‘Her Excellency’ is not reserved for governors’ wives — Benue Govt explains First Lady Coordinator’s title

The Benue State Government has defended the use of the title “Her Excellency” by the Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Mrs. Scholastica Terngu Bensor, insisting that the designation is neither unconstitutional nor exclusive to the wives of governors and presidents.

In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Sir Tersoo Kula, the government said recent debates surrounding the Office of the First Lady and the use of the title by Mrs. Bensor were largely driven by misinformation and political mischief.

Kula explained that “Her Excellency” is a formal honorific used to accord respect and official recognition to women occupying high-ranking public responsibilities within government structures and public service.

According to him, the title is not reserved solely for the spouses of elected leaders but is also applied to women entrusted with coordinating significant government-backed humanitarian and social intervention programmes.

The government further noted that the Office of the First Lady is not a constitutionally established executive office but a humanitarian and social support platform whose structure and operation vary from state to state depending on administrative arrangements and policy direction.

To support its position, the Benue Government cited examples from other states, including Akwa Ibom, where Governor Umo Eno appointed his daughter, Mrs. Helen Eno Obareki, as Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady following the death of the state’s First Lady, and Edo State, where social intervention programmes linked to the First Lady’s office are coordinated by Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani. The government said such officials are accorded protocol recognition in the course of carrying out their responsibilities.

Kula maintained that Governor Alia, as the state’s chief executive officer, possesses the authority to appoint individuals to coordinate programmes aimed at advancing humanitarian interventions and social welfare initiatives.

He expressed confidence in Mrs. Bensor’s performance, describing her as competent and committed to delivering on the administration’s vision for women, children, and vulnerable groups in the state.

The government urged members of the public to approach the issue with a proper understanding of governance structures and protocol, stressing that the Office of the First Lady exists to complement government programmes rather than create a parallel centre of authority.

It also called for public discourse to be guided by facts and informed understanding rather than political sentiments and misconceptions.