Do Political Women Make The Best Of Mothers?

With the events of things, I was forced to take my pen to write something on this mind perturbing issue. In recent time, women have been seen to be wanting in unethical acts mostly corruption and indiscipline. I then find it hard to understand why role models should be the steering to social vices in our society. Or don’t you see women as role models?

In my quest to find a reasonable and justifiable answer to this momentous question, I sought to use the social media to pass the question across to intellectual minds to hear what they have to say on this critical topic. Comments were fighting their way into my notification box on Facebook just the way my android phone was buzzing of messages on whatsapp and other social media, everybody had something to say, am sure you have something to say too, but before then, let’s see what some quick-witters had to say.

Koyum Kolade Afolabi- a chemical engineering student of the better by far university (university of Ilorin) said in his opinion that, political women don’t make good mothers not to talk of “best” as used in the topic. He argued that women are not like men that can take care of too many things at a time and as such, it would be difficult for them combining two herculean tasks. He stressed his point saying, if you see a good family and you want to give credit to anyone at all, the mother is next to none on who you should give it to, and for a family to be upright, the mother has to sacrifice her time. He frankly said he doesn’t think a political mother can give all the necessary education to her children.

And when I got that submission, I was blown off, only to get a counter message from another student of the University of Ilorin, Ashir Faridah, who said in her words that a political woman can make the best of mothers, even something better than the best. I wonder if we have anything better than the best. She said it’s all about finding time. She accented that she just doesn’t have to mix business with family, if she isn’t a good mother then believe me she isn’t cut out to be one was her concluding sentence.

On whose side do we fall? Are you confused too? You needn’t be. Maybe this would convince you. An astute writer and jack of all trade-Rufai Ajibola commented outstandingly. He said statistics has never gone a single way to favour two different hypotheses unless problems are encountered in the sampling. In his own words “first of all, I would be keen to find out if we have arrived at the consensual meaning of ‘best of mothers’ and who exactly does the subject refer to as the ‘women in politics?’ Are we looking at ilks of female political heavyweights (Oyewole, 2015) like Gbemisola Saraki in Ilorin, the Aisha Alhassan of Taraba or late Simbiat Atinuke Abiola in Ogun state? There are also the female political kingmakers cum appointees: the Stella Oduah, Remi Tinubu, Alison Madueke, the Okonjos, Bolajoko Kadiri, Bola Shagaya and the rest from the non-exhaustible list. I’ll also mention the female ‘Bole-kaja’ touts, or female political crowd who can be hired for a few thousand naira to attend rallies, mount road blocks, and hawk tailored placards. So, if we want to critique if this are the best or worst of mothers, the fair thing to do is just to ask their children!

Are the children in the best position to answer the logical question? Are you in support of what the scholar highlighted? Interestingly, a young boy looked at the topic from another perspective, and here is what he said. Political women don’t get enough time for their children; he argued that they are likely to set more bad examples for their children since politics has got a stinky downside. And finally he said the children or kids as the case maybe, run a high risk to their safety by virtue of the status of their parents, since political opponents may want to attack the children. Do you think Muhydeen Tiamiyu who happens to be a Jambite has seen it from the right angle?

At Lagos junction, Maryam Yusuf of the University of Lagos also had something reasonable to say. She said you don’t give what you don’t have, for a woman to say she wants to actively partake in politics that means she must be there for her immediate family. She further stressed that the post of motherhood is one big post that one without leadership aptitude can’t succeed with. And as such you having that makes you qualified to rule brilliantly over others.

The scope of discuss wasn’t limited to the western educationist alone, an Arabic scholar of the Madrasahtu Talim of Ibadan contributed too. He brilliantly said politics is just a professional game in which any one could venture into irrespective of their sex. The Arabic scholar said we shouldn’t turn women into weaker vessels, they should be allowed to venture into any career they feel like, including politics in discuss. He strengthened his point saying they being good mothers doesn’t depend on their job but their own individual quality, which may include how they cherish their children and other relatives. He believes Nigeria’s politics isn’t a clean one, but he still highlights the fact that we have bad mothers who are not even politicians.

Hmm! I guess you just said that, I did too when I read the unending comments sent by eggheads. Those I highlighted above are just a few of the replies I got, people really had convincing points. You must be eager to know which side I fall into, what class I support and points I sincerely don’t agree to. I was moved to seeking people’s opinion on this issue because in recent time, some women have been painting motherhood colours, they have been remodelling good attitudes and characters with unethical attitudes they pose. See what’s happening in our society today, you hear of women laundering country’s fund, involving in bribery, indiscipline turning their second nature among many other vices that roughen the good painting of motherhood. If one would be found in acts like this should it be a mother or a woman as the case may be?

Exclusively, this piece is for people’s opinion and for you also to decide on which side to fall to. To be abreast of my own opinion on this critical issue is to wait patiently for the second part of this interesting topic!

Your comments are welcome; you can always reach me at 07033254385 or mail me at [email protected] . From the desk of Tijani Sheriffdeen (docshe), a student of the better by far university- Unilorin.

TIJANI, sheriffdeen opeyemi.