Patience Jonathan, Dickson mourn Bayelsa SSG’s wife, others

Wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, and the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, on Sunday mourned some prominent women from the state who died in a motor accident in Rivers State.

Although the two-paragraph statement by her spokesman, Ayo Adewuyi, did not give the circumstances surrounding the death, the Federal Road Safety Corps in Bayelsa State said the wife of the Secretary to the State Government, Elizabeth Allinson-Oguru, and 10 other women died in a ghastly road accident on Ahoada/Elele section of the East-West Road on Saturday night.

It was learnt that the deceased were coming from Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State where they had gone to pay a solidarity visit to Mrs. Jonathan.

The statement read, “The First Lady, Dame Dr. Patience Faka Jonathan wishes to commiserate with the Government and people of Bayelsa State, over the death of some prominent Bayelsa women in a motor accident around Elele in Rivers State, on their way to Bayelsa.

“The First Lady prays the Almighty God to grant the souls of the deceased eternal rest and the families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

The FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Mr. Vincent Jack, said on Sunday that the preliminary report released to him by his men indicated that apart from the deceased, 18 persons were injured.

He said the 11 women were killed on the Ahoada/Elele Section of the East-West Road in Rivers State on Saturday night when the bus conveying them to Bayelsa State went up in flames.

Explaining that 29 persons in three separate vehicles were involved in the road crash, Jack, who forwarded the report of the accident to newsmen on Sunday, stated that those who died in the accident were burnt beyond recognition.

Jack explained that the report showed that the accident was caused by burst tyre, adding that the injured were immediately rushed to Madonna Hospital along Elele Road by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.

He also identified the three vehicles involved in the accident as a Toyota Hiace Bus with Registration Number GBB591FS, a Toyota Siena (ABU640AE) and a Toyota Highlander Jeep (YEN 371RJ).

It was learnt that while the corpses of two of the dead women were taken to a nearby mortuary, nine others were burnt beyond recognition.

A source disclosed that some of those involved in the accident were an ex-member of the state House of Assembly from Brass Local Government and Special Adviser to Governor Seriake Dickson, Mrs. Ruby Benjamin and ex-Commissioner for Women Affairs during Timipre Sylva’s administration, Mrs. Gimbra Panowei.

Others, according to the source, are a woman Leader from Otuoke Community in Ogbia Local Government Area, Madam Consider Amadi, wife of the owner of Ayakpor International Schools,Mrs. Inamamu Ayakpor.

Mrs. Ebisinte Ayabowei, who is an ex-commissioner in the state, was said to have escaped death during the accident.

Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Henry Seriake Dickson, on Sunday, expressed shock over the death of the wife of the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Edmond Allison-Ogoru and a group of other women in a ghastly road accident.

Dickson, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Marson, described the incident as a monumental and painful loss to the people of the state.

“The Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, has expressed deep pains, shock and grief over the sudden death of the wife of Professor Edmond Allison-Oguru, the Secretary to the State Government and a group of prominent Bayelsa Women in a fatal road accident along the Ahoada/Elele section of the East/West Road in Rivers State,” the statement read.

The governor also described the women that died during the accident as “our mothers and sisters,” even as he prayed God to grant their families the courage and strength to bear the losses.

The road accident, according to the governor, had forced him to suspend official engagements for three days as a mark of honour for the souls of the departed women.

Punch