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Tag: Dame Patience

  • And Dame Patience embraces paradox

    And Dame Patience embraces paradox

    While her husband romped in apologies, Dame Patience, at the same farewell service, chose instead to wax spiritual and philosophical in finding meaning and purpose to her life and politics. Dispensing with history and policy in her own flashback, both of which are arcana to her, she simply talked religion and contextualised and interpreted her politics in the theology she was abundantly familiar with. To her, the most germane experience of her first ladyship was the dramatic recovery she experienced in her fight with illness the moment her husband lost the election.

    In case you did not understand, she spoke amply, not for the first time of course, about how former occupants of the Nigerian seat of power had assumed office a couple but left either a widower or a widow. Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa died in office, so, too, did military Heads of State Aguiyi Ironsi, Murtala Mohammed and Sani Abacha, while Olusegun Obasanjo lost his wife. It seemed at a point she would also die from the fabled curse, she insinuated, especially after enduring 12 surgeries in one month. But after her husband had lost the election, and she packed out of the State House, the last major surgical intervention she was to have turned out a miracle. The ailment, or whatever it was that troubled her, had vanished, she gasped in excitement.

    Two things were remarkable about Dame Patience’s testimonies, as impressive as she made them. One is that neither she nor her husband apparently knew the significance of the highest office in the land. The First Family told a distinct lie about the surgeries she had had two years ago, when she gave the impression she went abroad to rest. The last surgery she was to have after her husband lost reelection was also kept out of public view for reasons not too far removed from superstition. Secondly, but perhaps happily, she and her husband have reconciled themselves to their electoral loss, considering that she in particular miraculously gained her health back. Had her husband not lost, she hinted, who knows, maybe she would be battling more surgeries, or something far worse and terminal.

    Dame Patience entertained Nigerians with grammar, personal irreverence, and quaint philosophy. And her husband regaled us with his gaffes and frequent talk of self-importance. If in the coming years we have shortage of mirth in our politics, we should rue our loss and rehabilitate the unusual Jonathans who gave us capital entertainment free of charge for more than five years.

     

  • Jonathan feigns ignorance of wife’s whereabouts

    Jonathan feigns ignorance of wife’s whereabouts

    President Goodluck Jonathan at about 1:45pm Saturday said he was still expecting his wife, Dame Patience, at his community in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, to participate in the electoral process.

    The President who spoke after casting his vote at his polling unit feigned ignorance of his wife’s whereabouts claiming that the First Lady who was nowhere to be found in her voting unit did not board the same aircraft with him. While Jonathan who jetted out of his community shortly after casting his vote, claimed he was still expecting his wife at Otuoke, there were reports that Patience had spent about two days in Okirika, Rivers State, working to ensure the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the polls.

    When asked why his wife was not in Otuoke, President Jonathan said: “Of course, we used different aircraft. She was expected to be here. We have been expecting her and he will still come. “The only thing is whether she will meet up the accreditation period. That is the problem. But she is supposed to be on her way.” On his feeling after conceding defeat, the President said: “I am a Nigerian and I am Goodluck Jonathan and I feel that as a nation, you respect your laws and I am quite pleased in respecting the laws of the land”. The President further expressed satisfaction on the growing democratic ideals of the country. “As a nation, we are quite happy we are consolidating in our democratic efforts. The key thing is that the citizens must directly change government properly. We must do elections every four years”, he said. He reiterated that there was no governorship election in Bayelsa State which he said led to low voter turnout in many polling units.

    He said: “Some other states where you have the governorship elections, the stakes will be higher. Elections are going on. You will expect a country as big as Nigeria to have issues in some places. But in overall I think the elections are going on well.” Meanwhile in most polling units in Yenagoa, electoral materials arrived late and accreditation started beyond schedule. Supporters of opposition parties in Gbarain-Ekpetiama in Yenagoa were said to have protested against PDP stakeholders accusing them of bribing INEC officials. But at unit 11, Sagbama Constituency III, accredited started at about 8:20pm, though the card reader failed to recognized many fingerprints.

