The event, which was held at the Eagles Square, effectively cut off workers from the imposing Federal Secretariat on both Shehu Shagari Way and Ibrahim Babangida Road, forcing them to trek for miles to their offices.
The big event, which took the workers and residents by surprise, also prevented commercial and government drivers from dropping their passengers, mostly workers in their designated bus stops around the secretariat.
Instead, hordes of stern-looking and gut-toting securitymen, who had arrived the venue before dawn, ordered them to stop some 200 metres away from the Square, which is surrounded by the Federal Secretariat.
As vehicular and human traffic was effectively cut off from all the routes leading to the venue of the First Lady’s rally, tagged, “Nigerian Women Rally for Peace and Empowerment”, frustrated motorists were funnelled to any available space, thereby leading to a chaotic traffic snarl for most part of the day.
As a result, all major streets in the Business District of Abuja, were overflowed with long queues of human and vehicular traffic, giving traffic warders a hectic day.
While the traffic chaos lasted, armed soldiers and policemen in battle-ready mood took their positions on strategic road intersections, frisking commuters and pedestrians as if a war was on the offing.
The armed men on the streets were given aerial support by military helicopters, which hovered over the venue of the rally as long as the ceremony lasted, making occasional displays, as they flew past.
Inside the rally venue, Dame Jonathan, backed by Vice President, Namadi Sambo and some ministers and their spouses, relished the show as thousands of women danced and marched past her.
Like the President would do during national events, she smiled and waved at the women groups.
Displaying a sense of excitement and satisfaction over the large mobilisation of women and artistes to the venue, which must have cost the nation a fortune at a time the government claims it does not have N92 billion to settle teachers demand, Mrs. Jonathan frequently nodded her head and smiled as the various groups performed.
Women in the various military and paramilitary agencies in the country and women organisations were mobilised to sing, dance and march all for the First Lady, just as groups gave goodwill messages to the President’s wife.
The security lockdown in Abuja, Vanguard learnt, was also necessitated by the suspicion that some insurgents had planned to attack certain places in the country this week.
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Serves Nigerians right for voting irresponcibly!
ReplyDeleteWhy can't somebody call this woman to order for God sake. The other time when Prof Wole Soyinka talk the some of u psychophant were calling him names, where else is this type of show of shame happenings all over the world. A word for u Mrs president always remember that nothing that has beginning that wount come to an end. What book do you want d Nigerian society write your name at d end of ur spouse tenure. Or are you going to be in asorock till eternity. Pls change your way, a word is enough for d wise.
ReplyDeleteOMO! This PATIENCE don de MAD O! Abeg BRF send Ur PSYCHIATRIST from LUTH to CHECK this HYPOPOTAMI. She is clearly out of her MIND.
ReplyDeleteserves Nigeria rite,,no comment
ReplyDeleteWot a shameless Mothers are these O Lord, ur Children are @ home wt Ʊ for hw many months doin nothin bcos ur Oga husband @ d top doesn't av time to answer their lecturers. Their own Children are in SCUL enjoying money that are meant for Ʊ n I, pls wotevet Ʊ received frm D̶̲̥̅̊ɑ̤̈̊† useless trip to campain 4 continuitywl nt solve ur problems, pls let call spade a spade n let Pat knows D̶̲̥̅̊ɑ̤̈̊† her husband is a sorry case for this country. Ur Children are study Abroad while ur electorate Children are @ home playing street football. God wl nt let ur dream come to be in 2015. Bastard n hungry throat Mothers.
ReplyDeleteIf na ur mumsy dey the position she go do pass that one...thats women for you......face ur business
ReplyDeleteU guys shud forget that thing. God forbid, if Buhari wins election tomorrow and his wife is to organize something like this, they will block everywhere. Fashola nko, does he not cause traffic jam in Lagos wen he is going for an event? Wen his father was buried, was there not traffic gridlock? This is a norm so forget it. When Obasanjo commissioned d Nassarawa-Abuja road in 2001, was there not almost 18hrs gridlock. Psheew!
ReplyDeleteMr gbenga, and your point is?? We dont have a good politician in nigeria....past and present.
ReplyDeleteAll hail Queen Patience. In fact they should have closed down the whole of Nigeria and also the air space so that these loyal subjects can pay homage to our gracious queen. And why did they not pull all the entire army to make sure Abuja is secure? Who gives a damn about paying lecturers when the money will be channeled to more useful ventures like paying sycophants and mobilizing crowds to perform dances for our illustrious queen? Jonathan please next time when celebrating the First Lady-sorry, Queen Patience-, please invite the US Marines to secure the country. Make sure that all gsm lines are off. Relocate all the Abuja residents to another place. In fact Abuja should be locked down for a week before the event and a week after the event.
ReplyDeleteMay God redeem Nigeria from all these looters
ReplyDeleteMay God redeem Nigeria from looters.
ReplyDeleteDame Patience is "a big embarrassment" for Abuja! Please come and take her to where she comes from!!!
ReplyDeleteDame knows that the game is up. She want to enjoy, share as much as she could.
ReplyDeleteVisit his village called okrika in rivers state, the village is full of militants, uneducated youth and kain kain (ogogro)elders, specialised in the collection of machine ground, bush entry. When she leaves Aso Rock she will explain the san winning work in her Wakrike community. By his grace Amaechi will come out victorious. Tight neck-talking idiot. Ask her where is her own blood children. It is known to every body she has no child of her own, she's a sadist. Nigerians should be courageous to just pity her.
Can you just for once leave religious sentinent out of some matter. You hang everything around God, yet your deeds are so evil before him. Serves Nigerian's right, here you have your dear president who wore no shoes to school and he is ready to make more Nigerian children shoeless.
ReplyDelete@All, if boko haram strikes on that massive rally will the bomb choose Patience only? For a mass rally like that what do you people expect? Blind hatred is bad. No politician will organise that in Nigeria with the current security situation in the country and rake security for granted. These journalists should do better with their reportage. It lacks objectivity and focused on hatred for Mrs Jonathan than probably ironing the issue of whether the event was called for or not and if public fund was spent or not and based on factual evidence. This is rubbish.
ReplyDeleteTIME IS UP, ENJOY YOURSELF. SECOND CHANCE IS NOT SURE.
ReplyDeleteThat woman lacks self respect, despite her very old age.Anyway what do you expect from an illiterate.
ReplyDelete