Turai Yar'adua and the First Ladies club
By Reuben Abati

THE wife of President Umaru Yar'Adua, Hajia Turai Yar'Adua has so far been a quiet figure in the corridors of power. There have been reports before now, about the First Lady travelling abroad with delegations of government officials. Former Minister of Health, Adenike Grange, now sadly a guest of the EFCC, was said to have been part of her delegation abroad in March only to return and run into a storm which swept her out of office. Before then, we had heard about the First Lady during the wedding of her daughter, Zainab to the Governor of Kebbi State, Usman Dakingari.

In September 2007, she was the guest of honour at the commissioning of a Braille Centre in Akure, Ondo State, built by the Handicapped Education Foundation (HANDEF), a non-governmental organisation founded by Mrs. Olufunke Agagu, the First Lady of Ondo State. In February 2008, she attended the African First Ladies Meeting in Addis Ababa. In March, she gave a terse but useful speech on International Women's Day. On March 24, she travelled to the United States for a Cancer-related event. Because of her quiet mien, the question had been variously asked: What manner of First Lady would Turai Yar'Adua be? But now, it looks like Yar'Adua's First Lady is about to step out of the shadows and hit the limelight with whatever force is available to her position, if not office. Why do I say this?

May I draw attention to a seemingly innocent but instructive incident which took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday, April 9. Mrs Yar'Adua had invited to the Villa for a Consultative meeting, all former First Ladies. At the meeting, she was said to have solicited the support of her predecessors-in-office, for the fight against the problem of child and maternal mortality in the country, and her position as the Chairperson of the African First Ladies Peace Mission. Out of the 12 women that had preceded her in that position, seven were in attendance: Chief Margaret Shonekan, Hajia Mariam Abacha, Hajia Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Mrs. Ngozi Aguiyi-Ironsi, Prof. Uche Azikiwe, Mrs. Victoria Gowon and Dr. Ajoke Murtala Mohammed.

Conspicuously missing was Mrs. Maryam Babangida and Justice Fati Abubakar. Former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari did not have a First Lady playing a major role in the public arena. Same with former President Shehu Shagari. Mrs. Stella Obasanjo is of blessed memory. What makes the meeting remarkable is that this was not a private meeting, but a public meeting with a photo session. The Vanguard on April 10, published a group photograph of what looks like a First Ladies Club on its front page.

Mrs. Turai Yar'Adua is not new to the office of First Lady. For eight years, she served in that capacity in Katsina State when her husband was Governor of Katsina State. Those who are close to her or who have been privileged to watch her closely have remarked that behind the quiet mien, and the shawl that has become a near-permanent feature of her sartorial make-up is a sharp and informed mind. A product of Garama Primary School, Katsina, Government Secondary School, Kankia and the Katsina College of Arts, Science and Technology Zaria, Mrs. Yar'Adua obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Education, in 1983 from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. She got married to President Umaru Yar'Adua in 1975 and the marriage is blessed with seven children - 5 girls and 2 boys. In Mrs. Yar'Adua, we can presume that we are dealing not with a beautiful face dressed up in frippery and surrounded by power but a lady who has seen much and probably knows a lot.

In August 2007, Mrs. Yar'Adua had taken a bold step by organising a two-day workshop for governors' wives and the wives of the principal officers of the National Assembly on ethics and decorum. In November, she also hosted the spouses of foreign ambassadors in Nigeria. At this particular occasion, she drew attention to her intended pet project, Women and Youths Empowerment Foundation (WAYEF). It would appear through her catalogue of activities that Mrs. Yar'adua has been feeling her way around the office, but just before she launches WAYEF publicly and begins to consult the members of the Association of First Ladies of Nigeria, a few words of advice may be necessary.

Mrs. Turai Yar'Adua should tread carefully and avoid the pitfall of scandals. Nowhere in the 1999 Constitution is a public role prescribed for the wives of public officials, but it is widely accepted that women in this privileged position can play a supportive role to their husbands. What has happened however, in Nigeria is that the position of First Lady is one of the most abused privileges in recent history. It has been the fashion since Mrs. Maryam Babangida's Better Life for Rural Women and Mrs. Maryam Abacha's Family Support Project for every First Lady to introduce a pet project, all under the excuse of supporting the government led by their spouses to deliver good governance. The standard practice is to choose a narrow theme and task and then build this up into a vast bureaucracy.

