After May 29, President Goodluck Jonathan will leave the
Aso Villa and reportedly will relocate to his Otuoke house in Bayelsa
state where he is expected to retire.
According to the
The Punch, the estate sprawls over a large expanse of land contrasting
sharply with its rustic surroundings. It is said to belong to President
Jonathan. Otuoke, Jonathan’s home town, is a small island community in
the Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa state.
On the long
road to the gates, soldiers and members of other security agencies,
apparently on sentry duty, walked on the grounds. The overall air
suggested guarded and protected serenity.
Behind the gates,
shoving their heads above the walls are no fewer than eight different
structures apparently for different purposes: recreation, security posts
and guard quarters. A visitor to Otuoke will not be penalised for
calling the place a fortress.
According to a source, there has
been activity for a couple of weeks. And it is widely believed that come
May 29, after the expiration of his tenure, President Jonathan will
relocate to the place.
As if the president had the premonition
that he would not live in Aso Rock beyond 2015, he was reported to have
begun acquiring properties adjacent his sprawling country home by late
2013.
It is understood that the president acquired properties over an
area which runs to about seven acres of Otuoba around his mansion which
had been there earlier.
The place was thereafter expanded to encase the mansion while new structures were erected around it.
It was also reported that adequate compensation was paid to the owners of these properties to enable them relocate elsewhere.
Moreover, Jonathan
after acquiring those buildings in 2013, reportedly engaged the
services of a construction company, Jiito, to expand the estate to
accommodate his new acquisition.
Today, Jonathan’s mini–estate,
which overlooks a creek that links Otuoke to other coastal communities
of Bayelsa, is a cynosure of all eyes.
A
visit to Otuoke on Thursday showed that Jonathan’s mansions, which had
been undergoing construction and reconstruction over the last 10 years,
are now ready for habitation. The area they sit on is best described as
an island.
It was learnt that before now, each time the president
visited Otuoke, he usually slept in his wife’s (Patience) castle which
is directly opposite the Federal University in Otuoke.
It was
also learnt that the Jonathans own the choicest properties in Otuoke.
The president was said to have built a two-storey building each for his
mother and father opposite his own.
His wife, Dame Patience,
besides owning a hotel, is also said to have numerous buildings that
have been converted into hostels for FUO female students.
On the
readiness of the Jonathans to return to Otuoke, one of the military
personnel guarding the buildings said all the mansions in the estate
were ready except one.
The
soldier, who declined to give his name, said the contractors were
fixing air conditioners and window blinds on the last mansion. “I
can tell you that the houses are ready. Everything is in order. It
remains only one building where the contractors are putting window
blinds, curtains and air conditioners,” the security operative said.
“I
overheard some of the workers saying that they had been instructed to
finish the last building before the second week of May. I think it is
because the President is returning home.
“As of now, no
domestic staff or relatives are living here. All his relatives have
their homes. It is only military men and policemen that are living in
some of the buildings. Even at that, many buildings are left unoccupied
because the buildings are so massive and it will take a community to
occupy them,” he added.
The soldier, who said he had been
living at the place for the past four years, claimed some of the
president’s domestic staff were in his Kpansia, Yenagoa mansion, which
he built while he was Deputy Governor of Bayelsa.
The
soldier said that apart from the mansions at Otuoke, Jonathan and his
family members have numerous buildings at Okaka Estate, off Isaac Boro
Expressway in Yenagoa.
Many residents of Otuoke are indeed longing to see President Jonathan, one of their illustrious sons, return home.
For
them, Jonathan has made Otuoke, once a relatively unknown place, known
to people outside it and turned it into a city to be reckoned with.
A
resident, Prere Goodthinking, said though President Jonathan lost his
re-election bid, he is God-sent, not only to Bayelsa people but to the
entire country.
Prere said: “Whether people like it or not,
Jonathan can best be described as an icon of Nigeria’s democracy. He is a
man of peace, a gentleman and a great statesman.
“He
has proved to the whole world that he is not a power-monger. He has
shown the world that his ambition is not worth the blood of any
Nigerian. We want other leaders to emulate him. We are going to
celebrate his return and I hope Nigerians and the world will also
celebrate our illustrious son.”
