Facebook friends urge Jonathan to settle Patience, Turai rift

Facebook friends urge Jonathan to settle Patience, Turai rift

The friends of President Goodluck Jonathan on Facebook have asked him to find a lasting solution to the legal tussle between his wife, Patience and Turai, wife of his predecessor, the late Umaru Yar’Adua, over a parcel of land in the Federal Capital Territory.

Earlier, the FCT administration had revoked the land, which was allocated to Turai, in favour of Patience. Although an Abuja High Court declared the decision null and void, the President’s Facebook friends insisted that the matter must not be allowed to drag on to the appellate court.

They argued that Jonathan’s tribute to his predecessor,
Yar’Adua on the social network, would amount to grandstanding if he failed to find an amicable solution to the land dispute.

In his tribute to Yar’Adua on Facebook, Jonathan had said, “Three years ago, I lost a friend and a brother and Nigeria lost a great servant leader and an apostle of the rule of law in the person of President Umaru Yar’adua.

“He may be gone, but his legacies remain indelibly with us. We remember you (sic) today not for your passing but for your life of service anchored on humility and good works. We pray that the Almighty Allah grants you al jannah firdaus.”

Some of the President’s Facebook friends had immediately disagreed with him, saying he was only paying lip service to his erstwhile boss.

One Muhammad Suraj Jibrin wrote, “If he (Yar’Adua) was truly your friend, your wife Patience would not have attempted to deny Turai her land in Abuja before your eyes.”

As if adding to Jibrin’s comment, Olowojoba Adekunle-Oluwabasirimi said, “If you (Jonathan) are a true friend, try and settle the rift between the first ladies. May his soul rest in peace.”

Another respondent, Kenneth Dakop, commended Jonathan for taking time out to remember and honour his former boss, three years after his demise. In the same breath, he urged the President to do more by prevailing on his wife to stop wrangling over the parcel of land.

“Mr. President, it is wonderful to see you honouring the memory of your late boss. But, I believe you should do more by prevailing on your wife, Patience, to allow the spirit of Yar’adua to rest in peace by settling that land dispute with Turai! You will honour him by asking your wife to do this,” Dakpo said.

Muhammed Al-Hassan also noted that the President should, in the spirit of the third anniversary of Yar’Adua’s death, intervene in what he described as an embarrassing land dispute.

“Our president, my personal advice for you today is to kindly intervene in the ongoing embarrassing land dispute between your wife and his (Yar’Adua) wife in the spirit of this anniversary. Thank you and may almighty Allah be with you and your family,” Al-Hassan said.

The President’s friends also asked him to maintain a cordial relationship with the ex-President’s immediate family.

Explaining the need for Jonathan to maintain an harmonious relationship with the Yar’Adua family, David Jimoh, said, “He (Yar’Adua) was a very good man and I hope that Your Excellency continues to be in good shape with his immediate family. God bless you. God bless Nigeria!”

Medinat Musa also wrote, “Take care of the family he (Yar’Adua) left behind, we missed him.”

While some either commended him or advised him on good governance and emulating the good deeds of his late boss, many did not spare him in their criticism.

But Kenny Odupe fired the first salvo against the President. “We thank God for your (Yar’Adua’s) legacy mostly the seven-point agenda. This present administration has two-point agenda: insecurity and looting,” Odupe said.

Idris Zungum Umar said, “Mr. president, we can remember Yar’adua for his firm stand on rule of law, amnesty for militants, dredging of lower River Niger, unbiased leadership. What are we supposed to remember you for?”

Also, Maruf Lawal said, “RIP Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. Just like yesterday. This is food for thought for today’s stakeholders. One day when you have departed to the great beyond, all that would be left are traces of your good deeds or good intentions or bad deeds as your case may be. The lesson is: handle today as if tomorrow may never come. May your ‘goodluck’ never be ‘ill-luck.’ Work smarter, do good.”