    There were also reports of diversion of electoral materials in some local government areas. For instance, an agent of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) alleged that materials meant for polling units at Amurukeni community Constituency II were diverted into the home of a government official at Omehia Town. But the elections were marred in Ogbia Constituency 3, following a breakdown of law and order in the area. Violence was said to have erupted at unit 11, Ward 6 in Oruma community, Ogbia Constituency 3, after thugs disrupted the accreditation exercise being conducted by officials of INEC.

    But an APC agent, Adaga Martins, explained that the exercise was disrupted because the electoral officers could not display ballot papers and results when asked to do so by party agents. Already, tension was said to have mounted in the area as supporters of APC and PDP were said to be spoiling for war. It was gathered that some of the youths believed to be APC supporters were chanting “No (electoral) materials, no election” and “No election here”.

    Also at unit 4, Otuasega, in Ward 6, APC candidate for Ogbia 3, Morris Abey, alleged that the Ogbia Local Council Chairman,  Enaye Abah, recruited youths of the community as “Ogbia Ward 6 Government Security”. Some of the youths were seen wearing the tag bearing the inscription “Ogbia Ward 6 Government Security”. But the Ogbia Local Council Chairman, Enaye Abah, denied the allegations, saying he did not print security tags for any youth.

  • Jonathan’s wife masterminding attack of APC members in Rivers – Amaechi

    Jonathan’s wife masterminding attack of APC members in Rivers – Amaechi

    The Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience, is the person masterminding the attack and arrest of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, using the police to intimidate and harass innocent Rivers people.

    Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Director-General of Buhari Campaign Organisation, insisted that the arrest of the Rivers APC members was led by the state’s Commissioner of Police, Dan Bature.

    The Rivers governor stated these at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday, while inaugurating two commissioners: Isobo Jack and Ode ThankGod, an engineer, as well as the reconstituted committee on Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Rivers Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Worgu Boms.

    Amaechi also charged the new commissioners to ensure effective service delivery.

    The NGF chairman said: “There are many offenders who were arrested for one crime or another and are now in prison custody. You are aware that some of the reasons for the increase in crime in our society is that there are no consequences. Unfortunately, we all belong to a society where the rich are not arrested. It is only the poor people that suffer arrest and prosecution. You are expected to use your good offices to parson those offenders who deserves the prerogative of mercy.

    “It is alarming that over 400 APC members (in Rivers State) have been arrested by the police. In Nigeria, criminals do not go to jail any longer. The arrest of the APC members was led by the state’s Commissioner of Police and that is why I said, the fight in Rivers State is between APC and the police. The wife of President Jonathan is the person masterminding the attack and arrest of APC members, using the police to intimidate and harass innocent people.”

    The Rivers governor also congratulated the new commissioners on their appointment, while asking them to ensure that the state’s urban development policy was improved upon.

    He said: “You are expected to assert law and order to regulate indiscriminate building of illegal structures and dumping of refuse in our environment.”

    Other members of the reconstituted committee on prerogative of mercy are W. S. Pepple, Dr. Jonah Hart, Ven. Jolly Ndubuisi, Chinemerem Wisdon Jerome, Mrs. Gloria Oyoophil Atako and Prof. Amakievi Gabriel.

    Amaechi also directed the members of the committee on prerogative of mercy to use their good offices to pardon deserving offenders.

    The chairman of the committee on prerogative of mercy, in his response, assured the Rivers governor that members of the committee would work within the ambits of the terms of reference given to them and ensure fairness.

  • How Patience tried to hijack Rivers, by Amaechi

    How Patience tried to hijack Rivers, by Amaechi

    •Blames President’s wife for ‘resuscitating’ kidnapping in PH

    •PDP can only win in 2015 through rigging

    •Amaechi has lost control, says Minister

    Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has given a fresh insight into why he fell out with President Goodluck Jonathan and the First Lady, Dame Patience.

