By Alusine Sesay
In their quest to promote the dignity and seek the welfare of former presidents and their families, Coalition of Former Presidents Wives , have been embarking on a tour of several countries across Africa, where they have garnered more supports and raised awareness among colleagues in the continent.
A team of the Coalition left Guinea to Senegal, The Gambia, Ivory Coast, Bukina Faso, Mali and now in Benin where they met with colleague former first ladies who shared their experiences and threw their support for the initiative.
In Ivory Coast, the team met with former of wife of President Laurent Gbagbo who shared her experience and informed the team that Ivory Coast has long past a situation in which former First Ladies are not catered for by the state.
Simone Gbagbo, who once served as a Member of Parliament, told the team that they had long passed a law which provides for the sharing of certain percentage of the President’s gratuity with the first lady.
In other countries like Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal, The Gambia, among several others, there is no provision for the state to cater for former first ladies, instead they are marginalized and forced to live in exile till death.
Madam Fatimata Nipe Momoh, wife of late President Momoh of Sierra Leone, is leading the team that is traveling across the continent to raise awareness and advocate the dignity of former first ladies and their families.
While many first ladies have suffered significant bully from the state, the coalition is determined to ensure that families of former African presidents are respected and well-taken care of by the state.
They are calling on current leaders to respect their predecessors and accord them all their benefits, and, as well desist from seizing their property and leaving them to die in penury.
