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Tag: Patience Jonathan

  • ‘I foresee imminent clash between Wike, Patience Jonathan’

    ‘I foresee imminent clash between Wike, Patience Jonathan’

    Napoleon Ukalikpe is a former Chairman of Ahoada–East Local Government Area in Rivers State. He is also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and staunch backer of Governor Rotimi Amaechi. He speaks with PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA on his party’s chances in 2015 and perceived bias of the police in the crisis in the state.

    What is the strength of the APC in Ekpeyeland?

    All Progressive Congress (APC) has no rival in Ekpeye Kingdom. The Kingdom comprises Ahoada West and East Local Government Areas of Rivers State. Who are members of PDP in the area? These are people who are afraid of APC. Ekpeye Kingdom has already been captured by Amaechi. Don’t forget that he is a grassroots’ man. If you want to test Amaechi’s popularity, go to the rural communities in Rivers State; you will confirm what I am telling you.

    GDI, Wike’s political group, has been boasting in Ekpeyeland that they are on ground. But one thing is certain, if Jonathan wants to test the strength of GDI and PDP in the state, he should order the police to allow APC to have a free rally and meeting like GDI and PDP. It is impossible for GDI to capture Ekpeye kingdom. Let me tell you something, there will soon be a very big fight resulting from conflict of interest between GDI and PDP. Like I said, GDI is a political group personally owned by the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike. Wike has spent his resources funding the activities of GDI in the state and he will do everything possible to protect his interest. I know he will clash with the First Lady who will likely hand pick who will be the next governor in Rivers State under PDP.

    By 2015, Ikwerre will complete the opportunity given to them to govern this state. And it will amount to injustice if another Ikwerre man becomes the next governor of the state. In fact, there is no way an Ikwerre man will say he wants to rule this state by 2015; that is the message of Governor Amaechi. He wants other tribes to be given the opportunity to govern the state. Now the leadership of PDP is saying that there is no zoning and those who can understand the political handwriting knows what they mean. And that is where the GDI will clash with PDP because Wike, an Ikwerre man, has an eye on the governorship seat.

    Why are some political heavyweights in Ekpeye Kingdom who were supporters of Governor Amaechi working against him?

    Those who are against Amaechi in Ekpeye Kingdom are those who have contested with Amaechi’s candidates in the last general elections and local government election in the state but failed during the primaries. I don’t want to mention names but they know themselves. Some of them insisted on going back to state and federal assemblies, but because of their disloyalty, the governor supported other candidates against them and they lost. So, the only means to fight back is to support Wike’s GDI. But in their absence in Amaechi’s camp in Ekpeye we have recorded huge success because some of them are betrayers who have no political acumen to move APC forward in the area.

    In Ekpeye Kingdom, the man in the National House of Assembly is with Amaechi, the Senator there is also with him, the chairmen and councillors are also with him. Those who are with Wike in the area are expired politicians. I want to make it clear here that propaganda is part of politics but the propagandists in Ekpeye kingdom are not politicians but noisemakers. PDP (leaders) in the state are afraid of APC; that is why the police who are working with their directive are finding it difficult to give equal security opportunity to the two parties in the state because if they do, they are finished.

    How is APC coping with alleged police intimidation?

    I want to thank the Inspector General of Police for his order that police should provide protection for one of our rallies in Ogoni recently. At least we are watching to see if the order is for one day or if it will continue. This is because we are passing through hell in the hands of unprofessional police officers in the state who have abandoned their duty to play politics. On Saturday January 11, the police in Rivers State disrupted APC meeting in Ahoada West and the same police allowed a meeting of GDI on same day at the Sam Royal Hotel in Ahoada town. Another incident took place at Odioku Community in Ahoada West during one of the meetings of the party; the police disrupted our meeting. Even when the APC left the Town Square to hold their meeting in a hotel, the police trailed them to that point and chased them away with threats to kill anyone who dared them. Same day at Upatabo Community also in Ahoada West, hoodlums under police protection pulled down canopies mounted by the APC for their meeting.The same treatment was meted on APC loyalists who gathered at Ward 3, Engenni area for their meeting. Like I said, we are experiencing hell in the hands of police in the state. We are watching to see if the directive given by Inspector General of Police is just for Ogoni rally.

