Patience Jonathan Blames Elders For Fuelling Rivers Crisis

The wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, on Monday faulted the contributions of some unnamed persons she referred to as "otherwise respected elders" who, by their views, had been contributing to the crisis in Rivers State.

While describing their utterances as unfortunate, she called on all feuding parties in the state to sheathe their swords in the interest of innocent women and children, who, she said, would naturally be victims of the mayhem.

The president's wife's position was contained in a statement by her spokesman, Mr. Ayo Osinlu.
The statement read, "...We therefore call on elders of the state to position themselves appropriately in the circumstances, and continue to seek the highest good of Rivers State and its people, by stone-walling the activities of the few, who would rather fan little embers into a consuming inferno."

"Recent experience whereby certain otherwise respected elders of the country, both from within and outside Rivers State, were canvassing views that seemed to intensify the heat in Rivers State, is certainly unfortunate."

Mrs. Jonathan, who has been roundly criticised as one of the masterminds of the crisis alongside her husband, called on warring politicians in the state to spare a thought for the social, political and economic costs of the crisis, and consider an urgent way to resolve all political differences.

She warned all stakeholders to ensure that the situation in the state did not degenerate to a level that could be hijacked by miscreants and hoodlums, thus exposing everyone to insecurity from which there might be no easy escape.

Meanwhile, the senator, representing Rivers South-East in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe, has declared that no amount of opposition can remove the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, adding that it would not succeed because the governor was ordained by God.