Another resident, who gave his name only as Ebilari, said Jonathan had put Otuoke on the world map for good reasons.
She said: “About
12 years ago, Otuoke was a jungle. Most houses there were decrepit. But
today, you can see that the place that was once a hamlet has become a
wonderful city.
“Buildings are springing up everywhere.
Life has become more meaningful for the people. Before you mention three
prominent places in Bayelsa, Otuoke must come up. Thus, we are proud of
our son Jonathan. We are waiting enthusiastically to receive him after
his national assignment on May 29.”
area which runs to about seven acres of Otuoba around his mansion which
had been there earlier.
The place was thereafter expanded to encase the mansion while new structures were erected around it.
It was also reported that adequate compensation was paid to the owners of these properties to enable them relocate elsewhere.
Moreover, Jonathan
after acquiring those buildings in 2013, reportedly engaged the
services of a construction company, Jiito, to expand the estate to
accommodate his new acquisition.
Today, Jonathan’s mini–estate,
which overlooks a creek that links Otuoke to other coastal communities
of Bayelsa, is a cynosure of all eyes.
A
visit to Otuoke on Thursday showed that Jonathan’s mansions, which had
been undergoing construction and reconstruction over the last 10 years,
are now ready for habitation. The area they sit on is best described as
an island.
It was learnt that before now, each time the president
visited Otuoke, he usually slept in his wife’s (Patience) castle which
is directly opposite the Federal University in Otuoke.
It was
also learnt that the Jonathans own the choicest properties in Otuoke.
The president was said to have built a two-storey building each for his
mother and father opposite his own.
His wife, Dame Patience,
besides owning a hotel, is also said to have numerous buildings that
have been converted into hostels for FUO female students.
On the
readiness of the Jonathans to return to Otuoke, one of the military
personnel guarding the buildings said all the mansions in the estate
were ready except one.
The
soldier, who declined to give his name, said the contractors were
fixing air conditioners and window blinds on the last mansion. “I
can tell you that the houses are ready. Everything is in order. It
remains only one building where the contractors are putting window
blinds, curtains and air conditioners,” the security operative said.
“I
overheard some of the workers saying that they had been instructed to
finish the last building before the second week of May. I think it is
because the President is returning home.
“As of now, no
domestic staff or relatives are living here. All his relatives have
their homes. It is only military men and policemen that are living in
some of the buildings. Even at that, many buildings are left unoccupied
because the buildings are so massive and it will take a community to
occupy them,” he added.
The soldier, who said he had been
living at the place for the past four years, claimed some of the
president’s domestic staff were in his Kpansia, Yenagoa mansion, which
he built while he was Deputy Governor of Bayelsa.
The
soldier said that apart from the mansions at Otuoke, Jonathan and his
family members have numerous buildings at Okaka Estate, off Isaac Boro
Expressway in Yenagoa.
Many residents of Otuoke are indeed longing to see President Jonathan, one of their illustrious sons, return home.
For
them, Jonathan has made Otuoke, once a relatively unknown place, known
to people outside it and turned it into a city to be reckoned with.
A
resident, Prere Goodthinking, said though President Jonathan lost his
re-election bid, he is God-sent, not only to Bayelsa people but to the
entire country.
Prere said: “Whether people like it or not,
Jonathan can best be described as an icon of Nigeria’s democracy. He is a
man of peace, a gentleman and a great statesman.
“He
has proved to the whole world that he is not a power-monger. He has
shown the world that his ambition is not worth the blood of any
Nigerian. We want other leaders to emulate him. We are going to
celebrate his return and I hope Nigerians and the world will also
celebrate our illustrious son.”
Another resident, who gave his name only as Ebilari, said Jonathan had put Otuoke on the world map for good reasons.
She said: “About
12 years ago, Otuoke was a jungle. Most houses there were decrepit. But
today, you can see that the place that was once a hamlet has become a
wonderful city.
“Buildings are springing up everywhere.
Life has become more meaningful for the people. Before you mention three
prominent places in Bayelsa, Otuoke must come up. Thus, we are proud of
our son Jonathan. We are waiting enthusiastically to receive him after
his national assignment on May 29.”
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