President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday revealed that last month’s death of his brother and Chairman of Otuoke Chiefs Council, Chief Meni Innocent Jonathan, was caused by cardiac arrest.
Jonathan, speaking in Otuoke, Ogbia Council Area of Bayelsa State, where Meni was interred after a solemn funeral service at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, described the death as very painful, especially as his brother showed no sign of illness.
“I always know that people will surely die. I always believe that people will live to an age where they make their names,” he said.
“Some persons die before they are born; there are a lot of still births. Some others die before they grow up to an age where people recognise them. He had his two sons fairly grown up; they, at least, will be with us. The circumstances of the death sometimes worry me. What worries me is [that] the he died so suddenly.”
He recalled that he was with the late Meni days before he died. And even though he was a bit frail and decided to have a medical check-up, he moved from his house across the road himself.
“He drove himself down to Yenagoa to board the chopper to Abuja. He got to Abuja that Saturday and was admitted in hospital. The following Monday, his breathing changed. Arrangements were being made to move him to National Hospital. Unfortunately, the following day, he had cardiac arrest and inflamed heart at the State House Clinic.
“It is a very sad thing. He had been covering the home front for us. He has a very humble person. He was a reliable and trustworthy person you could ask to handle things for you. He is dead now and there is nothing we can do. I must thank all of you who have come to join the Jonathan family to give us this respect.”
Some of the dignitaries at the church service were Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal; his deputy, Emeka Ihediora; Governors Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa, Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta, Matin Elechi of Ebonyi, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Theodore Orji of Abia; Mrs. Eunice Jonathan, mother of the president; and Dame Patience Jonathan, the president’s wife.
