The Angel in the Mansion: A tribute to Senator Oluremi Tinubu at 60 

Adeyemi College of  Education, run by the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, trains teachers to be compassionate and creative in imparting knowledge to children. I believe, in learning to be a teacher and an educationist at this foremost institution, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who turns 60 today, took seriously the responsibility of nurturing the next generation for a better future.

This conclusion comes from the passion with which she sought to use her office as the wife of the governor of Lagos State to push remarkable and historic policies first for children and later, the women.

Her husband, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, assumed office at a time of stiff resistance in the civil society to the idea of First Lady. There was a consensus that the military had corrupted governance by turning their “first ladies” into obscene distractions of ceremonial gaiety with their gaudy apparels assaulting the sensitivity of the public. What gradually emerged in Lagos State was a refined and progressive version in total contrast to the excessively showy entertainment of the junta years.

She brought to the table expertise in education and specifically, child development. She worked with the Ministry of Education to give birth to her ideas of a better management of the youth.

Because she spoke the language of the ministry and humbly integrated her position into its work, it was easy to produce policies of enduring quality.

The 10-hour social service for students, which encouraged wards in schools to go into homes to support the elderly and handle chores improved the schools curriculum.

But in terms of impact in motivating children to excel by using their talent and competence, it lags behind the One Day Governor as the grand prize of the Spelling Bee competition.

The message: education gives everyone the opportunity to change the world.

Another message: competence and talent should not be the attribute of a child’s religion, class or nationality. There is no mountain a well-motivated child cannot climb.

Both programmes were expanded into the New Era Foundation, an organ that has developed youth intervention programmmes even after leaving the office. The New Era Youth Camp stands today as a facility that is the product of her love for children.

By collaborating with the government of Finland to secure short courses and holidays for the winners of Spelling Bee, she advanced the opportunity that comes from applying yourself to achieve great heights. As proof of her thesis, winners of Spelling Bee are now graduates and innovators.

With such exploits, the authorities of Adeyemi College of Education identified her as a role model. On June 30, 2006, it gave her its Fellowship award for her labour of love.

The same creativity was applied to the women. First, she revived the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials and used it to add value to the members.

There is no job description for wives of elected and appointed officials and no constitutional status is provided. But protocols are impossible to implement without factoring their presence and position. Representative assignments are unavoidable. The wife is another part of the office.

She must be one of the few wives of governors to recognise this. But she is the only one who worked to add value.

First, she introduced orientation for the members to teach them how to support their spouses in office, a sort of finishing school on reception, health, mothering and security.

The training was expanded to an annual conference with a wider audience which led to programmes and projects. Today, the COWLSO annual conference has come to stay.

In the twilight of her days as the First Lady, a publication of impressions by a cross -section of elite opinion gave a resounding applause to her eight years in office.

Celebrated columnist Reuben Abati, chairman of the editorial board of The Guardian wrote: “My lasting impression of Mrs.Tinubu is that here is one First Lady who supported her husband, and whose contributions reflected positively on the totality of her husband’s achievements.”

She earned the national award, Order of the Niger based on these widely acknowledged achievements.

A small get-together was organised as reception for the guests who attended the awards presentation in Abuja in October 2010 . In one of the speeches congratulating her, someone remarked that it would not be her last time there; that she would soon be back as a senator.

It turned out to be prophetic. A perfectionist who receives and treats guests to her home with overwhelming humility, the idea of her consideration for the Lagos East senatorial seat sneaked into conversations gradually much to the consternation of her spouse. When the elders of the party in the senatorial district finally approached Asiwaju, it came as a masterstroke to the Lion himself. It showed that Madam has not just been in the home since June 12 struggle cooking; she learnt a few tactics about how to make things happen.

I am particularly proud of her performance in office as the senator representing Lagos East. She gave myself and Segun Ayobolu, both former chief press secretaries to the Lagos State governor, the task of coming up with a programme.

We were honoured. I was particularly excited because it was my way of paying back her support in various ways since 2004.

Just one out of many instances is sufficient. When I Iaunched free uniforms for all pupils in primary schools in Ejigbo LCDA in December 2008 and invited her as Special Guest of Honour, she arrived at 9am to meet us in an embarrassing state of unpreparedness.

But she took it in her stride, apparently from experience. Everyone was shocked as she took over the management of the event-arranging the tables, the chairs, the table cloth and the sitting arrangement. After the event, she conducted the photo sessions.

Someone joked that I should pray that Asiwaju would never know that I invited the wife of my leader to manage my event!

Back to the debate over her manifesto. I remember that I introduced the quarterly meetings with the constituents into the programme. Her initial reaction was that it would be difficult to achieve in view of the resources. But I argued that as the spouse of the political leader, she would be able to set new standards in representation and giving regular feedback to her constituents. To God be the glory. She has never missed the event and uses it to empower the constituents in terms of projects and programmes.

For those who pass through Bourdillon and see just the mansion at Number 26, don’t be fooled by the appearance. There is an angel in the mansion!