DAME PATIENCE JONATHAN, The First Lady
of Nigeria
HER FULL NAME (including her title)

She is Dr. Dame Chief (Mrs). Patience Fakabelema
Jonathan (nee Oba). Her middle name is
FAKABELEMA, often shortened to Faka, meaning
'Unending Blessings'. She is the President of the
African First Ladies Peace Mission.

SHE IS OLDER THAN THE PRESIDENT

Okay, calm down, not what you are thinking.
Dame Patience Jonathan 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.

WHY IS SHE CALLED A DAME?

Patience Jonathan bears the title 'Dame' because
she was honoured with the Knighthood of the
Anglican Church.

HER HOBBIES

Her hobbies? You bet! Reading, writing, travelling
and oh yeah, swimming!

HER EDUCATION

She 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.

HER CHILDREN

Patience Jonathan's marriage with the President is
blessed with two children: a cheeky boy, Ariwera
Adolphus Jonathan and a beautiful girl, Aruabi
Jonathan.

YES, SHE STILL COOKS FOR MR. PRESIDENT

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! With
all that hectic schedule (especially considering
the fact that she is also a Permanent Secretary in
Bayelsa State. Patience Jonathan was appointed a
Perm Sec after 13 years of leave at the Bayelsa
State Ministry of Education)!

WHEN THE PRESIDENT MET HER, IT WAS LOVE AT
FIRST SIGHT

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, 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. 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, handsome 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."

SHE HOLDS COUNTLESS HONORARY DEGREES
AND TITLES

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.
-Staff of Office, Okpahgwe Amawbia, Anambra
State.
-Ada Di Oha Mma of Ukpo Kingdom (Daughter of
the People of Ukpo).
-Honorary doctorate degree in Social Welfare
Administration, Hansei University, South Korea:
According to the organizers of the event, Dame
Jonathan was given the award because she had
worked 'hard for many good causes. 'Professor
Sung-Hae Kim, the President and Chancellor of
the university also went on to say:
"She's a humanitarian who has dedicated her life
to working for the less privileged in Nigeria and
Africa especially for women and children. Her
vision as the defender of the poor in Nigeria fits
into Hansei University's motto of a practising
Christian. Now she's part of our community. "

HER MAIDEN NAME IS OBA

Yes, she was once Miss Patience Oba. She was
born into the family of Chief Lazarus Iwari-Oba but
she lost her own mother at a tender age. She was
later raised by her step-mother, Charity Oba also
known as Mama Sisi, who died in July 2013 in a
road accident along the East-West road between
Bayelsa and Rivers State.

SHE WAS ONCE AWARDED A UNIVERSITY
HONORARY DEGREE EVEN WHILE AWAY IN
GERMANY ON HOSPITAL BED

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. Even the President denied it only for
them to own up later and throw a splendid
Thanksgiving in Aso Rock. Worefa.

SHE WAS ONCE INTO BANKING

Although she started out as a teacher at Stella
Maris College in Port Harcourt, 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.

HER HOMETOWN IS OKRIKA

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.

HER CHARITABLE WORKS

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. Some of the things her
Foundation also did was to foot the N1.8 million
naira bill for an operation in India for a girl with a
hole in the heart (septal defect) and Jubril
Mohammed Hussein, a 9-year-old boy who was
also flown out for treatment for his heart disease.
Zainab Musa Garba, a twin, was diagnosed with a
heart condition and needed N3 million naira for
treatment, the Dame also footed her bills.
Zainab's mother teaches at the Federal
Government College, Maiduguri while the dad is a
retired civil servant. That's a good one or what do
you think? Same goes for Tobi Peters, an 11-year-
old boy, three-month-old Peculiar Owodu and
others (now over 30 kids).

HER FIGHT WITH TURAI YAR'ADUA OVER LAND

In January 2013, she was engaged in a tussle
with the former First Lady, Turai Yar'adua over a
plot of land in the Federal Capital Territory. They
dragged themselves to court and treated the
nation to an exciting drama.

THE DAME-SOYINKA DEBACLE

Nigeria's first and only Nobel Laureate, Professor
Wole Akinwande Soyinka has on several
occassions tackled the First Lady criticizing her
actions especially over how she closes entire
streets while she is in town or the Rotimi Amaechi
case with the Presidency and telling her to be a
'lady' first before being a 'First Lady'. The two
don't just see eye-to-eye.

HER WARDROBE

The Nigerian First Lady is a power dresser. She is
always attractively dressed (even when the
President is looking morose). Whatever, she is an
outstanding dresser.

