Dame Patience Ibifaka Jonathan has been accused by a group, the Ijaw Patriot of sponsoring protests against Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State over the state’s decision to allot the Bayelsa Palm to Fulani herdsmen.

The Ijaw Patriot, in a statement in Yenagoa, maintained that the ex-First Lady was behind Ms. Ankio Briggs’ rally in Bayelsa recently. Executive Secretary of the Ijaw Patriot, David Lawson, who signed the release on behalf of the group, said the action of the former First Lady was condemnable and must be resisted by all well meaning Ijaw sons and daughter.

“Mrs. Jonathan’s sponsorship of Briggs was hinged on her selfish interest to avoid paying taxes to the government on her own herds, herself, being an owner of over 500 cattle in the state.”

“She owns 500 Cattles and the protest was to ensure she does not pay tax per head of cattle as part of government’s decision to restrict herdsmen and their cattle to the Bayelsa Palm Area for grazing. Ms. Ankio Briggs led the protest after collecting huge sums of money from Dame Patience Jonathan to incite citizens in a protest against the Bayelsa State Government”

“We call on all Ijaw sons and daughters to join forces with government to keep the peace in the state rather than allow some people use their own selfish interest to destroy the state. Confining the Fulani herdsmen to Bayelsa Palm was aimed at pre-empting any security breach such as is happening in other parts of the country.”