Condolence visit: Patience Jonathan lied against Rivers State government

The First Lady, Patience Jonathan, was
economical with the truth when she
accused the Rivers State government of
ignoring her moment of bereavement,
PREMIUM TIMES can reveal.
Mrs. Jonathan, in a tersely worded
statement, late Monday, sought to lay to
rest accusations that she snubbed Tele
Ikuru, the Rivers State Deputy Governor,
who had come to receive her at the Port
Harcourt International Airport on Sunday.
The First Lady justified her actions stating
that no official of her home state came to
commiserate with her family after she lost
her mother, Charity Oba, in a fatal auto
accident.
Mrs. Oba died along the East-West Road
in Rivers State, on July 22.
“It should be noted that while several
groups and individuals from across the
country came to condole the first lady and
Mr. President on the death of her mother,
no official of Rivers state government
deemed it fit to pay the first family
condolence visit, yet they claimed the first
lady is a daughter of Rivers state,” Mrs.
Jonathan had said.
“He who must go to equity must go with
clean hands. They should learn to give
respect to those who deserve respect so
that they too can earn respect,” she had
added.
But PREMIUM TIMES findings show that
Rivers State government not only
condoled with the First Lady; Judith
Amaechi, wife of Rotimi Amaechi, the
Rivers State Governor, was accompanied
by Mr. Ikuru and other state government
functionaries to a condolence visit to Mrs.
Jonathan on July 26.
The Rivers State delegation had, earlier
on that day, received Mrs. Jonathan at the
Port Harcourt International Airport,
Omagwa.
Several photographs of Mrs. Amaechi
signing the condolence register at the
King Perekule’s residence of the late Mrs.
Oba were published by various
newspapers.
During the condolence visit, Mrs. Amaechi
signed the register placed before a
framed portrait of Mrs. Oba and a
photograph of Favour, her grandchild,
who also died in the accident.
One week after Mrs. Jonathan’s loss, Mr.
Amaechi issued a condolence statement
over Mrs. Oba’s demise saying that he
received the news with “utmost shock and
sadness.”
“No doubt the demise of a loved one
leaves us feeling hollow and alone. Yet, in
the midst of our pain, we must not forget
that we are Christians and therefore
should not mourn like those without
hope,” the Rivers governor had said.
The First Lady had reportedly snubbed
Mr. Ikuru, who had gone to welcome her
on Sunday, at the Port Harcourt
International Airport, Omagwa.
Mrs. Jonathan’s security aides prevented
Mr. Ikuru and other Rivers State
government officials from getting near the
First Lady.
Mrs. Jonathan justified her actions in her
statement, late Monday, saying that no
official of her home state came to
commiserate with her family in their time
of loss.