The late Meni, younger brother of President
Goodluck Jonathan was on Saturday laid to rest in the absence of northern
governors who preferred to attend the wedding ceremonies of Vice-President
Namadi Sambo’s daughters in Kaduna.
Also, no South-West governor attended the funeral
of Meni which was held at the St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, Otuoke in Ogbia
Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.
Jonathan, who was in a pensive mood, said his
brother, 47, who passed on in Abuja on November 20, suffered cardiac arrest.
Jonathan, accompanied by his wife, Patience, his
mother, Eunice, his children, wives and children of the late Meni, said there
were no signs of death when the late Meni accompanied him to Abuja after his
private visit to his hometown.
He said, “What worries me is that he died
suddenly. He came to my house. Nobody carried him. We discussed but he was a
bit frail. I asked him to follow us so that he could do medical check-up. He
drove down to Yenagoa to board the chopper to Abuja. He got to Abuja that
Saturday and he was admitted in the hospital.
“The following Monday, his breathing changed. I
decided to make an arrangement to let him get treatment outside. Unfortunately,
he had a cardiac arrest at the State House clinic.
“We were making arrangements to move him to the
National Hospital. It is a very sad thing. He has been covering the home front
for us. He was a very humble person. He was a reliable and trustworthy person
that you can ask to handle things for you.”
The President said he was surprised at the crowd
and personalities who turned up for the burial.
He said, “In some traditions, I’m not supposed to
be in the church. There is a tradition that you don’t bury your younger ones.
Luckily for this community, we don’t have too many of these cultural and
traditional things.
“I know that people will surely die but I believe
that people should live to an age. It is quite sad that Nigerians are pulled to
the community to bury my younger brother. He was very young. God knows
best. It is not how long you stay on earth but the little impact you make
that matters.”
Our correspondent observed that while government
contractors, business moguls, actors, Peoples Democratic Party top shots and
members of Jonathan’s cabinet flooded the state for the burial, northern and
south-western governors stayed away.
The northern governors were said to have attended
the wedding ceremonies of Sambo’s daughters which coincided with the funeral
service.
It was not clear why South-western governors were
not at the programme, but the condolence message of the Governor of Ogun State,
Mr, Ibukunle Amosun, was published in the programme.
The solemn ceremony was, however, attended by the
South-East and South-South governors apart from Mr. Liyel Imoke of Cross River
State who our correspondent gathered was on a two-month leave.
Nothing was heard about the Governor of Edo
State, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.
In his sermon, the Bishop of Ogbia Diocese, James
Ayo Oruwori, said the late Meni lived an exemplary life worthy of emulation.
Meanwhile, President Ernest Koroma of Sierra
Leone and President Joyce Banda of Malawi have sent condolence letters to the
President.
In their letters, they said they were saddened by
the news of Meni’s death.
Punch
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