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| Folashade Tinubu |
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| Patience Jonathan |
Nigeria's First
Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has dared the former Governor of Lagos State,
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over who becomes the true Iyaloja. You may say she has
shifted her alleged fight with Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State to
Tinubu.
Speaking at a
rally at the Aso Rock market, Abuja, Patience challenged the newly installed
Iyaloja of Lagos, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, and her father, to a contest in
electing the true Iyaloja. She frowned at the alleged imposition of the Lagos
godfather's daughter on market women in Lagos State.
Patience declared
her intention to run as the overall market leader claiming she has discovered
that she can't run for the gubernatorial race in Rivers State, her homestate.
The President's wife said if Tinubu doesn't adhere to her advice, she would
have no other option than to declare herself as the authentic Iyaloja.
In her three-point
reason, Mrs Jonathan said, “my fellow market women, after spending 10 days in
Rivers State since week before last, I have seen that becoming Rivers governor
is not my portion.
“Just like
Tinubu's wife said, becoming governor is not for a soft-hearted woman like me.
And me I don't want to be vice president like Tinubu's wife because me and
Jonah on one ticket would pain Sambo well-well. So that's why I want to come
and be your leader.
“I deserve to be
Iyaloja because I am the greatest patroniser of market women. Ask Tinubu's
daughter whether her husband has ever budgeted N1 billion for food. But that's
what my husband spends. So, since I am the one that buys food more than
everyone else in this country, I deserve to be Iyaloja.”
Concluding, the
First Lady stated that, “all these newspaper people say I talk too much abi?”
she got a chorused “yes” from the market women.
She then proceeded
by saying, “okay, when I was a children, we used to sing a song in school 'You
talk too much, you talk too much, is here a market place?' So if market place
is the place where they talk too much and me I talk too much then I must become
the leader of the market people, not so?” and she got a well sounding “na so”
as response.
Meanwhile,
Folashade Tinubu- Ojo's installation as the new Iyaloja General, which took
place penultimate Wednesday evening at the residence of the late Abibatu
Mogaji's house at Sunday Adigun, Alausa in Ikeja, was attended by many white
chap chiefs.
The white cap
chiefs also brought Akiolu's staff to the installation to symbolise the
authority and the authenticity of the title conferred on Tinubu-Ojo, who also
doubles as the leader of the Lagos State Market Development Board.
The traditional
rulers, who represented the Oba of Lagos, were the Ojon of Lagos, Chief Olubiyi
Agoro; Obanikoro of Lagos, Soji Bembe; the Onisemo of Lagos and Kosoko of
Lagos, among others.
Necessary
traditional prayers were offered shortly before she was installed as the new
Iyaloja General.
Speaking after her
inauguration, Tinubu-Ojo said her academic background and the experience she
garnered from the late Mogaji would assist her in managing the affairs of the
markets across the country.
She said:
Managing the
elderly women older than me will not be a problem since I have been working
closely with Mama (the late Mogaji) and I have picked one or two things from
her. I believe God will give me the enablement and the grace to discharge my
duty accordingly.
Tinubu-Ojo added
that she was passionate about creating and sustaining an enabling environment
for the traders to sell their products legally and profitably, adding that
every member of the association would be given a sense of belonging.
She said: “In
general, I will advise all market men and women to make sure they quickly adapt
themselves to the rules and regulations regarding the management of the
markets.
“Their leaders must
ensure that the environment is clean and more organised and they should play
their role as they look unto government
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