Stella Obasanjo, was probably famous primarily for being the first lady of Nigeria, and wife to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. As significant as that position was, however, to confine her fame and impact to just that will be disrespectful and demeaning. In addition to the above, she was a political activist in her own right, supporting such causes as women’s liberation, youth in leadership, and the rehabilitation of a war torn Nigeria. She was a trailblazer in life and in her role as first lady and showed Nigerian women the way to becoming more involved in the rebuilding of the country.
Early Life
Born Stella Abebe on November 14, 1945, Nigeria; she was the daughter of Dr. Christopher Abebe (the first African chairman of the United African Company (UAC)) and Therasa Abebe. Her education began at Our Lady of the Apostles Primary School. She later enrolled at St. Theresa’s College, where she obtained her West African School Certificate in 1964 with grade one. Two years later she obtained the higher school certificate. She was admitted to the University of Ife now (Obafemi Awolwo University), Ile-Ife, for a bachelor’s degree in English, attending from 1967 to 1969. In 1969 she transferred to the UK to complete her studies, this time round, in insurance, in London and Edinburgh, Scotland, from 1970 to 1974. She also attended Pitman College, London, where she obtained the confidential secretary certificate, 1976.
Stella: Stellar!
Stella Obasanjo gained power in her own right and she demonstrated and utilized that power rightfully. She urged females to be strong and independent in every aspect of their lives. She believed that the welfare and progress of Nigeria laid in the hands of women and their empowerment. She once commented that,
Things will continue to deteriorate in the country unless more women were allowed to participate in governance.
She had an evident spirit of female activism, and this spirit was what led K.Y Amoako, at a special session on peace at Addis Ababa on November 23rd, 1999 to say:
“Mme. Obasanjo, we believe that this new spirit [of female activism] is beginning to be seen in your country, where women have been among the most engaged actors in the democratization process.”
-K.Y. Amoako
But the role of women in politics was just one of the issues that Obasanjo supported with her political intelligence and personal dedication. Another cause that Obasanjo always championed was the development of Nigerian youth. Obasanjo has called Nigerian youths, “potential leaders of tomorrow,” and she encouraged them to be smart and safe so that they can remain healthy, non-violent leaders in the future, helping bring Nigeria prominence and success in the world marketplace. In summer 2001, Obasanjo took part in a program for youth, Success Academy for Youths (SAY 2001). At the closing ceremony she discussed how important programs such as SAY were to the eventual success of the country,
[Youths] are the future of the nation and only the foolish will neglect giving them attention.
-Stella Obasanjo
She also laid a lot of emphasis on the importance of being openly aware of the problems facing Africa as a whole, including the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other such things as malaria and violence. She believed that the time had come for violence as a means to an end to be abolished, and she punctuated that this must start with the Nigerian youth.
Obasanjo was a different First lady and also a First lady with a difference and whenever Obasanjo supported a cause, people noticed. She had, in fact, criticized past first ladies for what she said was, “reckless spending of public funds on non-sustainable women programs.” She also declared that female programs in the past “treated us to [a] female parade, replete with flamboyant trapping which only gave out a contradictory message of women in celebration of their luck and fortunes.” She had also been called, by The Post Express, “delectable,” a trendsetter who the country actually looked to for fashion know-how.
Another cause that Obasanjo backed was luring Nigerians in diaspora back home. She was instrumental in causing many Nigerians abroad to have returned or begun to establish business in the country, after the resumption of democratic government to the country. She encouraged that “Even if you cannot relocate to Nigeria immediately, visit home to see in which way you can lend us a helping hand in rebuilding the country … I am inviting you to please come home and rebuild our nation.”
Legacy and Demise
As first Lady of Nigeria, she joined the Campaign Against Female Genital Mutilation and on 6 February 2003, she declared the day the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation.
In 2000 she was awarded the African Civic Responsibility Award 2000, according to The Post Express, for her work on behalf of the children of Nigeria. Her epic acceptance response was, “So with this, being a First Lady, I do not see it as an avenue to be arrogant. First Lady is just another form of public office … I see this opportunity as a call to service not for personal aggrandizement at all.” Her grace and compassion did not go unnoticed.
Just weeks before her 60th birthday, Obasanjo experienced complications after a routine cosmetic surgery and died. The news came on October 23, 2005, the same day a Nigerian plane carrying 117 passengers and crew crashed, leaving no survivors. The country mourned openly for the first lady and those lost in the crash. Tributes to Obasanjo’s life long humanitarian efforts abounded: mourners called her a “mother to all Nigerian children,” a “tireless advocate,” a “gem.” In her memory, a market and a lake were renamed to honor her, and the Child Trust Foundation continued to serve Nigeria’s children. Stella Obasanjo touched lives, she affected humanity and left the society better than she met it.”
She died on October 23, 2005 in Malaga, Spain
Sources:
Wikipedia
Biography.jrank
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