    The governor, who doubles as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), told reporters at an interactive session in Port Harcourt on Friday night that Mrs. Jonathan wanted to dictate to him how to run the affairs of the state but that he refused to dance to her tunes.

    Mrs. Jonathan, like Amaechi, hail from Rivers State.

    Their disagreement is at the core of the current political crisis in the state with the State House of Assembly shut down following the polarisation of its members along the line of those for or against the governor.

    The minority six members against the governor are widely believed to be receiving encouragement from the Presidency.

    He said: “The wife of the President wanted to macro-manage governance in Rivers State and I said no, you cannot. I was elected. If I fail, they will not say the wife of the President failed; they will say Governor Amaechi failed. I am accountable to God, men and women of Rivers State.

    “The wife of the President was not elected the Governor of Rivers State. I was elected. I am not in any way the wife of the President. I am the Governor of Rivers State, married to Judith Amaechi.

    “I am telling you why they want to crucify me. This fight is about change. It is about good governance. It is about accountability. They do not like Rivers State. They hate us. We are losing. Tell me one thing that Rivers State has gained from being part of the South South under Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidency.”

    The governor, who was elected on the ticket of the PDP but defected along with four other governors to the All Progressives Congress (APC) recently also blamed Mrs. Jonathan for resuscitating militancy and kidnapping in the state.

    “By the time the wife of President Jonathan brought out the militants, we had almost got to zero point of no kidnapping in Port Harcourt. Where we were witnessing kidnapping were villages near Bayelsa and Abia States. We were thinking of how to go there with military surge, to chase the criminals back to their bases,” he said.

    He said his principled stand has earned him scorn from the First lady who, according to him, is bent on removing him from office using government power.

    “She also held a Security Council meeting with them in Otuoke (President Jonathan’s hometown in Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State), declaring that they would use federal ‘mighty’ (instead of might).But we have God Almighty.

    “Is there any governor that has passed through what I passed through that is still alive? I am still talking as the Governor of Rivers State because there is God. They can use their federal ‘mighty,’ but I depend on the Almighty God.”

    He said that President Jonathan has not helped matters by trying to under-develop Rivers at the expense of his (Jonathan’s) home state of Bayelsa.

    He cited the Zonal Air Force originally earmarked for Rivers by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua but which was relocated to Bayelsa and the transfer of Soku oil wells to Bayelsa.

    “The Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company (on Bonny Island in Rivers State) is even the worst. The members of the board and management of the NLNG came to me and pleaded with me to speak with the NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) to allow them to do Train Seven in Bonny, that will employ 10,000 Rivers people,” he said.

    “I approached the NNPC and I went to the Petroleum Ministry. I do not want to call names, because most of them are my friends. They told me no. I thought it was a joke. That time, there was no quarrel between me and President Jonathan, because we had just finished elections (2011) and we were still chummy-chummy.

    “I met with President Jonathan to kindly speak with officials of the NNPC and the Petroleum Ministry to allow NLNG to build Train Seven. President Jonathan said he wanted them to finish Brass LNG in his Bayelsa State, before they could build Bonny NLNG’s Train Seven. Mr. President said no and that he directed the officials of the NNPC and the Petroleum Ministry to say what they said.

    “Mr. President said right from when he was the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, he had been trying to get the Brass LNG and wants to get it now that he is the President. You cannot force investors. So, we must wait for Bayelsa State before Rivers State can grow.

    “The implication is that Rivers State will not grow until Goodluck Jonathan finishes his Presidency. Is that a good government? Is that a good party? Should I remain there? If I was lying, they would have replied me. What is Southsouth President? There is only one thing in politics, which is interest. You cannot play politics of Nigeria with religion or ethnicity.”

    He added: “They took Soku oil wells from us and they took 41 oil wells from Etche to Abia State. Should I remain in that kind of party that is denying Rivers State its resources?

