Lagos — Recent reports about a supposed squabble within the household of Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State over which of his four wives would be the State's First Lady, has once again brought to the fore the issues relating to the precise role of the wives of State Governors. Amidst the ripples of chuckles (suppressed or otherwise) around the country there were some calls for the scrapping of the whole idea. One writer blamed the media for what he described as an over playing the activities of first ladies in the very first place.

A clearly miffed Governor Nyako issued a statement about the report. We were told that among the members of his domestic quartet were holders of professional degrees in medicine, law and other high qualifications and each one is suitable to contribute to any portfolio anyway.

The role of first ladies has long been a subject of debate and cynicism. As far as some are concerned there is no love lost when it comes to discussions relating to their activities. The colourful days of Maryam Babangida and her Better Life for Rural Women movement may be said to be mostly responsible for the suspicion and mistrust with which many view first ladies and their pet projects. Many wondered how the gaily dressed and sophisticated women who normally gathered at her functions could be said to be representatives of the rural woman.

Regardless of what occurred during those years, the truth is that many of the causes that have been highlighted by some of the first ladies would have remained on the back burner but for their kind -hearted interventions. Several examples abound. The plight of the aged and physically challenged in communities in Ogun State has been brought to the fore front of our consciences through the tireless efforts of first lady Yeye Olufunke Daniel; the trafficking of Nigerian girls and young women to foreign countries especially in Italy was brought to the fore by the former first lady of Edo State through her Idia Rennaisance; the Spelling Bee competition instituted by Mrs Remi Tinubu drew our attention to the fact that our children need to be up to scratch with their spellings. Former first ladies in Niger , Akwa Ibom, Rivers States all established interventions to address some of the social issues that tend to slip through the net. Orphans, widows, young women, street children, the physically challenged, the excluded and other vulnerable groups who for the better part of their lives are forgotten and neglected by Government become the target groups for well-meaning interventions. What could be wrong reaching out to the needy?

First ladies tend to go for the less glamorous, marginalised causes and draw wholesome attention to them. They speak up for the voiceless and remind us about our less-than-perfect world. Their positions and clout throw up the issues and get them the attention required for others to get involved and support the cause. Naturally the media is on hand to report these events and so the issue comes into the public domain and spurs others into action.

Recently, the first lady of Bauchi State , Hajia Yagudu spoke about the plight of the Almajiris (street children).

This is an issue that has been on for so many years in most parts of northern Nigeria . Plenty of lip service has been paid to it but the problem still persists. The implications are all too telling. Thousands of school age children are out of school on the streets begging for alms. Who knows perhaps Hajia's highlighting of the issue may well get the relevant people to move on this problem. Again what could possibly be wrong with this? Her interest may encourage the mega millionaires in the northern states to move out of their comfort zones and seek to meaningfully address this issue.

First ladies genuinely want to make a change to some of these situations and for the most part succeed to some extent. For those who view the role of first ladies with contempt let them tell us which of all the social issues listed above have ever received the full and sustained attention of the Government agencies.

There has been a long tradition of first ladies or wives of heads of state and presidents etc. of highlighting charitable causes. Princess Diana brought the issue of landmines and the victims of war to the fore and its devastating effect on lives especially of children. Who can forget her visit to Angola and identifying with a young female amputee who was a victim of landmines? That single photograph went round the world and made the international community sit up and address the problem. Such was her passion for this issue that it turned the whole world's attention to it and the evil of land mines was debated at international conferences. HIV/Aids was also another cause Princess Diana identified with and this helped to change the perceptions towards the victims. Cherie Blair, Queen Rania of Jordan, Laura Bush and of course late Chief (Mrs) Stella Obasanjo have all used their positions to promote good causes and highlight the plight of the under-privileged. Mrs Bush has been to Africa on her own to support work relating to Malaria and HIV/Aids. Queen Rania once said that she could not be happy and settled with her own children knowing that other children were suffering from treatable ailments. Child survival has become a passion for her. Stella Obasanjo's Childcare Trust opened its doors to children with learning disabilities and offered them a chance in life. The bitter truth is that many of these children would have ended up on the streets but for the centre set up in Bwari, Abuja to look after them.

However inspite of all the efforts put into addressing some of issues that ordinarily no one would pay attention to, first ladies still find their work the butt of sarcasm and scant regard. What could be responsible for this? Perhaps the sustainability of their activities is the main cause of this headache. Some believe that their work is for the present and has no future. In other words the moment the baton changes hands at the seat of government, the activities of the first ladies become extinct.

This need not be the case. The spelling bee competition has become institutionalised and a giant corporation has taken it over. Anyone close to the Chairperson of the Gateway Front Foundation in Ogun State would know that her work is set to go on for as long as possible. She has earned the sobriquet "Iya Alanu of Nigeria " (mother of kindness) and it is unlikely that she would jettison her social work come 2011. It is not clear if the good social work initiated in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Niger States by the former first ladies are still going on. Neither is it known if the support for sick children under the auspices of the Idera Foundation had any space to continue as soon as the political wranglings became the main menu of the day in Oyo State .

What however is crystal clear is that first ladies must continue their good works beyond the trappings of the office and see it as their own contributions towards nation building. Any woman who finds herself in the exalted position of a first lady should see it as her duty to work not just for today but for the future of her country.