Patience Jonathan Appointed Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State

12 Jul 2012

First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan

 The announcement would surely take many by surprise. The surprise stems more from the fact that not many people know or consider the nation’s First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, a career civil servant.......


Indeed, until she became the wife of the then Vice-President, Goodluck Jonathan, not much was known or heard of the First Lady.

As the wife of the governor of Bayelsa State, and thus the First Lady of the state, Mrs Jonathan operated more under the shadow of her husband, and so was not exactly visible. But all that is in the past.

Now, she is an engaging national personality, what with her idiosyncrasies which have defined and endeared her to many Nigerians.

Wednesday, she added another notch to her profile by being the first wife of a sitting president to be appointed into the high echelon of the civil service order, while yet serving as the nation’s First Lady. She was appointed a Permanent Secretary by the Seriake Dickson-led government of Bayelsa State. The governor was elected into office last February.

Yes, the concept of First Lady, which is copied from the American system, registers a strong connect in the consciousness of Nigerians, but it is an office still not known to the nation’s constitution. It remains largely a ceremonial office and not careerist.

The name of the president’s wife was first on the list of 19 persons confirmed to the position in a statement by the state government Wednesday evening.