    “When I said they could not account for N2.3 trillion for oil subsidy, they said what is your source? I was in a meeting with President Jonathan. Nigerians never knew that governors went on strike for three months. We refused to collect our monthly allocations, because we told President Jonathan that under Yar’Adua late Umaru under Gen. Obasanjo (former President Olusegun), the total oil subsidy was N300 billion.

    “The first year of President Goodluck Jonathan, in 2011, oil subsidy became N2.3 trillion. Did we buy more machines, more human beings in Nigeria, we had 24 hours power supply, things have changed in Nigeria, that we now consume N2.3 trillion from N300 billion?”

    He also denied subverting the administration of a fellow Southsoutherner.

    His words: “Who is a South South President? For me, a Southsouth President is the man who feels for me and cares.

    “For them to be doing the East-West Road (from Oron in Akwa Ibom State, through Ogoniland in Rivers State to Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Ogun States, terminating in Lagos State), I had to fight the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs (Elder Godsday Orubebe).

    “They said they would borrow money. They borrowed money and are now doing the East-West Road. The Southsouth President should have borrowed the money since 2011 that he came in and completed the East-West Road.

    “Unfortunately, Yar’Adua is not alive to speak for himself. I was part of the people who sat down with Yar’Adua to start the designing of coastal rail from Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Ogun States, up to Lagos State. Have you heard of it again?”

    He recalled a meeting he had with the late President Yar’Adua who, he said, asked what the Federal Government could do for Rivers State to stem militancy.

    Amaechi said he suggested the provision of a skills’ acquisition centre and the then President proceeded to award contracts for the project to ‘prominent Rivers people’ only for President Jonathan, on replacing Yar’Adua, to sack the contractors.

    The contracts, he added, were then re-awarded to other people.

    “For four years, the Federal Government’s skills’ acquisition centre is yet to be completed. It is not about the contractor not working. They are not funding the contractor, because the project is in Rivers State,” he said.

    Amaechi said that the PDP is fast drowning ahead of the 2015 elections.

    According to him, more of PDP governors will defect to the APC and that the PDP could only win in 2015 by rigging.

    He described the APC as the change agent Nigeria needs at this point in its history.

    He said that by March 2014 the APC would have become the majority party in the Senate.

    “Amaechi said, We are gradually forming government. We have taken over the House of Representatives. Before March (2014), we will take over the Senate. Just watch out.

    “The pressure will mount so much that they (Senators) will move from the PDP into APC. For now, it is narrowing down closely everyday and we are counting. Watch out before March, if we will not have the number we are looking for.”

    He dismissed the Nyesom Wike-led Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI) in the state as irrelevant and its members as hungry people.

    Wike, the Supervising Minister of Education is the arrowhead of the opposition to Amaechi.

    Amaechi said of the group: “I do not talk about those people who call themselves GDI. For me, they are not important, because that is not the fight. Those people do not even have the same agenda as the President. Their agenda is they cannot survive poverty.

    “What they (GDI members) are trying to do is how to win Rivers State and share the money. They are not fighting for President Jonathan. What is driving them mad about Obio/Akpor LG Council? I did not know that individuals working in my government were sharing Obio/Akpor LG council’s money and they were not ashamed.”

    He debunked reports that he had abandoned his wife, Judith, for another woman, saying: “I read a story that I impregnated Prof. Wole Soyinka’s (Nobel laureate’s) daughter. That she is living in my house and my wife has ran away. The story was bad. I had to call back my wife, so that they would know that she had not divorced me. She was not planning to do Christmas in Nigeria.

    “She (Judith Amaechi) is back to see her husband, spend time with the husband, do some of her functions as wife of the governor, so that they will know that I am still married. Not just that I am still married, I am a Catholic.

    “My marriage is as solid as a Catholic marriage. There is absolutely no room for divorce. What you have is room for annulment. There is only one ground for annulment of marriage in Catholic Church that is the marriage never took place. That means the woman either deceived him to marry her or the man deceived her into marrying him. Any other thing is called for better, for worse.”

    The political camp of the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), said yesterday that it was wrong of Amaechi to refer to its members as hungry people.

