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'{{Infobox First Lady | name = Patience Rasta1 | nickname = | image = Patience Faka Jonathan.jpg | caption = | order1 = [[First Lady of Nigeria]] | term_start1 = 5 May 2010 | term_end1 = | predecessor1 = [[Turai Yar'Adua]] | successor1 = | party = | birth_date = 25 October 1957 (age 57) | birth_place = [[Port Harcourt]], [[Nigeria]] | death_date = | death_place = | alma_mater = [[University of Port Harcourt]] | religion = | spouse = [[Goodluck Jonathan]] | children = | residence = [[GRA, PH]]<ref name="nationalnetwork">{{cite news|url=http://www.nationalnetworkonline.com/vol10n25/patiencejonathansvisit.html|title=First Lady, Patience Jonathan Ends Visit To Rivers|date=2013-07-02|work=[[Nationalnetworkonline.com]]|location=[[Port Harcourt]], [[Nigeria]]|publisher=Network Printing and Publishing Company|accessdate=2014-05-31}}</ref><ref name="vanguardngr.com">{{cite web|last=Onoyume|first=Jimitota|title=Burial of First Lady’s mother: Police beef up security in Port Harcourt|url=http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/10/burial-first-ladys-mother-police-beef-security-port-harcourt/|location=[[Lagos]], [[Nigeria]]|work=[[Vanguard (Nigeria){{!}}Vanguard]]|date=2013-10-31|accessdate=2014-05-31}}</ref> | relations = | signature = }} '''Patience Faka Jonathan''' (born 25 October 1957) is the current [[First Lady of Nigeria]] and a permanent secretary in her native [[Bayelsa State]]. She is married to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, [[Goodluck Jonathan]].<ref>"Lady of a Nation", ''Nigeria Stepping Ahead'', Toronto, June 2010</ref> ==Education== Born in [[Port Harcourt]], she earned her school certificate in 1976, and passed the [[West African School Certificate Examination]] (WASCE) in 1980. In 1989, she obtained the National Certificate of Education (NCE) in Mathematics and Biology from the [[Rivers State College of Arts and Science]], Port Harcourt. She then proceeded to the [[University of Port Harcourt]] and studied for a [[B.Ed.|B.Ed]] in Biology and Psychology.<ref name="Who's Who">{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.africa-confidential.com/whos-who-profile/id/3317 |title=Profile: Patience Jonathan |publisher=Africa Confidential |year=2011 |accessdate=2012-01-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/07/dame-patience-jonathan-the-perm-sec/ |title=Dame Patience Jonathan, the Perm. Sec - Vanguard News |publisher=Vanguardngr.com |date=2012-07-27 |accessdate=2014-06-20}}</ref> ==Career== Jonathan started her career as a teacher at the Stella Maris College, Port Harcourt and Sports Institute Isake. She then moved to the banking sector in 1997, where she established the first community bank in Port Harcourt called the Akpo Community Bank. She served as Marketing Manager of Imiete Community Bank. She returned to the classroom briefly again as a teacher. Eventually she was transferred to the [[Bayelsa State]] Ministry of Education, where she served until 29 May 1999 when her husband became the Deputy Governor of the state. On 12 July 2012, she was appointed as permanent secretary in Bayelsa state by a Governor, [[Henry Dickson|Henry Seriake Dickson]], who was helped to his governorship position by her husband (who was then the incumbent President).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://saharareporters.com/news-page/jonathans-handpicked-candidate-seriake-dickson-declared-winner-bayelsa-gubernatorial-poll |title=Jonathan's Handpicked Candidate Seriake Dickson Declared Winner Of Bayelsa Gubernatorial Poll |publisher=Sahara Reporters |date= |accessdate=2014-06-20}}</ref> The appointment caused national outrage and ridicule considering she had been on leave from the civil service for over 13 years, since her husband became deputy governor in 1999,<ref>{{cite web|author=12 July 2012 |url=http://www.punchng.com/news/bayelsa-outrage-over-patience-jonathans-appointment-as-permanent-secretary/ |title=Bayelsa: Outrage over Patience Jonathan’s appointment as Permanent Secretary |publisher=Punchng.com |date=2012-07-12 |accessdate=2014-06-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dailyindependentnig.com/2012/07/knocks-trail-patience-jonathans-appointment-as-perm-sec/ |title=Knocks trail Patience Jonathan’s appointment as Perm Sec - News |publisher=Dailyindependentnig.com |date= |accessdate=2014-06-20}}</ref> and some critics argued it was a national embarrassment<ref>[http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/politics/44530-dickson-patience-jonathan-and-a-controversial-appointment- ]{{dead link|date=June 2014}}</ref> highlighting there was no merit or evidence of any recent performance to warrant a promotion to the peak of the civil service. She and her husband have two children. ==Philanthropic work== Jonathan has been recognized locally, nationally and internationally for her philanthropic work and political pragmatism. She received the "Beyond The Tears" International Humanitarian Award New York, USA, in 2008,<ref name="Who's Who"/> for her role in the global fight against HIV/AIDS; the African Goodwill Ambassador Award (Los