It became so bastardised that every wife of a State Governor and wives of Local Government Chairmen also announced pet projects. These were in reality, wasteful ventures, and special purpose vehicles for defrauding the state. Public funds were illegally invested in activities initiated by these alternative structures. The First Ladies' projects often received better funding than statutory agencies of government. And most of these women became shameless power-brokers, holding court alongside their husbands, and of course, sycophants in the corridors of power knew that the best way to gain access was to be in the good books of the First Lady.

Invariably, every project led by a First Lady organised a public launching where money would be raised and donations were received. At such events, public funds were recklessly donated to the First Lady. One First Lady was said to have advised that all cheques should be written in her name! Equally worrisome was the life-style of the First Ladies. They travelled, even within the state, in siren-bearing convoys, chasing other Nigerians off the streets; of course they used government vehicles and were provided with as much security as the President or the Governor. Traditionally, they are addressed as "Your Excellency", and at state functions, they are ranked in the order of protocol, as if they were the military administrator or the elected Governor or President.

So loud, so embarrassing was the First Lady phenomenon that when President Olusegun Obasanjo assumed office in 1999, he had promised that there would be no office of First Lady. But Mrs. Stella Obasanjo soon asserted herself, and confronted Nigerians with a First Ladyship that was exceeded in glamour only by the legendary example of Mrs. Maryam Babangida and in the exercise of authority, perhaps by Mrs. Maryam Abacha. Mrs. Obasanjo soon launched her own pet project, the Child Trust Fund but let us not speak ill of the dead.

I admit that there have been instances when a First Lady could really exude dignity and restraint, and when a pet project by a First Lady could add value. Out of the seven former First Ladies that honoured Mrs. Yar'Adua's invitation, six will pass the first leg of this test - Chief Margaret Shonekan, Hajia Tafawa Balewa, Mrs. Aguiyi-Ironsi, Prof. Uche Azikiwe (was she really Zik's First Lady?), Mrs. Victoria Gowon and Mrs. Ajoke Mohammed. But what kind of advice can Mrs. Maryam Abacha possibly give Mrs. Yar'Adua? In terms of projects, I recall with satisfaction and without meaning to be partial, Mrs. Eki Igbinedion's campaign against prostitution and child trafficking as First Lady of Edo State (1999-2007), Mrs. Remi Tinubu's New Era Foundation in Lagos State during the same period, and Mrs. Titi Abubakar's Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF). Eki Igbinedion even wrote personal essays in the press to push her arguments. Mrs. Tinubu was passion personified and her New Era Foundation was truly a productive and useful initiative. Mrs. Titi Abubakar, although "a Second Lady" in the Presidency, made much impact with WOTCLEF. It is up to Mrs. Yar'Adua to decide the kind of First Lady she wants to be.

She has a choice between the power-mongering, Presidential jet-flying, tummy tucking crowd, and the urbane, dignified and supportive wife who is conscious of the limits of power. She has chosen to focus on maternal and infant mortality. This is a useful area of intervention. Nigeria has one of the highest rates of maternal morbidity, maternal mortality and pre-natal mortality in the world, a reflection of the prostrate state of our health sector and the constriction, by poverty and official incompetence, of access to quality and affordable healthcare. What we face in the health sector, as in other aspects of national life, is an emergency of clearly tragic proportions. Mrs. Yar'Adua can do a lot, in the area of advocacy for government intervention and the enlightenment of mothers and communities about the risks of maternal morbidity and infant mortality, and how to prevent needless deaths. At the moment, infant mortality in Nigeria is about 95.52 deaths per 1,000 live births; maternal mortality is 15,000 per 100,000 births annually.