    Speaking on telephone from Lagos, the Secretary-General of the group, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, who doubles as the Rivers Publicity Secretary of the PDP, said the governor is confused and incapable of delivering the State to the APC in 2015.

    He said: “It is not new to us that Amaechi is saying GDI members are hungry. Amaechi’s father was not the Managing Director of Shell or Agip or owner of any bank in Nigeria or West Africa. He is of a humble beginning.

    “It baffles me whenever Amaechi says GDI members are hungry. It is unbecoming of a governor.

    “Amaechi has lost control of Rivers State. It is unfortunate that Amaechi could describe PDP as chop-I-chop party. PDP made him Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly and Rivers Governor. He is an ingrate. He is involved in anti-party activities.

    “PDP is not a drowning party. Amaechi, now a member of the APC, cannot win any election in his Ubima Ward 8 (Ikwerre LGA). Amaechi is involved in a show of shame. Amaechi cannot deceive Rivers people.”

    He said that Rivers State would never belong to the opposition, stressing that the PDP would continue to win the Niger Delta State.

  • Patience Jonathan, Bola Shagaya still as close as ever

    Patience Jonathan, Bola Shagaya still as close as ever

    Contrary to the story making the rounds that billionaire businesswoman, Hajia Bola Shagaya, and Nigeria’s First Lady, Patience Jonathan, have parted ways on account of some issues that border on trust, the two remain as close as ever.

    There had been reports of the First Lady instructing her aides not to grant access to Sagaya because of an alleged act of betrayal on her part. It was even rumoured that the First Lady appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to reduce Hajia Shagaya’s influence in his government by not inviting him to official functions at the State House. Rumour mongers also said Folorunso Alakija is the woman now fancied by Dame Patience.

    However, investigations by CelebWatch indicate that all the rumours are nothing but tissues of lie emerging from the figments of the rumour mongers’ imagination. The two powerful women still relate with each other as closely as they did when Dame Patience was the wife of the Vice President. In fact, they always attend events together, except Hajia Shagaya is not in the country.

  • Condolence Visit to the President’s family

    Condolence Visit to the President’s family

  • Dame Patience states her case

    “We wish to say for the umpteenth time that the land matter had been taken out of context in the public domain, to create an impression that Dame Patience tried to take over a land previously allocated to Hajia Turai. The fact of the matter is that this was not the case, as we have consistently explained. The land, as clarified by former FCT Minister, Aliyu Moddibo Umar, in the Daily Trust edition of Thursday, August 2, 2012, was originally allocated to the African First Ladies Peace Mission during the tenure of Hajia Turai Yar’Adua, as President of the Peace Mission in 2008.

    “By some curious circumstances, which have been explained by the FCT Administration, the piece of land was re-allocated to Hajia Turai Yar’Adua’s NGO (WAYEF), under another plot number. It is this anomaly, considered an administrative error, which the FCT had tried to rectify.

    “Let it be known that the FCT took what it considered a legitimate course of action to rectify the error, which Hajia Turai challenged in court, having turned down several efforts to get her NGO another piece of land.

    “Our office had repeatedly stated that the land, which had been subject of litigation, was between the FCT Administration and Hajia Turai Yar’adua’s NGO, and neither the African First Ladies Peace Mission, even though it is the original allotee of the land, nor Dame Patience Jonathan, who is the sitting President of the continental body, was joined in the suit.

    “For purposes of emphasis, we wish to reiterate that the land in question was first allocated to the African First Ladies Peace Mission, according to records available to us, during the tenure of Hajia Turai Yar’Adua as President of the Mission. If in leaving office she had decided to depart with the land, the FCT HAS TAKEN APPROPRIATE LOGICAL ACTION to retrieve the said plot for the ORIGINAL allotee and purpose.”

    “To this extent, we wish to state categorically that the judgment referred to in the media was not against the person of Dame Patience Jonathan, and we will like the public and well-meaning Nigerians to put the matter in its proper perspective for the purpose of accurate record and common good.”