Rivers’ Crisis: Female Politicians Tell Patience Jonathan To Preach Peace, Unity

Amaechi-DameThe political fracas in Rivers State has attracted the attention of elected female local government officials and lawmakers in the state, who have resolved to write the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan on the matter with a view to finding a lasting solution to the lingering crisis.

The women, under the aegis of Elected Female Local Government Executives and Legislators Forum, said the President’s wife should be an ambassador of peace.

The leader and spokesperson of the forum, Ms. Maureen Tamuno, who spoke in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital said: “We want to use this medium to tell her that she should preach peace and unite the country. It is these women seated here who moved from door-to-door to mobilize the two million votes her husband got from Rivers State during the 2011 general elections.”

Ms Tamuno, who also doubles as Chairman of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area, where Mrs. Jonathan hails from, added: “These women here own the grassroots. I went in helicopter to 19 local governments with Dame Judith Amaechi, wife of the governor to mobilise votes for the president.”

The elected politicians also reiterated the call for “the immediate transfer of Commissioner of Police Mbu Joseph Mbu as resolved by the National Assembly” adding that his immediate transfer would guarantee the return of peace to the state and democracy would thrive.

On the treatment meted on Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Llyod, the women decried “the way he is being treated like a common criminal, which he is not”.

The Forum also flayed the failed attempt by five of the 32 lawmakers of the Rivers Assembly to impeach the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Dan-Amachree.

They also took strong exception to a statement credited to the Chief Edwin Clark-led Elders of South-south Assembly, saying that it was wrong for the elders to be “criticising our performing governor as such does not reflect the wishes of the people of the region because Elder Clark is expected to be a father to all”.

They, therefore, appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan, the Senate, the House of Representatives and elders to bring peace to the state.

On Gov. Rotimi Amaechi, they said: “He has returned Port Harcourt back to its Garden City status as all public utilities in the metropolis which enemies of the state dishonestly appropriated have all been recovered and transformed to international standards.”