Mrs. Turai Yar'Adua must resist the temptation to transform from a quiet First Lady, to a loud, unnecessarily self-assertive, closet politician. She must watch the company she keeps and the counsel she accepts. Now that she has announced to the whole world that she is seeking support, it would not just be the former First Ladies who would be forthcoming with advice, she can also expect a crowd of professional consultants providing ideas and pushing proposals on "How she can be the best First Lady in Nigerian History', or "How her Pet Project can raise funds". Too many people would love to be seen around her, or to be seen to be in her good books and soon, some hacks will offer to do her biography. Whatever happens, she should not accept donations or monetary gifts from government agencies. There must be no public launching of her pet project, no travels in the Presidential jet either except when she is in the company of her husband. Mrs. Yar'Adua should not seek government contracts, or act as facilitator for contractors. Other First Ladies, including her own colleagues between 1999 and 2007 were government contractors on the side. One First Lady took the catering and furniture contract during the 8th All African Games and messed it up!

And let her keep an eye on her children, please. Presidential sons and daughters have given us more than enough trouble in this land! And Madam, please stop travelling around with government officials. President Yar'Adua has promised Nigerians a prudent and responsible government. Mrs. Yar'Adua must be seen to be toeing the same path. She can be sure that Nigerians, ever so sensitive about the First Lady syndrome, will be watching every step she takes.

Robot  # 1 | 11.04.2008 08:42

Mrs. Turai Yar'Adua should tread carefully and avoid the pitfall of scandals. Nowhere in the 19...Read the full article.

DaBishop  # 2 | 11.04.2008 10:08

Mrs. Turai Yar'Adua must resist the temptation to transform from a quiet First Lady, to a loud, unnecessarily self-assertive, closet politician. She must watch the company she keeps and the counsel she accepts. Now that she has announced to the whole world that she is seeking support, it would not just be the former First Ladies who would be forthcoming with advice, she can also expect a crowd of professional consultants providing ideas and pushing proposals on "How she can be the best First Lady in Nigerian History', or "How her Pet Project can raise funds". Too many people would love to be seen around her, or to be seen to be in her good books and soon, some hacks will offer to do her biography. Whatever happens, she should not accept donations or monetary gifts from government agencies. There must be no public launching of her pet project, no travels in the Presidential jet either except when she is in the company of her husband. Mrs. Yar'Adua should not seek government contracts, or act as facilitator for contractors. Other First Ladies, including her own colleagues between 1999 and 2007 were government contractors on the side. One First Lady took the catering and furniture contract during the 8th All African Games and messed it up! Good advise to the first lady... There are proper ways to do things: 1. She may also launch a non-profit foundation for her pet projects and keep it alive past her husband's term with vision, programs, structures and funds. 2. Have staff and offices for the foundation with a budget and objectives...but must resist abuse since whatever she does is likely to be copied at the states level. 3. Yes she can raise monies outside government to achieve whatever... 4. If she does well and is deligent, she may be a necessary adjunct to civic organizations and government. That persons in the past abused it does not mean she cannot or should not try to be useful...learning from their past mistakes/abuse ... someone had a propossal for Issue Based Electoral Education for the last elections in Nigeria before the US Institute of Peace, before we knew it, the Yobe First Lady (she was better qualified because of her nexus to policy) was in the room to carry other First Ladies along...of course, they have better reach...and can do it better if they have the mind to do so! She needs good advise like above. I hope that she takes Abati's advise.

ILN TOO  # 3 | 11.04.2008 10:08

Dr Abati, The first lady charade must stop. None of the projects embarked upon by the former first ladies made any difference to the lives of the long suffering people of Nigeria. i don't see why Mrs Yar Adua's project will be any different. If the Yar Adua government is really serious, then combating preventable maternal and infant mortality should be on thing that is high on the agenda. With more than 1 in 10 of pregnant women dying of preventable diseases, it is only an irresponsible government that will fail to adequately address the problem. Mrs Yar Adua has neither the resource nor the competence to seriously tackle the problem.

Kurunmi  # 4 | 11.04.2008 12:04

These organisations are government owned non government organisations.They are illegal.They are dubiously opportunistic.They should not be.

