If you are as inquisitive as I am, then welcome on board…lolz! So I was surfing the internet as usual a while ago when I stumbles on a post from Iyaniwura’s blog and here I am, sharing with you all.
Did you know that Patience Jonathan ….
1- is older than President Goodluck Jonathan. Okay, calm down, not
what you are thinking. She was born in Port Harcourt on the 25th October
1957 while the don himself was born on 20th November, 1957. Ok, just
like a month sha.
2. holds a
National Certificate of Education (NCE) in Mathematics & Biology
from the Rivers State College of Education and later bagged a degree
from University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) in Biology & Psychology.
She passed WASSCE in 1980, long before many of her haters were born. Ok,
no lele. Let’s ride on. The Proposal gist is after the cut, winks…
3. Although she started out as a teacher
at Stella Maris College in Port Harcourt (HajMari, where are you o?),
she later veered briefly into the banking sector, establishing Akpo
Community Bank in 1997, the first of its kind in Port Harcourt, and
later served as the Marketing Manager of Imieto Community Bank.
4.
According to Baridah Job Karabah, a former houseboy, her nickname back
in the days was ‘Mama Ice Cream’ (and that of the President was simply
‘Oga Joe’ ). Ice cream ke? Yes, and that was because she used to cool
(abi na freeze…lol) ice cream in her large deep freezers. The ice cream
is then later distributed for sale. He says business was ‘booming’ for
her then. President Jonathan was at that time, a senior lecturer at the
Rivers State College of Education. And yes, she had a poultry too at the
same time. Quite industrious I’d say.
5. In September 2012, she
was awarded a honorary degree by the Delta State University, Abraka
despite the fact that she was not in the country at that time. She was
said to have gone to Germany but she denied going there for any
treatment. Worefa.
6. She hails from Oba-Ama Community in
Okrika, a port town in Rivers State. It is known as a base for the sale
of second-hand clothes, and the name Okrika for those of us very
familiar with ‘Bend Down Select’ and ‘Tokunbo’ clothes is an attestation
to that. Omo, I can never forget the delightful smell of Okrika
clothes…lol! The belief then, and even maybe now is that they are even
better than ‘original’ and brand new clothes. Next!
7. Her maiden name is OBA. As in, she was once Miss Patience Oba.
8.
Miss Oba later met her lecturer while she was a student at the Rivers
State College of Education (now Rivers State University of Education,
Rumuolumeni). Her lecturer then was with the Department of Biological
Sciences (he taught her biology, oh, I love that course die! Don’t ask
me why!), and one thing led to the other, they both fell in love. Today,
the rest is history and that Mr. Lecturer of yesterday now rules the
most populous black nation on earth. You still don’t know him? Go get
yourself a black fedora hat! Hear her:
”We first met at the
Rivers State College of Education, Port Harcourt where I was a student.
He was my Biology lecturer.Later; he left for university of Port
Harcourt to pursue his PhD.
We met again at the University of
Port Harcourt when I went for undergraduate degree. That was where our
relationship began. He took interest in me because I was a brilliant and
smart student.
It was love at first sight on his part. But it
never crossed my mind that it would lead to a serious relationship. My
first impression of him was ‘this tall, dark, hansome young man”.
Further
interaction with him also revealed that he came from a good Christian
home just like I did. His humble and gentle disposition caught my
attention and most importantly, his intelligence.”
9. She
says she still cooks for her husband and even goes to Utako Market
(Abuja people, wey una dey?) to buy ingredients for soup. O ga ju!
10. Her hobbies? You bet! Reading, writing, travelling and oh yeah, swimming!
11. She holds many traditional titles, some of which are:
-Odadigba of Otuoke Kingdom, meaning the Ladder of Success.
-Unume Wheshi Ekpeye 1 of Ekpeye Kingdom in Rivers State.
-Yeye Obateru of Owu Kingdom, Ogun State, means the Wife of He Who Shares the King’s Burden.
-Yeye Ohun Orun of the Source of Ife Kingdom, Osun State, meaning the Wife of the Voice of the Heavens.
-Ada Di Oha Mma of Ukpo Kingdom (Daughter of the People of Ukpo). Okay, I think that is enough for now. Nigerians and titles sha.
12. She bears the title ‘Dame’ as she was honoured with the Knighthood of the Anglican Church.
13.
Her marriage with the President is blessed with two children: a cheeky
boy, Ariwera Adolphus Jonathan and a beautiful girl, Aruabi Jonathan.
Click the link below to see all pictures.
14. Like others before
her, she also has a non-governmental organization, named the A. Aruera
Reachout Foundation and is said to focus on the needy, the poor and the
destitute, with particular emphasis on women and children. According to
the Foundation, it has trained over 2,000 women in the last eight years.
Well,
I had to point that out because Nigerians seem to be carried away by
her speeches as if we are all professors of English ourselves. By the
way, I am assuming that her Foundation derived its name from her two
kids: ARU-abi and Ariw-ERA. At any rate, it’s an assumption.
15.
She is currently engaged in a tussle with the former First Lady, Turai
Yar’adua over a plot of land in the Federal Capital Territory. That’s
what I call the vanity of power and inanity of authority. By the way, I
promise to tell you the meaning of her middle name ‘Faka’ once I get it.
I’ve been trying to, but nothing yet….Lolz!