    What do you think could be done to end police harassment of your members?

    We are not helpless, we are only careful because the Police Commissioner in the state is on a mission. You can imagine that police disrupted APC meeting in the state and the same day a meeting of GDI and PDP supporters went on smoothly; that alone tells you that we are into serious battle. Instead of the police in Rivers State to protect democracy and allow freedom of movement and the liberty of the people, the Mbu Joseph Mbu-led command has decided to put on the cloak of mercenaries to brutalise innocent members of the party. Rivers State is under siege through Mbu. There is spurious propaganda machinery. What happened on Sunday , January, 12, and Sunday January 19 were not only callous but also affronts on the constitution of Nigeria that guarantees freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. It is an attempt to plant dictatorship and autocracy to subvert Nigerians and undermine the Rivers man but we are out to defend our rights.

    With the situation on ground, don’t you fear that the police and other security agencies could be used to impose a candidate in 2015?

    Believe me, it cannot happen. That we are quiet over police impunity does not mean we are weak or we don’t know our rights. Those fighting Amaechi are Port Harcourt men but Amaechi is a grassroots man, the big men don’t come out to vote; it is the youths, the rural populace. The governor has done a lot for the state by rendering good services to the people of Rivers State through governance. This is a state that youths who came from poor background beg for scholarship because of corruption, which has made some elite to divert the opportunities to their children and relatives but today thousands of youths are beneficiaries of Rivers State scholarship. So, if they say they are strong to win election in Rivers State, let police give APC the same protection they give to PDP in the state. My message is that we are going to protect our votes when the time comes. Nobody will subvert the will of the people.

     

  • Don’t play politics with MDGs, First Lady tells lawmakers

    Don’t play politics with MDGs, First Lady tells lawmakers

    First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, yesterday urged lawmakers and stakeholders in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to avoid playing politics with the programme.

    The First Lady said it was important to consider the interests of those the lawmakers represent and ensure that such interests were taken care of.

    She said the development programme included participation of states and local governments, besides the interventions from the Federal Government.

    Mrs Jonathan noted that other tiers of the government should do their obligations on the MDGs.

    The First Lady spoke yesterday at the launch of Village Health Workers Scheme at the State House.

    She was reacting to the demand of the Chairman of the House Committee on MDGs to include the most remote local governments in his home state of Sokoto among the next benefitting councils in the programme.

    Mrs Jonathan said: “Before I end my speech, I need to specially thank the honourables in the National Assembly. You know there are things you play politics with and things you do not play with. We should think of our people – women and children – because they voted us to power to improve their lives.

    “They voted us to improve our communities and foster development to our villages. So, I must say we should not play politics with it, because we need to understand that the MDGs are usually about collaboration among federal, state and local governments. There are roles each of the level of government will play.”

     

  • Group urges First Lady to promote peace

    Group urges First Lady to promote peace

    A Non-Governmental Organisation, I-Nigerian Renaissance Initiative has urged First Lady Patience Jonathan to be a vanguard for peace in the country.

    National Coordinator of the I-Nigerian Ada Stella Apiafi, said the First Lady’s many Peace-oriented projects which led her to declare herself as “Mama Peace” would remain an illusion if she could not intervene in the crisis bedevilled her home state Rivers and other parts of the country.

    The I-Nigerian in a statement said so much had been going on since the new year. “It would be difficult to ignore the fact that violence has been rearing its head among us, threatening our national security, costing us many lives and property and denting the image of our country more and more each day. Rivers State, Borno, Maiduguri, Ilorin, have witnessed spates of violence that have kept our security apparatus working round the clock.

    The group said with her influence and position, the First Lady could bring about peace in Rivers State. “It is no longer a matter of who is wrong, or who is right, nor even whether these eruptions are politically-motivated, or nor – it is now a matter of moving to save the State from absolute collapse and destruction, where the people will suffer greatly.