Afeni  # 5 | 11.04.2008 12:33

Turai Yar'adua has problems. She invited Mariam Abacha to Aso Rock and they were both smiling in pictures. Instead of her to shun the stupid Abacha, or even question her on why she is refusing to return the billions her husband stole. Until Nigeria is ready to hold people accountable for bad behavior, nothing will change. Honestly, the more I hear about news from Nigeria, the more I want a coup. Hopefully, some honest soldiers will storm Aso Rock and slaughter Turai, Umaru, and Mariam Abacha. :mad: Its a pity votes don't count in Nigeria. If it did, all public officials will be clamoring for the prosecution and subsequent execution of the Abachas, Babangidas, Danguma's, Obasanjo and the likes of David Mark.

datuouwadaberechi  # 6 | 11.04.2008 12:37

QUOTE:The first lady charade must stop. None of the projects embarked upon by the former first ladies made any difference to the lives of the long suffering people of Nigeria. i don't see why Mrs Yar Adua's project will be any different. If the Yar Adua government is really serious, then combating preventable maternal and infant mortality should be on thing that is high on the agenda. With more than 1 in 10 of pregnant women dying of preventable diseases, it is only an irresponsible government that will fail to adequately address the problem. Mrs Yar Adua has neither the resource nor the competence to seriously tackle the problem.END QUOTE Iln Too, thanks for yours , which i agree with, totally. especially with the first and last paragraphs highlighted.

aguabata  # 7 | 11.04.2008 13:41

why should reuben Abati who obviously knows better try to condone the first lady phenomenon in Nigeria, I get disappointed when people like Abati do not display zero tolerance for all spurious ploys to weild power, there is an allegation that Turai yaradua got his brother to be the MD for port harcourt refinery, Abati should send his boys to investigate and confirm or denounce the allegation, he is not there to advice politicians, he is there to put politicians on their toes.

philipikita  # 8 | 11.04.2008 13:51

=Kurunmi;4295004112>These organisations are government owned non government organisations.They are illegal.They are dubiously opportunistic.They should not be. Yes Kurunmi, These kind of NGOs are called GONGOs (government non-governmental organizations). The exist in most of the 3rd world. Truth is that NGOs are small adjuncts, NGOs may complement what government does, in very small ways. NGOs are never known to bring massive development or progress anywhere or at anytime in history. Only states/governments do. So, Turai's NGO will not, never reduce child and maternal mortality in Nigeria (QUOTE ME ON THIS). The federal and/or 36 states ministries of health (and perhaps 774 local government health departments) can, if they get serious. However, Turai's NGO, if it's smart, can work with a few governments (Not ALL) to create models that can be replicated. But, I suspect she would not try to create a model, she will as usual, start on a wide scale, in all 36 states. And everything will be unwieldy and nothing will be solved.

