Dame Jonathan
The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, yesterday took a swipe at Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State when she said Port Harcourt, the state capital, has lost its attraction during the governor’s reign.
Dame Jonathan who was in the city to attend the wedding of one of the five anti-Amaechi legislators in the State House of Assembly prayed for the return of the lost glory.
“During the time of Chief Rufus Ada-George and Dr. Peter Odili as governors, everybody wanted to come to Port Harcourt, which was called the Garden City, but I pray that it will return to what it used to be, so that we and our children can be proud of Port Harcourt,” she said at the wedding reception.
The governor who was scheduled to be the guest of honour was absent at the wedding-of Mr. Evans Bipi and former Miss Rhoda Sika- although he was represented at the church by his deputy, Tele Ikuru.
The first lady’s presence in town practically shut down the city. Security was heavy and traffic paralysed especially in and around St. Cyprian’s Anglican Church, Hospital Road, venue of the wedding and Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre, Moscow Road, where the reception took place.
Several Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), soldiers, policemen and State Security Service (SSS) operatives were deployed in strategic places. Mrs Jonathan, a native of Rivers State, had once openly clashed with Amaechi when she scolded him for demolishing shanties in parts of the state.
It was gathered that she met last night with the anti-Amaechi lawmakers. The governor is also not in the good books of the Presidency for his acts of ‘insubordination’ toward President Goodluck Jonathan.
He is perceived as threatening the chances of the president for a second term in office by allegedly agreeing to run as vice presidential candidate to a Northerner in 2015.
He has however denied the allegation.
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