I probably refused to be blown away by the poise and carriage of Cross River’s NEW First Lady at her husband’s inauguration because to do sowould be eyeing another man’s thing “three much”. But while Linda Ayade stands commended for being the true love of Ayade’s life, as he said in his inaugural speech as governor, I believe it will hurt her not if we begin to insist that in carrying out her ‘functions’ as First Lady, a few things must be done.
Sincerely, I am of the opinion that in all the years she remains on the saddle, she must constantly display visible elements of calmness that are not disguised in lies. I say so because of the road we have walked and the bitter acrimony, lies, a woman and the “two monkeys”(according to Donald Duke), SERMATECH and Lilleker, played in
robbing Cross River’s musketeers of their friendship and our state of her financial resources. She should quickly shut her doors on self serving acolytes who may prompt her into any grab and grab sessions because the grab pile has a hunchback memorabilia attached, which is boldly displayed and can be used against her when the day is over.
Because Linda as Ayade’s wife is significantly crucial to her hubby’s success as governor, in selecting a specific social cause or causes as her pet project, her choice(s) should be cut, sown and hemmed in truth. Where issue have been identified, her tackling posture should seek to promote a paradigm shift away from the problem, leaving our
society in the end with virile solutions and alternatives. Calabar is currently home to a litany of rapidly growing band of street kids christened “scolombo”. Some people say a recent half hearted effort is the watering hole for this menace.
I have heard and seen several women work at forming rings of worms around this our First Lady. It is not a sin to be her childhood friend nor is it a sacrilage to have known her before she even met Ayade. I quarrel not with the excitement exhibited now by even her neighbours who never use to answer her greetings; it is indeed a different time
now, I agree. But then, this First Lady must not be allowed to spend fruitful hours with sheepishly smiling women, visiting in droves and taking selfies. Frown we must if these women insist on turning Madam’s work periods into petty gossip, lipstick making and nail painting periods. Let us insist to her hearing that she can make better progress if she cultivates and is found in the company of articulate men and women who will help her demonstrate the importance of using the ‘office’ of First Lady as a leadership lens, an influential force in state politics and development, to complement the work her husband is doing. Indeed so many of these articulate men and women can be found from Bakassi to Obanliku; God knows, Cross River State can hardly afford idling on a rocking chair.
Instead of insist that this or that elective position be conceded to just any woman, this is the time to design and activate series of complex processes that should ideally throw up acceptable women with political value who will be sold to the electorate. The other era of imposition and tough talking whispers may never come upon us again and this is not just a prayer, it is done.
At several times and places, Nigerians have maintained that Patience Jonathan’s brand of politics worked against her husband’s re-election bid. Unfortunately for us in Cross River State, the “stone them” act in her crackling comedy of blunders took place in Ikom. Because she didn’t consult and seek her husband’s consent, she just ended up talking anyhow and throwing Jona’s votes out of the ballot box. Our First Lady must never play Goliath when only a Lilliputian effort is needed to drive home the point. Indeed if she talks less, she will hear more, work more and achieve more. She may make mistakes once or twice, but we cannot allow her to function, draped in a litany of costly mistakes with the capacity to expose her husband’s frailties.
Like they say in street parlance, “we have witnessed every”, as a people. “Witnessing every” simply means that we have seen all of the trappings accompanying any or all of the situations before us. Perhaps for explicit reasons and to cater to what guesses and imputations may threaten to arise, let me just say that after Gov. Ben Ayade’s inauguration of May 29, 2015, those who have followed all of the political twists and turns that culminated in that ceremony can
attempt to lay claim to having “seen every”. To believe so is but a befitting clutch at straws because all of what we have seen can bestbe described as the supporting film; the real show begins now.
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