Olalekan Adetayo
| credits: File copy
The remains of Mrs. Charity Oba fondly called Mama Sisi, the foster mother of wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, were interred at her husband’s residence at Ambemebiri, Okrika, Rivers, on Friday amidst fanfare. Oba died in an auto crash in Port Harcourt on July 22 at a time Mrs. Jonathan was in Geneva.
Expectedly, the burial was held under tight security. Media reports had it that cows and bags of rice were distributed to several families in the town as part of efforts to decongest the venue of the funeral programme. “They gave many families cows and bags of rice to cook and eat at their residences, so that they would not come to the venue of the burial because the crowd being expected would be too large,” a community source was quoted as saying.
Another native was also quoted as saying that some amounts of money were also given to various families to buy drinks and other condiments to go with the rice and cow.
Uniform clothes popularly known as Aso ebi in this part of the world were not in short supply. Bundles of Ankara materials in different colours with the pictures of the deceased emblazoned on them were distributed free to those who are interested.
A serving minister was reported to have set up different committees to ensure a successful rites of passage for the deceased while a sitting governor also promised that his state would play a prominent role in the “celebration of life.”
The event was a national burial. How can a sitting President be burying his mother-in-law and the whole nation will not stand still? Such event should ordinarily be an opportunity for people to pledge their loyalty to the President and his wife.
Without being told, politicians know that once they warm their ways into the heart of MMN, they will definitely get the attention of oga at the top. In case you are wondering what MMN stands for, it is simply an acronym for Mother of Modern Nigeria.
The burial came at a very appropriate time when the deceased’s son-in-law was searching for those who will fill the about 11 vacant seats in the Federal Executive Council. That makes the stake higher, so the competition among politicians to outshine one another must be intense.
I cannot blame them. You will recall that even in her moment of grief, the First Lady managed to take notice of the fact that Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and his wife, Judith, did not pay her a condolence visit. She issued a statement on this. That should teach any discerning minds that their role in this “state burial” will determine the kind of book of remembrance that will be opened for them in the Villa, whether good or bad.
I am not familiar with the culture of people in Rivers or Bayelsa State but if the President were a Yoruba man, burying his mother-in-law is like burying his own mother. The President will be expected to erect his separate canopies where he and his family will receive guests.
He will slaughter as many cows as possible, most of which will be gifts from political appointees or favour seekers. He will have prominent musicians in the ilk of King Sunny Ade on the band stand. Although he has said he has no dancing skill, the President and his wife would storm the dancing floor as friends and well-wishers (in this case, sycophants) paste new naira or dollar notes on their foreheads.
Expensive souvenirs bearing the photographs of the deceased donated by Committee of Friends would be shared. Affluence would be displayed to poor villagers with reckless abandon. Before you ask me if all these played out in Okrika, let me quickly tell you that I was not in any way near the venue of the burial.
Oduah and the week of decision
The two-week presidential deadline given to the three-man administrative panel investigating the Aviation Minister, Ms Stella Oduah over the N255million bulletproof vehicles bought for her by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority will expire on Wednesday.
Barring any last minute change in plan, the committee will submit its report to President Jonathan during the week following which the President will make a pronouncement.
Your Excellency, in case the wishes of majority of Nigerians matter to you, I will like to whisper to you that their demand is that I refer to the woman as “ex-minister” next Saturday.
Shalom to His Excellency, JP
President Goodluck Jonathan returned to the country late Tuesday after praying for Nigeria (at least, that is what we were made to believe) during his one week Christian pilgrimage to Israel. On Wednesday, the shouts of “Shalom, Shalom” rent the air in the Villa as members of his entourage who by virtue of accompanying the President on the trip had also become what is known as JP greeted one another in the pilgrimage way. Even the Muslims among them prefer to be referred to as Alhaji JP.
I am not good at reading minds but I am sure that while in Israel, the brand new JP would have fought hard to forget the various challenges facing the country which he was voted to lead for the meantime and concentrate on his spiritual exercise. I am sure he could not have succeeded in doing that.
How could he have succeeded in forgetting the country whose population is daily being reduced by members of Boko Haram? How could he have succeeded in brushing aside the loud cries of Nigerians who demand no other thing than a sack letter for a minister who thinks the present administration’s transformation agenda should also include fortifying her convoy with N255million bulletproof vehicles at a time many Nigerians cannot afford N255 meal? How could he have concentrated at a time when the ambition of 2015 is tearing the umbrella of his ruling party into pieces and by extension unnecessarily heating up the polity? The list goes on.
We have seen pictures of the first sitting Nigerian President to embark on Christian pilgrimage praying fervently in the Holy Land for divine intervention in the affairs of the country. I am sure some Nigerians will be appreciative of this. But since they say faith without work is dead, many others will expect that after committing the nation into God’s hand, President Jonathan, after the exercise, should now begin to add work to his faith by taking decisive actions. After all, God will not come down and take over his seat inside the Villa.
One of such decisions expected of him at this time is to deal with this Ms Stella Oduah’s issue once and for all and prove to Nigerians that he is in charge. He can also be firmer on the issue of security challenges.
Nigerians are waiting to see the display of the courage needed to lead this country.
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