    The group added: “Whilst the final analysis is left for history to tell, and posterity hangs in the shadows, perhaps it’s a good time to also look at certain burning issues stirring the First Lady in the face. The position of First Lady also confers the status – and huge responsibility, I daresay – of being the “Mother of the Nation,” a position which requires a clear understanding, articulation, objectivity, and even temperament, in order to perform excellently in that role.

     

  • Looming anarchy

    Looming anarchy

    •Responsibility for restoring order in Rivers State rests on President Jonathan

    The drama in Rivers State has turned absurd and is threatening to consume the country. In all this, the refusal of President Goodluck Jonathan to give leadership is confounding. He has kept silent as the state is boiling. Already, lives have been lost, protests have gone awry and confidence is lost in the police force. Even the judiciary is not spared as two courts were nearly razed. Yet, the President seems not bothered by these developments.

    This has fuelled the speculation that President Jonathan is behind the mayhem in the state. The Grassroots Democratic Initiative, an initiative of the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, seems to be getting cover from the police. There have also been suggestions that the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, who was once engaged in a public showdown with the state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, might be behind the anti-Amaechi orchestrations in the state.

    These are serious enough suggestions. A President, as leader of the country, would have been expected to rise immediately to the occasion, distance his office from such acts that could lead to anarchy and call the head of the police force to order. Every move made so far by institutions of state to bring sanity to the state has been frustrated by the federal executive. Last July, the Senate passed a resolution to take over the legislative activities of the state as provided in the constitution. The move was frustrated by the courts. The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu ordered the chambers of the House of Assembly sealed off.

    Unless the President steps in decisively, gives effect to the resolution of the two Houses of the National Assembly that the commissioner of police should be removed and assures the people that he has no interest other than the higher interest of ensuring that the Rule of Law and peace reign in the state, the situation is likely to degenerate and the result unpredictable. At the moment, Mr. Mbu is seen by a section of the state as a participant in the crisis. The inability of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, to act is equally perceived to be based on ‘order from above’. The logical consequence of this is a resort to self-help.

    The directive of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to its members in the National Assembly to block all executive bills already presented or that may be sent to the assembly now is instructive that the general good is being threatened. The party has said, if the federal ruling party could use its control of the federal apparatus to support Wike and his men in Rivers State, the APC would do all within its power to protect the governor; one of its own.

    The reality today is that Nigeria is gradually sliding into a fractured state. The country is being set on fire in one corner – one of the 36 states – and the President, like Nero, is fiddling in Abuja. He has time to play the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) politics, fly around the world and pretend that all is well. Nigeria’s history indicates that cauldrons start small.

    We call on President Jonathan to play his role as the country’s leader and as father of the nation. It behoves him to call all the parties to order. The constitution is clear on the place and role of the governor as Chief Security Officer of his state. He should not be undermined by a commissioner of police who should take orders from him. When that happens, mayhem may result and Nigerians are the ultimate losers.

     

  • Yeye Bola Dare in double celebration

    Yeye Bola Dare in double celebration

    YEYE Bola Dare is a lady that wields a lot of power in Abuja and close to the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan. So powerful is the former media practitioner that she could be referred to as Madam Fix it in the capital city of Abuja.

    Not only is she Madam Fix it, the vivacious woman has been dubbed Mother Theresa, no thanks to the orphanage she runs in Gwarimpa, Abuja. Between December 13 and 15, the Federal Capital Territory will play host to socialites, fun lovers and government functionaries as Yeye rolls out the drums to celebrate the 6th anniversary of Mother Theresa children’s home as well as birthday thanksgiving /party of 46 children. There will be thanksgiving service at Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church, Asokoro, while reception will follow at the home in Gwarimpa. The colour of the day is white and black with a touch of red. By 8pm, the stylish and glamorous lady will be entertaining the crème de la creme to her 46th birthday bash.

    Yeye Bola Dare takes delight in giving life and hope to the less-privileged children whom she named after world presidents and past Nigerian leaders. Her involvement in philanthropy is not unconnected with her calling to be the mother of many children.

