Wife of the
President, Mrs.
Patience Jonathan,
on Sunday
sympathised with
the government and
people of Bayelsa
State over the death
of some prominent
women from the
state in a motor
accident in Rivers
State.
Although the two-
paragraph statement
by her spokesman, Ayo
Adewuyi, did not give
the circumstances
surrounding the death,
an online report said the
women, including the
wife of the Secretary
to the Bayelsa State
Government, Elizabeth
Oguru, died after a visit
to Mrs. Jonathan.
The statement read,
“The First Lady, Dame
Dr. Patience Faka
Jonathan wishes to
commiserate with the
Government and people
of Bayelsa State, over
the death of some
prominent Bayelsa
women in a motor
accident around Elele in
Rivers State, on their
way to Bayelsa. “The
First Lady prays the
Almighty God to grant
the souls of the
deceased eternal
rest and the families
the fortitude to bear
the irreparable loss.”
The online report said
the accident occurred in
Ahoada on the East-
West Road in Rivers
State. It gave the
names of others who
died in the accident to
include Consider Amadi,
a former Woman Leader
in Ogbia; Clara Abila, a
grassroots politician;
Immaculate Amasimua,
a former Commissioner
in the Bayelsa State Civil
Service Commission;
Zimbra Goma, a former
Commissioner for
Women Affairs in
Bayelsa State; and Hon.
Ruby Benjamin, a
former member of the
House of Assembly
representing Brass
Constituency 1 of
Bayelsa State.
They were said to be
returning from Port
Harcourt in Rivers State
where they had gone on
a visit to Mrs. Jonathan.
The Sector Commander
of the Federal Road
Safety Commission in
Bayelsa State, Vincent
Jack, confirmed the
development. Jack
spoke with newsmen
on the telephone on
Sunday. He, however,
said only nine persons
died in the fire that
engulfed the vehicle in
which the victims were
travelling.
The accident was said
to have occurred when
the tyre of an oncoming
Toyota Sienna exploded
and the car rammed
into the bus carrying
the women. The bus
burst into flames
immediately. The
coaster bus in which
the women were
travelling was said to
have bore the
inscription: “Women For
Change Initiative,” Mrs.
Jonathan’s Non-
Governmental
Organisation.