First Lady of Nasarawa and Her “Prepared Speech”

If someone were to write a book on the do’s and don’ts of public service, the ability to communicate effectively would be near the top of the list of things to master. Yet, it seems that the first lady of Nasarawa, Salifat Sule, didn’t get the memo if a video of her that surfaced in recent days is anything to go by.

Going by what happened on the video which has since gone viral, Hajiya Salifat might soon be added to the growing list of politicians who have been turned into memes on Twitter and Facebook. Far from commanding attention because of the content of her message, it was her delivery that sent the pulses racing, and not in a good way.

The undated video seemed to show the first lady struggling to read a prepared speech during the inauguration of a programme in the state. Perhaps if she was speaking extempore, all might have been forgiven, but that she was reading from a prepared note, Hajiya Salifat seemed to be locked in mortal combat with the words on the paper.

In the recording, whose origin is unknown, Her Excellency could be seen struggling to read her speech intelligibly. One imagines that the more educated among the audience kept making for the exits while she mumbled and fumbled her way through her speech on a comical manner.

Since the video came to light, Madam Salifat has become the butt of jokes with some describing her as grammatically-challenged. Many, however, wondered why her handlers seemingly left her to her fate when they could have prepped her better for the task at hand.

The question on the lips of those who watched the on-stage embarrassment is whether the first lady’s performance could be attributed to stage fright or she’s a slow reader. Whatever the case, one thing is certain: her husband, the governor of Nasarawa State, wasn’t enamoured of her performance.

Related Articles