The office of the First Lady has maintained that neither the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi nor his wife have come to the State House, Abuja to condole First Lady, Dame Patience like.
This was contained in a statement issued Wednesday night by the Director of Information in the First Lady’s office, Mrs. Ayo Adesugba.
The statement quoted the First Lady as saying that gesture of compassion comes from the Heart.
The statement reads: ” Many of us claim to serve God. God, whether as Christians or Muslims is compassionate in nature. If truly we serve him, this should reflect in our actions.”
“We restate for the avoidance of doubt that neither the Rivers State Governor nor his wife have come to the State House, Abuja like so many other people from all walks of life, to condole with the First Family.”
“This is a gesture of compassion that comes from the heart. The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, therefore holds no resentment towards anyone who does not wish to come to the State House, or to her residence in Port Harcourt to extend the act of commiseration.”
“The Nation newspaper of today, 21/08/2013, on page 50, carried two pictures of the wife of the Governor of Rivers State, Dame Judith Amaechi. One of the pictures showed Mrs. Amaechi signing a register with the caption: “Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi signing a condolence register during a visit to Nigeria’s First Lady, Dame Dr. Patience Jonathan at the Oba’s King Perekule GRA, Port Harcourt residence to commiserate with her on the death of her mother, Mrs. Charity Sisi Oba…”
“Another smaller picture shows the First Lady and the Governor’s wife walking side by side. The pictures
are obviously in response to a release issued by the Office of the First Lady on 19/08/2013 which stated in part that: It is instructive to note that since the death of Mrs. Charity Oba, the mother of the First Lady, several groups and individuals from across the country have come to condole the First Family at the State House, Abuja.”
“They include Executive State Governors and their wives from all the political divides; Nigeria’s former Presidents and Heads of State and their wives, captains of industry, female Ambassadors and High Commissioners of Nigeria, other members of the diplomatic corps, royal fathers and traditional leaders – the list is too numerous to call.”
She went on: “However, the Governor and the wife from the State which the First Lady hails have not paid such a visit.”
“The caption in The Nation states that the photographs were taken in the house of the late mother of Dame Patience, Mrs. Charity Oba. However, the First Lady did not receive guests for condolence visits in her late mother’s home.”
“All those who come to pay condolences and commiserate with Dame Patience during her visit to Rivers State, came to the First Lady’s residence in Port Harcourt, where arrangements were made and facilities were made available to receive sympathizers.”
“We can borrow a leaf from His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who went to Lagos State with some members of his Executive Council, to commiserate with Governor Babatunde Fashola on the demise of his father, Alhaji Ademola Fashola.”
“Death does not know age, gender or political party affiliation. Neither should compassion.” She added
