PATIENCE JONATHAN TAKES OVER RIVERS STATE

Nigeria's First Lady, Patience Jonathan has practically taken over Rivers State from Governor Rotimi Amaechi of the state with her recent excesses in the state.

 This sudden development is not unconnected to the current feud between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi. The presidency was believed to be angry with Amaechi with the way he handled Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), this, the presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) considered inimical to the ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. We learnt that this was why the NGF was polarized by the presidency with Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State heading a faction, while Rotimi Amaechi is heading another faction.

Sources, who have been observing the First Lady's several perceived misconducts, said that Patience summoned the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Dahiru Abubakar to her office few months back and gave him a sordid instruction to deploy another Commissioner of Police to Rivers State, while the incumbent had not committed any offence.

Sources said Rivers State, which used to be crime free in the South-South with the giant strides of Governor Ameachi with the ex- CP in combating crime, is now a den of men of the underworld after the former CP was forcefully removed by Patience Jonathan.

Another scenario played out recently, when the First Lady told Amaechi that whenever she is around in the state, he should close down the road that leads to her newly completed complex right at the back of the state house in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

Our source said that on a particular weekend, when both Governor Amaechi and the First Lady had weddings to attend in Port-Harcourt, Patience Jonathan prevented Governor Rotimi Amaechi from attending his own wedding as she shut down the road with tight security, while she went for her own event.

That is not all, sources alleged that when some time ago, the First Lady had an issue with the state Commissioner for Information, she did not only harassed the commissioner, she abused his aged mother and insulted him openly.

All these, sources said, are being done to make the state ungovernable for Amaechi. Sources revealed that this was one of the reasons Governor Amaechi tactically shunned the recent inauguration of the South South Zonal Secretariat of the Women for Change, which was graced by Patience Jonathan.

Apart from the governor and his wife, Judith, other top officials of the Rivers State Government also boycotted the occasion, which was held in Port Harcourt with fanfare.

The scenario playing out, analysts argued, was a mere extension of the well known cold relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of the state.

June 26, 2013