  • Patience Jonathan adopts new name

    Patience Jonathan adopts new name

    The First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, has joined in the search for peace in the country.

    She said she had turned into a peace crusader to ensure an end to militancy and terrorism in the country, stressing that without peace, it would be difficult to forge ahead as a nation.

    Consequently, she said, she had jettisoned Patience and adopted Peace as her new name. Hence, she would want to be addressed as Mama Peace, she said.

    Mrs Jonathan, who also said her major preoccupation is to see to the improvement in mother and child healthcare in the country, announced that her non-governmental organisation, Women for Change Initiative, had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with some international hospitals who have agreed to build, equip and manage specialist hospitals for women and children.

    She spoke yesterday at the formal launch of Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) of Maternal and Child Health programme (MCH) termed Mama Project, held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa.

    She said: “My name is no more Patience but Mama Peace. Because I believe without peace, there will be no more women, no more children and no more health sector. Without peace, the international community will be afraid to come and invest in our country.

    “Peace is from the heart, not from the tongue or lips. Not what you say but what is in you. We pray for genuine peace because it is the key to our arriving at our desired destination as a nation.

    “We are approaching the new year, which is a year of peace, progress and so many good (things) to come. A year of no militancy or Boko Haram because God will shower peace and make us take a u-turn from disaster.”

    The MAMA Project, Mrs. Jonathan said, was aimed to cover 500 primary health care facilities and 125 general hospitals.

  • Photo: Dame Jonathan, Minister at Telecom World

    Photo: Dame Jonathan, Minister at Telecom World

    First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and the Minister of Communications Technology, Omobola Johnson were at the International Telecommunication Union Telecom World 2013 was held in Bangkok recently.
    Picture shows the Minister, Dame Jonathan and Airtel’s Director: Regulatory Affairs & Special Projects, Osondu Nwokoro at the programme.
  • Amaechi, PDP chair disagree

    Amaechi, PDP chair disagree

    Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and the Rivers Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Felix Obuah, have disagreed on the cause of the death of the mother of Dame Patience Jonathan, Madam Charity Fyneface Oba.

    Amaechi, who is also the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), equally disagreed with Obuah on the alleged directive to Rivers commissioners and council chairmen to register with the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Rivers PDP alleged that it had uncovered a plot by the Rivers government to disparage and castigate President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, ahead of Friday’s funeral of Madam Oba.

    Amaechi, however, described the allegations as a clear fabrication and a figment of imagination of Obuah.

  • First Lady to address UN forum

    First Lady to address UN forum

    The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, will participate at the High Level Forum for First Ladies at the 68th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, with the theme “Building Bridges for Peace on Health Disability: Post 2015 Sustainable Development Agenda Initiative”, is scheduled for Sept. 24.

    She is expected to deliver a speech for the opening of the workshop session, while Senior Advisor, RAND Corporation on the African First Ladies Fellowship Programme, Nicole Brzeski, will chair the workshop.

    The session will address various creative strategies in addressing and overcoming peace challenges on various forms of women’s health and wellbeing.

    Dr Ada Okika, the Secretary-General, U.S. Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations New York State Chapter, told NAN that the time had come for realistic understanding of the significance of a transformative agenda to build peace among nations.

    “Peace is directly related to poverty eradication, health care and improvement, good governance, leadership, social and economic emancipation and sustainability.

    “Throughout its history, there have been global experiences on a wide range of conflicts, violence and other numerous challenges.

    “These challenges must be addressed in order to promote human development, revitalise infrastructure and establish sustainable peace in working towards the future that the world want,’’ Okika said.

    She noted that people throughout the world desired peace and good health, adding that women in particular had unique capacities to promote the peace and achieve positive health.

    “For this reason, we propose to convene First Ladies Forum from all UN Member States.

    “The forum can serve as active agent for peace, building bridges on women’s health disability and child marriage, and meeting the challenges for sustainable peace and development of nations,’’ Okika added. (NAN)

  • Neither Amaechi nor his wife have condoled me, says First Lady

    Neither Amaechi nor his wife have condoled me, says First Lady

    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