Women are powerful, no doubt about that, and they have always
influenced their men. The role of the president of a country is
fraught with responsibilities that the wife also “shares” with her
husband, whether it is constitutional or not. She is supposed to
represent her husband wherever she may find herself, so, whatever she
does is seen to have her husband’s support.
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan’s fingerprints have always been evident in the
Rivers State crisis. Even if the Presidency keeps denying it, few are
convinced. The brewing crisis, which had been playing out in different forms over the past few months, culminated in the show of shame in the Rivers State House of Assembly, that led people to point accusing fingers at the President, including Mrs. Jonathan, who apparently also has an axe to grind with Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, the state governor.
The First Lady finally opened up on what the “genesis” of the grouse
is, citing the governor’s hot temper and inconsiderate nature in his
demolition of the buildings at the waterfronts in Okrika, which is her hometown. She said the governor didn’t dialogue with her people before taking that step. She also accused him of sacking the Local Government Chairman of the area for hosting a reception in her honour and lastly for imposing a curfew in Okrika despite her appeals.
On the other hand, the state Commissioner for Information and
Communications, Ibim Semenitari, debunked this, saying the area
Patience claimed was demolished (houses surrounding a primary school)
wasn’t, and on the issue of curfew, she said the First Lady had at
several times said that one of the achievements of the governor was
that he brought peace to Okrika, thereby securing lives and
properties.
The First Lady has since said that she has placed the Rivers State
issue in the hands of the Almighty, as she told the 16 Bishops who
paid her a visit in order to mediate in the crisis, and has called on
all parties in the crisis to sheathe their swords so that the state
and country can be ruled and defended with love, unity, patriotism and
truth. She reiterated the need for the warring factions to employ
dialogue as a means of resolving the contending issues amicably, while saying those using her name to ferment trouble should desist from doing so.
Being the President of African First Ladies Peace Mission,
she said her desire is to have peace in her home-base. For the sake of the women and children, who would naturally be the victims if the
crisis degenerates and is hijacked by hoodlums, she has called on all
feuding parties in the state to stop fighting.
But we all know Amaechi’s problems go beyond the seemingly “petty”
excuses given by Patience to a much stronger one of party wrangling
and political ambitions harboured by Amaechi, Jonathan and the
Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike. From the suspension and
investigations of the Obio-Akpor Local Government Chairman, deputy and 17 councillors over allegations of misappropriation of funds, to the subsequent suspension of Amaechi and the pro-Amaechi legislators for disobeying party orders in not re-instating the LG chairman; the
grounding of the state’s aircraft; the Nigerian Governors’ Forum
election; the undermining of the governor’s authority over the state
police force and ultimately, the fracas that has generated so much
furore.
It is obvious Amaechi has some grovelling to do, if he is to get back
in Jonathan’s good books and douse the tension in the state. He first
needs to take a decisive step in either staying with the PDP or moving
to the opposition party, but if his intention is still to further his
political career on the platform of the PDP, he’ll have to jettison
his intention to “contest” as a candidate for the presidential
elections in 2015, make up with the President, apologize profusely and
offer his support for the 2015 project. He should also be ready to
reinstate the suspended chairman as a sign of good faith, since that
would be a paramount request.
Mrs. Jonathan has explained her side of the story. Words are empty
without actions and if truly Amaechi is her “son”, she should make
more spirited efforts in mending the relationship between him and her
husband. That is the sign of a good mother.
Adedoyin Adewumi lives in Kubwa Satelite Town, Abuja and wrote via
aadewumi05@gmail.com.
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