From Punch…
Contrary to her earlier denials
of involvement in the political crisis rocking Rivers State, wife of President Goodluck Jonathan,
Patience, on Wednesday opened up
on the matter.
She told 16 bishops from the
South-South, who visited her at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, that her
misunderstanding with Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, started about four
years ago in Anyugubiri in Okrika when she appealed to him to engage
her people in dialogue instead of
demolishing a part of their
community.
Mrs. Jonathan said the governor, whom she described as “hot tempered,” did not only ignore her
advice, he went a step further by
sacking the chairman of the local government for holding a reception in
her honour.
According to her, Amaechi did not
only stop at those, he imposed a curfew
on the community, which is where she hails from.
She said all her pleas with the
governor to lift the curfew fell on deaf ears.
Although the President’s wife
told the visiting bishops that she had
since committed the Rivers crisis to
God, she
decided to open up for the first time on it so that they could pray to God to touch Amaechi’s heart.
She said, “Rivers State issue is
one thing I have committed to prayer
because I believe there is nothing God cannot do. God restored me and I will do
His work without the fear of man. The truth will always remain the truth and
what God ordains must come to pass and so Rivers issue is something we have
handed over to God.
“This matter started four years
ago at Anyugubiri in Okrika when I begged him not to demolish a part of Okrika
but that he should dialogue first with the people. After that incident, he
called the chairman of Okrika Local Government and sacked him for holding a
reception in our honour; that boy was the first victim.
“He also put my people under
curfew for nine months. I called him and pleaded with him but he refused. Then
I began to hear all sorts of propaganda in the media against me; this is not
the way.
“I have never spoken about this
issue but as men of God, I believe you will say the truth always because there
are a lot of conflicting interests; some will hear one thing and say the exact
opposite.
“I also want you to know the
genesis of this problem and pray that God touches Amaechi’s heart as per his
hot temper because when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.’’
Mrs. Jonathan urged the governor
to sheathe the sword and allow peace to reign in the state.
She said as her son, she could not
be fighting the governor.
She also urged the governor to
avoid being used by outsiders to fight “his own blood.”
She added, “I appeal to Amaechi
to sheathe his sword so that we can defend our state and this country with
love, unity, patriotism and truth at all time.
“Hebrews 12:14 urges us to
embrace peace with all men without which, we cannot see God. Amaechi is my son,
I cannot fight him and I cannot kill him. He shouldn’t be used by outsiders
against his own blood because this seat is vanity.
“One day, no matter how long it
takes, we will leave this seat. Power is not forever. This seat is vanity,
others sat here and left, so one day I will also leave and we will meet at
home; so why should I fight him?
“Let’s take it easy and face issues. Let’s stop magnifying lies; we
must respect our leaders and people in
authority. Let’s give peace a chance.”
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Bishop
God-Do-Well Awomapara, said they decided
to visit the wife of the President to unravel the mysteries surrounding the
crisis in the state and mediate in order to find a lasting solution to it.
“Our visit is significant in view of emerging
situations in our region. We are on a quest to unravel the mysteries
surrounding the Rivers issue and mediate where necessary,” he said.
Mrs. Jonathan’s spokesman, Mr.
Ayo Osinlu, later issued a statement in
which she again called on all
those involved in the crisis to sheathe
their swords and find ways to restore
peace to the state.
The statement reads in part,
“Dame Jonathan particularly appealed to Governor Amaechi to fly the olive branch, and resist
being used by outsiders against his own people.
“While giving an insight into the
genesis of the crisis in the state, she reiterated the need for the warring
factions to employ dialogue as a means of resolving the contending issues
amicably.
“The First Lady urged those who
are crying more than the bereaved to stop magnifying the misunderstanding,
while reiterating that Governor Amaechi
and Mr. Nyeson Wike (Minister of State for Education) remain her sons, brothers
and kinsmen, and would do anything to protect both of them.
Reacting, the State Commissioner
for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said the governor did
not demolish the houses around a school in Angubiri, Okirika, as advised by
Mrs. Jonathan.
Semenitari, who recalled what
happened in Okirika when the President’s wife visited, said the school shown to
Mrs. Jonathan by the governor had no playground, adding that a playground and
other facilities could only be provided if some houses around the school were
demolished.
“The First Lady advised against
it and the governor did not demolish the houses. The school is still there
without a playground. This issue happened a long time ago. What I don’t
understand is that she still bears that in mind,” the commissioner added.
On the allegation that Amaechi
imposed a nine-month curfew on the people of Okrika, Semenitari disagreed with
Mrs. Jonathan, saying, “Even the First Lady had said several times that one of
the achievements of the governor was that he (Amaechi) brought peace to Okrika
and that people could sleep with both eyes closed.”
On her description of Amaechi as
hot-tempered, the commissioner pointed out that she could not say anything
about it since it was the President’s wife’s personal opinion.
Semenitari, however, expressed
satisfaction with Mrs. Jonathan’s warning to those using her name to forment
trouble to desist from such act.
“What I think is good to hear is
that she has no problem with the governor (Amaechi) and that those using her
name to cause crisis will stop doing so,” the commissioner stressed.
“She expressed her commitment to
ensuring that peace returns to Rivers State soon, stating that as the President
of African First Ladies Peace Mission, her desire is to have peace in her home
base.”
Also, the state government has raised the alarm over a strange posting
of policemen on Wednesday to the Government House in Port Harcourt and the Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.
Secretary to the State
Government, Mr. George Feyii, in a statement, said the postings were done
without notification.
He claimed that security operatives, whose identities
were unknown, said they got a directive
to remain at the gate of the governor’s
lodge.
Feyii explained that it was aware
that an official of a state, especially the governor, had the right to choose
the security personnel he could entrust his safety.
The statement reads, “The Rivers State Government notes with
distress, what is now an apparent attack on the person of Governor Amaechi. This (Wednesday) morning, two
policemen, one of who is Inspector Bawa, reported to the Rivers State
Governor’s Lodge at Justice Mohammed Bello Street, Asokoro, FCT Abuja.
“They claimed to have been posted by Nigeria
Police Force Headquarters to monitor the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge.
Earlier, four intelligence officers had been posted to the Government House in
Port Harcourt by the Rivers State Police Command.
“These postings were done without
any notification or deference to Governor Amaechi. We are aware that on issues of personal
safety, an official reserves the right to pick the security personnel to whom
he or she may entrust their safety. This is more so in the case of a state
governor.
“The policemen this (Wednesday)
morning said that they had directives to remain at the gate of the Rivers State
Governor’s lodge. Not only is the Rivers State Government uncertain of the true
identity of these gentlemen, we are worried as to the true intent behind this
latest posting.”
He recalled that events around the governor in
recent times had been suggestive of deliberate nonchalance, adding that the situation had continued even with an
appeal to the highest authorities.
“In recent times, events in Rivers State and
especially around Governor Amaechi have been suggestive of deliberate
nonchalance at best and complicity at
worst in the security breaches that have occurred. This trend has continued
despite a passionate appeal to the highest levels of authorities. We are
worried that we can no longer guarantee the safety of Governor Amaechi and wish to reiterate our call on all
relevant authorities to ensure his
safety and the peace and security of
everyone in Rivers State,” the statement added.
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