Another Perspective on Patience Jonathan and the Rivers Crisis,By Adedoyin Adewumi

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 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 Rotimi Amaechi, the state’s 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, saying 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’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs 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 issue in the hands of the Almighty, as she told the 16 Bishops who paid her a visit in other 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 dialogues as a means of resolving the contending issues amicably, while saying those using her name to ferment trouble should desist from doing so, as being the President of African First Ladies Peace Mission, 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; to the grounding of the state’s aircraft; the Nigerian Governors’ Forum election; the undermining of the Governor’s authority over the state’s Police force, and ultimately, the fracas that 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
Kubwa Satelite Town
aadewumi05@gmail.com
Abuja