Angeles, USA, 2008) and the recipient of the "Wind of Change" Award from the South/South Women’s Organization. When Goodluck Jonathan served as Governor between 2005 and 2007, Patience Jonathan served the state in the capacity of the first Lady of [[Bayelsa State]]. During this period, she founded many philanthropic and women empowerment programs, among them are the A-Aruere Reachout Foundation (AARF),<ref name=Reachout>{{cite web|author= |url=http://aaruerareachoutfoundation.org/ |title=A.Aaruera Reachout Foundation |publisher=A.Aaruera Reachout Foundation |date= |accessdate=2012-01-28}}</ref> which she set up to improve the status and earning capacity of Nigerian women and youths. The foundation already has its focus on supporting and assisting children with heart-related problems. ==Other== [[File:Patience Jonathan.jpg|thumb|Jonathan in 2012.]] It was announced 4 September 2012, that she was hospitalized in [[Germany]] following a severe bout of [[Foodborne illness|food poisoning]] that lasted for days. Jonathan fell sick about 10 days earlier, following her hosting of a summit of first ladies from across [[Africa]]. Jonathan was discharged from the Horst Schmidt Klinik in [[Wiesbaden]] on 2 October 2012.<ref>{{Citation | url = http://allafrica.com/stories/201210040116.html | title= Nigeria: Patience Jonathan Leaves German Hospital, Checks Into Hotel | year = 2012 | publisher = [[Allafrica.com]] | publication-place = [[Africa]] | accessdate = 18 October 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=ADIGUN and GAMBRELL|first=BASHIR and JON|title=OFFICIAL: NIGERIA FIRST LADY HOSPITALIZED ABROAD|url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/official-nigeria-first-lady-hospitalized-abroad#overlay-context=article/un-says-100000-refugees-fled-syria-august|work=Associated Press|accessdate=4 September 2012}}</ref> When the national media noticed her unusual disappearance from public view, the approach of her office was to initially lie to the taxpayers by denying she was in Germany to utilize the high quality healthcare provision of the country. Her spokesman, [[Ayo Osinlu]], released a statement lying that she had only gone to Germany "to take time off to rest" and not for medical purposes. This was to avoid highlighting the presidential family were avoiding using the [[Health care in Nigeria#Criticism|low quality healthcare system]] provided for the Nigerian citizens and prefer higher quality foreign provisions for themselves at taxpayers expense when needed.<ref>{{cite web|last=Admin |first=Web |url=http://www.africanspotlight.com/2012/09/03/patience-jonathan-is-not-hospitalized-shes-just-resting-abroad-spokesman/ |title=Patience Jonathan Is Not Hospitalized, She's Just Resting Abroad — Spokesman |publisher=African Spotlight |date= |accessdate=2014-06-20}}</ref> Patience Jonathan was involved in controversy during the crisis over [[Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping|230 Chibok girls]] abducted by Boko Haram in north-east Nigeria. After a meeting she convened in May 2014 with representatives of the Chibok community, whose children had been abducted, there were reports that one of the leaders - Naomi Mutah - had been detained by police. It was alleged that Mrs Jonathan had reportedly felt slighted that the mothers of the abducted girls had sent Ms Mutah to the meeting. Immediately after the meeting, Ms Mutah was taken to a police station and held. Pogo Bitrus, another Chibok community leader, described the detention as 'unfortunate' and 'insensitive', and said he hoped Mrs Jonathan would soon 'realize her mistake'. Mrs Jonathan has no constitutional power to order arrests. BBC News reported another community leader, Saratu Angus Ndirpaya, as saying that Mrs Jonathan accused the activists of fabricating the abductions to give the government a bad name. It reported that she also said the First Lady accused them of supporting Boko Haram. <ref name=BBCNews>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27283278 |title=BBCNews reports Nigeria schoolgirl abductions, protest leader detained |publisher=BBCNews |date= |accessdate=2014-05-05}} </ref> ==See also== {{portal|Port Harcourt}} * [[List of people from Port Harcourt]] ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2011}} {{S-start}} {{s-hon}} {{Succession box|title=[[First Lady of Nigeria]]|before=[[Turai Yar'Adua]]|after=Incumbent|years=2010}} {{S-end}} {{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> | NAME = Jonathan, Patience | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = First Lady of gambia | DATE OF BIRTH = 25 October 1957 | PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Port Harcourt]], [[Nigeria]] | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Jonathan, Patience}} [[Category:Articles created via the Article Wizard]] [[Category:First Ladies of Nigeria]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Old GRA, Port Harcourt]] [[Category:1957 births]] [[Category:HIV/AIDS activists]] [[Category:Nigerian women in politics]] [[Category:Politicians from Port Harcourt]] [[Category:Nigerian Christians]] [[Category:Activists from Rivers State]]'