First lady, Dame Patience Jonathan on Monday said that despite the legions of prominent Nigerians who have flocked the presidential villa, Abuja to pay her a condolence visit over the death of her foster mother, Late Mama Sisi, the governor of her home state, Governor Rotimi Amaechi and his wife, the Rivers First lady have blatantly refused to visit her.
Mrs Jonathan, who was reacting to reports in some media suggesting that she snubbed the deputy governor of Rivers State purported to have gone to the Port Harcourt International Airport to receive her insisted for the umpteenth time that she should be left out of the crisis rocking her home state.
A statement by director of information in the office of the first lady, Mrs. Ayo Adesugba to this effect noted: "It is instructive to note that since the death of Mrs. Charity Oba, the mother of the First Lady, several groups and individuals from across the country have come to condole the First Family at the State House.
"They include state governors and their wives from all the political divides; Nigeria’s former presidents and heads of state and their wives, captains of industry, female ambassadors and high commissioners of Nigeria, other members of the diplomatic corps, royal fathers and traditional leaders - the list is endless. However, the governor and the wife from the First Lady's state have not paid such a visit."
Mrs Jonathan also stated how the Rivers State first lady, Mrs. Amaechi refused to receive her at the airport.
She stated: "Customarily, the wife of the state governor receives the first lady whenever she visits any state. That is why the wife of Bayelsa State governor travelled from Yenagoa to receive the first lady. Ordinarily, one would have expected the same complement from the wife of the Rivers State governor.
"It should be clear to all that for quite sometime now, the first lady has refrained from commenting on issues relating to the politics of Rivers State.
"Dame Patience does not want her name to be used to heat up the polity. We, therefore, urge that the name of the first lady be left out of the politics in Rivers State," the statement made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday night noted.
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