HER FAMOUS WORDS

"I was just doing my own thing not knowing that
in far away Asia everything was being noted. I
want to assure you all that with God's help I will
do more. My grandma used to say: `Whatever
little you have, share; If you have a thousand and
you can't share, you won't share a million if you
have'. -Dame Patience Jonathan while she was
being honoured with a doctorate degree in South
Korea, October, 2013.
"I remember when Chief Obasanjo was the
President of the country, I was close to his late
wife, Stella. We worshiped together in this chapel.
It was a painful moment for me that time when
she (Stella) died and her corpse was brought
here.
"That was how my corpse would have been
brought here. It was not an easy experience for
me. I actually died, I passed out for more than a
week. My intestine and tummy were opened.
"I am not Lazarus but my experience was similar
to his. My doctors said all hope was lost.
"A black doctor in London who is with us in this
service was flown in when the situation became
critical. It was God himself in His infinite mercy
that said I will return to Nigeria. God woke me up
after seven days.
"I know that some people somehow leaked the
information that I was dead. They are people that
I trust and rely on; to them, I was dead and I
would never return to the country alive. Some of
them even sold my things off.
"I won't say everything here. It is the Lord's doing
that I returned alive. When God says yes, nobody
can say no.
"People are always afraid of operation (surgery)
but in my own case, while my travail lasted, I was
begging for it (surgery) after the third operation
because I was going to the theatre everyday.
"It was God who saw me through. I did eight or
nine operations within one month. It was not an
easy one.
"The day I came back, I said God I have nothing
to say, I offer myself to you. I will be doing things
that will touch the lives of the less privileged.
-18th February 2013, Vanguard.

THE RESURRECTION

In February 2013, at a reception/thanksgiving in
her honour, she stated that while away in
Germany for medical treatment, she was
operated upon nine times in one month and it
was a miracle that she survived and likened her
case to that of Lazarus in the Bible.

SHE WAS ONCE CALLED 'MAMA ICE CREAM'

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 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. In
December 2013, at the inauguration of the
Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment
Programme Maternal and Child Health otherwise
known as MAMA Project, she stated that
henceforth that her name would no longer be
Patience but Mama Peace.

SHE HAS HER OWN SEAL OF OFFICE

Yes, she has her own seal and she uses it during
public functions (see picture).
This action itself has generated some controversy
and criticism because the office of the First Lady
as it is, is not recognized in the Nigerian
Constitution. Only the Commander-in-Chief (and
others as stipulate)is allowed to use a Presidential
Seal on his lectern while speaking in public.

HER FRIENDS

The Dame is quite a sociable woman and she is
usually seen with her retinue or battalion, of
friends.
Some of her closest allies include the wife of the
Vice President, Hajia Amina Sambo (she calls her
her 'twin sister'), wealthy businesswoman, Hajia
Bola Shagaya (who has been friends to the Aso
Rock for decades since Maryam Babangida's
time), Helen Mark, wife of the Senate President
(she once referred to her as her 'younger friend'),
Yemisi Suswan, the wife of the Governor of Benue
State, many other state First Ladies, female
ministers and wives of military service chiefs.

SHE WAS ONCE REFERRED TO AS JESUS CHRIST

Irrespective of the opinion you hold of the
Nigerian First Lady, there are those who are
absolutely in love with her and will do anything to
defend her and proclaim their loyalty. One of such
people is Evans Bipi, member representing Ogu
Bolo State Constituency in the Rivers State House
of Assembly. In an interview, he stated:
"People are misinterpreting this Jesus Christ
on earth. Let me say this. Man is God to
man; it is in the Bible. You must not see God;
you will see God through somebody. God
said, see me through Jesus Christ. That is
why we are seeing God through Jesus Christ.
This woman (Patience Jonathan) is
everything in my life. She made me what I
am today."
Politically and otherwise; I can say it
anywhere. I can say she is my Jesus Christ
because she has made me who I am today.
That is the truth and I can defend that
anywhere. Babangida's wife was from Delta
State. Her people called her mummy.
Yar'Adua's wife is from Katsina, all the people
from Katsina call her mummy. Even
Governor Rotimi Amaechi's wife, the people
call her mummy. When a woman attains
such level, everybody calls her mummy. It is
a form of respect to her. But to me, my
mummy (Patience Jonathan) is special
because she brought me up to this level.

SHE HAS A BOISTEROUS MEDIA TEAM

In a nation of over 170 million people, you will do
well to shield yourself from criticism of many as
the First Lady of the nation. Well, she has a solid
team in place and this team works under the
'Office of the First Lady' and they are known for
releasing statements and counter statements on
her behalf.

Where is her own SEAL of Office?

The mama trouble herself.

I don't believe such a person was given the role of educating peoples' kids. I mean was she interviewed?

Mrs faka dame-ous

from grass to grace. i pray for my own day to come very soon.

sincerenigerian: Where is her own SEAL of Office?

She does have her own Seal of Office. Whether it is legal or not,I don't really know.

vedaxcool: I don't believe such a person was given the role of educating peoples' kids. I mean was she interviewed?

I am surprised too.

berem: She does have her own Seal of Office. Whether it is legal or not,I don't really know.

Lawlessness! She's not recognized by Nigerian Constitution. Office of the first lady has no address.

One more please

She's now to be called "Mama peees", although the spelling of the word was not given! You can choose one from the following:

1.) Mama Piece

2.) Mama Peace

3.) Mama Piss (Known as Urine)

payless: Lawlessness! She's not recognized by Nigerian Constitution. Office of the first lady has no address.

