Dame Patience Jonathan, the First Lady of Nigeria, has appealed to the media to strive at all times to promote peace and unity in the country so that love can prevail and Nigeria can move forward.
This information is contained in a statement signed by Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba, and released in Port Harcourt on Thursday. Jonathan, who absorbed herself of any involvement in the PDP chairmanship, said people should use this reason and this season to share love.
“In this season of goodwill when all men and women of God are striving hard to share love and promote peace as symbolized by the Prince of Peace, our Lord Jesus Christ, some individuals are doing the opposite.
She said it was not true that she met and discussed with Gov. Idris Wada, Kogi; Godswill Akpabio, Akwa-Ibom; Theodore Orji, Abia, on the issue. The first lady appealed to the media to be objective and listen to both sides of a story before concluding and before going public.
“We would like to urge members of the forth estate of the realm to be more mature in reporting and adhere to the basic ethics of journalism by being fair, factual and balanced. According to the statement, the first lady has never threatened anyone, needless to say, serving governors.
“Nobody should, under any guise, use the name of the first lady to cause division or discord in the nation as she has committed herself to fasting and praying for the peace and unity of Nigeria. “The first lady will continue fasting until we achieve unity and peace in our fatherland,’’ the statement stated.
The statement further urged the media not to aggravate the whole situation, adding that Nigerian women spent their time in the last national prayers to seek God’s divine intervention. “Christian and Moslem women came together as agents of peace carrying olive branches and beseeching the Lord to uphold the peace and unity of Nigeria.
“Peace in all the political parties; peace in the National Assembly and peace in the presidency, as only peace and unity can move our nation, Nigeria forward. “This was imperative because Nigerian women are natural bridge builders. They have taken up the mantle to promote peace in their respective communities.
“Hence, we urge all peace loving Nigerians to unite against those who want to fan the embers of discord in our nation as they have no fear of the Lord and they will not succeed. “We must condemn reports that whip up needless sentiments and heat up the polity as they do not do anyone any good.
“Let us, therefore, look for those things that unite us as a people and shun things that divide us or cause disaffection among us. “We owe our nation this by not lending hands to those promoting mischief and disaffection,’’ she said.
