Bodies of Female Politicians Laid To Rest In Bayelsa State

President Jonathan and his wife Dame Patience Jonathan and the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson as well as wives of the Anambra and Ekiti states governors joined other sympathizers were among the attendees  at a special memorial service in honour of the deceased women at Dr. Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, in Yenagoa Bayelsa State.

The remains of the female politicians, who died in a ghastly auto crash, have been laid to rest at the Bayelsa State cemetery, Azikoro in Yenagoa, the state capital.

Paying tributes to the deceased women, President Jonathan said he had a personal relationship with almost all the women involved in the accident, describing the fateful day of the incident as a black Saturday on which grief enveloped the entire state.

The president, who said the news of their death, got to him while playing host to widows and families of the soldiers, who lost their lives to insurgency killing in the north eastern part of the country, commended the state government for its efforts at honouring the departed.

The president also described the world as a stage. He said the women have played their role and prayed God to grant the bereaved families the courage to bear the painful loss, hoping that, the living would have learnt lessons from their experience.

The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, in her short speech described the late women as her sisters and friends, who shared same dreams and vision to make life more meaningful for the entire citizenry.

Dame Patience Jonathan who is the president of the African First Ladies Peace Mission,stressed the need for people to live in peace and unity, irrespective of political ambition.

The Governor of bayelsa state Hon. Seriaki Dickson expressed his profound gratitude to President Jonathan and his wife Dame Patience for personally gracing the state funeral service, and most importantly the show of concern exhibited by the First Lady, whom he said had earlier paid condolence visits to each of the affected families. He also expressed appreciation to people within and outside the state, who carved out time to identify with the people of the state over the gruesome incident, through calls and letters, stating that the government would support the bereaved families.

In an emotional laden voice, Governor Dickson remarked that the gruesome death of the women would remain a tragedy to their immediate families and in the history of the state.

Apostle Zilly Aggrey who is the General Overseer of the Royal House of Grace Church, in a brief exhortation, made references to the scriptures, stating that no one could question the will of God and prayed Him to comfort the families left behind by the deceased.