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Nigeria’s political and business elite has temporarily relocated to Otuoke, the hometown of President Goodluck Jonathan in Ogbia Council of Bayelsa State, South-South Nigeria.

The otherwise sleepy town is now a beehive of activities as VIPs come calling for tomorrow’s burial of President Jonathan’s younger brother, Chief Meni Innocent Jonathan, who died November 20, 2012 at the National Hospital, Abuja.

President Jonathan had left Abuja, the Nigerian capital, for his hometown yesterday to participate in the burial ceremonies of Meni.

Checks by News Express showed that many prominent personalities departed for Bayelsa today to participate in the burial. They include top government functionaries, prominent politicians and business men. The airports in Abuja and Lagos have been busy with flights to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from where the VIPs will travel to Bayelsa by road except for those going by chartered flights.

A former minister who spoke with News Express said there was no way she could miss the burial. “I am going to assist in any way I can to make the funeral a success,” she said.

Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati had in a statement disclosed that Chief Meni Jonathan would be laid to rest on tomorrow in Otuoke.

“His remains will be conveyed from Abuja to Otuoke on Friday, December 7, 2012 and will be received by the Otuoke Council of Chiefs at the Otuoke Community Hall at 2.30pm on the same day. There will be a Service of Songs for him at the Dame Patience Jonathan Square, Otuoke at 6pm that evening while a commendation service will be held at the St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, Otuoke at 10 am on Saturday,” the statement had said.

The late Meni (seen in photo) will be interred after the commendation service.

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