Tag: Patience Jonathan

First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan has urged commitment from Nigerians, irrespective of political and religious sentiments, in the fight against terrorism.

She said the task of ensuring peace should not be left to the government alone.

Mrs. Jonathan said with team work, the country would overcome insecurity, adding: “The reality of the situation imposes on every Nigerian, the obligation to subscribe to the philosophy of commitment.”

The First Lady, who spoke at Umueze 1 in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, at the dedication of the St. Michael’s Catholic Church, built by billionaire businessman Chief Tony Chukwu, enjoined Nigerians, whom she described as peace- loving people, not to allow “troublemakers have their way.”

Her words: “I want to remind everyone that peace is a commitment to all of us. It should not be left for government alone. Nigerians are peace-loving people, troublemakers should not be allowed to have their way. Our country will overcome every of its challenges.”

Mrs. Jonathan solicited support for the President’s Transformation Agenda, noting that it had put the country on the path of recovery.

“We should support the Transformation Agenda because it has moved the nation forward. It is when we work together that we can progress.”

Urging prayer for the nation, the First Lady hailed Chukwu for building the place of worship, saying the church would bring the people nearer to God.

The officiating Priest and the Apostolic Nonsio, Augustine Kusuji, advised Nigerians to fight insecurity with prayers, adding that through prayers, the Boko Haram insurgency, the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and other challenges would be overcome.

He assured that the church would play its role of promoting peace, unity and harmony in the world.

The donor said the church was his way of giving back to humanity and to God for his blessings to his family.

Personalities who attended the event included Senate Deputy President Ike Ekweremmadu, House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, Iyom Uche Ekwunife, Governor Theodore Orji, Dr. Ifeanyi Uba and former Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim.

Others are Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, Imo State First Lady Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha, Chris Uba, among others.c

•Gov: We’re a peaceful, united family

SENATORS and members of the House of Representatives from Bayelsa State may have joined forces with the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, against Governor Seriake Dickson.

The federal lawmakers were said to have formed a formidable force to upturn moves by Dickson and his camp to deny them reelection in 2015 by zoning them out of reckoning.

The angry lawmakers were said to have aligned with the moves by the first lady to replace Dickson with her loyalist in 2016.

It was gathered that some of the senators held separate meetings with President Jonathan and his wife to fine-tune strategies of outsmarting the governor to clinch their party tickets for 2015 elections.

Dickson has been in a running battle with the lawmakers following their ambitions to return to the National Assembly for second and third terms.

The camp of the governor had through stakeholder meetings reached decisions to zone the National Assembly seats in the state in the interest of equity, unity and peace.

The agitation for zoning had unsettled the state chapter of the PDP and compelled the lawmakers to hold parallel congresses to counter the moves of the governor’s loyalists.

With the development, the governor was said to be fighting the alleged plots by the first lady to remove him from office and insistence of the federal lawmakers to have their way.

It was learnt that the federal lawmakers seized last Thursday’s visit of Dame Patience to make a bold statement to the Dickson’s camp.

Senators Emmanuel Paulker (Central), Clever Ikisikpo (East) and Heineken Lokpobiri (West) including all the members of the House of Representatives from the state attended the programme while Dickson was absent.

The first lady, who was apparently elated at the solidarity shown her by the lawmakers, informed the crowd that the senators held a meeting with the president at the eve of the event.

She said, shortly after the meeting, the senators promised they would attend the programme on a chartered flight.

She thanked them for making good their promise.

A source, who pleaded for anonymity, said the absence of the governor at the occasion was an indication of a widening crack between the presidency and Dickson.

The source recalled that President Jonathan refused to attend the Bayelsa State Thanksgiving Day, which held recently at the Cultural Centre, Yenagoa.

“Jonathan was in the state but instead of identifying with the event, he chose to go back to Abuja after giving some excuses.

“Jonathan has been going to other states including Akwa Ibom State to commission projects but he has refused entreaties from the governor to visit Bayelsa and inaugurate some of his projects. All is not well.

“The governor was not present at Dame Patience’s event but all the senators and members of the House of Representatives were there.

“They are passing a strong message to Dickson. None of them attended the Bayelsa Thanksgiving Day. But they were with madam. The battle has just started,” he said.

