THE TRUE HEROES
My Thoughts about Nigerian Women.
Ehm ehm ehm, Papa Osai cleared his throat as he took a bite of akami (bitter kola). He was on his way back from the towns' council where they had gone to discuss a disagreement with a neibouring community. His opinion was well sought as one of the leading voices in the community; a very respected man in his own right.
Papa Papa, Mama Ureh called; please today at the towns' council, did they discuss about peace? Shhhh, what does women know about peace.
O' Ngwa'la what about the plan for the masquerades festival, is it still fixed for the coming ekeh?
Woman be careful; women are forbidden from speaking about masquerades. He rebuked.
But I just wanted to know, so that I can take my children to safety. The last time, we were almost caught in the middle after you people returned from Iyhowa eriah pond (Women don't eat from it) she insisted
Enough, now you have bitten more than you can chew, how there you speak of a pond women are forbidden from eating its fish. Now go inside. Don't you know you are customarily forbidden from speaking these things. He commanded and continued his walk.
O' Ka'm je'h e'lesi nwa (Let me go and take care of my baby) she soliloquized.
Mama Ureh good afternoon, another neighbour greeted, afternoon she replied. You look terribly beaten as though you had a long night, what is the matter? The woman asked. My dear I was just trying to find out from my late husband's elder brother what was discussed at the towns' council today especially when the masquerade festival is coming up......
Shhhhhhh Twah, don't you know that you are a woman and these things are not our duty the neighbour harshly interrupted. But if they make war with the Kereigani people, we women would be the ones to suffer it. Our children would be killed, our farms burnt and our little daughters raped: so don't you think we should know what was discussed at the towns' council? Mama Ureh insisted. Ngwa'la leh si enyah. I never saw you today o'
This was how our society imposed cultural disabilities on women, yet many of them defied this indignity and inferiority to become icons, true heroes of our society in both ancient and modern times.
In Okirika, present day Rivers State, the war canoe family title was an exclusive right of a few men who had fought and conquered in battles as the name implied “War Canoe House” but one woman defied the order by redirecting the course of ancient history. The account of Tominaro as one of the most influential pre-historic women was first told in oral tradition across the coast of Bonny, Opobo, Andoni, and Kalabari. Her strength was epitomized by bringing Fimbesu, a feared god under her control.
Moremi of Ife, Emotan of Bennin and Omu-Okwel of Ossomiari were outstanding women in pre-colonial times. Moremi who later became princess and Emotan were great amazons who displayed tremendous bravery and strength in the politics of Ife and Bennin respectively, while Omu-Okwel dominated the commercial scene of Ossomiari.
The ancient city of Zaria was founded by a woman in the first half of the 16th century. The woman Queen Bakwa Turuku had a daughter named Amina who later succeeded her as queen. Queen Amina was a great, fearless and powerful warrior who displayed bravery and wisdom as evident in her ability to build a city wall around Zaria in order to protect the city from external invasion and consequently extended the boundaries of her territory beyond Bauchi while the people of Kano and katsina paid tributes to her.
Fatima Dikku was among the entourage of Wangarawa who arrived Kano during the reign of Muhammad Rimfa in 15th century circa she wan a reliable warrior while Ruqayya Fallatiya, wife of Muhammad Fodio Al Akbar authored the famous Alkarimuin. Another woman Yaqbal. Raliya also authored a book on epistemology drawing from her experience from the conquest of Yandoto by Muhammad Bello the Sultan, Raliya would later set up the Yandoto School to help provide Islamic education for women.
Nana Asma bint fodio followed as the most famous of all the pre-colonial northern women scholars. She published about 38 books in different disciplines and was the founder of the Yantaru School renowned for women and children education. Amina Bint Adeh was another woman who kept a high profile, she performed one of the most sacred functions which exalted her her social, political and spiritual status. She was the liaison officer to Usman Dan Fodio in the spiritual palace of Sidi Abdulqadir while Goggo Zaituna, an Islamist jurist born in present day Adamawa state during the time of Lamido Zubayr provided training programme to many Qadhis
.
