Olukemi Mimiko’s humanitarianism

WHEN a woman is in control, she takes her motherly feelings and outlooks along to the office, even in politics. She will listen, think and reason as a mother and be able to bring about some positive changes in the polity.  Many Nigerians are celebrating the uniqueness of Mrs Olukemi Mimiko, the wife of the Ondo State governor, given how she has attained recognition by striving to improve the lives of people. Olukemi Mimiko, who wears a beautiful mien, cuts in with a disarming candour, “the beauty of God radiates in my life and in all I do. I feel and look good when I am with children, women and old people. When I laugh, play and explore things.

She says with a lot of smiles during a recent interview: “No doubt, I enjoy God’s grace and sound mind as I always desire to contribute my quota to the welfare of others. She has coped effortlessly as a wife, mother and a wife of the governor for eight years. It has been a wonderful experience. What has helped us all these years is God.  And when I look around me, then I will say that it is the grace of God that ensures that everything runs smoothly.” Dr Olusegun Mimiko’s immersion into politics has had a profound effect on her. Given her background, it would have been such a waste to just sit back and be a trophy wife to a politician on the ascendancy. She is not in the conventional interpretation of the term a feminist. But she has a defined sense of obligation bothering on Noblese oblige.

This trait of exhibiting a high sense of social responsibility manifested itself early in her school life. Olukemi had a natural can-do disposition at St. Louis which was endearing. When she became the Ondo governor’s wife, this trait manifested itself in immersion in a host of worthy causes. She is very far from being just a pretty face or someone else’s handbag. The causes she has championed often unobtrusively speak volumes about her disposition. A deep seated Christian conviction is propelling her. She does not wear her devotion on her sleeves; nevertheless, it seeps through. A fan who would prefer not to be identified says that she depicts King Solomon’s description of a virtuous woman.

As the Founder of Maternal Pulse Foundation, Mrs. Mimiko has continually shown concern for the less-privileged, helping women in Ondo State in various forms. She has always attended to widows, motherless babies, and triplets, giving them food, drugs, clothing and other gifts. Over 500 families of triplets have been attended to, with the very first attended to in 2009.

Olukemi Mimiko is also sensitive to her environment. Her foundation has been active in public-spirited works; the Maternal Pulse Foundation (MPF) has touched the lives of many people, particularly women in the state. It is however fascinating that the interventions carried out by MPF are not restricted to the state only, but to other states. For instance, Gbebiro, which hitherto used to be a meeting of women from the 18 Local Government Areas of the state at the state capital every month, has been decentralized, taking the entire team, comprising health workers, lecturers, and welfare teams, etc, to the local government areas on a monthly basis and thereby interfacing and taking governance to the door steps of the people.

To most observers, this says much about the humane philosophy of this devoted Christian icon. Even her abode speaks so much about her simple nature. For Olukemi Mimiko, indeed, the entire country is her constituencyRecently, she admonished women of the state to work for a better tomorrow, stressing that the Olusegun Mimiko-led administration had put in place women-friendly programmes and policies to make life meaningful for them. “I am sure that an easy condition has been set to encourage more women to participate in politics. And with this, I am so encouraged and optimistic that there is hope for Nigerian women,” she said.

She commended them for their support and prayers and loyalty for  peace in the state since the inception of this administration. Indeed, thousands of people will remember her strides in Ondo Sate for many years to come as she joins the indefatigable Dr Olusegun Mimiko in navigating the future. Dr Mimiko, as every student of Awoism knows, has served as the exemplar of progressive governance in the last seven years, turning global attention to Ondo State as a true son of our revered sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. But like the sage whose life was enriched by the Jewel of Inestimable value, Mama HID Awolowo, Olukemi has been a great pillar in Dr Mimiko’s journey. Many people in Ondo State are  celebrating this woman of substance. We are saying that having brought smiles to many faces, we are sure that you are preparing for life outside of Government House and your good work will continue.

• Salako is an Akure-based publisher