Nigeria’s First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan
is reluctant about the decision of the outgoing
president to resettle at his country home in
Otuoke, Bayelsa State, after handing over to
Muhammadu Buhari.

Seriake Dickson, the Bayelsa state governor,
and other top government officials will receive
Jonathan at the government house Helipad in
Yenagoa.
The outgoing president will be hosted to a
civic reception at the Gabriel Okara Cultural
Centre, before proceeding to his hometown in
Otuoke where he would be received by chiefs
and his kinsmen.

At the Dame Patience Jonathan Square in
Otuoke, a gathering centre for the community,
rows of plastic seats settled in a U-shape
overlooks an open field that measures 35 by
25 feet.
Women sweep the dusty floors and men add
fresh coats of paint on rails and beams.
Some young men outside the square are
preparing giant loudspeakers and other
musical equipment from a delivery truck.
Bestman Azibola, a member of the Ebele
Compound in Otuoke said: “My people are very
happy, we want to receive our son, our father,
our brother.”

“My people are happy because there are some
people they died on the seat, they didn’t go
back to their people alive.

“And we want to thank God for one more thing
again, because he is somebody that is very
patient, very humble, at a time we were even
thinking that there will be a problem in the
country.”
But not everybody is happy about Jonathan’s
homecoming.
Belief Egbu, who sells drinks near Jonathan’s
home said not be very glad.

As the path snakes into Otuoke, a small
signpost of former president, as he would be
called after the ceremony and his wife,
Patience, says: ‘ Welcome to Otuoke. Home of
Goodluck .’
“The man story tire people ,” Egbu, a local of
Abua/Odua local government in Rivers state
said, as he wiped off sweat from his brow.


"As you are sweating now, suppose as you
enter here, fan go blow you well. But no light ,”
Mr. Egbu said as this reporter sat sweating in
his shop.
“For two weeks now, no light. They say they
are doing the wiring since that time.
“At least double express lane, well sound road
supposed to lead here. Nothing.”
The town is not only in darkness, it also lacks
drinkable water. A three year old water scheme
by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources is
still under creation.

At the residence of outgoing president in
Otuoke, workers are putting concluding touches
to the five buildings in the premises.
On Thursday afternoon, May 28, the soldiers
detained a journalist from The Punch
Newspapers for taking pictures of the
compound.
While the residents of Otuoke differed on the
expected level of infrastructural development in
the community, they were agreed in one factor
– the peace in the community.

Azibola said that the area had always been a
peaceful home for everybody.
He said: “If you watch, two-thirds of the
community are strangers. Otuoke is a peace-
loving community. We have never recorded a
case of fight or war .”
Egbu said that despite his apparent failings,
Jonathan’s people would always stand by
him.

“They may stone him at Yenagoa but not here
in Otuoke. No matter what happens, he is one
of us ,” he added.
Meanwhile, two sources at the Presidency in
Abuja, told SaharaReporters that Dame
Patience has made it clear that she does not
want to be a part of her husband pilgrimage
back to Bayelsa state.
One of the insiders said: “Dame Patience
Jonathan has made it known that she wants
to stay in Abuja, not Otuoke or Yenagoa.”
One of the two sources, who is quite close to
the outgoing president, said that Mr.
Jonathan’s post-presidential plans have
caused several arguments between the
Bayelsa-born president and his wife, who is
originally from Rivers state.

He stated: “Patience and Dr. Goodluck
Jonathan have been quarrelling over this issue,
and Patience has now stubbornly refused to
accompany President Jonathan back to
Bayelsa .”

The outgoing First Lady reportedly plans to
stay put in Abuja as her primary base in order
to focus on her real estate business.
Dame Patience developed many choice
properties and lands in Abuja during the years
her husband served as vice president, acting
president, and president.
However the global attention shifts to the
Eagle Square in Abuja where all is set for the
inauguration of Nigeria’s fifth democratically
elected president, Muhammadu Buhari.

www.naij.com/448766-jonathans-hometown-awaits-goodluck.html

Cc. lalasticlala