These women prospered in tensely men dominated societies but their stories are hardly told. History would not eulogize them and their stories are fast sinking into oblivion. Fumilayo Ransom Kuti was the only woman in the delegation of the 1945 Pan African conference in Manchester England.
The post colonial administration in Nigeria only made few adjustments on the general treatment of women; the legal system inherited from the colonial administration placed difficulties on the way of women’s self advancement but with large movement of able bodied men to wage labour, women then took more critical role in traditional agriculture. This was further reinforced by the abrogation of colonial land ordinance that had placed strict conditions on land usage. Women took over a significant burden of food production in the country, contributing (50% to 70%) of the nation’s total food requirements but the situation in the public service remained unsatisfactory.
The adoption of universal adult suffrage in both the eastern and western region gave way for women participation in politics for the first time. Following this development, Mrs. Wuroala Esan from the then western region emerged as the first woman member of the Federal Parliament in the independence elections of 1960. Wuroala was an eloquent and vibrant woman who was elected on the platform of the Action Group (AG) and her outstanding contributions in a house dominated by men earned her the respect of members while so many other women looked up to her as a model and symbol of women veneration. She provided the larder for women like Margret Ekpo who won the 1961 elections to represent Aba Urban North constituency in the Eastern Nigeria House of Assembly under the platform of the National Council of Nigeria Citizens (NCNC). Other women members of the Eastern Nigeria House of Assembly included Mrs. Janet .N. Mokelu and Miss Ekpo. A. Young.
In the early 1960s, Alhaja Latifat Oknun of Lagos State and Mrs. Pamela Saduki of Kanuna State had been appointed Deputy Governors respectively while Chief (Mrs.) D. B.A Kliforji Olubi served as chairperson of United Bank for Africa (UBA); this was followed by Dr. Simi Johnson and Eniola Fadayomi who served respectively as chairpersons of Afribank International Nigeria and Allied Bank of Nigeria Plc.
There return of democracy was graced with H.E Virgie Etiebe who was Deputy Governor to H.E Chris Ngige in Anambara State. There was Dora Akumyeli whose name is synonymous with war on "FAKE" in Nigeria. Her Lordship Aloma Miriam Muktar became first female CJN in the country just as Daziani Allison Madueke was the first female manager in Shell.She would later become minster for petroleum.
It doesn't matter how you appreciated her command of English, Patience Jonathan was the strong will behind her husband. She is bold and elegant just like Caroline whom Napoleon declared "If I had lost in the 18th Broomeare, she would not have abandoned me". From the silence of the other room, Aisha Buhari is another woman of uncommon character who seem to have encouraged dissenting opinions about her husband. She has found a way to communicate her mind like Donald Trump.
Dame Judith Amaechi and Justice Suzette Eberech Wike are two distinct women who have to cope with what many mwn struggle with. While the lion of Niger Delta and the Tiger roar, these women provides the soothing calmness that we don't see. A little twist from them could ruin the fortunes of the approvals you are probably expecting.
Let me tell you of Margaret (Argie) Wokocha, a woman who made sure that at least a dose of medication was served to anyone who complained of headache. Her son Late Dr. Sunny Wokocha would send some medications with prescriptions and she would dutifully render service. Chioma Wokocha a multi talented beautiful woman bore close resemblance to this woman.....
The list is endless; we must tell the stories of these women. They are the song writers and the DJs who don't get a mention in the lyrics or seen on the music videos yet they kept writing. Afeni Shakur would have been dismissed but for "Dear Mana" These are my thoughts from this new book "THE TRUE HEROES" and if you think your mother, sister or wife is worth a mention in my book please kindly send her details/brief to ezila4lfc@gmail.com and we will tell her story. The book will receive a graceful foreword from H.E Aisha Buhari
Share as much as you can lets get to tell the story of those behind the beats..
I am waiting..