Do first ladies in other countries have a Seal of Office? I don't think Mitchelle Obama has.

Thank God for her o...Me go soon change level..Amen

I dont believe she still goes to the market to buy stuffs for Oga Jona.....

Berem is now 2,,,lol

Interesting though I can't seem to relate to some of them. So she went to school

Thought I heard during their campaign that she used to sell boli(roasted plantain) & that she has no kids with 'oga joe'.. Just need clarifications

angel TI: I dont believe she still goes to the market to buy stuffs for Oga Jona.....

Berem is now 2,,,lol

I don't think she goes to the market to buy stuffs. But she cooks for the president.

fasho01: Interesting though I can't seem to relate to some of them. So she went to school

Thought I heard during their campaign that she used to sell boli(roasted plantain) & that she has no kids with 'oga joe'.. Just need clarifications

I don't know about the roasted plantain part. As for the kids, me I no sabi o!

Interesting.

I don't believe she cooks for oga joe mehn i can't buy that.

Not interested,tell me something else.

She like reading and writing abi...what kind of books does she like to read? How does she write ? Is it like a chicken looking for earthworm?

Berem , not sure what your purposes are in this little write up. Are you trying your hand at creative misinterpretation (PR) in the quest to change the public perception of this woman, your in effect trying to rewrite history, with a small smattering and truth garnished with mainly lies.

If you know her well as you imply you do, ask her what she was doing behind the counter in NITEL Port Harcourt prior to 1999, those who know will tell you. Is she educated the proof is self evident across all her public speeches if you can even qualify them as that. NUFF SAID

berem: DAME PATIENCE JONATHAN, The First Lady
of Nigeria

HER HOBBIES

Her hobbies? You bet! Reading, writing, travelling
and oh yeah, swimming!

komekn: Berem , not sure what your purposes are in this little write up. Are you trying your hand at creative misinterpretation (PR) in the quest to change the public perception of this woman, your in effect trying to rewrite history, with a small smattering and truth garnished with mainly lies.

If you know her well as you imply you do, ask her what she was doing behind the counter in NITEL Port Harcourt prior to 1999, those who know will tell you. Is she educated the proof is self evident across all her public speeches if you can even qualify them as that. NUFF SAID

I didn't write it. I copied and pasted. A similar thread is at the celebrities section. You can go there and confirm.

www.naij.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3ypv1liTQg

Secret Recording of Patience Jonathan vs Wole Soyinka Fighting

God... abeg remember me for good too.

Horus:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3ypv1liTQg

Secret Recording of Patience Jonathan vs Wole Soyinka Fighting

LWKMD!!

Joe got attracted to her because of her brilliance.....

berem: DAME PATIENCE JONATHAN, The First Lady
of Nigeria
HER FULL NAME (including her title)

She is Dr. Dame Chief (Mrs). Patience Fakabelema
Jonathan (nee Oba). Her middle name is
FAKABELEMA, often shortened to Faka, meaning
'Unending Blessings'. She is the President of the
African First Ladies Peace Mission.

SHE IS OLDER THAN THE PRESIDENT

Okay, calm down, not what you are thinking.
Dame Patience Jonathan 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.

WHY IS SHE CALLED A DAME?

Patience Jonathan bears the title 'Dame' because
she was honoured with the Knighthood of the
Anglican Church.

HER HOBBIES

Her hobbies? You bet! Reading, writing, travelling
and oh yeah, swimming!

HER EDUCATION

She 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.

HER CHILDREN

Patience Jonathan's marriage with the President is
blessed with two children: a cheeky boy, Ariwera
Adolphus Jonathan and a beautiful girl, Aruabi
Jonathan.

YES, SHE STILL COOKS FOR MR. PRESIDENT

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! With
all that hectic schedule (especially considering
the fact that she is also a Permanent Secretary in
Bayelsa State. Patience Jonathan was appointed a
Perm Sec after 13 years of leave at the Bayelsa
State Ministry of Education)!

WHEN THE PRESIDENT MET HER, IT WAS LOVE AT
FIRST SIGHT

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, 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. 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, handsome 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."

SHE HOLDS COUNTLESS HONORARY DEGREES
AND TITLES

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.
-Staff of Office, Okpahgwe Amawbia, Anambra
State.
-Ada Di Oha Mma of Ukpo Kingdom (Daughter of
the People of Ukpo).
-Honorary doctorate degree in Social Welfare
Administration, Hansei University, South Korea:
According to the organizers of the event, Dame
Jonathan was given the award because she had
worked 'hard for many good causes. 'Professor
Sung-Hae Kim, the President and Chancellor of
the university also went on to say:
"She's a humanitarian who has dedicated her life
to working for the less privileged in Nigeria and
Africa especially for women and children. Her
vision as the defender of the poor in Nigeria fits
into Hansei University's motto of a practising
Christian. Now she's part of our community. "

how can her hobbies include reading and writing when her command of English is abysmal at best? She goes to Utako market ke? Why these people dey lie like this? Do they think Nigerians are toddlers?