But Dickson, in a statement yesterday, described the PDP in the state as one peaceful, united and focused family under the leadership of the president and the governor.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the governor said the party was working collectively and rallying the needed support for President Goodluck Jonathan in the next elections.

He cautioned party faithful, especially person seeking elective positions and their supporters, to be mindful of their utterances and actions.

He feared that unguarded utterances could be used by the opposition to paint a wrong or misleading picture of the state of affairs in the state.

Dickson reaffirmed the state’s unflinching support for President Jonathan’s re-election bid and called on the political class and the entire people of the state to rally round him at all times.

•PDP aspirants, others protest alleged imposiriion

The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, cancelled yesterday her talks with “warring” governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State.

None of the aspirants was prepared to step down, leading to the intervention of the First Lady.

But the ”Operation Capture Kwara from APC” suffered a setback because most of the aspirants vowed not to honour any intervention by the First Lady.

They insisted on free and fair primaries, instead of imposing a candidate on the party.

But an “anointed aspirant”, Mr. Dele Belgore, said he remained the most popular choice to beat.

A top source said: “While we were preparing to meet the First Lady, the session was abruptly cancelled because of the tension in the state among the aspirants.

“I think they want the aspirants to put their house in order to avoid embarrassing the First Lady. The threats from some of the aspirants might derail the initiative of the First Lady.

“As I am talking to you, we are at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja as part of striking some understanding on the way forward. Some aspirants are, however, adamant on free and fair primaries.”

A statement by Belgore last night through his Media Aide, Rafiu Ajakaye, said: “Our attention has been drawn to a story, titled: First Lady summons Kwara aspirants, in which several false claims were made in a bid to cause needless tension within the state chapter of the PDP.

“We are interested mainly in the unsubstantiated and false claims made in respect of the ambition of frontline PDP governorship aspirant, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN).

“While we are not against the party pursuing any viable option it deems most beneficial to its interest, we make bold to say that Belgore remains the single most popular choice, not just among the rank and file of the state chapter of the party but among all Kwarans.

“The story in question is manifestly incorrect. First, the delegates’ election elected 579 delegates, not 750 as reported.

“Secondly, the results of the election though not yet formally announced bear a totally different picture and the Belgore camp is satisfied with both the process of the election and the election itself.

“This is simply because Belgore has nothing to fear from any election in Kwara State within the party and with the public.

“Accordingly, stories about anyone being imposed as PDP governorship candidate are just calculated blackmail by some persons to pre-empt the outcome of the party’s electoral process.

“Results from the election, both for the ward delegates and the national delegates, should speak for themselves.”

Also, six PDP governorship and five House of Representatives aspirants in Kwara State protested yesterday the alleged manipulation of delegates’ list in favour of a particular aspirant.

The protesters said the development, if not well handled, could lead to a breakdown of law and order in the state.

Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, the director of campaign organisation of a governorship aspirant, Mr. Remi Martins, and one of the delegates, whose name was allegedly substituted, Salman Jawondo, said a chieftain of PDP used her influence in the Presidency to manipulate list of delegates for House of Assembly and House of Representatives congresses in seven local governments.

Martins also said the aggrieved aspirants had written protest letters to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party on the activities of a party chieftain on the allegations.

 

The people accused the chieftain of influencing the delegates’ list to favour an aspirant and her son, who is vying for House of Representatives in Asa/Ilorin West.

They added that the chieftain had said she had the backing of Mrs. Jonathan and the Presidency.

Martins said any attempt to tinker with the delegates’ list could jeopardise the chances of PDP in next year’s elections.

He added that investigation on the alleged manipulation by an appeal panel raised by the party’s NWC was jettisoned by the state party Exco.

According to him, the people were behind the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan and they were democrats who want free and fair primaries.

PDP State Chairman Iyiola Oyedepo confirmed the protests by some party members.

He described them as part of a democratic experiment.

The chairman absolved the party leadership of partisanship, assuring the aspirants of fairness.

 

 

 

 

 

The First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, has denied reports claiming that she summoned Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants in Oyo State, when she commissioned the Office of Women for Change and Development Initiative.

The report said she requested PDP leaders to accommodate former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, who is an Accord Party chieftain, in the PDP and help him realise his governorship ambition.