Rastafida  # 9 | 11.04.2008 15:55

Turai Yar'adua Seen As the New Andy Uba Saharareporters, New York Turai Yar’adua, first wife of current usurper of Aso Rock, Umar Yar'adua, has emerged as the most powerful and feared personality in her husband’s lack-luster regime. Saharareporters has carried out a month-long and extensive investigation into the “First Lady’s” shady deals, her evolution into a dominant and domineering figure, and her rapacity. We spoke to ministers and other government appointees, officials of the Peoples Democratic Party, sources within the oil sector, some associates of the Yar’aduas in Katsina, and diplomatic contacts. Several reliable sources within Aso Rock, Nigeria’s State House, as well as outside painted a portrait of the “First Lady” as a woman whose greed for self-enrichment and fascination with power have put her firmly in control of her husband’s notoriously colorless cabinet. “You could say that Turai is the real ruler of Nigeria,” said one of our sources, one of the ministers who quietly despise the “First Lady” for her overbearing power but admit they dare not openly express their concerns. Several other sources echoed that view. “She is the Andy Uba of this dispensation,” said another source, also a minister. Mr. Nnamdi Uba, former domestic aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was widely seen as the most powerful figure during the Obasanjo Presidency. Uba practically ran the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, helping Obasanjo and his associates to siphon away billions of dollars of the nation’s crude oil earnings. In the process, Uba, whose illegal bid to become Anambra Governor was forestalled by the Supreme Court, also amassed a personal fortune that make him one of the richest Nigerians today. When asked to assess the evaluation of Mrs. Yar’adua as the new Uba, one former top PDP official paused to weigh his words. Then he said, “She is far more than what Uba was to Obasanjo. She is Uba, Mariam Babangida and Miriam Abacha thrown together. She not only wants power, she is pursuing wealth as if there is no tomorrow.” Most of our sources in government acknowledged that Turai Yar’adua is widely despised for her meddlesomeness, but said nobody has ever mustered the courage to ask Umar Yar’adua to restrain his wife. “Everybody knows her husband has no control over her. And we know that if she doesn’t like any official, that official’s days in office are numbered. If you cross her, you’re done with.” In fact, one minister revealed that the secret to longevity in the cabinet may well lie in ingratiating oneself to the “First Lady.” Added the minister, “She looks harmless in public, but she is a fiery tigress within the power circles.” The analogy with Uba speaks volumes about the sheer amount of financial control and political power wielded by the wife of the Aso Rock’s current occupant. Turai Yar'adua’s ambition for power has been fed by her husband’s feeble health and retiring personality. “Umar Yar’adua is in bed latest by 9 p.m., leaving a vacuum in the running of this country,” said one of our sources. “On the other hand, Turai stays up till late into the night—and sometimes till the wee hours of the morning. After 9 p.m. each day, Turai enthrones herself as the ruler of this country. And her decisions stick even when her husband wakes up.” Turai Yar’adua is known to have a daily schedule far more busy and popular than that of her husband. Umar Yar'adua, who has a history of kidney disease, is religious about conserving his energy by cutting back on his daily and weekly activities. Described by one source as a bundle of energy, Turai handles most of the business of patronage dispensation by her husband’s regime. “She decides who gets what—it’s as simple as that,” said another minister. He attributed the much-criticized ineptitude of most ministers to Turai Yar’adua’s intrusiveness. “She wants to oversee every kobo that exchanges hands in this government. And if possible, she wants all of it to come to her or her immediate family and friends.” Like Uba, Turai Yar’adua has taken effective control over the affairs of the NNPC, Nigeria’s cash cow. Our sources said she was behind the appointment of Abubakar Lawal Yar'adua as the Group Managing Director of the NNPC. In a move that revealed more of her naked grab for power and riches, she also engineered the appointment of her blood brother, Bashir Abdullahi, to the position of Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC). In effect, she ensured that her minions now hold two of the most powerful positions in the nation's oil industry. Turai Yar’adua’s desire to handpick candidates for several offices extends also to traditional offices. The Leadership newspaper recently reported that Turai Yar’adua was trying to influence the appointment of the Magajin Gari by the newly installed Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman. Turai is reported to be interested in imposing her son-in-law, 39-year old Badamasi Kabir Usman, in the traditional post. There is also a whiff of salacious scandal around Turai Yar’adua. Several sources told us that the woman has been known to carry on an affair with Ibrahim Shema, her husband’s successor as Katsina Governor. “She single-handedly tipped him for the position of governor. That’s how powerful she is,” said one source. Several sources also told Saharareporters that the “First Lady” even dabbles in diplomatic business. “Not only is she courted by businessmen, many diplomats also prefer to talk to