This vexatious phrase was first brought to my knowledge in London. I had gone there combining job and pleasure when a friend from the South West of Nigeria, asked me with scorn and fun what the hell is gone wrong with our dear country Nigeria, why a First Lady cannot speak the expected good English(whatever that meant).
My first reaction was instant anger at the very low level to which we have propelled our politics and the inherent danger in telling a particular section of this great country that nothing good can ever come from Nazareth……the Niger Delta here depicted as Nazareth.
Here is a woman whose husband presides over the affairs of this nation. This same woman did not learn or imbibe Christianity in the Villa, she is and has been a Dame, a female Knight of the Anglican Communion. To the Anglican faithful, to be knighted, you are presumed to be a defender of the Christian faith.
It follows good logic, therefore, that in reminding those invited to the Villa on that fateful day by the wife of the President of the existence of God who oversees the affairs of men and passes judgement as it pleases Him, Dame Patience Jonathan was not just defending the Faith but acted as a vessel through whom God spoke to those arrogant invitees from Borno State, that in whatever you do to bring down my husband, the unity of this country, remember, there is God.
The social media had a field day disparaging this innocent woman, her innocent comments and well intentioned advice. I am tempted in anger to ask those behind this crusade, how many English people can communicate fluently in our native languages.
I had watched with fun then, how a sitting President of this country, during a world press conference, with a US President Bill Clinton in trying to justify how much progress he had recorded in terms of development used our local parlance …..‘potor potor’ to refer to mashy ground on CNN.
We all laughed, applauded him and remained silent, not because he was correct not to have used the right words but because he is from a privileged section of this country recently demarcated and painted as Educational territory of Nigeria by another modern day enemy of Nigeria who arrogated to himself of being God installed Administrator of Nigeria.
Dame Patience Jonathan, just like me, by such demarcation, comes from an irrelevant section of this country and, as such, whatever we do, right or wrong, must be wrong.
I have always lived in this country because I love Nigeria, and am proud of her sincerely unlike those who do same because of the oil blocks they have stolen from my fathers using military might aided by the ignorance of our leaders in the Niger Delta who over the years have vigorously preached the unity of Nigeria while other sections fed fat from our land.
In all my stay here, I have seen my first ladies who even ruled side by side their husbands, we all clapped and kept mute. Some even went for tummy tuck to look more attractive; no one, not one dared to question. Those who dared and managed to stay alive have horrifying stories to tell of the real colours of dictatorship. Where did Dame Patience Jonathan go wrong.
I have heard echos….. she took a microphone from Governor Amaechi forcefully (if that is ever correct) she is too over bearing, she controls her husband, she is actually the President and not Jonathan. One question here, how many men do their wives or even mistress not control?
It is easier said outside about men being in control but, behind closed doors, it is a different game. In the bedroom, the very perceived strong men are sometimes usually the first to go soft when the woman is still barking out orders.
The barrages of attack on Dame Patience Jonathan is also a fallout of the anger of those who believe that it is an abomination for any of us from the Niger Delta to attempt to govern this country since we do not fall within the already demarcated zones of relevance but our natural resources fall within their bank accounts.
We the people from the Niger Delta make bold to proclaim that it is not for any section of this country to tell us whom we should present to serve our tenure. Our tenure now being served by President Jonathan terminates in 2019, God willing, is so dear to us because it represents our very existence and being in this fragile union called Nigeria.
We shall resist any attempt to deny us of our own slot or even conceive to stop the South-east from taking their own slots that should commence in 2019. Gone are the years, that it was perceived and almost established that Nigeria belonged only to a section of this country. Nigeria belongs to us all. Half a word is enough for a wise man.
* Owhefere is a two-term member of the Delta State House of Assembly where he represents Isoko North Constituency.
– See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/06/god-ooo/#sthash.dOm5D4IO.dpuf