable them begin a business in the area of their specialty. On 26th  February, 2013 the Foundation graduated another 142 students. The Foundation has also built a female hostel for the St. Mary’s Orphanage Home at Gwagwalada, FCT and  sponsors and gives scholarship to bright but indigent students and orphans.
The A.Aruera Reachout Foundation helps to invest in grassroots communities by distributing farming and fishing implements like canoes, fishing nets, seedlings, hoes and machetes to farmers and fishermen, especially in the riverine areas of Nigeria.
Providing shelter for the aged and operating soup kitchens are other areas that the NGO has helped to give support to the needy while the medical unit of the Foundation undertakes the treatment of children with heart conditions at hospitals in Nigeria and at the Apollo Hospital in India where they undergo heart surgery. It also gives financial support to persons living with HIV/AIDS to supplement their feeding and purchase of relevant drugs while advocating for the non stigmatization of people living with HIV/AIDS.
The Women for Change and Development Initiative is a gender-focused movement for mobilizing women to take active interest in affirmative action. It supports women empowerment and gender equality. The movement also sensitizes women about their civic responsibilities and encourages them to take interest in the nation’s polity by properly preparing for and seeking elective offices. The role of the organization during the last national election is still fresh in our minds. Apart from mobilizing and supporting women to run for elective office and pressing for 35% slot for women in appointive positions which has seen women with key portfolios in the Federal Executive cabinet, the Organization on March 4, 2013, collaborated under a private public partnership (PPP) arrangement to provide 700 women with employment under the auspices of the Tree Planting, Landscaping and Beautification of Abuja Project.
The Constitution says that the First Lady has no official role, yet this has not deterred the wife of the President from giving succor to the underprivileged; from being a passionate advocate for the advancement of women and children’s issues. Her commitment to these causes is the reason she was on Friday March 15th 2013 recognized and conferred with the 2013 Distinguished African Women Leaders Award in Paris, France. Just before then, she received from President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire, the honour of Commander of the Order of the Nation.
It is my position that even though the Constitution gives the position of the First Lady no official recognition, the industry and selfless service of Dame Jonathan speaks volumes. I urge her to continue to be steadfast with her charitable works and maintain her unalloyed passion as a leading advocate for women’s issues, especially the 35% affirmative action.
Aisha S. Ibrahim, a public commentator sent this article from Lagos