her rather than to meet her husband.” A Nigerian with a top position in one of the European embassies in Abuja confided in us that several diplomats describe Umar Yar’adua as boring and taciturn. “He hardly makes comments at meetings, a direct opposite of Turai, who is described as chatty and sociable.” Turai is known as the go-to-person for all Aso Rock-based requests that may be delayed by her husband’s sluggish bureaucracy. Corporate executives, including bankers with one favor or another to ask, have found out that things become quicker once they have paid courtesy visits to Turai Yar’adua. “In banking circles, she’s called Madam President,” said a top executive of a bank. “If you make her happy, your bank stands to reap a windfall.” Turai Yar’adua is said to demand absolute loyalty from government officials outside of and beyond their loyalty to her husband. It is an open secret in government circles that Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa and the Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro report primarily to her. Early this year, she saved Okiro’s job after the IG got into trouble with Umar Yar’adua over some financial dealings with some interests who worked to remove Nuhu Ribadu from the post of chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. After Turai’s intercession, a grateful Okiro proclaimed that he was “ready to die for Yar’adua.” Turai Yar’adua’s distribution of patronage came in handy when she anchored the massive bribes handed out to members of the Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal to induce their controversial favorable judgment for Umar Yar'adua. Our sources disclosed that she played a central role in raising the bribes, estimated at $100 million, for the tribunal judges. She arranged a substantial part of the bribe through the GMD of the NNPC, Abubakar Lawal Yar'adua. Her brother, S.B. Abdullahi, supplied some of the cash while the rest were provided by Emeka Offor and Tanimu. Governor Shema of Katsina State provided a huge chunk as well. Both Abubakar Yar'adua and S.B Abdullahi are from the same local government in Katsina State. Saharareporters exclusively reported a phone call Turai Yar’adua placed to AGF Aondoakaa as the latter reveled in a “victory party” at the Abuja home of controversial London-based businessman, Terry Waya. Mrs. Yar’adua thanked Aondoakaa for delivering on his promise to facilitate a favorable judgment. Turai Yar’adua’s Amazonian habit extends to her domestic life where she is described as a fierce control freak. Though Turai is Yar'adua's first wife, and the mother of their five daughters, she was not always his only wife. Umar Yar’adua took a second wife, Hajiya Hauwa Umar Radda, who now lives with his two sons in Kaduna. Hauwa Radda's short-lived marriage to Yar'adua ended as a result of Turai's power and muscle flexing. Hauwa met Umar Yar'adua in 1992 and they got married shortly afterwards and had two kids. But Turai soon kicked Hauwa out of Yar'adua's family house in Katsina. In 1997, Turai Yar’adua engineered her husband’s formal divorce from Hauwa just as he prepared to run for governorship of Katsina State. Sources told Saharareporters that Turai, still suspicious that Yar'adua was not truly divorced from Hauwa, relocated herself to Kaduna. She lived in that city until she was convinced that the divorce was sealed through her single-minded enforcement. Several sources in Katsina and Abuja spoke to Saharareporters about Turai Yar’adua’s obsession with fetish. Turai reportedly sent marabouts after Hauwa to secure her commitment never to ask to be re-united with Umar, their husband. Our sources say she has been inviting marabouts to Aso Rock with a frequency reminiscent of the days of the late dictator, Sani Abacha. The “First Lady’s” other passion lies in collecting jewelry. She and the wife of “Vice President” Jonathan Goodluck have struck a strong cord on account of their shared love for jewelries and expensive frippery. During foreign trips with her self-effacing husband, Turai Yar'adua is shown to stand confidently, radiating confidence. Our sources say she uses those foreign trips to push her pet projects as well as seek foreign partners for her burgeoning business interests. Mrs. Yar’adua was in the U.S. all of this week supposedly to receive an award in Houston, TX. But sources knowledgeable about her movements said she was in Texas to seal some private oil deals between herself (using yet-to-be identified fronts) and foreign partners. Her itinerary included meetings with several oil executives in the Texas area. Asked to weigh in on the description of Turai Yar’adua as a combination of Uba, Mariam Babangida and Miriam Abacha, one associate who has known the Yar’aduas for a long time said Turai is likely to be her husband’s undoing. “Umar does not do much. Hajia Turai is the only person coordinating . At least Babangida was interested in power and pretended to be doing something. Here, Turai is left to run the show. And she is doing a few things that may explode in her husband’s face.”

daaloy  # 10 | 11.04.2008 16:50

Its okay for the role she is playing as most first ladies do. But I think making it look like anything special begs the question why she is in for charitable work of power broker. I would like her answer questions possed by saharareporters.com of her role first in the bribery of presidential tribunal, money from Kase Lawal and the power struggle in her husbands administration.

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