The Iyase of Asaba, Chief Patrick Onyeobi, on Wednesday revealed the role late wife of the former Nigeria military president, Maryam Ndidiamaka Babangida played in making Asaba the capital city of Delta state.
Onyeobi, who represented the Asagba of Asaba, Obi (Prof) Chike Edozien, during a press conference to commemorate the 76th post humous birthday of the late military president’s wife, narrated to journalists at the Asagba’s palace what transpired that ended in making Asaba Delta state capital.
According to him, there were various agitations on where the capital of the new state should be sited. That was when Delta state was to be created from the defunct Bendel state in 1991. General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida was then the military president of Nigeria. IBB was president from 1985 to 1993.
While speaking on the good deed of Maryam Babangida to the people of Delta and Nigeria, Chief Onyeobi traced the history of the creation of Delta and zeroed the siting of the state capital on the soil of Asaba on Maryam Babangida, a daughter of Asaba.
He said: “When we were agitating for the creation of Delta state, we could not agree on the location of the state capital. We decided to leave it for the then military president. A delegation was sent to Abuja to meet Babangida.
“We also decided to meet our daughter and talked to her about making Asaba the capital of the new state. We begged her that one of her great achievements should be to make Asaba the capital of Delta state. She smiled and we left.
“After a while Babangida announced Asaba as the state capital. We believed it was our daughter’s influence that decision. Some said it was the handiwork of God but we believe it was our daughter that caused it to happen. We pray history will be kind to her.”
In a speech delivered in honour of Maryam Babangida’s 76th posthumous birthday, the Asagba of Asaba reeled out the great achievements of the late Nigerian first lady. He told journalists that the celebration would be a weeklong event.
He described her as the most iconic and illustrious daughters of Asaba, saying the weeklong event was to remember her outstanding contributions towards the development and empowerment of Nigerian women as well as bring women and their plight to the centre stage of national discourse and policy making.
He said “as the first lady of Nigeria from August 1985 when her husband president to August 26, 1993, Dr. (Mrs.) Maryam Babangida had a dream and vision to bring greater recognition to women in our society, improve the lives of women and empower them to seek and achieve leadership roles in all spheres of human endeavours.”
He said as president of Nigerian Army Officers Wives following the elevation of her husband to chief of army staff, Maryam Babangida introduced and implemented several educational and economic empowerment programmes for the benefits of wives of army officers.
He noted that Maryam Babangida initiated and executed many projects geared towards improving the welfare of wives of army officers and the living conditions in the barracks. He added that her passion and work to uplift and empower Nigerian women found expression in the Better Life programme for rual women which she initiated and during her time as Nigeria’s first lady.
He said Nigerian rural women were supported to acquire skills and techniques to improve their income earning capabilities and their livelihoods. The programme also helped women to develop values and attitudes which are useful to sustain and promote self-reliance and national development.
In Minna, capital of Niger state where she settled with her husband after leaving office, she continued her good work by setting up educational and small scale business enterprises to empower women as well as facilitate the establishment of several women co-operative societies.
Chairman of the weeklong celebration, Hon. Barrister Bridget Anyafulu, member representing Oshimili south constituency in the state house of assembly, said the posthumous birthday of the late first lady will be celebrated November 1 every year henceforth.
According to her, though the late first lady has passed on, “all she did are what we are celebrating today. She did much for the rural women. We are happy about all she did. She went about doing good. All these are what we are remembering today.”
As part of the celebration, she said 76 trees, indicating her age posthumously on November 1 will be planted along Maryam Babangida Way in Asaba on Thursday. She noted that following her demise, many Maryams have sprung up across the nation doing good for humanity and making sure things are better for society.
Another major landmark of the late first lady was the introduction of the ministry of women affairs and social development in 1989. This ministry is now replicated in all states of the country. The ministry caters specifically for the needs of women and children.
