*Military aircraft mounts surveillance,
as soldiers take over street…
Residents and visitors to Abuja,
Nigeria’s Federal Capital were on
Thursday subjected to unwarranted
restriction and security cordon, as the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan,
took time off to sing and dance with
women drawn from the 36 states of
the Federation. The event, which was held at the
Eagles Square, effectively cut off
workers from the imposing Federal
Secretariat on both Shehu Shagari Way
and Ibrahim Babangida Road, forcing
them to trek for miles to their offices. The big event, which took the workers
and residents by surprise, also
prevented commercial and
government drivers from dropping
their passengers, mostly workers in
their designated bus stops around the secretariat. Instead, hordes of stern-looking and
gut-toting securitymen, who had
arrived the venue before dawn,
ordered them to stop some 200
metres away from the Square, which is
surrounded by the Federal Secretariat. As vehicular and human traffic was
effectively cut off from all the routes
leading to the venue of the First Lady’s
rally, tagged, “Nigerian Women Rally
for Peace and Empowerment”,
frustrated motorists were funnelled to any available space, thereby leading to
a chaotic traffic snarl for most part of
the day. As a result, all major streets in the
Business District of Abuja, were
overflowed with long queues of
human and vehicular traffic, giving
traffic warders a hectic day. While the traffic chaos lasted, armed
soldiers and policemen in battle-ready
mood took their positions on strategic
road intersections, frisking commuters
and pedestrians as if a war was on the
offing. The armed men on the streets were
given aerial support by military
helicopters, which hovered over the
venue of the rally as long as the
ceremony lasted, making occasional
displays, as they flew past. Inside the rally venue, Dame Jonathan,
backed by Vice President, Namadi
Sambo and some ministers and their
spouses, relished the show as
thousands of women danced and
marched past her. Like the President would do during
national events, she smiled and waved
at the women groups. Displaying a
sense of excitement and satisfaction
over the large mobilisation of women
and artistes to the venue, which must have cost the nation a fortune at a time
the government claims it does not
have N92 billion to settle teachers
demand, Mrs. Jonathan frequently
nodded her head and smiled as the
various groups performed. Women in the various military and
paramilitary agencies in the country
and women organisations were
mobilised to sing, dance and march all
for the First Lady, just as groups gave
goodwill messages to the President’s wife. The security lockdown in Abuja,
Vanguard learnt, was also
necessitated by the suspicion that
some insurgents had planned to
attack certain places in the country this
week. www.vanguardngr.com/2013/08/residents-groan-as-dame-jonathan-grounds-abuja-with-drummers-dancers/

She's back!

why wouldn't they do this on saturday or a public holiday

Another APC propaganda......what is wrong in women having rally with first lady ?....nonshense

Which stupid rally??

Enigma17: Another APC propaganda......what is wrong in women having rally with first lady ?....nonshense

Hippopotamus amphibius

The sooner these people are sent back to the creek ,the better.

For the fact that women of the federation is involved, i'm cutting The sheppopotamus some slacks this time.....