Change is Inevitable: What We Need Is An Obamalina

By Bola Babs
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
bola@nigeriahorizon.com
November 2008

What does having a black president mean to me as a United States’ Democratic Party supporter? It simply means anything is possible.  Therefore, when I start spending trillions of naira for my election campaign and getting the word out there, “Vote Bola for President,” it wouldn’t be too much of a shock.  In other words, both men and women, young and old will now embrace a radical change in favor of a female president to run Nigeria.  In this scenario, race will definitely not be an issue since Nigerians are ‘colorless’ anyway.  What about tribalism?  We will scrap that for now for the focus of this discussion.  I do not want to be here all day, neither do you! 

I recall a dialogue with some friends of mine few months before the United States elections on how Nigeria would benefit substantially if the barriers created by the thick walls of the male hierarchy in governments at all levels is broken down.  I proposed that more women be given the opportunity to contest for presidential election.  Of course, the immediate responses I got were from my male counterparts and the outbursts were fits of laughter.  Was I surprised at their reaction? No.  But I was disappointed to hear the persistence of unpalatable remarks in the twenty-first century, such as: “You ladies need us to take care of you; this is why we (i.e. Men) are here.”  And I am thinking, “What makes you think I can’t take care of me?” 

The next response came from my editor, “I’ll support you Bola, but we still need your caring side”. Now, I was puzzled.  “Is a woman less of a woman the moment she decides to run for office?”  The other most shocking revelations of all time for me was the next comment, “Ninety- nine percent of the women sleep their way to the top in Nigeria, so why on earth should we allow them into power?” I was flabbergasted, “I beg your pardon, but that is downright outrageous!” Now they obviously had me where they wanted me - fuming! Hence, the umbrellas of the emotional entanglement, in which menhave a consensus “that our emotions do not make us strong enough for leadership roles”.  So what? It is called hormones.  After all, we are two opposite sexes, but should that underestimate my accomplishments as a woman?

Why am I saying all of these? Generally, the notion of change can only begin to take place when we as a people start to embrace the possibilities and the likelihood of change.  The typical male responses as outlined above explain why in the history of Nigeria, there may never be a female president, i.e. if women do not begin to break down the barriers of a male dominated society that alienates them from leadership roles.  How many women have you seen in the house of senate or if at all, how many have you witnessed running for presidential election?  Most often the small fraction of women present at leadership forums are portrayed like ‘decors’ for home-fashion sense.  They are subjected to invisible and voiceless roles.  Must I always be your social secretary? Better still, must I always be the personal assistant to the director?  So also, must I always be the treasurer for your leadership forum? Must my director be (another McCain wannabe’) or better still, must I always be the personal assistant to the Minister even when I would prefer to be the Minister? All great if it is a woman’s personal choice, but how far we want to go should not be limited due to the norms of a of a patriarchal society. 

It is time for a change, a positive change where a woman can be the next Head of State.  What a man has failed to do, surely a woman can do better!  There are extremely intelligent and overly capable women out there in Nigeria who have succumbed to background extra work when they have all it takes to be frontline and center with their great ideas and compassion to make the country turn around for the best and sole benefits for its own people.  Though, a woman’s place may no longer be caged in the kitchen, the stigma still persists in our modern day society, judging from responses as outlined above.  Like everything else, change is inevitable, but may very well be alienated in Nigeria when focusing on women in top leadership roles i.e. if we do not begin to act on the ‘talk we talk’ and the ‘walk we walk’.

When considering the benefits and the possibility of women in leadership roles, we must recall the role of Nigeria’s respected first female finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former World Bank Vice President and a graduate form Harvard, with a PhD to her credits.  She was one of the architects of the country’s settling of almost all of its foreign debts. She is also one of the most admired leaders within the country.  She is a woman who is selfless, hardworking and dedicated.  Yet, she is also a wife and mother who is female senior member of government to be seen in public neither heavily bejeweled in precious stones nor wearing outfits made of the most ridiculously expensive fabrics.  Yet, she has made high fashion out of her simple, yet tasteful appearance.  Indeed, she is a special breed of a Nigerian woman.  Similarly, Michelle Obama, our historic first black lady in the history of the most powerful country in the world held a solid gold resume.  She held a distinguished role as Vice-President of Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals.  Yet, she is a wife and mother and might I add still has got her ‘best foot forward’ with a solid fashion sense and figure to go with it! 

Women especially the young women and the young at heart need to come out in the majority to run for presidential election and most importantly supporting and embracing one another in other to enable the changes that we all aspire as a nation.  Least we forget almost 95% of young people voted for Obama’s regime because they desire a change.  It is not enough that we are all gleefully celebrating Obama, who is only representing change in his time for his people in a once racially-charged setting.  For us in Nigeria, it is quite different, so we must petition differently – we need an Obamalina, a female president in our midst. Then it is YES WE CAN!

www.bbsblvd.blogspot.com
www.bola2008.wordpress.com

Other articles by Bola Babs

The Birth of Body & Soul
When Beauty Says..
BET
The Term is 'Make-up' not 'Mask up'
Women and Attitude
Almost Summer
Strength of a Woman
Women and the Women in their Lives