There is no constitutional role officially attached to a governor’s wife or a governor’s husband in Nigeria. In fact, the country’s current constitution does not mention or give any kind of recognition to that ceremonial occupation. Suffice it to mean that a governor’s wife or husband has no conspicuous, constitutionally-backed business with political administration of their spouses. Though there have been hisses from most women to what they perceive as conscious relegation of an office that should have ordinarily added more vigour and broadened administrative vision of governance, constitutional lawyers and political economists have a more dissenting opinion. To them, governance is already a complex, resource-consuming enterprise. Further recognition of or inconsiderate attachments to it, as the legality of a governor’s wife or husband’s office, is otiose and excessive.
However, in a predominantly patriarchal political society as Nigeria, some governors’ wives have found a way to add positive effects to governance, by creating an independent human-interest vision unaided by any political strings, and using such avenues to add subtle verve to their husbands’ government. This is contextually referred to as soft governance. The idea is that political administration is one of the broadest fields of human practice. Government could be hooked up with varying complex policies that it becomes subconscious of some soft issues that affect the tiniest society, like gender orientation, child advocacy and hygiene. These are soft issues of governance. Most of these social campaigns remain unattended to, not because of political indecisions or lack of will, but mainly as a result of absence of a third eye.
There are a litany of testimonials by most successful global political leaders attributing their breakthrough policies to their wives’ wise counsel. The bottom line is that aside the constitutional limitations to occupying an office, a governor’s wife still shares maximally in the success or failure of her husband’s administration. The current regime in Anambra State is not unmindful of the logics laid out above.
Mrs Nonye Soludo, wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, also understands the constitutional imprints and is, herself, a successful student of austerity and economic discipline. Repeatedly, the governor’s wife, like her husband, has made known of her strong disinterest in politics of flamboyance, and insisted that her major duty is to family.
But the governor’s wife has also opened up to giving every spousal support to her husband in his quest to revive the tendrils and cotyledons of Anambra State. Prayers and intelligent counsels included, Mrs Nonye Soludo proposes an effect on some issues that may require her maternal touch. As a long-time celebrated advocate of hygiene and healthy living, the governor’s wife is committed to bringing a global knowledge in the face of elusive hygiene practice among women and girls. To her, poor hygiene practice, among women and children, especially girls, could also be tackled through the right education, sensitization and social provisions. In support of her husband’s ‘Clean and Green’ initiative, Mrs Soludo looks to add motherly energy to the social campaign bearing in mind related dictates of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.
With a notable experience in child advocacy, the governor’s wife hopes to expand the scope of her vision to bring practical response to many societal problems faced by children, including sexual abuse, gender preferences, domestic violence against minors and child labour. She also wants to drive the goal for equal and unconditional education for all genders. With the right collaboration with the Anambra State Ministry of Social Welfare and Women Development, the governor’s wife aims to act as a valid support for the right cause.
Taking from her assertion that ‘we represent what we eat’, Mrs Nonye Soludo is preaching nutritional consciousness, given that a greater percentage of what we consume defines our health. Her indepth knowledge of nutrition and passion for healthy lifestyle, aided by regular exercise, originate from her desire to take the lead in perfect health philosophy. She has institutionalized this campaign, and has constantly taken everyone, mostly women on the route to quality health lifestyle. This practical health philosophy also falls within the ambit of her soft vision, especially at a time when global health statistics does not favour infant and maternal health in Sub-saharan Africa. The truth is that unlike many before her, Mrs Nonye Soludo is reinventing a unique kind of ideals. Partnering Anambra Government For Clean Anambra.
Written by DANIEL EZEIGWE/
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