A statement titled: “Re: Oyo PDP Crisis: Party Leaders, aspirants battle Patience Jonathan” and issued by Ayo Adewuyi, Media Assistant in the Office of the First Lady, said the report was dubious, diversionary and unfair.

Mrs. Jonathan said she was neither an elected state official nor a party functionary to make such a request.

She said she was only concerned with the peaceful conduct of the 2015 general election as the President of the African First Ladies Peace Mission.

The statement reads: “It has come to our notice that a new twist has been introduced to the carefully orchestrated scheme to anchor the political fortunes or survival of certain politicians on a deliberate demonisation of Mrs Patience Faka Jonathan, who has continued to preach the gospel of peaceful atmosphere for the conduct of 2015 elections.”

“This was demonstrated in a newspaper report. According to the report, the First Lady, is being alleged to have requested PDP leaders in Oyo State to “accommodate” former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, who is an Accord Party chieftain in the PDP and be “supported to realise his Governorship ambition”.

“We consider it preposterous that it can be assumed that the First Lady would possibly make such request on behalf of someone who is not even in the PDP. We ask again, on what platform? Within what context? And to achieve what?  Is Ladoja in PDP?

“This is another attempt by mischief makers to loop their self-induced political travails around the First Lady, to develop another strategy for their survival.

“Let us state once again, that Mrs Jonathan is not an elected state official, neither is she a party functionary. She therefore recognises very clearly her place in the scheme of things and acts always accordingly.

“If anything, she has continued to preach for peaceful conduct of all aspirants before, during and after elections, since she believes that Peace is prerequisite to a free and fair election and ultimately, development and unity of the country.

“The First Lady is of the opinion that we need peaceful environment for the election itself and when there is likelihood of crisis brewing; performing her role as the President of the African First Ladies Peace Mission becomes inevitable, since charity must begin at home.

“She believes the elections can only be conducted in a peaceful atmosphere and the aspirants must be alive to contest and win election. She only preaches peace because she is a mother of peace.

“Dame Jonathan was in Ibadan only for the purpose of inaugurating the Oyo State office of Women for Change and Development Initiative, one of her NGOs seeking for the upliftment of the status of Nigerian women, during which women of Oyo State were equally empowered.”

“To therefore say that the First Lady summoned PDP governorship aspirants asking them to “accommodate” an Accord Party aspirant is to say the least dubious, diversionary, unfair, unkind, and therefore totally unacceptable.”

The First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, urged Nigerians yesterday not to lose hope on the Chibok girls.

She said the Federal Government is working to ensure their safe release.

Mrs. Jonathan spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, where she opened the State secretariat of Women for Change and Development Initiative and distributed empowerment materials to women from 33 council areas and 17 Non-Governmental Organisations.

The First Lady said the initiative was committed to achieving improvement in the economic well-being of the nation’s urban and rural women as well as the less-privileged in the society.

She called for prayers for the girls and urged parents to focus on child training and good moral.

According to her, security should not be left to the government alone.

“One way we have tried to impart on the lives of women is by championing the representation of women, especially the 35 per cent affirmation action in respect of women representation in governance. “It will interest you to know that the Women for Change and Development Initiative has collaborated with many organisations and spirited individuals in the discharge of its role in line with the transformation agenda of the current administration.

Mrs. Jonathan, who arrived about 1.15pm at the main bowl of the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasigba, Ibadan, canvassed for women participation in the forth coming general election.

 

 

 

Present at the event were Oyo State Governor‘s wife Mrs Florence Ajimobi; her Ondo State counterpart, Mrs. Olukemi Mimiko; wife of the deputy governor  Mrs Janet Adeyemo; Mrs Awa Idris, Mrs. Abiodun Arapaja;  Iyalode of Ibadanland Alhaja Aminat Abiodun; Alhaja Bose Adedibu, Senior Special Assistant  to the President on MDGs, Mrs Precious Gbeneol;  Minister of State Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oloye Jumoke Akinjide; National Coordinator , Women for Change and  Development Initiatives, Princess Rabi Ibrahim; wife of former Oyo State Governor Alhaja Mutiat Ladoja and others.

Mrs. Ajimobi thanked the First Lady for the love and empowerment.